Light Over the Cherry Pie- 適合中高級的英語短篇故事

A sparrow had fluttered through the sliding doors minutes earlier, and now it zig-zagged above the fruit aisle. Citrus vapor drifted from an orange pyramid, mixing with the yeasty breath rolling out of the bakery counter. The bird dipped low; its wings disturbed a syrupy cloud rising from a tray of sugar-coated doughnuts. A jovial store jingle slipped from ceiling speakers, the thin notes carrying a faint tin taste. Glen parked his cart beside a drink kiosk where fizzy syrup smelled sharp and medicinal. One front wheel squeaked in a vexed rhythm while the sparrow perched on a stack of cardboard crates.

An assistant had been arranging apples behind a low barricade of produce boxes, leaving narrow gaps just wide enough for a bird to slip through. The aisle had been rearranged by night staff, so familiar landmarks were gone. The sparrow darted inside, vanishing behind the stacked fruit. Glen waited; sour green-apple scent prickled his tongue, yet no flutter returned. He edged forward. The boxes formed a tight maze, and his cart refused to roll; the vexed wheel dragged over a sticky patch of spilled juice. He lifted a box aside, releasing a dusty puff that mingled with the crisp smell of celery. Somewhere deeper, plastic packaging rustled, followed by a faint chirp lost beneath the steady hum of refrigeration units.

At last, Glen aimed to steer the bird back outside through the corridor toward the cart parking area. He raised a lattice-topped cherry pie, hoping its warm, fruity steam would lure the creature, yet the sparrow ignored the sugary cloud and chased a glare dancing on the aluminum shelf. Glen paused, then tilted the pie box into the fluorescent light. The reflection shifted; light skated across the ceiling, and the sparrow followed the new beam toward the exit lane. If the beam drifted even slightly, the bird shifted with it in quick, darting corrections. Glen set the pie onto a nearby display, and the cart’s stubborn wheel kept wobbling against the polished floor.

幾分鐘前，一隻麻雀已經從自動門竄進來，現在正沿著水果區上空曲折飛行。橘子山散出的柑橘香與烘焙區飄出的酵香混在一起。牠俯衝而下，拍翅撩動了糖甜蒸氣，那蒸氣從一盤撒糖甜甜圈上升起。天花板喇叭播放著歡快的廣播歌曲，細薄的音符帶著微弱金屬味。格倫把推車停在飲料服務亭旁，那裡的氣泡糖漿散出刺鼻藥味。前輪發出惱人的吱聲，麻雀則落在一疊紙箱上。

一名店員正在低矮的蔬果箱後擺蘋果，箱子像路障，只留下寬度剛好容得下一隻鳥的縫隙。這排貨道前夜被人重新調整，所以熟悉的參考點全消失了。麻雀鑽進去，身影隱沒在堆高的水果後方。格倫等待，酸澀青蘋果味刺激舌尖，卻沒有翅膀再度拍動的聲音。他向前挪動。紙箱形成狹窄迷宮，推車不肯前進；那隻惱人的輪子在黏稠果汁上拖行。他搬開一個箱子，紙板塵土伴隨芹菜的清脆氣味撲出。更裡面傳來塑膠包材沙沙聲，接著是一聲微弱啾鳴，被冷藏櫃均勻的低鳴吞沒。

終於，格倫打算把鳥引回外面推車停放處的通道。他舉起一盒格子蓋櫻桃派，希望那股溫熱果香能吸引牠，然而麻雀無視糖蒸氣，只追逐鋁架上跳動的反光。格倫停下，將派盒傾向螢光燈。反射角度改變，光線在天花板滑動，麻雀跟隨新的光束掠向出口通道。如果那道亮斑稍微飄移，牠便迅速調整方向。格倫把派放回一旁展示台，推車固執的輪子繼續在拋光地面上顫晃。