Soft Wall for Restless Air- 適合中高級的英語短篇故事

Coarse linen from a forgotten window-seat cushion grazed Cal's knuckles as he slid it aside on the reading table. Above, the vent hissed in a steady rhythm, and the catalog terminal emitted a brief beep when his call-number slip appeared. The paper curled immediately, its thin edge fluttering with a dry rustle that matched the fluorescent hum. Across from him, Stella bent over history notes, her pencil's scratch riding above the vent's steady hiss. Cal pinned one corner, then lifted his arm as a shield, yet the draft still folded the last digit away. A return cart rolled past; one loose wheel released a sharp metallic scream before falling back into its rattle. The gust created by the cart pushed the slip off the table and sent it skidding across the carpet.

He lunged after the drifting rectangle, knees brushing soft carpet fibers that muffled every motion. The slip slid farther across the weave, drawn toward the constant outflow from the vent. When he caught it, the PA crackled a fifteen-minute warning, an interlude of speech breaking the hush. Behind him, a psychology volume lay open to a chapter on nervousness, its pages flapping like flags. The breeze became a second obstacle, slapping the paper against his fingers and shaking his grip loose. During hesitation, he noticed the cushion he had moved earlier, heavy with foam and wide enough to blanket the grille. If the cushion had been lighter, it would surely have toppled under the steady airflow. Cal propped the square cushion against the vent; its dense fabric muffled the hiss, and the fluttering paper was finally tamed.

With the slip finally flat, he copied the full number, crossed the shrinking floor space, and located the atlas. The geography shelf creaked softly when he pulled the heavy volume free, and the lamp above kept a low hum. Shelving carts rattled nearer, yet he was already walking back, pages thumping lightly against his palm with each step. The cushion that had grazed his knuckles now leaned beneath the vent, blocking the once-unruly stream. A narrow ribbon of air slid over its top edge and drifted in a thin curve toward the fluorescent lights.

粗糙的窗座靠墊掠過 Cal 的指關節，他把它從閱讀桌上推開。頭上通風口傳出規律的嘶嘶聲，目錄機響起短促嗶聲，列印出的索書條立刻被吹得翹起，薄邊乾澀地颯颯作響，與日光燈的嗡嗡聲相互應和。對面的 Stella 埋頭寫歷史筆記，鉛筆在紙上沙沙作響，壓過持續的氣流聲。Cal 用拇指壓住一角，抬臂擋風，但氣流仍把最後一位數折起。還書推車經過，一個鬆動的輪子發出尖銳金屬尖叫後復又嘎啦前行。推車帶起的氣浪把索書條推離桌面，在地毯上滑行。

他撲向那張旋轉的紙片，膝蓋擦過柔軟地毯的纖維，所有動作都被悶住。紙片沿著纖維滑得更遠，朝著持續的出風口飄去。他抓到它的瞬間，廣播響起十五分鐘閉館預告，短短的插曲打破寧靜。身後有一本心理學書攤開在「緊張」章節，書頁啪啪作響。氣流成了第二個障礙，把紙片拍在他指間，握也握不牢。在短暫猶豫裡，他注意到先前挪開的靠墊，泡棉沉重，寬度足以覆蓋格柵。如果靠墊再輕一些，肯定會被穩定的氣流吹倒。Cal 把方形靠墊頂在通風口，厚布吸走嘶聲，翻飛的紙最終被壓制。

紙條終於平整，他抄下完整號碼，跨過逐漸縮小的空地，找到了那本地圖冊。當他拉出厚重書冊，地理書架輕輕咯吱，頭頂燈具保持低沉嗡鳴。推書車的輪子愈來愈近，但他已抱著書往回走，書頁在掌心輕輕砰動。先前擦過他指關節的靠墊此刻斜靠在通風口下，堵住原本任性的氣流。一縷細長的空氣沿著靠墊邊緣滑升，畫出纖細弧線飄向日光燈。