Numbers That Slipped Backward- 適合中高級的英語短篇故事

"Hold this clipboard."

Jasper shifted the smooth plastic board into both hands, its wiped surface still damp against his palms. A potted geranium pressed against the waiting-room window, leaves thick like felt. Fluorescent tubes hummed overhead while numbered screens blinked out of rhythm; only a fraction of the queue crept forward. Opal bent over the registration desk and brushed stray forms into a tidy stack. The pair’s elbows met in cramped togetherness, sleeves rubbing with a dry whisper each time the line jerked. Opal had copied the medicine code last midnight, and now the figures looked pale beneath the harsh light.

The receptionist called “E-42,” then jumped straight to “E-50,” skipping them entirely. Jasper’s shoulders tensed, paper edges scraping his fingers. The first pen he grabbed produced a faint scratch, no ink. He rummaged through a shared supply cup, chose a heavier metal pen, and pressed harder until blue grooves stained the form. A cloth patch stitched to Jasper’s backpack brushed the floor, a quiet signal of belonging to his school orchestra. Their number blinked again—this time reversed on the screen by a software glitch—so Opal pivoted toward the hallway, hoping staff might notice the error. Linoleum felt slick under her sneakers, forcing her to shorten each step. A printer nearby expelled warm sheets; one receipt had been misprinted by a fading ribbon and drifted under Jasper’s shoe, leaving a dusty smudge on the sole.

Opal retrieved a stapler from the reception counter and punched the pages together, the metal arms biting through with a muted crunch. As she returned, the board overhead rolled back to “E-42” without explanation. Jasper raised the stapled packet; its corners were crisp now, edges aligned. The clerk waved them forward at last, and the siblings passed the pharmacy window where tiny plastic cups rattled in a tray. Outside, footsteps and traffic noises merged into a steady rumble. The clipboard that had been smudged was now lined with neat blue rows.

「把這夾板拿著。」

賈斯柏把光滑的塑膠夾板接到雙手，擦拭後仍帶些微濕意。窗邊一盆天竺葵抵著玻璃，肥厚的葉片像絨布。日光燈嗡嗡作響，號碼屏幕節奏不齊地閃爍；隊伍只緩慢前進一小部分。歐珀俯身在報到桌前，把散亂的表格推成整齊一疊。擁擠中兩人肘部相碰，衣袖每次被拉動都發出乾乾的摩擦聲。昨夜子時，歐珀才抄完藥品代碼，現在那些數字在強光下顯得蒼白。

接待員喊了「E-42」，隨即跳到「E-50」，直接把他們跳過。賈斯柏肩膀一緊，紙邊在指尖刮出細響。他抓起第一支筆，只留下一道淺痕；他翻動共用筆筒，挑了一支較重的金屬筆，用力按壓直到藍色筆跡滲入表格。掛在他背包上的布章擦到地板，那是他校管弦樂團的標誌。螢幕又亮起他們的號碼——這回因軟體故障顛倒顯示——歐珀轉向走廊，希望員工注意錯誤。她的球鞋在光滑的油毯上被迫放慢步幅。旁邊的印表機吐出溫熱紙張，其中一張因色帶褪色而誤印，飄到賈斯柏鞋底，留下灰塵污痕。

歐珀從櫃台拿起釘書機，將文件壓合，金屬臂發出低沉的咬合聲。她回來時，頭頂電子板不知為何又跳回「E-42」。賈斯柏舉起釘好的資料，紙角平整，邊緣對齊。櫃員終於揮手示意他們前去，兩人走過藥局窗口，小塑膠杯在托盤裡輕輕碰撞。外頭腳步聲與車聲混成持續的低潮。那塊先前被弄髒的夾板，此刻已排滿整齊的藍色列印行。