Zoe Before Noon Rain- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Zoe had promised herself a simple task that morning: pick up a small wooden pendant shaped like an acorn from the carpenter who rents the back room of the old riverside workshop. Her brother, who has just returned from summer camp, has admired forest things since childhood, and Zoe has hoped the gift would cause his eyes to shine. A gentle drizzle has followed Zoe since dawn, yet a decent patch of blue now rests above the roofs, so she sets off on her bicycle. She has visited the workshop many times, but today the road feels longer; lunchtime approaches, and her brother’s train is due at one o’clock.

Near the town square, a weekend market spreads across the street. Stalls crowd the pavement, and music from an open-air café covers the faint bell of her bicycle. Wheels slow, shoulders brush, and Zoe weaves through gaps until a chalkboard, pushed by the breeze, meets her front tire. She steadies the bike, lifts it over the board, and notices the carpenter inside the café, warming his hands around cocoa. The workshop shutters have been locked for cleaning, yet the pendant rests safely in his satchel. Zoe pays, tucks the tiny acorn under her collar, and pedals toward the station. Rain starts again just as the train doors slide open, and she lifts the wooden gift toward the light.

清晨，柔伊給自己一個簡單的任務：到河邊那間老舊工作室，取回一枚橡實造型的木質墜子。她的弟弟剛從夏令營回來，從小就喜歡森林的小東西；柔伊一直希望這份禮物能讓他的雙眼閃亮。自黎明以來，細雨一路陪著她，不過屋頂上方已出現一片還不錯的藍天，她便騎上腳踏車出發。那家工作室她去過許多次，但今天路程顯得特別長；午餐時間逼近，弟弟的火車一點鐘就要到站。

來到鎮上廣場，週末市集佔滿街道。攤位擠住人行道，露天咖啡館的音樂蓋過了車鈴的細響。車輪放慢、肩膀擦過，他人從縫隙中穿行；忽然一塊被風推動的黑板撞上前輪。她穩住車身，把車抬過黑板，一抬頭便看見那位木匠待在咖啡館裡，雙手捧著可可取暖。原來工作室正因清理而上鎖，但墜子好好躺在他的袋中。柔伊付完錢，把小橡實塞進衣領，朝車站踏去。雨點再次落下，火車車門滑開的一刻，她舉起木製禮物，讓光線照在上面。