The Lost Key

 

Alice was in a hurry to get to her friend’s birthday party. She grabbed her coat and purse and ran out of her apartment. She locked the door behind her and realized too late that she had left her keys inside. She panicked and tried to open the door, but it was too late. She was locked out.

She checked her phone and saw that she had only 15 minutes to get to the party. She didn’t have time to call a locksmith or wait for her landlord. She looked around and saw a window on the second floor that was slightly open. She wondered if she could climb up and get in through the window.

She spotted a ladder leaning against the wall of the building next door. She ran over and grabbed the ladder. She carried it to her building and set it up against the wall. She climbed up the ladder and reached the window. She pushed it open and tried to squeeze through.

She managed to get her head and shoulders inside, but then she got stuck. She couldn’t move forward or backward. She felt like she was trapped in a tight squeeze. She started to panic and scream for help.

She heard someone coming up the stairs. She hoped it was her neighbor or her landlord. She saw a face appear at the window. It was a man she didn’t recognize. He looked surprised and amused to see her.

“Hello there,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Alice said. “I locked myself out of my apartment and I was trying to get in through the window.”

“Really?” he said. “That’s very clever of you. But you know, this is not your apartment. This is mine.”

Alice felt a surge of embarrassment and horror. She had climbed into the wrong window. She had broken into a stranger’s apartment.

She apologized profusely and begged him to help her get out. He smiled and said he would help her, but only if she agreed to go out with him.

Alice was shocked and outraged by his proposal. She refused to go out with him and demanded that he help her get out immediately.

He shrugged and said he was only joking. He said he would help her get out, but only if she promised to be more careful next time.

Alice agreed and thanked him. He pulled her out of the window and helped her down the ladder. He asked her for her name and phone number. Alice gave him a fake name and number and ran away.

She checked her phone and saw that she had missed the party. She felt like crying. She decided to go back to her apartment and wait for her landlord.

She hoped he would come soon and let her in.

She also hoped she would never see that man again.