Crimson Leaf on the Late Bus- 適合中高級的英語短篇故事

A striped timetable board, a dented trash bin, and a row of cold metal benches lined the platform. Nadia’s knees bent slightly as the arriving bus pushed a draft along the concrete; the gust pressed her coat against her back and pressed crimson leaves against the slick paint of the shelter. The sketch folder under her arm shifted, and she adjusted her grip to stop the thin sheets with delicate patterns from bending. Beside her, Dale balanced a skateboard against his shin, ankle flexing to keep the wheels from rolling. Both watched the crowded doorway sway open, each aiming for the same patch of floor just beyond the handrail.

Inside the bus, engine vibration climbed through Nadia’s soles. She leaned left, planting one foot between bags while her shoulder squeezed past Dale’s elbow. A sudden lurch threw everyone forward; her folder tapped the ceiling panel before she lowered it. The driver announced a detour along the wide boulevard because the normal tunnel had been closed earlier that afternoon. Nadia adjusted again, spreading her feet for balance as the vehicle curved downhill. Through the window she glimpsed a glen bathed in pale light, the slope dropping away so quickly that her stomach felt weightless. An instructor wearing a bright safety vest rose from a near seat, brushing past; their unexpected exit created a gap. Nadia pivoted, slid into the space, and braced the folder upright, finally free of the crush for the remaining stops.

Hours later, after the last route finished, the same bus stood idle at the depot. Overhead lamps threw flat light across empty seats; a single crimson leaf stuck to the aisle, its edge crisp after drying against rubber flooring. A faint engine hum faded, and the leaf remained motionless near the front wheel.

月台上排著一塊條紋時刻表板、一個凹陷的垃圾桶，以及一列冰冷的金屬長椅。公車抵達時帶起的氣流推在納迪亞的外套上，也把猩紅樹葉貼在候車亭滑亮的漆面上。她夾在腋下的素描夾隨風晃動，裡面畫著精緻圖樣的紙差點被折到，於是她換了個抓握角度。旁邊的戴爾用小腿抵住滑板，腳踝微彎，免得輪子亂動。兩人都盯著搖開的車門，打算搶同一塊手扶桿後的小空地。

車內引擎的震動順著鞋底一路傳上來。納迪亞向左側身，把腳插進背包之間，肩膀擠過戴爾的手肘。車子猛然一晃，眾人往前傾倒；她的畫夾磕到頂板，接著她立刻壓了回來。司機廣播，由於下午早些時候隧道關閉，路線改繞寬闊的林蔭大道。納迪亞再次調整站姿，雙腳分開以維持平衡，車輛沿坡道下彎，窗外一片光亮的山谷一閃而過，陡斜的地勢讓她胃部如失重。帶著亮色安全背心的教練起身下車，意外留下了一塊空隙。納迪亞迅速轉身滑入那裡，把畫夾豎直抵住，終於脫離擁擠，直到剩下的數站。

數小時後，末班車收班停在車庫。頭頂燈把平淡的光撒向空座；一片猩紅樹葉黏在走道上，邊緣因貼著橡膠地板而乾脆。輕微的引擎餘音漸弱，那片樹葉依舊靜躺在前輪旁。