The Blinking Reflection- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Maya zipped her jacket and walked toward the old stone gate at the edge of the park. The gate had been painted last month, yet fresh marks already faded. A light rainfall tapped leaves above, while a faint smell of wet earth mixed with tree sap. An adorable brown puppy trotted beside her, its ears flopping with each step. She has promised herself many times to photograph the pair of lion statues. They stood like silent guardian figures on each side of the gate. Today her phone battery showed one red bar, so she hurried. The ground near the gate felt suddenly slippery. A heavy puddle already covered the first step, reflecting the dim afternoon light.

She slipped her phone into a clear sandwich bag that had rested in her pocket since lunch. Then she crouched under a low branch for cover. The puppy splashed into the puddle, sending ripples across the mirror-smooth surface. Those ripples bent the reflection of the right-hand lion and made it look like the creature blinked. The sight drew a quick laugh, and her shoulders shook. She steadied herself, chose a new angle, and used the puddle as a wide lens. One rapid tap captured the scene before the screen faded grey; the battery finally surrendered. Water slowed, drops spaced farther apart, and the puppy settled near her boots. The puddle lay still, holding the sharp image of stone, sky, and one wagging tail.

瑪雅拉上外套的拉鍊，向公園邊緣那座古老的石門走去。那扇門上個月才重新上漆，但新漆已經開始褪色。細雨輕敲頭頂的樹葉，空氣中瀰漫著濕土與樹脂的氣味。一隻討人喜歡的棕色小狗跟在她身旁，兩耳隨步伐晃動。她已經多次告訴自己，要為那對獅子雕像拍張照片。它們像無聲守衛一樣，立在石門兩側。今天，她的手機電池只剩一格紅色，她加快腳步。靠近石門的地面突然變得濕滑。厚重的水窪已經覆蓋第一階台階，映出昏暗午後的光線。

她把手機塞進午餐留下的透明三明治袋，然後蹲在低枝下避雨。小狗撲進水窪，漣漪在光滑如鏡的水面擴散。漣漪扭曲右側獅像的倒影，看起來就像雕像眨了眼。這一幕逗得瑪雅笑出聲，肩膀顫動。她穩住身子，換個角度，用水窪當作寬角鏡頭。迅速一按，她在螢幕變灰前捕捉到畫面，電池終於耗盡。雨勢放緩，水滴間距拉長，小狗在她靴邊趴下。水窪靜靜躺著，保存著石像、天空與那條搖擺尾巴的清晰影像。