Mira Before the Bus Arrived- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Mira left her building early, sketchbook under one arm. Her art teacher had announced a project on moving water, so her goal felt clear: capture the river’s morning flow before the school bus reached the corner at seven. Puddles dotted the narrow path, and wet leaves clung to her shoes. She has visited the river every week this term, which has helped her notice slight changes in color. Overnight rain turned the ground soft, and every step sank while the clock on her phone rushed ahead. To keep in mind her shrinking minutes, she tapped the screen twice and slid it back. Ahead, the footbridge over the stream shimmered with thin algae, slick like glass.

Her first boot touched the wooden slats, and the bridge began to undulate under her weight. A low gasp escaped her mouth as she fought for balance; muddy water sloshed beneath, carrying tiny bubbles that seemed to breathe with each tremor. Another delay formed, so she adjusted. Instead of crossing, she knelt at the near bank where reeds waved. Morning light slipped through clouds and landed on a wide puddle trapped by roots. Wind brushed its skin, drawing rings that mimicked the river’s rhythm. A small twig was carried past the puddle by the gentle current. Surprise lifted her eyebrows: the pattern looked sharper than anything mid-stream. Pencil swept fast across paper, bus brakes squeaked nearby, and her final line dried inside the closing sketchbook.

米拉一大早就離開公寓，腋下夾著素描本。她的美術老師宣布了一項流動水專題，因此她的目標很明確：在校車七點開到街角前，抓住河流的晨間水勢。狹窄小徑佈滿水窪，濕葉緊貼鞋底。這學期她每週都造訪這條河，這段經驗已讓她辨認出色彩的細微變化。夜雨把土地泡得鬆軟，每一步都陷下去，而手機上的時鐘加速向前。為了記住所剩無多的時間，她連點螢幕兩下後又收回口袋。前方跨越溪流的木橋閃著薄薄的水藻，滑得像玻璃。

第一隻靴子踩上木板，整座橋在她的重量下微微起伏。她輕喘一聲努力保持平衡；混濁的水在下方翻動，隨波浮起的小氣泡像在每次震動中呼吸。又被耽擱了，她改變計畫。她沒有過橋，而是在岸邊跪下，旁邊的蘆葦來回搖晃。晨光穿過雲層，落在被樹根困住的一片大水窪上。微風拂過水面，畫出和河流節奏相似的波紋。一根小樹枝被溫柔水流帶過水窪。她驚訝地揚起眉毛：那圖案比河中心任何漣漪都清晰。鉛筆在紙上飛快滑動，校車剎車聲在近處響起，她合上素描本的最後一筆也在此時乾透。