Episode 10: The Mystery of Room 307

Hi there, and welcome back to Classes with Cass—the podcast where you learn English through stories! I’m Cass, and today’s episode is a quiet mystery. 

In this story, you’ll meet Camila, a curious woman starting a new job in a quiet building. She doesn’t expect anything exciting… until she notices one small detail that doesn’t make sense.

Listen for vocabulary about buildings, work, and curiosity. If you’d like to read along, you can find the transcript on my website, at classeswithcass.com.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, don’t forget to follow it on Spotify, share it with a friend, or leave a quick like. And if you’d like to support future episodes of this podcast, you can make a small donation on my website under each podcast transcript. 

Are you ready? Let’s begin!

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Camila had just started her new job at the City Archives.

It was her first office job—and her first job in a big city. She had recently moved from a small town in the countryside, where everyone knew each other. In the city, everything felt fast, busy, and new.

The City Archives building was quiet and cool. There were four floors, all filled with shelves, boxes, and dusty folders. The people were friendly but busy. Most days, Camila worked alone on the third floor, organizing documents and scanning old papers into the computer.

She didn’t mind the silence. She liked reading the names on old letters and imagining the people who had written them. It felt like the pieces of forgotten history.

But after her first week, Camila noticed something strange.

At the end of the hallway was a door with no windows. A small sign read: Room 307 – Staff Only

Camila had never seen anyone go in. The door was always locked. It was the only door in the building that required a keycard.

One day during lunch, she asked her manager, Mr. Bennett, about it.

“That room?” he said, looking up from his sandwich. “Old storage. We don’t really use it anymore.”

“Is there a key?” she asked casually.

He smiled. “Yes. But you won’t need it for your tasks. Everything you need is out here.”

Camila nodded. But now, her curiosity had grown.

A few days later, while cleaning behind a shelf, Camila found something.

It was an old folder that had slipped behind the cabinet. Inside was a black-and-white photo—an old office space. On the back, someone had written: Room 307, before the renovation.

The photo showed a large wooden table, shelves with books, and a tall painting on the wall. Camila stared at the painting. It was of a blue sky and open fields—nothing special. But something about it felt important.

There was also a note in the folder: “Do not remove the painting. Property of the Archives.”

That weekend, Camila met Nora—an older woman who had worked at the Archives for many years. They sat in the small break room, drinking tea.

“I found a photo of Room 307,” Camila said quietly. “It looked beautiful… Why is it locked now?”

Nora smiled softly. “Oh, I remember that room. We used to use it for research and staff meetings. It had the best light in the building.”

“Why was it closed?” Camila asked.

Nora shrugged. “After some budget cuts, they stopped using it. They moved everything downstairs and locked the door.”

Camila paused. “And the painting?”

Nora laughed. “Oh, that painting! People used to say there was something behind it—but we never looked. It was probably just a wall.”

She took a sip of tea. “Still… I do miss that room. It had a special feeling. Like the past was still alive in there.”

On Monday morning, Mr. Bennett gave Camila a keycard.

“You’ve been doing good work,” he said. “This opens all rooms now. You might need access to more spaces soon.”

Camila smiled. “Even Room 307?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Sure. Just be careful. It hasn’t been opened in a long time.”

That afternoon, after finishing her files, Camila walked slowly down the hall.

She held up the keycard. Beep. The green light blinked.

She pushed the door open.

The room was quiet. Still. Golden afternoon light came through the windows, just like in the photo.

Dust floated in the air. The old table was still there. So were the bookshelves—though most of the books were gone.

And yes—the painting still hung on the wall.

Camila walked over and touched the edge of the frame. She thought about what Nora had said. There was no need to move it. She liked the mystery better than the answer.

She sat down in the wooden chair by the window and listened to the silence.

She thought about how strange and beautiful old buildings could be. How they hold secrets, memories, and stories that no one tells anymore.

She smiled and took a photo with her phone—to show Nora.

Then she stood, closed the door, and walked back to her desk.

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Did you enjoy Camila’s quiet discovery?

Let’s look at some helpful words from the story:

Archives – A place where old papers and records are kept

Storage – A place to keep things you don’t use every day

Folder – A paper cover that holds documents

Keycard – A card that opens a door electronically

Curious – Wanting to know or learn something

Memory – Something that you remember from the past

Now try using these new words in your own sentences. For example:

“I work in a building with a lot of old archives.” 

“She was curious about the locked room.” 

“The keycard didn’t work at first.”

And, if you want a bigger challenge: write your own story about a mysterious place at school, work, or in your neighborhood!

That’s all for today’s episode of Classes with Cass! I hope you enjoyed Camila’s quiet mystery and learned a few new words along the way. 

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a story—and if you want to keep practicing, listen again and repeat the phrases out loud.

Until next time—keep learning, stay curious, and remember: every building has a story.

See you soon!