The Hidden Pouch- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Naomi carried a bundle of typed pages pressed against her chest. The visiting writer in the cultural hall had promised to read any story that arrived before the noon whistle, and the public clock already showed eleven fifty. Her friend Milo trotted beside her, ready to assist by pushing open any heavy gate. They hurried through the craft district, where bright cloth flags swung between balconies. Halfway, washed cobblestones created a wide mirror across the alley; cleaning trucks had just passed, and water kept spreading toward the drain. A faint cinnamon smell mixed with damp stone along the shaded wall. A zestful drumbeat bounced from a street performer, yet the beat faded under their racing steps. A distant hiss from the hall’s steam horn marked ten more minutes, streaks of vapor drifting above the roof.

As the water climbed another cobble, Milo judged two routes: a narrow wooden plank set by workers that ran straight over the puddle, or the arched side lane that looped behind stacked crates. The clock hands reached eleven fifty-four. He has used the side lane before; it remained safe but slow. Naomi edged onto the plank instead. Milo followed and tried to assist by steadying her elbow, yet a zestful gust flipped her skirt. She slipped; the folder struck the plank and pages skimmed out, soaking the edges. During the scramble, a small, genuine leather pouch surfaced from beneath the plank’s corner; water had carried it there. Naomi scooped the pouch and the scattered sheets, then splashed to solid ground. The whistle finally shrieked from the hall. The plank dripped behind them. Damp prints stretched toward the silent pouch on the stone.

娜歐蜜把一疊打好的稿紙夾在胸前。文化大樓裡的作家說過，只要故事在中午汽笛之前送到，他就會閱讀，而公共鐘面已經指向十一點五十分。她的朋友米洛跟在一旁，準備協助推開任何沉重的大門。他們穿過手作區，鮮豔的布旗在陽台間飄動。走到一半，沖洗過的鵝卵石在巷子裡形成一面寬闊的鏡子；清潔車剛離開，水仍向排水口擴散。陰影牆邊瀰漫著肉桂與濕石頭交雜的氣味。一段充滿活力的鼓聲從街頭藝人那裡跳躍而來，但在他們急促的腳步下漸漸消失。遠處大樓的蒸氣喇叭再次噴響，提醒還剩十分鐘，薄霧在屋頂上方飄散。

水又爬上一顆鵝卵石時，米洛衡量兩條路：一條是工人臨時放置的窄木板，直接跨過水窪；另一條是拱形旁巷，繞過堆高的箱子。鐘針指到十一點五十四分。他以前走過旁巷，穩妥但慢。娜歐蜜改走木板。米洛跟上，試著扶住她的手肘協助，可是一陣充滿勁道的陣風掀起她的裙擺。她打滑，文件夾撞上木板，紙張四散，邊緣迅速浸濕。慌亂中，一個小巧的真皮袋從木板底下浮出來；水流把它帶到那裡。娜歐蜜撈起皮袋和散落的紙後，踩著水花走上乾地。大樓的汽笛終於尖聲響起。木板在他們身後還在滴水。濕腳印沿著石面延伸到那個靜靜躺著的皮袋。