The Coin Beneath Meltwater- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Tala balanced a small metal sensor in her pack while walking toward the mountain station near the peak, high above the tree line. Thin wind carried a gritty smell of wet stone and pine sap. The afternoon sun pressed against the glacier that hung beside the trail, and meltwater has poured into a narrow stream crossing the path. Once the water reached the third painted mark on a standing pole, the high bridge farther up would float free and swing away. Two red marks were already underwater. Broken beams near the bank showed where an ambitious investor had paid for a wider crossing many years ago; the wooden handrail has been stripped away by seasons of snow. Tala stepped closer, but a fallen birch blocked the direct stones that usually served as simple stepping-points.

The meltwater splashed harder now, covering the second line completely and licking at the third. Tala studied two choices. A safe route curved uphill through loose gravel, adding half an hour. A faster line—straight over the partly flooded stones—would keep her on time, yet slippery green moss hid beneath the surface. She chose speed. Cold water filled her boots at the first step. Halfway over, her elbow brushed the log, and one glove drifted away. While regaining balance, she glimpsed a round shine between the stones; a small silver coin lay trapped, flashing whenever the current rolled it. She lifted her foot, but the coin slid deeper and vanished. By the time she reached the far bank, the third red mark disappeared below swirling melt. Wet footprints darkened the stone slab near the stream. The water kept climbing past the highest rock.

塔拉把一個小金屬感測器放在背包裡，沿著林線上方、接近山峰的山路走向氣象站。薄風夾著濕石頭和松脂的砂礫味道。午後的陽光照在貼著山徑的冰河上，融水整個下午不斷灌入橫在路上的狹窄溪流。水位一旦淹到立柱上第三條紅線，更高處的吊橋就會浮起並擺離。現在兩條紅線已經沒入水中。岸邊斷裂的橫梁顯示多年前一位雄心勃勃的投資人曾出錢建更寬的通道；木質扶手早被多年積雪剝走。塔拉更近一步，可一棵倒下的白樺擋住了原本用來當踏石的直線路徑。

融水此刻濺得更猛，完全覆沒第二條紅線，並舔向第三條。塔拉觀察兩條路。安全的路線沿碎礫向山坡上繞，得多花半小時。更快的線路——直接踏過半淹的石頭——能保住時間，然而水面下隱藏著滑膩的綠苔。她選了速度。冰冷的水在第一步就灌進靴裡。走到一半，她的手肘擦到原木，一隻手套漂走。她重新站穩時，看見石縫間有圓亮的東西；一枚銀幣被困住，隨水流翻滾時閃光。她抬腳想撿，銀幣卻滑得更深，隨即消失。等她踏上對岸，第三條紅線也沉到旋流下。濕的腳印把溪邊石板染深。水位繼續往最高的岩石上爬。