Milo Below the Hilltop- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Milo has visited the oak hill every spring, hoping to capture the first colours of dawn in his sketchbook. This morning he steps outside the hostel while birds rustle in the dim light. A small shuttle usually waits near the gate; today its door hangs open, yet a loose cable drags under the front wheel. The driver lifts both hands and says, "Not moving yet." Violet shades already touch the horizon, and the hill still rests a kilometre away. Milo jogs along the narrow track that climbs upward. Each blade of grass holds a round dewdrop, and his shoes slide with every hurried step.

A slip near a blackberry bush tilts him sideways, and pain flickers around his ankle. He chooses to take a break beside a fallen log where pale mushrooms press against bark. While he massages the joint, his metal compass drops from his pocket and spins on the soil. Its needle stops toward a silent pond hidden behind reeds. Curiosity straightens his back. Reaching the water’s edge takes less time than another climb. When the sun rises, orange clouds reflect on the still surface, doubling the colour. Milo kneels, opens his sketchbook, and the page fills with soft strokes while ripples spread calmly.

米洛每年春天都會造訪橡樹丘，希望把黎明的第一抹色彩畫進素描本。這天早上，他走出旅舍，鳥群在微弱的光線裡竄動。平常停在大門旁的小接駁車今天敞著門，前輪下卻拖著一條鬆脫的電線。司機雙手一攤，說：「還開不了。」紫色的天際線已經浮現，而山丘還在一公里外。米洛沿著向上蜿蜒的窄徑小跑。每一片草葉都頂著圓潤的露珠，他的鞋底在匆忙的步伐中不停打滑。

在一株黑莓灌木旁，他踩滑側身，腳踝陣陣酸麻，便在一截倒木邊停下來休息，蒼白的蕈菇緊貼樹皮。揉著關節時，他的金屬指南針從口袋掉落，旋轉著停在土地上，指針對著蘆葦後靜默的池塘。好奇心拉直他的背脊。走到水邊比再爬山快得多。太陽升起時，橙雲映在靜水上，色彩翻倍。米洛跪下，翻開素描本，柔和的筆觸佔滿頁面，漣漪也緩緩擴散。