Leo and the Rusty Soil- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Leo stands at the back table of the school laboratory. He arranges a clear box filled with red dust. He has worked on the project for a week, hoping lettuce seeds will sprout. The soil copies the rusty ground of Mars. A penciled energy equation has been scribbled beside it. Outside, the bell clicks twice; only ten minutes remain before classmates enter. Leo sprinkles fine earth over the seeds and lifts a small spray bottle. He cleaned the tip earlier so water molecules could drift out as a nurturing mist.

He squeezes the trigger, yet nothing moves; the nozzle stays clogged again. Time pushes forward, and footsteps grow louder in the corridor. He shakes the bottle, but grains of earth inside the tip block the way. Mira hurries past, and her elbow nudges the lamp cable. The lamp tilts, brushes the equation sheet, and a hidden switch clicks. A built-in mist maker, which Leo has never noticed, whirs and spreads a cool cloud across the box. The surprise spray settles evenly; dark dots widen on the dust. Leo bends closer; a single green pinprick breaks through the surface. The corridor door swings wide, and the tiny leaf holds steady under the shining light.

利奧站在學校實驗室的後桌前。他把一個裝滿紅色粉塵的透明箱子擺好。他已經為這個計畫忙了一週，希望萵苣種子能在模仿火星的土壤中發芽。土壤的顏色像火星的鐵鏽。旁邊放著一張用鉛筆寫下能量方程式的紙。外頭鐘聲連響兩下，距離同學進來只剩十分鐘。利奧把細碎的泥土撒在種子上，接著拿起小噴瓶。他早些時候清過噴嘴，好讓水分子能化成溫柔的霧氣滋養種子。

他扣下扳機，卻沒有水；噴嘴又被堵住了。時間往前推，走廊裡的腳步聲越來越近。他搖晃瓶子，但噴口裡的泥土仍擋著路。米拉匆匆經過，她的手肘碰到燈線。燈向旁邊一偏，擦過方程式紙張，隱藏的開關啪地一聲。箱子裡原來就藏著的霧化器開始運轉，涼涼的霧氣擴散開來。意外的水霧均勻落下，黑點在粉塵上擴散。利奧俯身靠近；一點嫩綠從表面探出。走廊的門推開，小小的葉片在亮光下穩穩立著。