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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAOMz7BGqMbn
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAglM0dRfQSS
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANARi9jYbyFIi
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAgjwONfu84Y
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANA1ISWEwpoRZ
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隔天,小敏仍感到難受。406Please respect copyright.PENANAkToptlDBdf
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAEHEgk3XRvg
406Please respect copyright.PENANAx3Shw0DiBl
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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAzdtwV7iq6J
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAAqvFGh4bwt
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAaMIIPfPDVh
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此外…… 406Please respect copyright.PENANAYFo0qTBqSy
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「喔,嗨!」406Please respect copyright.PENANARpozWoYd30
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAFgxeskpZgj
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小敏毫不客氣地翻了個大白眼。406Please respect copyright.PENANAx52mqPDokJ
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「你怎麼會在……你在幹嘛?」406Please respect copyright.PENANAklPTZfNH2t
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAdSflYONxxs
406Please respect copyright.PENANAXU0ozHr3CB
「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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAvBY18IVsCV
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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!」406Please respect copyright.PENANAdMMJSz4nHk
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「是嗎?我以為是『禁止戲水,可垂釣。』呢!」406Please respect copyright.PENANAJkea2HQVM1
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「那邊明明就有公告!」小敏深吸一口氣。406Please respect copyright.PENANAFiV0AxlYFc
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「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。406Please respect copyright.PENANA7ePDR6xpbY
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAFUgeBLpYm3
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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……」406Please respect copyright.PENANAsJEbCmqxY1
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什麼……詛咒?這又是什麼意思?406Please respect copyright.PENANAVfpIiStfgq
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAwkr4d0BJJN
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「吶啊,小敏。」406Please respect copyright.PENANA0RiMJDEBHp
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAqId3CNVz6f
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAXRGcwB9jDR
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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。」406Please respect copyright.PENANAUVrd9jnYRc
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAKiD3XBcAwx
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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!」406Please respect copyright.PENANAnzJ4gj92im
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她頭也不回地逃離秋季尾聲,開始枯萎的乾癟草皮。406Please respect copyright.PENANAIjp39zuUNm
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*406Please respect copyright.PENANA11D1q48dr7
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAfdPO43SBuR
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當天她一如既往的去學校。406Please respect copyright.PENANAkdeyUlHQ3y
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAXC3CADv1g3
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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?406Please respect copyright.PENANAiGMBhVErUD
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAr4gjN8S18E
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANACTP0hMrIWV
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANActMBq9MrZe
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也漸漸不懂得忍耐。406Please respect copyright.PENANALQOPGdLi3Q
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAIaGsefnrPM
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANANFGA5hWY7b
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAKcO979yxoe
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANA2XMt43b7PO
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAo5GsY2CsPc
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAhPfqrxDOZE
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAbsALUaGPPu
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為了保住友誼,她推開了他。結果什麼也沒有留住。406Please respect copyright.PENANATJU64VkOTh
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先是閨密,再來是他……她傷了他們的心。406Please respect copyright.PENANAVbYxfbRYGy
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAbR7m37djWy
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回家吧……小敏緩緩起身,拍拍沾上灰塵的制服裙。406Please respect copyright.PENANA8iLm0fpPsr
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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。406Please respect copyright.PENANAe6bJUp3OOi
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