橘紅色的晚霞流入市區的巷弄間,小敏從回程的公車上跳下,步伐輕巧到她自己都難以想像。她在兩小時前將綁在石頭上的繩子丟入河中。站在橋墩上時還遲疑了一下。明明急於擺脫怪事的糾纏,卻萌生猶豫不決的心情,似乎有什麼在自己與繩索間牽起一種詭異的連結。小敏直覺這之中一定有某種牽絆,若非如此,她不會在石頭落水時感到悵然若失。彷若親手斬斷包著獵物的絲線的蜘蛛,或是折斷本體之後拉出細絲,最終進到不同購物袋的蓮藕。270Please respect copyright.PENANAIIoyRB5Kb0
270Please respect copyright.PENANA4BcRWbnVfB
遠遠看見那間今早之前還是平房的青葉蔬果店,入夜前的微涼秋風使長髮倏然遮蓋視線,往蔬果店方向的驚鴻一瞥使小敏停止呼吸。擺脫眼前礙事的長髮,萬事屋確實存在於蔬果店樓頂,招牌後方還冒出陣陣炊煙。270Please respect copyright.PENANA2Nap9XUSVv
270Please respect copyright.PENANAHKKlLSgz7X
剛剛……聳立於橘紅之中的萬事屋似乎有一部分透視過去了?那一瞬間的虛無感令小敏倒抽一口氣。不,世上不會有這種事。她訕笑。一定是萬里無雲的夕暮讓視覺產生折射,就像海市蜃樓那樣。270Please respect copyright.PENANA9zjqeSdVBS
270Please respect copyright.PENANA8CfCHkQe3U
早上看到的黃色傳單在數量上明顯收斂了一些。至少沒有遮蔽整座公佈欄,也沒有沿路到處都是……事實上已經收斂到只剩下唯一一張,就貼在公佈欄正中央。270Please respect copyright.PENANA6ryospSSNf
270Please respect copyright.PENANAFxr1PPqARt
冒著炊煙的萬事屋對面,小敏只稍作停留,然後踩著釋懷的腳步走上回家的路。270Please respect copyright.PENANA03ZscnG8WZ
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*270Please respect copyright.PENANASVDdkszQrC
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隔天,小敏仍感到難受。270Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5yp6pleGH
270Please respect copyright.PENANAOhEOkOn9hV
她又在半夜三點起床。這次純粹就是跌下床,吊扇上並沒有繩子的蹤影……這也是當然的。心底的惶惶不安令她心氣不順,好幾次輾轉難眠之後終於放棄掙扎,決定出門散心。270Please respect copyright.PENANA9xmENjWjJs
270Please respect copyright.PENANADMK1ZgUqoO
這兩天是假日真是幫了大忙……她獨自步出家門。在跨出門檻以前回頭望了一眼住了十七年的家。連天色都僅是微明的這個時間,從玄關向內貫穿一樓的走道間光線昏暗。安靜得什麼都聽不見,唯一的聲音來自經過這一區的送報車。270Please respect copyright.PENANAtBW3qqJ1wQ
270Please respect copyright.PENANAMtZz8Hp1XO
這幾天忙於工作的父母連個訊息都沒有傳來。無妨,之前也有幾次這樣的經驗,沒必要大驚小怪。小敏收起手機,漫步在住家附近的河堤下方。河水清澄,但距岸邊愈遠,透明度也愈低。或許是變深的緣故吧!小敏心想。270Please respect copyright.PENANAyrzm4hOyW4
270Please respect copyright.PENANAcy3n2yQDoE
心情著實稱不上好。不僅只是父母,她與原本很要好的朋友之間鬧得僵,自然是無消無息。現在唯一慶幸的,只有那條繩子沒有像恐怖電影演的那樣跑回來。真是萬幸。270Please respect copyright.PENANApFDC0d12Gd
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此外…… 270Please respect copyright.PENANAtzYghb2nQO
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「喔,嗨!」270Please respect copyright.PENANAm67rHWjCC0
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眼前出現的是那間詐欺萬事屋的年輕店員。黑色的那位。270Please respect copyright.PENANAG8LKimRWJn
270Please respect copyright.PENANA3UJaL1oTxY
小敏毫不客氣地翻了個大白眼。270Please respect copyright.PENANAKVY2ZUP2qq
270Please respect copyright.PENANAq5kyg8qieJ
「你怎麼會在……你在幹嘛?」270Please respect copyright.PENANA4nWyXye1pA
270Please respect copyright.PENANAhPguxrDW64
黑色店員蹲坐在河岸邊上,腳尖前的草地上插著一根樹枝,末端繫著一根細線,線的一頭垂直落入水面,在緩緩流動的靜謐河面上劃出ㄑ字型的波紋。270Please respect copyright.PENANAqkCHFAoTm4
270Please respect copyright.PENANAlzHC1cBNod
「妳不知道這個?這是垂釣啊,垂釣!」對方一副「居然連這個都不知道」的樣子激動地強調「垂釣」兩個字。270Please respect copyright.PENANArz6fjY7Tfj
270Please respect copyright.PENANANAoDXamCuZ
「這我當然知道!我是搞不懂為何要在這個地方做這種事?更何況,這裡明明禁止垂釣!」270Please respect copyright.PENANACoF3vvzBE4
270Please respect copyright.PENANAOqHseCumkc
「是嗎?我以為是『禁止戲水,可垂釣。』呢!」270Please respect copyright.PENANATfvloYkDuc
270Please respect copyright.PENANAjfrrZEHjui
「那邊明明就有公告!」小敏深吸一口氣。270Please respect copyright.PENANAWul3dphzGP
270Please respect copyright.PENANAD4etdjv1vC
「嗯……確實呢!不過,這裡也釣不到魚。雖然水面上這般平靜無痕,其實水底暗潮洶湧。因此根本不會有『小美人魚』裡那種魚隻成群的景象吶。」少年看似漫不經心的微笑著。270Please respect copyright.PENANA54HoTp8QH6
270Please respect copyright.PENANAMyT7DcgU61
既然如此……為什麼要挑這裡做出這種舉動?小敏覺得這人做的事讓人完全無法理解。270Please respect copyright.PENANAipEnYABMnV
270Please respect copyright.PENANAxj2NKvFTWo
「只是忽然想要垂釣咩!」黑色店員反而用莫名其妙的神情看她,好像她才是那個怪人。「這世上又不是所有事都有前因後果。」他說,「連遭受詛咒都沒有原因的情況也可能發生吶……」270Please respect copyright.PENANAPXSAVO90Mp
270Please respect copyright.PENANAuw3ZH6OZVF
什麼……詛咒?這又是什麼意思?270Please respect copyright.PENANA9g1oO0yLlJ
270Please respect copyright.PENANAaI7ljycz84
「我聽不懂啦!反正你請便,我要走了。」小敏逕自邁開腳步,準備繼續散步。默默在心裡打定主意絕不按照原路回家。270Please respect copyright.PENANANCrFwyQwRm
270Please respect copyright.PENANAJGZTFsATGH
「吶啊,小敏。」270Please respect copyright.PENANAykQxQZIbRR
270Please respect copyright.PENANAJtBBs6d17I
小敏發誓她原本不想搭理的,但雙腳卻自己停了下來。270Please respect copyright.PENANAeW1vtLyqAN
270Please respect copyright.PENANAI2CjEcqjHS
黑色店員的目光留在從剛才便毫無動靜的陽春釣桿上。270Please respect copyright.PENANAOT7i8Z9LDE
270Please respect copyright.PENANAqyqwW8XdY7
「不可以在繩子面前說出要『丟掉』或『處理掉』之類的話喔。」270Please respect copyright.PENANAVkRkwAq3BO
270Please respect copyright.PENANA7N9AQxXvZG
微風徐徐吹來,小敏盯著店員低垂的睫毛,心中泛起一股冰冷的恐懼。270Please respect copyright.PENANAz7kchWbWux
270Please respect copyright.PENANAnd9aF0Gmw1
「那個東西我早就丟到河裡了啦!人家不安的時候不要提到那麼恐怖的事!」270Please respect copyright.PENANAtJGqvRtqKV
270Please respect copyright.PENANAO39Gm3U1CA
她頭也不回地逃離秋季尾聲,開始枯萎的乾癟草皮。270Please respect copyright.PENANAa4O33LuH8o
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*270Please respect copyright.PENANApMCJB25qsH
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發現那件或許是小敏此生最絕望痛苦之事,是在憂鬱星期一的早晨。270Please respect copyright.PENANAFOwNJooNhJ
270Please respect copyright.PENANAwB8irhh6u7
當天她一如既往的去學校。270Please respect copyright.PENANAT4qg9Mwsk8
270Please respect copyright.PENANAArSVAkMmvG
沐浴在朝霧之中的校園令人身心舒暢。校門旁艷紅的梔子花幾乎掉落,在樹根處呈現氧化過後的深紅。她進入教室,赫然發現桌上的花瓶裡又換了新的白色雛菊。教室裡的氣氛已經輕鬆不少,卻仍然瀰漫著淡淡的,某種她不能理解的氛圍。270Please respect copyright.PENANAf9GZxdXtHu
270Please respect copyright.PENANAvnPgk1arlR
花瓶的存在是那樣突兀,小敏望著朝向窗戶蓬勃盛開的花朵,孤身一人的真實感只增不減。今天清晨,青梅竹馬的他一聲不吭地從她身邊走過。她想開口,卻因為莫名的罪惡感而噤聲。因為是她拒絕了他。因為她無法面對也喜歡對方的自己。但是,但是她又有什麼辦法?因為閨密也喜歡你啊!她有多喜歡你,你知道嗎?270Please respect copyright.PENANA0kqBfdoXLh
270Please respect copyright.PENANASkLbyzDohU
一陣怒意襲來,她什麼都來不及思考,花瓶就這樣摔落地面。連同清新的美麗花朵也狠狠墜落,悽慘的躺在清水與皓白的碎片之中。270Please respect copyright.PENANAhyJ1BRjbBl
270Please respect copyright.PENANAdHDIHSkORc
教室裡頓時一片寂靜。同班同學緩緩向外躲開,不知所措的佇在一旁。沒有人開口慰問,也沒有人動身靠近,甚至連剛剛抵達教室的閨密都站在遠遠的門邊,不敢置信地望著這個方向……以小敏為圓心,往外形成了一個彷彿靠近會被吞噬的黑洞。四周沒有人作聲,就連自己的喘息聲都聽不見。270Please respect copyright.PENANAPjkae0g7co
270Please respect copyright.PENANA3XDgq1mpED
明明從以前就不擅長外放心底的想法,小敏感覺自己有了很大的不同。胸腔總是容易脹滿,低落與憂慮在她不知道的時候漸漸佔領心緒。270Please respect copyright.PENANAaELsNXyMpb
270Please respect copyright.PENANAO0w2mgLZ59
也漸漸不懂得忍耐。270Please respect copyright.PENANAVZhW6yYbqN
270Please respect copyright.PENANAxUmEeHpY7b
小敏與同學們同樣驚愕不已。她大口喘息,可怖的目光與寂靜令人呼吸困難。270Please respect copyright.PENANAVChn5py3td
270Please respect copyright.PENANABpU0IPHGgK
她奪門而出。將死去的陶瓷與花朵拋諸腦後,奮力向前奔馳。270Please respect copyright.PENANAEp95DAltdb
270Please respect copyright.PENANA3JSnqxBBcb
你們到底是怎麼了?怎麼了!我也是,我也很不對勁!重重踩下長廊的雙足不僅感受不到後座力,腳底也不覺得疼痛……好似輕飄飄的,飄忽得難以腳踏實地。270Please respect copyright.PENANA3kGpXY8NKc
270Please respect copyright.PENANAhc9mCoQsf3
小敏驚懼不已,帶著這種詭異的觸感奔上樓頂。奇怪的是,應該是鎖住的頂樓鐵門很輕易就被推開了。豔陽刺得她瞇起雙眼。270Please respect copyright.PENANAw1lP45507E
270Please respect copyright.PENANAJ7wpY9ALnS
好想哭……心裡很難受,即將腐敗的起司在心臟的位置膨脹起來,酸臭的氣味通過氣管呼出,又再次吸入。270Please respect copyright.PENANACJn23jQkp9
270Please respect copyright.PENANAjX0sCF9ZrH
小敏想起那一天,那個他告白的那一天,那棵樹下,潮濕的空氣與雨水打上土壤的聲音。那一天,也是帶回那條麻繩的日子。閨密那如同遭受背叛的眼神讓人無地自容。因為是他背著她回來的,儘管他們之間什麼都沒有,但在旁人看來,有這種程度的接觸的男女關係已經毋需多言。270Please respect copyright.PENANAAYNBuXNZsW
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當時的罪惡感與欣喜幾乎不相上下,然而,之後她只感到痛苦。270Please respect copyright.PENANAusdwrLtODU
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為了保住友誼,她推開了他。結果什麼也沒有留住。270Please respect copyright.PENANAXoommIb2G4
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先是閨密,再來是他……她傷了他們的心。270Please respect copyright.PENANAzLoDVYWwdG
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小敏蜷縮在水塔邊的陰暗處。直到陽光爬升,陰影越來越小。270Please respect copyright.PENANAO5Q5fdt3jx
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回家吧……小敏緩緩起身,拍拍沾上灰塵的制服裙。270Please respect copyright.PENANADWWA90Fn1e
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此時,一陣騷動從樓梯處傳來。來人沒有進入樓頂,腳步聲在樓梯間嘎然停止。270Please respect copyright.PENANAUQ7CsQeZ7a
270Please respect copyright.PENANAZT5xTHdvuD