Leo Before the Bell- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Sunlight slipped through high windows of the brick museum, once a grim prison. Leo had promised himself a quick visit to the rooftop garden before the closing bell. Tourists filled the central corridor, so every step slowed. Earlier, a noisy school group had been herded through the same space. Rain from opened umbrellas had slicked the marble floor; shoes skidded and elbows waved for balance. A poster beside the stairs displayed a carved chess set made by an unnamed inmate. Its sharp lines caught Leo’s attention for a moment, but the crowd pressed closer. He glanced upward, counted the floors, and shifted towards a narrow service staircase that seemed quieter and shorter.

Halfway up, a robust wooden door jammed against its frame and halted his climb. Water trickled underneath, swelling the wood. A chill rose from the wet stone steps. Minutes kept sliding. The importance of timing hammered in his head; the final bell could ring any moment. He pushed once, nothing. Instead of repeating, he pressed his shoulder sideways, spreading the force along the panel. The door creaked yet stayed shut. Then the staircase vibrated; a staff member hauling boxes emerged behind him. Their combined weight leaned together, and the swollen door finally shifted open. Leo burst onto the roof just as a sudden breeze swept low clouds aside. A bright rainbow stretched above the city’s river.

磚造博物館的高窗灑進陽光，這棟建築過去曾是陰暗的監獄。利奧答應自己在閉館鐘聲響起前，要快速到屋頂花園看看。中央走廊擠滿遊客，每一步都被拖慢。稍早，一群吵鬧的校外教學隊伍也被趕進過同一條通道。被雨水沾溼的雨傘滴下來，讓大理石地面變得光滑；鞋底打滑，手肘左右揮動保持平衡。樓梯旁一張海報展示一名無名囚犯雕刻的西洋棋，銳利的線條短暫吸住他的目光，但人潮繼續逼近。他抬頭數著樓層，轉向一條看起來較安靜也較短的服務樓梯。

走到一半，一扇結實的木門卡在門框上，攔住他的攀登。門下滲出的水分讓木板膨脹，濕冷沿著石階升起。分秒流逝。時間緊迫的重量在他腦中敲擊，終場鐘聲隨時可能響起。他先推了一下，門紋絲未動。接著他換個方式，側肩用力，將力量分散在門板上。門吱嘎作響仍未開。此時樓梯震動起來，一位搬運箱子的工作人員從後方走出。他們合力往前壓，膨脹的木門終於移開。利奧衝上屋頂，正好一陣微風掃開低雲，一道明亮的彩虹橫跨城市河面。