The Postcards from Nowhere
A free B1-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Mysterious postcards keep arriving at Owen's new house for a stranger named Priscilla, and he tracks down where she actually lives.
Owen's family moved into their new house just two months ago. Since then, postcards keep arriving addressed to someone named Priscilla Hart. The first one shows a beach with a short note: "Wish you were here! Miss our summer walks. Love, G." Owen assumes it's simply a mistake and leaves it on the counter.
But another postcard arrives the following week, and then another the week after that. Each one is signed differently, but they all mention memories Owen doesn't recognize. There's a garden, a dog named Biscuit, and a trip to the mountains. His younger sister Nora starts to find it a little unsettling.
"Maybe someone is sending secret messages," Nora says one evening, clearly more excited than worried. "Or maybe this Priscilla person is missing and nobody has told us."
Owen isn't convinced by his sister's dramatic theories, but even he has to admit the pattern is strange. He decides to look up the previous owner of the house. A quick search shows that a woman named Priscilla Hart lived there for almost thirty years. She later moved into a retirement community across town.
Once Owen has her new address, he visits the retirement home. He brings the whole stack of postcards to the front desk. The woman at the desk recognizes the name immediately and smiles.
"Oh, these are from her sister," she explains. "They've been writing to each other for years. Her sister just still uses the old address out of habit. I'll make sure Priscilla gets them today."
Owen feels a small wave of relief, mixed with something else. He's a little sorry the mystery has such a simple answer. Nora, on the other hand, is delighted to hear that Priscilla has a dog named Biscuit. She insists they should visit sometime.
A few weeks later, a new postcard arrives, this time addressed correctly to Owen's family. It's from Priscilla herself, thanking them for their kindness and inviting them over for tea.
