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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAXpigUoW8MK
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAKrpRbm8fjf
372Please respect copyright.PENANAMOSjc90O44
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。372Please respect copyright.PENANARoOzH7HRgC
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAfi5CQPiEOp
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAtwtihpVOTm
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*372Please respect copyright.PENANAqoXJB7v5cD
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隔天,小敏仍感到難受。372Please respect copyright.PENANAPnQFrcXU7M
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAHNQnosl4n7
372Please respect copyright.PENANAARSPGmrQts
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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAJfr5eNucQI
372Please respect copyright.PENANAAiWY2qdyL5
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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAml5MEntUdt
372Please respect copyright.PENANAgz5mljz1SS
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。372Please respect copyright.PENANARCk1EP5D6A
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此外…… 372Please respect copyright.PENANAWyKTPrgrEl
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「喔,嗨!」372Please respect copyright.PENANANWNu4pf9TU
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANA4xcXWUtNMf
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小敏毫不客氣地翻了個大白眼。372Please respect copyright.PENANAVkpKreIBXg
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「你怎麼會在……你在幹嘛?」372Please respect copyright.PENANA66zCsKY4Hu
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANANZWWME4Q10
372Please respect copyright.PENANAkrL5ufvLYC
「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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAbdrr9Ru1xH
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「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!」372Please respect copyright.PENANAsfLD45WC9g
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「是嗎?我以為是『禁止戲水,可垂釣。』呢!」372Please respect copyright.PENANA7Dk4sdjazu
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「那邊明明就有公告!」小敏深吸一口氣。372Please respect copyright.PENANABURWPn4pCI
372Please respect copyright.PENANA1JbqKvYueg
「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。372Please respect copyright.PENANA4CXly3QHRj
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANADsiEgLyaUw
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「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……」372Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7FWift7rp
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什麼……詛咒?這又是什麼意思?372Please respect copyright.PENANASs4CI931s3
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「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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAq4Bz8KARep
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「吶啊,小敏。」372Please respect copyright.PENANA0S1PKiAae6
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小敏發誓她原本不想搭理的,但雙腳卻自己停了下來。372Please respect copyright.PENANAvAJTy4kc5J
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黑色店員的目光留在從剛才便毫無動靜的陽春釣桿上。372Please respect copyright.PENANA1lWZJ0ySDy
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「不可以在繩子面前說出要『丟掉』或『處理掉』之類的話喔。」372Please respect copyright.PENANARnVFVGK3YF
372Please respect copyright.PENANAa038OdMMEu
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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAaMMYzrrhT5
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「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!」372Please respect copyright.PENANAX1NfISvBuA
372Please respect copyright.PENANAX0Hg5nHUjJ
她頭也不回地逃離秋季尾聲,開始枯萎的乾癟草皮。372Please respect copyright.PENANAfcxYjiOdnn
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*372Please respect copyright.PENANAUNkhfUOoOo
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANASMRjMk0D18
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當天她一如既往的去學校。372Please respect copyright.PENANAivkGvdfJ4s
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAnjdmGOKjFi
372Please respect copyright.PENANAiHQKO6m7uy
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?372Please respect copyright.PENANAuo4XVh74uu
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAspa0F5jjUJ
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAnl0pvaAjJq
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAWaj94QTzuA
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也漸漸不懂得忍耐。372Please respect copyright.PENANASufNKchJ7D
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAtR6OSuiHUU
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她奪門而出。將死去的陶瓷與花朵拋諸腦後,奮力向前奔馳。372Please respect copyright.PENANAXQ23FpV9Qk
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANACV4XzZPwoJ
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANA3h2RNJ0z3S
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANA5z4c969Uaj
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAjkSoruFn4m
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAgF5iMIU44T
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為了保住友誼,她推開了他。結果什麼也沒有留住。372Please respect copyright.PENANAtbMEbQEEgo
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先是閨密,再來是他……她傷了他們的心。372Please respect copyright.PENANAZhSlzAy9Pd
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANA6PF4BQ991S
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回家吧……小敏緩緩起身,拍拍沾上灰塵的制服裙。372Please respect copyright.PENANA4tQ04GPUDQ
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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。372Please respect copyright.PENANAoVwhNUjV4h
372Please respect copyright.PENANAFYuYpyliIq