Read the text below and select the correct word or phrase for each gap from the drop-down list.
The Old Lighthouse Keeper
The lighthouse had stood on the edge of the cliffs for decades, its beam long since extinguished but its presence still the attention of anyone who passed along the coastal track. Joan had always been curious about the place, though most locals preferred to give it a wide berth, claiming it was best to sleeping dogs lie.
One evening, with the sky darkening and the tide creeping in, she decided to explore it for herself. The heavy door resisted at first, but eventually gave way with a groan that seemed to through the empty interior. Inside, the air was thick with dust, and the narrow staircase wound upwards in a slow, relentless spiral.
As she climbed, Joan began to feel as though she were being watched. She tried to shake off the sensation, telling herself it was just her imagination getting the better of her, but the feeling nonetheless. At the top, she found the lantern room intact, its glass panes clouded but still faintly reflecting the fading light.
Then, without warning, a distant flicker caught her eye. Far out at sea, a small light appeared and disappeared in a steady rhythm, as if signalling to someone on shore. Joan hesitated, unsure whether to dismiss it as a trick of the light or to take it seriously. Part of her wanted to turn back immediately, but another part urged her to stay — she was, after all, the brink of discovering something unusual.
Leaning closer to the glass, she tried to make sense of the pattern. The light seemed too deliberate to be accidental, yet too faint to be easily explained. Joan realised that if she ignored it now, she might regret it later — it was a chance she could not simply up.
Suddenly, the beam of the old lighthouse flickered to life, illuminating the dark sea below. Joan gasped, her heart racing as the room filled with a low mechanical hum. Whatever had been dormant for years was now awake, and she was in the middle of it.
For a moment, she considered running, but something told her to stand her ground. Sometimes, she thought, the only way forward was to face things head-on rather than run away — to take the bull by the horns, even when every instinct told her otherwise. Taking a steadying breath, she resolved to whatever lay ahead.