The Walk at Midnight

Ethan Harper had always been a light sleeper, but over the past month, his restless nights had taken a strange turn. He’d wake up with muddy feet, leaves in his hair, or even standing in the middle of his kitchen with no recollection of how he got there. He was sleepwalking.

At first, he laughed it off, chalking it up to stress. But when his neighbor, Mrs. Alcott, spotted him wandering down the street late one night, things took a darker turn.

The Rumors Begin

It started with whispers at the local grocery store. “Ethan Harper? I saw him skulking around the park at midnight,” Mrs. Alcott said to the cashier. “It’s strange. Always walking, never saying a word.”

“Didn’t something go missing from the Thompson’s garden last week?” the cashier replied. “You don’t think…?”

The rumors spread like wildfire. By the end of the week, Ethan was the town’s favorite suspect for every petty crime that had occurred recently. Garden tools missing, strange footprints by the pond, even a broken fence—all eyes turned to him.

A Confrontation

Ethan first heard the accusations from his coworker, Sarah. “Hey, Ethan, I don’t want to pry, but people have been talking,” she said hesitantly. “Mrs. Alcott said she saw you walking around at night. And, well, you know how people are.”

Ethan froze. “Walking around at night? I’m asleep by ten every night.”

“Apparently not,” Sarah said. “Maybe you should, I don’t know, figure out what’s going on. People are starting to wonder.”

That night, Ethan decided to take action. He set up his phone to record himself while he slept, hoping to catch some proof of what was happening. When he reviewed the footage the next morning, his stomach dropped. There he was, walking out the front door at 2 a.m., his eyes half-open, expression blank.

The Incident

Things came to a head the following night when a loud crash woke the entire neighborhood. Someone had broken into the Johnson’s shed, scattering tools everywhere. Mrs. Alcott swore she saw Ethan stumbling away from the scene. “I knew it was him!” she declared to the gathering crowd. “He’s been sneaking around for weeks!”

By morning, Ethan’s name was all over town. Feeling cornered, he decided to confront the issue head-on. “I need to prove this isn’t me—at least not the awake me,” he muttered.

The Solution

Ethan reached out to Dr. Patel, a sleep specialist. After explaining his situation, Dr. Patel confirmed his suspicions. “You’re experiencing a form of parasomnia—sleepwalking triggered by stress or an underlying condition. It’s rare but treatable.”

Dr. Patel suggested several strategies: locking his bedroom door, using motion alarms, and keeping a sleep journal. Ethan also installed a GPS tracker on his phone to trace his nighttime movements.

Clearing His Name

The turning point came a week later when Ethan’s phone alerted him to his sleepwalking. He followed the GPS coordinates to the park, where he found Mrs. Alcott’s missing cat tangled in some rose brushes. “She must have wandered off days ago,” he murmured, gently freeing the frightened animal.

When Ethan returned the cat to Mrs. Alcott, her face softened. “You… you weren’t sneaking around, were you? You were sleepwalking this whole time?”

“Yes,” Ethan said. “And I’m working on it. But maybe this clears up the misunderstanding.”

Word of Ethan’s actions spread, and the townspeople’s attitude shifted. They apologized for jumping to conclusions, even organizing a community meeting to learn about sleepwalking.

A Peaceful Night

With Dr. Patel’s help and the support of his neighbors, Ethan slowly gained control over his sleepwalking. The town no longer whispered about him; instead, they greeted him warmly, often thanking him for finding the missing cat.

One night, as Ethan sat on his porch under the stars, he smiled for the first time in weeks. The peace he had been searching for was finally within reach. The sleepwalking had brought turmoil, but it also taught him resilience—and how to face challenges, even when they happened in the dead of night.

Phrasal Verbs & Example Sentences

Figure out – To solve or understand something.

  • Example: “Maybe you should figure out what’s going on.”

Catch up – To learn about recent events.

  • Example: “Ethan needed to catch up on what was being said about him.”

Turn to – To seek help from someone.

  • Example: “Ethan turned to Dr. Patel for guidance.”

Wake up – To stop sleeping.

  • Example: “Ethan woke up to find himself standing in the kitchen.”

Set up – To arrange or prepare something.

  • Example: “Ethan set up his phone to record himself while he slept.”

 

Phrasal Verbs

Fill in the Blank with Phrasal Verbs

  1. Ethan needed to ________ what was happening during the night.

  2. He ________ his phone to catch his sleepwalking on video.

  3. The loud crash caused everyone in the neighborhood to ________.

  4. Ethan decided to ________ Dr. Patel for help.

  5. Mrs. Alcott wanted to ________ on the latest gossip.

Answers: Phrasal Verbs

  1. Figure out

  2. Set up

  3. Wake up

  4. Turn to

  5. Catch up

Idioms & Example Sentences

Jump to conclusions – To form an opinion without all the facts.

  • Example: “The townspeople jumped to conclusions about Ethan.”

Cornered – To feel trapped or pressured.

  • Example: “Ethan felt cornered by the accusations.”

Make amends – To fix a wrong.

  • Example: “The neighbors wanted to make amends with Ethan.”

A wake-up call – A situation that prompts action.

  • Example: “The incident was a wake-up call for Ethan to seek help.”

See the bigger picture – To understand the situation as a whole.

  • Example: “The town finally saw the bigger picture about Ethan’s condition.”

Idiom Quiz

Fill in the Blank with Idioms

  1. The townspeople ________ without knowing the full story.

  2. Ethan felt ________ by the rumors and accusations.

  3. The misunderstanding served as a ________ for Ethan.

  4. The neighbors wanted to ________ for falsely accusing him.

  5. Finally, the town began to ________ about Ethan’s sleepwalking.

Answers: Idioms

  1. Jumped to conclusions

  2. Cornered

  3. Wake-up call

  4. Make amends

  5. See the bigger picture

Multiple-Choice Questions

Circle the correct answer.

  1. Why was Ethan wandering at night?
    a. He was committing crimes.
    b. He was sleepwalking.
    c. He was chasing Mrs. Alcott’s cat.
    d. He was taking midnight walks.

  2. What did Dr. Patel diagnose Ethan with?
    a. Insomnia.
    b. Parasomnia (sleepwalking).
    c. Anxiety.
    d. Fatigue.

  3. How did Ethan prove his innocence?
    a. He caught the real culprit.
    b. He recorded himself sleepwalking.
    c. He apologized to the town.
    d. He found Mrs. Alcott’s missing cat.

  4. Why did the townspeople suspect Ethan?
    a. Mrs. Alcott saw him walking at night.
    b. He admitted to breaking into the shed.
    c. He was acting suspiciously during the day.
    d. He didn’t deny the rumors.

  5. What did the GPS tracker help Ethan do?
    a. Prove where he went at night.
    b. Catch the thief.
    c. Wake himself up.
    d. Stop sleepwalking entirely.

  6. What did Ethan find using the GPS tracker?
    a. A missing dog.
    b. Mrs. Alcott’s missing cat.
    c. The stolen garden tools.
    d. A clue about the thief.

  7. What did Ethan do to manage his sleepwalking?
    a. Installed a motion alarm and locked his door.
    b. Stopped drinking coffee.
    c. Slept during the day instead of at night.
    d. Moved to another town.

  8. Why did Ethan feel the need to record himself?
    a. To prove he wasn’t committing crimes.
    b. To share the footage with his neighbors.
    c. To entertain himself.
    d. To win a bet with his coworker.

  9. What triggered the townspeople’s change of attitude toward Ethan?
    a. Dr. Patel explaining his condition.
    b. Ethan returning Mrs. Alcott’s missing cat.
    c. The discovery of the actual thief.
    d. A town meeting about sleepwalking.

  10. What lesson did Ethan learn from the incident?
    a. That sleepwalking is harmless.
    b. To address problems directly and educate others.
    c. To avoid Mrs. Alcott.
    d. That people will always judge without facts.

Answers: Multiple-Choice Questions

  1. b - He was sleepwalking.

  2. b - Parasomnia (sleepwalking).

  3. d - He found Mrs. Alcott’s missing cat.

  4. a - Mrs. Alcott saw him walking at night.

  5. a - Prove where he went at night.

  6. b - Mrs. Alcott’s missing cat.

  7. a - Installed a motion alarm and locked his door.

  8. a - To prove he wasn’t committing crimes.

  9. b - Ethan returning Mrs. Alcott’s missing cat.

  10. b - To address problems directly and educate others.

Thought-Provoking Question

  • Do you think the townspeople were justified in their suspicions of Ethan, or should they have waited for more evidence?

  • Why?