What Hid Beneath the Stove- 適合中高級的英語短篇故事

Saturday light slanted across the backyard deck, and Marco rolled an old camping stove beside the railing. The weekend had promised pancakes outside, so a mixing bowl and narrow pan formed a neat array on the boards. He had already whisked batter until small bubbles rose, and a folded newspaper protected the surface from stray drops. A faint breeze rattled leaves above the fence, carrying the smell of cut grass. In the corner, a robin hopped between chair legs before fluttering away. Marco knelt, pressed the metal pump once, and waited for the quiet click that signalled pressure inside the stove.

He struck a match, yet the tiny spark blew sideways and vanished. If the breeze had been calmer, the first match might have worked. He cupped both hands, shoulders bending low, but the second flame guttered as well. The fervent tapping of his foot drummed against the deck while he searched for another idea. A spare lighter had been stored inside the toolbox, and its bright flame looked steadier, so he turned up the stove knob. He lowered the flame toward the burner. Hissing gas escaped, but ignition failed; only a cold odor drifted out. Behind him, the newspaper corner flipped upward, then settled again.

Marco unlatched the fuel bottle and replaced it with a fresh one he had carried from the shed. This time a thin ribbon of blue fire appeared, yet it faltered, then died. He lifted the stove to inspect the base. A living array of ants scattered from beneath the metal legs, racing between cracks in the boards. Their sudden movement jerked his shoulders back, and he pulled the stove farther away. Batter sloshed inside the bowl, a drop landing on the deck where two ants paused beside it. Without a word, he collected pan, bowl, and lighter, then stepped toward the kitchen door. The silent garden table rested under the unmoving stove and a closed bowl lid.

週六的陽光斜照後院木平台，馬可把一台舊露營爐推到欄杆旁。這個週末他想在戶外煎鬆餅，混合盆和窄平底鍋整齊排在木板上。麵糊早已攪到冒出小氣泡，摺好的報紙鋪在桌面防止滴落。微風搖著籬笆上的樹葉，帶來割草後的青草味。角落裡，一隻知更鳥在椅腳間跳動後又振翅飛走。馬可跪下，按了一下金屬打氣桿，等待爐子內部傳出輕微的壓力聲。

他劃了一根火柴，但細小火花被風吹偏立刻熄滅。如果風再小一點，第一根火柴或許就成功了。他雙手合攏護著火苗，肩膀低低探向爐面，第二次火焰仍然閃爍後消失。他的腳在木板上急促敲動，好像鼓聲一樣，尋找下一個辦法。工具箱裡存放著備用打火機，火焰看起來穩定些，他把瓦斯旋鈕轉大。接著把火靠近爐頭。瓦斯嘶嘶流出，卻沒有點燃，只留下一股冷冽氣味。身後的報紙角掀起又放回。

馬可解開燃料瓶，換上從倉庫拿來的新瓶。這次細藍火帶雖然出現，很快又黯淡消失。他抬起爐子查看底部。一群螞蟻從金屬腳下四散奔逃，穿梭木板縫隙。牠們突然的動作讓他的肩膀猛地往後一縮，他把爐子移得更遠。麵糊在盆裡晃動，一滴落在木板上，兩隻螞蟻停在旁邊。馬可默默收起鍋子、盆子和打火機，朝廚房門走去。靜靜的花園桌下，爐子停著，盆蓋闔上。