翌日,少婦不畏山路辛勞地再次跋涉而下,卻沒有攜帶她重要而必要的藥箱,她只是為了看到──529Please respect copyright.PENANAD4WQ6Atw60
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為了親眼確認,那憑空消失的魔物到底是不是真實存在。529Please respect copyright.PENANAHUe67wjyae
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穗作收割後所留下的田陌空地,似乎有什麼物體搖搖晃晃地伸展而出,將空氣攪成一團爛糊,定神一看,卻只是一陣風颺起。一片片的陰影在地面嬉鬧竄流,然而抬頭所見卻是秋高氣爽的天空……529Please respect copyright.PENANALfzpQHRckG
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有許多聲音在低笑說著她聽不懂的語言,也聽不見,只覺得震耳欲聾。529Please respect copyright.PENANA3B8OjtjEqt
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小末所發現的『卵』再也沒有看見過,而她本人也無任何異常,只是偶爾會大呼小叫地瘋狂歡跳。529Please respect copyright.PENANA9nA7LxfF4X
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這裡有許多東西,少婦強烈地感受到,卻也同等強烈地自認為是錯覺。529Please respect copyright.PENANAdqYzQJXJar
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不該再想了……要當作沒見過那種生物……529Please respect copyright.PENANAMbuCt6g2d8
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自己已不再是過去的那個人了,所以,不應該再看到那種東西的。529Please respect copyright.PENANAYD3Spr4q6l
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少婦強迫自己鎮定,終於,很快地這片山谷又恢復平日所熟悉的景象。她鬆了口氣,上前向村人問道:「小末呢?」529Please respect copyright.PENANANNNBxZ5KW0
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村人愣了一下,「小末?是誰啊?」529Please respect copyright.PENANALQvxGNZpZX
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「……就…大作家的么子…」529Please respect copyright.PENANAWLNejcfCFz
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「大作啊…他不是只有三個兒子……而且他妻子已經……」529Please respect copyright.PENANAQUrgJqTXqd
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村人的回答碎裂了支撐她思緒的細微意志,就這樣薄弱地摔落地面,把一切不屬於塵事的叫囂與陰影從地底喚醒,它們鑽入天際,歡樂地歌舞著。529Please respect copyright.PENANAR4kKnmgsmA
529Please respect copyright.PENANA0UMEcdFtmY
小末狂笑著從田埂的另一方跑了過來,繞了少婦一圈,又叫嘯著奔到另一頭去。529Please respect copyright.PENANAgmFnBVibDH
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「那不就是小末嗎?」529Please respect copyright.PENANA3f5fXNvgrz
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「是啊,是小末啊。」村人毫無猶疑地回答。529Please respect copyright.PENANA3jemjRCDM9
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他們對於異象完全無所覺,順其自然地成了異象的一部份,只有自己……529Please respect copyright.PENANAEp46VTX9Yw
529Please respect copyright.PENANAysdDTrBucp
她潰敗地逃回山林。秋葉紛落、草木枯黃,山林內依舊祥靜如夢醒,即使回頭俯望底下的山谷,也只是普通的村落聚居,沒有任何不安。529Please respect copyright.PENANAZDJobOxOCk
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方才的事也不像是親身所經歷。529Please respect copyright.PENANAyi18VQhV72
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回到自家小屋中,也就早已遺忘了所有的夢魘。529Please respect copyright.PENANAEiqcJhLczq
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現今的生活還是如同她所冀求的一般,心中也十分平靜。529Please respect copyright.PENANAmd7bRv82Xj
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然後,熟稔地開始檢選藥材,有些烹煮、有些磨成膏粉,她還得治療一隻受傷的大白貓呢。529Please respect copyright.PENANArlZOxIKQfP
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大白貓的男人在白天絕不出門,一到晚上便會鑽入暗林裡獵補山禽野獸。529Please respect copyright.PENANAJoO9FQ1GeH
529Please respect copyright.PENANAVdqWwU7R4B
他中毒極深,除非是真正對藥與毒有專精如己的人,否則任是得到了如何珍貴的藥材也將束手無策。529Please respect copyright.PENANAgOvNufJclH
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僅管那隻大白貓一雙血瞳是如何兇暴孤僻,最後還是得乖乖地在自己面前把一整帖苦藥給乖乖全數吞下,抱怨不得半聲。529Please respect copyright.PENANA1HsxQEnqC5
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少婦獨自沉靜地坐在幽暗的小屋內,耐心地等待爐燄慢慢將藥湯熬煮得濃燙,以及狩獵完回來得喝下這壺湯藥的大白貓。529Please respect copyright.PENANAcHt7T2bCUg
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隔了兩日之後,少婦再次背起藥箱走下山頭,然後,一如過往為村民治病與傾聽他們的交談。529Please respect copyright.PENANA15LteXvhOz
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沒有什麼異樣,也不再有魔物出現。甚至原本該注意小末的事都不復記憶。529Please respect copyright.PENANARwVoDgvt1s
529Please respect copyright.PENANArsV7OwPINO
入秋了,晚風開始吹得冰涼,而西落的日光也更是紅得耀眼,農收的男人皮膚被染出一層通紅。529Please respect copyright.PENANACpssYeu2NN
529Please respect copyright.PENANAMfpDlzYzqH
穀子被堆在空地上曝塞,入夜前又得忙著收拾在穀缸內。女人們紛紛拿出禦寒的衣物來縫補,小孩子被吩咐要在臨近的林地收集好可以添火的枯枝。529Please respect copyright.PENANAK8QnonDvUx
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少婦則拿出一些藥材分贈村人,加入烹煮的食物裡食用能抵禦冬冷的寒氣。529Please respect copyright.PENANAzan83bRaFO
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為了明日的存活與生計又再不停地忙錄著,這是身為人類在大地上極其自然的行為。529Please respect copyright.PENANAFwHDBQj9Ch
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再自然不過,就這樣一直活下去……529Please respect copyright.PENANAI7MFtNfEQp
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走在山路上,少婦忽然有些依依不捨地回頭,並不怎麼稀奇的天空與雲、與山、與谷、與溪、以及那不起眼的普通村落,都讓人產生矇矓的眷戀。529Please respect copyright.PENANAj0D209Mdp5
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或許是有生之年,心中第一次有盈滿的感覺。529Please respect copyright.PENANApHuPM58YeJ
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別過頭,滿山的秋肅氣氳雖然冰涼,卻溫柔地輕拂過萬物。529Please respect copyright.PENANAE0zuXcmpoI
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心中的陰影也彷彿要漸漸被帶走般……529Please respect copyright.PENANAoO8m4er2Hv
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「怎麼了?妳要忘了我嗎?」快要被遺忘的臉孔,拖著綿長的身體乘風而來,她模仿著輕風的溫柔,用眾多手臂裡最前端的一雙取下了少婦的帽紗,「妳正在呼喚著黑闇喔……」529Please respect copyright.PENANAgI17rXG5XA
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少婦看著那微笑的雙瞳與嘴角,呆愣地像是置身夢境之中。529Please respect copyright.PENANA0YFpnkg95w
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一直藏匿的臉孔被揭了開來,她的面容一如多年以前姣好而年輕,即使歲月與人事在眼神裡添加了風霜,也只被深藏於黑瞳深處……529Please respect copyright.PENANAa5Ll25zfR6
529Please respect copyright.PENANAV4s7ueUmqA
那個曾經是被小末所發現的『卵』、被少婦所喚作『神』的魔物,像是滿意少婦的臉孔而吃吃地天真笑起,「小末的靈魂應該很鮮美吧,對不對?…不過那個沒有辦法拿走,所以…妳的給我……」529Please respect copyright.PENANAeUFytX8lxx
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秋風掃起了滿山紅黃枯葉,也捲起了塵埃,優雅得如同日常一般。529Please respect copyright.PENANAUlZfNm4PAx
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被捉走的,只有她自己而已……529Please respect copyright.PENANAVqK7T8wosZ
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「…櫻姬…」529Please respect copyright.PENANAv4UcNGqHyV
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當神魔喚出自己的真名時,陳封的記憶也將被打散,如同落葉般地漫天紛飛……529Please respect copyright.PENANA7fPN5EGqv7
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不知在何處的小末,帶著滿足的笑容蜷曲身體,無數隻蟲蛆忙碌地在她身旁蠕動吐絲、用繭做成了與世隔絕的球殼,於是小末就在殼裡逐漸回溯到她還是小嬰兒的年紀,從腳尖開始一點一滴地退化縮小,成了吐絲造繭的蟲蛆形態,當她完全消失時,薄殼破裂開來,腐土伸出一雙死槁但充滿母愛的手指,把它帶回地底。529Please respect copyright.PENANA5hU6Pi77Bg
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……自己也化成了一縷輕煙,灑脫地在晴空裡飛散成虛無……529Please respect copyright.PENANAMxzAUViNvR
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無數蟲蛆辛勤地鑽入山道鬆軟土壤,沿路栽植出比花瓣斑斕的彩蛹,它們像是葉片一樣舒捲開來,從中伸出了數支芽臂,頂端密集的頭顱們齊聲地唱著似曾相似的歌謠。529Please respect copyright.PENANARRyU3cES0Q
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拖曳著贅長羽毛、與葉片同樣嬌小的鳥兒在芽臂與葉片間輕靈地鑽竄,長在鳥腹上以翼作手的小人用爪子抓起唱歌的頭顱飛翔,於是每一顆頭顱都開始尋求自己的軀體,在落到地面時都具有各自喜歡的模樣,骨肉血脈尋求自由地掙脫既定的形體拘束,像是飛禽也像走獸、同時是飛禽走獸都不會有的形態。529Please respect copyright.PENANAzB7uDBFEib
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祂們的形體就是祂們的意志。529Please respect copyright.PENANAi0nEk6iBRF
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整座樹林也是有著自由意志的活物,正愉快地向上伸展枝椏,佔據了整片蒼穹。529Please respect copyright.PENANAFKghUG1BM0
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數不清的赤紅眼睛在黑暗密林裡燿燿燃起……529Please respect copyright.PENANAQE8wGYPq9r
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片刻的瞬間,魔物們就驅走了時光的存在。529Please respect copyright.PENANAmDsqCOkWiS
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……好靜謐啊……529Please respect copyright.PENANAoCv3lkoVai
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這裡是溫暖又靜謐的黑暗世界,是永遠沉睡之處……529Please respect copyright.PENANA992d2H87cG
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就在這裡沉睡吧,陷入深深的睡眠,連夢境都無法叨擾。529Please respect copyright.PENANAY692ux8PX0
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……永不清醒……529Please respect copyright.PENANAq5NnqsExNL
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只要在自己的小屋內,靜靜地等著爐火熬藥,心裡就會安心。529Please respect copyright.PENANAvWfCjEvuBe
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苦蘿根、芍香等易生常見的藥用植物,由毒蛇糞土裡生長的劍藤才真正具有解毒功能,而難以栽種的七葉蘭在此地從六葉甚至九葉都有,麻雀花是人畜皆懼的毒物,卻也是治療絕症的極效品……529Please respect copyright.PENANAVkevARw7Yl
529Please respect copyright.PENANAv2P46b0wv6
一個又一個地細數著所有的藥材,終於連自己心底的喧噪聲音也不再聽聞。529Please respect copyright.PENANA54Mm47UWf0
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其餘事物都毫無義意。529Please respect copyright.PENANAraSThQlCHS
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但是受傷的大白貓卻撬開門扉,他中毒極深,除非是真正對藥與毒有專精如己的人,否則任是得到了如何珍貴的藥材也將束手無策……529Please respect copyright.PENANAKcrv8VZQvY
529Please respect copyright.PENANA3N5irRatD0
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──死白的粗壯手臂硬是扯破了美好的沉靜墨色──529Please respect copyright.PENANAi21t8dUGhc
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大白貓敏捷而有力的爪子撕裂魔物們攀上櫻姬的觸手,魔物們不怒反笑地顫動著,他只得用比任何魔物更加血腥的赤瞳來斥退祂們。529Please respect copyright.PENANA6u7B6Re56R
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野獸般的哮吼刺耳刮骨,黑暗世界變得既破碎又褪色,魔物們大笑,像是妥協地讓出光影與時間,而後鼠竄地一哄而散。529Please respect copyright.PENANAubMOZP9MAu