The Burst Behind the Shelves- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

A sharp scent of furniture wax floated between stacked cartons and dusty shelves. Dean eased through the storeroom door, and his shoulder brushed a hanging cobweb. June followed, carrying a square mirror she had found beside a box from a conference. They placed the mirror on a moderate incline against a tin paint can. A thin shaft from the high window struck its surface and leaped onto colored glass bottles. Blue, green, and amber bands slid over labels, then bounced toward a roll of foil. The foil flashed, and specks of light scattered across the carton walls like quick insects. Dust motes appeared to hasten through every stripe, spinning in strange spirals. Dean raised both eyebrows, then nudged another mirror toward June. She nodded and they embarked on a quiet contest of angles and glow.

First, June tipped a second mirror, and its beam slid beneath the earlier one. Two bright ribbons crossed, merged, and crawled up a metal ladder that leaned beside the door. Soft ticks from a distant pipe mixed with the bulb's hum, while stale air lingered. The ladder shone back, sending a silver knife of glare onto a pile of bubble wrap. The wrap held rows of tiny blisters; each caught the glare and burst out rainbow dots. Those dots landed on the first mirror, and a new scatter joined the old pattern. Light bounced in sufficient loops to reach even the dull cardboard beneath their feet. Dean flipped a brass lid toward the window, which raised the brightness further. Instead, the lid blocked half the window, and the stronger chains faded to pale reflections. Light no longer leaped so wildly, so both teens slowed their motions. Dean slid the final mirror onto a top shelf. A thin bar of color drifted along the ceiling and kept wandering above the dusty aisles.

家具蠟的濃烈氣味在堆疊的紙箱與積灰的層架間飄散。迪恩推開儲藏室的門，肩膀擦過垂下的蜘蛛網。茱恩跟在後面，手上抱著她在一箱舊會議用品旁找到的方形鏡子。他們把鏡子以適度的傾角靠在鐵漆罐上。高處小窗透進的細光打在鏡面，又跳到幾個彩色玻璃瓶上。藍、綠、琥珀色光帶滑過標籤，再彈向一卷錫箔。錫箔閃亮，一簇簇光點像敏捷的小蟲散向紙箱牆面。塵埃顆粒在光帶中似乎加快旋轉，畫出奇特漩渦。迪恩揚了揚眉，接著把另一面鏡子推給茱恩。她輕輕點頭，兩人開始默默較勁，試探不同角度與光芒。

首先，茱恩微調第二面鏡子，新的光束滑入先前那一道下方。兩條明亮光帶交錯、融合，爬上靠在門旁的金屬梯。遠處管線傳來輕微滴答聲，與燈泡的低嗡聲交雜，陳舊空氣依舊滯留。梯子反射出銀白光刃，射向一堆氣泡膜。氣泡膜上成排小泡泡各自接住光芒，又迸出彩虹點。那些點落回第一面鏡子，舊有圖樣被新碎光補充。光線在足夠的迴圈中反彈，甚至照到他們腳下黯淡的紙板。迪恩把一片黃銅蓋朝窗邊翻起，光線因此更亮。然而蓋子遮住半扇窗，最強的光鏈轉淡成柔和倒影。光不再胡亂飛舞，兩名少年也放慢動作。迪恩把最後一面鏡子推上高層架。細細一條彩色光帶沿天花板漂移，繼續在塵封走道上方遊走。