Where Did the Candle Go?- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Sara pushed the heavy chapel door open with one arm. It was early Saturday, and no other visitor walked inside. Morning light filled the quiet hall. She carried a small watering can and a new juniper seedling. Her goal was simple: place the plant near the rear wall. A wide clay pot waited on a short wooden stool. She set the seedling, then poured water around the dark soil. Too much water left the pot and slipped onto the stone floor. The thin stream moved toward a box of spare candle stubs.

Water touched the box, lifted one stub, and carried it forward. The rolling candle knocked a metal bowl that held loose nails. The bowl tipped, struck the floor, and made a sharp ring. The sound bounced off every wall and came back as an echo. The sudden sound startled two pigeons resting on a high beam. Their wings flapped hard, pushing dust down over the wet path. Sara dropped her cloth bag and pressed a towel along the groove. The towel soaked water quickly and blocked the small stream. The box stayed in place, and the echo faded between pillars. Cold water soaked the towel and dripped in slow lines.

莎拉用一隻手推開小教堂沉重的門。那天是星期六清早，堂內沒有其他訪客。晨光充滿安靜的大廳。她提著小澆水罐和一株新的杜松苗。她的目標很簡單：把植物放在後牆附近。一個寬大的陶盆放在矮木凳上等著。她放好苗木，接著把水澆在深色的土壤上。太多的水溢出盆邊，滑到石地面上。細細的水流向著裝有備用蠟燭殘段的盒子移去。

水碰到盒子，抬起一段蠟燭，並把它帶向前。滾動的蠟燭撞到放著鬆散釘子的金屬碗。碗翻倒，打在地面，發出尖銳的敲響。聲音反彈到每一面牆，再回來成為回聲。突如其來的聲響驚動了高梁上休息的兩隻鴿子。牠們猛力拍翅，將灰塵推向濕滑的地面。莎拉放下布袋，把一條毛巾壓在溝槽上。毛巾迅速吸水，擋住小水流。盒子停在原位，回聲在柱間漸漸消失。冰涼的水浸濕毛巾，滴成緩慢的線條。