Nora was already late for work when the subway train suddenly came to a screeching halt in the tunnel.
Lights flickered. People muttered.
Then she noticed it — a strange glowing crack in the wall near her seat.
No one else seemed to see it.
Drawn by curiosity (and, admittedly, boredom), she reached for it. Her hand went straight through the wall.
Next thing she knew, she was standing in a candle-lit hallway… underground.
“What the—” she whispered.
A man in a long coat appeared. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“Well,” she said, “that ship has sailed.”
He stared. “The fact that you found the portal means something.”
“Listen, I’m just trying to get to work. I did not sign up for this.”
“You’ve been chosen.”
“Oh great,” she muttered. “Just my luck.”
Idioms Used in the Story
1. Come to a screeching halt
Meaning: To stop very suddenly and sharply.
Examples:
- The car came to a screeching halt.
- Her vacation plans came to a screeching halt when she got sick.
2. That ship has sailed
Meaning: It’s too late to change or fix something.
Examples:
- You want to apologize now? That ship has sailed.
- He tried to sign up for the class, but the ship had sailed.
3. Go through (something)
Meaning: To physically or metaphorically pass through something. (In this story, literally!)
Examples:
- She went through a lot last year.
- His hand went through the curtain — it was an illusion.
4. Not sign up for this
Meaning: This is not what someone expected or wanted to be involved in.
Examples:
- I did not sign up for this drama.
- He didn’t sign up for all this stress at work.
5. Just my luck
Meaning: Used sarcastically when something bad happens to you (again).
Examples:
- It started raining — just my luck!
- The elevator’s broken? Just my luck.
