A Gap Wide Enough for Paper- 適合中高級的英語短篇故事

An intermittent buzz drifted from the corridor’s ceiling lamps as Greta stopped beside the supply closet. Silver light washed across the polished floor, and her shoes whispered when she shifted weight. She aimed to pull one wrapped ream from the surplus stack before the next bell. The steel-grey sliding door shuddered on its rail, opened a handspan, and stuck. Greta pressed again; the panel did not move. Blue-grey shadow filled the gap, hiding most of the fragrant paper. She slid an arm through, but the nearest bundle sat too far back and felt excessive for one hand. Cardboard edges scraped her sleeve, and the door recoiled, bumping her wrist.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Orson appeared, balancing a box of marker bins that released faint plastic fumes. With a xenial grin, he set the box aside and grasped the cool outer frame. Greta braced both palms against the inner panel. Together they leaned; the rail vibrated and the door edged farther until light reached the rear shelf. The paper inside was tinted pastel blue—only coloured stock remained—but it would still feed the copier. Greta lifted two packs while Orson held the opening wide, then he slid his shoulder in to retrieve a third. They stacked the bundles on the floor, closed the stubborn panel, and divided the weight between them. As they hurried toward the copier alcove, lamp hum followed them, leaving a faint electric tremor in the air.

走廊天花板的燈管傳來斷斷續續的嗡嗡聲，格蕾塔在儲物櫃前停下。銀色光線掃過打蠟地板，她換腳站立時鞋底發出輕聲。下一節課鈴響前，她想從剩餘的紙堆裡抽出一包包裝好的影印紙。鋼灰色的滑門在軌道上顫動，只打開一個掌寬就卡住。格蕾塔再推，門紋絲不動。藍灰色的陰影填滿縫隙，遮住了大部分帶著淡淡紙香的紙堆。她伸手探進去，但最近的一包放得太裡面，對單手來說重量過頭。紙盒邊緣磨到她的袖子，門又反彈，碰到她的手腕。

腳步聲在走廊回響。奧森出現，抱著一箱白板筆補充盒，那些塑膠蓋子散出微弱氣味。他露出友好的笑，把箱子放到一旁，雙手抓住冰涼的外框。格蕾塔雙掌抵在內側門板。兩人同時用力，軌道微震，門又挪出一點，光線照到後排層板。裡面剩下的紙全是淡藍色——只剩彩紙——但影印機仍能使用。格蕾塔抱起兩包，奧森撐門後也拿出第三包。他們把紙堆在地上，合上固執的門，分攤重量往影印機角落快步走去。走廊燈管的嗡聲仍在身後輕微震動，像電流一樣懸在空中。