Starfish Under Rising Tide- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Milo stepped onto the narrow sandbar that linked the rocky peninsula to the mainland. He wanted to reach the picnic basket he had left on the beach before the incoming tide swallowed the path. A warning flag had been raised earlier, and foamy lines already curled around his shoes. Ahead, a large tangle of driftwood blocked the most direct route. The sandbar, which was bright and dry ten minutes ago, now glimmered under a thin film of water. Broken shells and other bits of nature carpeted the wet sand, sliding with each retreating wave. Thin salt mist cooled the back of his neck, and distant gulls beat their wings above the grey water. Milo bent, hoping to push branches aside, yet the wet logs slid and locked together.

Water soon climbed over his ankles; the deadline moved closer with each restless wave. Milo scanned the peninsula cliff and spotted two options. A higher dune offered firm footing but curved far around. A line of slick basalt rocks, much shorter, cut straight across the pool. He chose speed. He hopped onto the first rock, and the surface tilted. One shoe sank; cold water filled it while the untied lace began to unwind behind him like pale ribbon. Halfway across, an orange starfish appeared on a shaded stone, its five arms spreading against black stone. The sudden flash of color froze Milo; he crouched to watch tiny tubes along its belly pulse in the clear water. The basket waited on the shore. Milo straightened, peeled the wet shoe from his foot, and turned toward the deep pool beside the starfish.

米洛走上連接岩石半島和本土的狹長沙洲。他想在漲潮淹沒這條路前，取回留在海灘上的野餐籃。先前升起的警示旗仍在飄動，泡沫線已纏上他的鞋子。前方一團大型漂木擋住最近的路。十分鐘前仍明亮乾燥的沙洲此刻在薄薄水膜下閃光。破碎貝殼和其他自然碎片鋪滿濕沙，隨著每次退浪滑動。薄鹹霧氣冰涼地貼著他的後頸，遠處海鷗扇動灰色水面上方的翅膀。米洛俯身想推開樹枝，但濕木頭滑動後又鎖到一起。

海水很快淹過腳踝，浪一波波逼近。米洛掃視半島旁的崖壁，發現兩條選擇。一條較高的沙丘路面穩固卻繞得遠；一排光滑的玄武岩石更短，直接穿過水池。他選了速度。他跳上第一塊岩石，表面立即傾斜。一隻鞋陷下去，冷水灌進來，沒繫好的鞋帶像淡色緞帶在身後開始解開。走到一半，他在陰影石頭上看到一隻橘色海星，五隻臂攤開貼著黑石。這抹突然的顏色讓米洛停住，他蹲下觀察海星腹面的小管足在清水中脈動。籃子還在岸上。米洛站直身子，脫下濕鞋，轉向海星旁那片更深的水池。