N市郊區的天空與那天露娜前往N大和梅里克博士會面時一樣,是一片無邊際的灰。空氣如同隨時會下起滂沱大雨一般,濕熱得令人窒息。100Please respect copyright.PENANAxOpsxdvxhT
100Please respect copyright.PENANA64ULjICYtp
零星的男女在一棟看似是民宿的暗棕色木造房屋前聚集。他們彼此問候、噓寒問暖。100Please respect copyright.PENANAEiDtpADQ13
100Please respect copyright.PENANAp9hQeQsNLj
隨時間經過,草皮上變得僅留下兩、三人,其餘都進了屋內。這時,從屋子裡傳來了搖鈴聲。100Please respect copyright.PENANAWFyvndtNPB
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聚會開始了。100Please respect copyright.PENANAMuO8GCIhJ1
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今天是週日。約有五十名信徒來到這棟由平房改建的禮拜堂,參加真露教會N市分會所辦、每月一次的聚集儀式。100Please respect copyright.PENANApBYW0qR9If
100Please respect copyright.PENANA7cuTg7T50q
露娜坐在對街的破舊公園長椅上觀察著他們,猶豫著什麼時候要進去禮拜堂。100Please respect copyright.PENANAokiBLRObYb
100Please respect copyright.PENANAMl4VJqPXCf
雖然決心要繼續調查下去,但對於自己竟然可以為了艾瑪走到這一步,她仍感到有些不踏實。100Please respect copyright.PENANA81Y8XLDK8X
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『妳可能得早點進去。』100Please respect copyright.PENANADOcX6yU9Iy
100Please respect copyright.PENANAZVaSyuXQkh
手機話筒傳來聲響。鏡一如既往透過艾瑪的帳號與露娜通話。100Please respect copyright.PENANAYg1Fmn1gss
100Please respect copyright.PENANAwvmU04JJfd
也是。這麼想著,露娜嘆了口氣,終於從長椅上起身——100Please respect copyright.PENANAG2DssCgy1D
100Please respect copyright.PENANAK2cUa7nkeu
突然,一陣怪異的暈眩襲上腦門。100Please respect copyright.PENANARgUmAKCHP5
100Please respect copyright.PENANApXTTVGhVS9
暈眩並不強烈,只如音叉在耳邊微微震動般令人不適。100Please respect copyright.PENANAbOOWNo5aRG
100Please respect copyright.PENANAqRy6icXDI7
『沒事吧?』鏡開口問道。100Please respect copyright.PENANAUX1eNlsl26
100Please respect copyright.PENANARJoxlpGCHq
「嗯……沒什麼。」露娜揉了揉太陽穴,搖搖晃晃的站穩腳步。暈眩一下子就消失無蹤,留在腦中的只剩下些許的困惑。100Please respect copyright.PENANAJkwvX5EKFj
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或許是坐太久了吧,露娜心想,隨後就重新起步。100Please respect copyright.PENANAmaFWeITmET
100Please respect copyright.PENANA2qyPQY6qKg
穿越馬路後,白色平房那與一般房屋並無二致的門口就變得清晰可見。然而與眾不同的是,那扇門的背後傳來了悶悶的鐘響,以及人們吟唱歌曲的聲音。100Please respect copyright.PENANA89QGFvj9BP
100Please respect copyright.PENANAYoj89po5Pe
鐘響節奏緩慢,微微顫動的延音透過耳膜麻痺知覺;人們呢喃一般的哼唱著歌謠,怪異的旋律彷彿要將大腦融化。100Please respect copyright.PENANAvA0Y53odl4
100Please respect copyright.PENANA6wsURjWFkK
露娜皺了皺眉,深吸一口氣,卻只覺得濕熱的空氣使思緒越發遲鈍。她伸手握住門把,卻突然發現上頭已經有另一隻手握住門把。100Please respect copyright.PENANAWRfRH6jVpy
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「……!」100Please respect copyright.PENANArSqXKpw07l
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她嚇得往旁邊一跳,看見一個女孩不知何時已經站在身旁。女孩也縮回按在門把上的手,一臉訝異。100Please respect copyright.PENANA0endJwZtaW
100Please respect copyright.PENANA5qZtJ5kmIB
女孩比露娜小,才十多歲出頭而已。露娜看著女孩那碧藍色的雙眼,總覺得它們像是監視器一樣空洞。100Please respect copyright.PENANAlCk0Uty0XI
100Please respect copyright.PENANA4CqFeaIt6m
「『——不好意思,你先請……』」100Please respect copyright.PENANA3FVSZlDdff
100Please respect copyright.PENANAFmNBWVaIQ1
露娜開口,卻沒料到女孩也說出相同的話。重疊在一起的聲音瞬間就打斷了彼此,兩人面面相覷。100Please respect copyright.PENANAOwLSDZoAx4
100Please respect copyright.PENANA3XHu8kTbHX
接著,女孩推開大門,一溜煙的跑進屋子裡,留下露娜一人,門前像是像是什麼事都沒有發生一樣。100Please respect copyright.PENANAxKAeJ0V0B3
100Please respect copyright.PENANAW9biXPvpTX
露娜呆站在那裡,聽著屋內傳來的歌聲。她突然就撞見那名女孩,女孩恰巧說了與自己同樣的話,隨即消失無蹤;一切都發生得太快,使露娜無法明白眼前的狀況。100Please respect copyright.PENANAxFSv0Pyord
100Please respect copyright.PENANAJc6Dg6AJeB
片刻後,她才搖了搖頭,試著不去在意剛才那詭異的插曲,轉身走進還敞開的房門內——100Please respect copyright.PENANACvqGsHqIiA
100Please respect copyright.PENANAwa4gankiV1
映入眼簾的,是不可思議的一幕。100Please respect copyright.PENANAVC4Z2XyJeb
100Please respect copyright.PENANAwnMWZj0oqG
那是一個被挑高成兩層樓高的空間,不算寬敞,卻剛好能容納五十幾名信徒。雖然是一樓,卻昏暗的像是地下室一樣,四圍的窗簾都被拉上,空氣中還瀰漫著似乎是薰香的煙霧,只有天花板上以夜燈亮度照明的室內燈,如燭光一般朦朧的閃爍著。100Please respect copyright.PENANA7R3ehbSFBf
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但,最另露娜詫異的並不是此處的裝潢——100Please respect copyright.PENANAzrXob3JXtr
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而是數十雙凝視著自己的眼睛。100Please respect copyright.PENANAzaxlorJaOg
100Please respect copyright.PENANAVlRbIk8RpI
此時此刻,屋內的信徒無一面向禮拜堂內,而是朝著門口,一邊如木偶張著嘴詠唱聖歌,一邊眨也不眨的注視才剛踏進來的露娜。100Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ze3fTY6gn
100Please respect copyright.PENANAOVSWIqtu51
而除了那來自信徒的數十個視線之外,還有一雙眼睛正直勾勾的瞪著露娜。100Please respect copyright.PENANAQaZ1TFyM1F
100Please respect copyright.PENANAc4kAC3GJ0F
越過人群、位在講台的後方,禮拜堂深處的牆上,那雙上下排列的眼睛——札托薩哈的肖像畫,就掛在那裡。100Please respect copyright.PENANAJwxhRXNGg8
100Please respect copyright.PENANAArqsP6M4Ct
刺鼻的薰香似乎帶著血味,令人作嘔的鐘聲鼓動著肺部。露娜僵在原地,微微顫抖起來。100Please respect copyright.PENANAXs0WuXTkf5
100Please respect copyright.PENANA8NwKxfkJD8
她想要轉身逃跑,卻在剛浮現這樣的念頭時,立刻被一個低沉的嗓音打斷。100Please respect copyright.PENANABSwxBYBrSF
100Please respect copyright.PENANAujbc3E7DiP
那並不是從任何地方傳來,而是源自於大腦深處的迴響。聲音與鏡那聽不出性別的嗓音有幾分神似,卻破碎的像是發出自雨天的收音機。100Please respect copyright.PENANA8HsHAPJ9zk
100Please respect copyright.PENANAyspAtdaf0Y
——往前走。把門關上。100Please respect copyright.PENANAo5xBFLjWKI
100Please respect copyright.PENANAF7YIyzVu4e
回過神來,露娜就發現自己已經站在比剛才要靠近群眾位置,身後的門也已關上。100Please respect copyright.PENANADyzMhOBS48
100Please respect copyright.PENANAIE7iX7cPIN
口袋內的手機傳來震動。是鏡傳來的文字訊息。露娜伸手探入口袋內——100Please respect copyright.PENANANguuxy7njp
100Please respect copyright.PENANAafyBiqv2NB
——不要查看。走到講台前。100Please respect copyright.PENANApZJdANfqBM
100Please respect copyright.PENANAuiRM2rovHS
信徒們從中分開,讓出一條走道。露娜朝著禮拜堂深處的講台緩步前行,群眾隨她緩緩轉身,視線一刻也沒有離開。100Please respect copyright.PENANA9embu0GR9Q
100Please respect copyright.PENANA8xQBNgqGxm
此時,一個人影從講台後方走出來。100Please respect copyright.PENANAEkYklHNcWa
100Please respect copyright.PENANAiRAND4W5nV
那是一位頂著一頭灰色短髮的中年女士,身穿漆黑的長袍,上頭以紅線繡著札托薩哈那垂直排列的雙眼。女士瞇眼微笑,擠出細細的魚尾紋——沒有什麼是比在教徒們齊聲唱著扭曲歌聲的此處看到那樣和藹的笑容還要更危險的。100Please respect copyright.PENANAmHJoKx8hM4
100Please respect copyright.PENANAffRhxFpRfw
「歡迎,札托薩哈所感招的迷途之子。」100Please respect copyright.PENANAymVjYdktwT
100Please respect copyright.PENANAjlZjaqp2yT
女士平靜的開口。她的手上拿著一只雕有洛可可式紋樣的金屬杯子,裡面裝著血一樣的深棕色液體。100Please respect copyright.PENANAk3OLA02sNY
100Please respect copyright.PENANAwlp9e3kp7m
「這是在『看見』之前的必經之路。妳不必抵抗,因為真露會替妳指引去向。」100Please respect copyright.PENANA47kxXmDwEf
100Please respect copyright.PENANAacEgscemiS
女士舉起杯子,湊近露娜的臉龐。100Please respect copyright.PENANArhzlFgOjlk
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——不要動。100Please respect copyright.PENANAowzKYfezC6
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冰冷的金屬杯緣靠上露娜的嘴唇。100Please respect copyright.PENANAc7e4nt1NZB
100Please respect copyright.PENANApuSk3vIRtO
——喝下去。100Please respect copyright.PENANAkeOvoWl7dR
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杯子傾倒,冰冷黏稠的觸感滑入喉嚨。那是如鐵鏽一樣苦澀的味道,或像泥土和煙灰攪和在一起的惡臭。100Please respect copyright.PENANAqLbQWL7Xih
100Please respect copyright.PENANAE91XjP0J5m
哐當一聲,露娜將金屬杯從女士的手中揮落,殘留的液體灑在衣服和紅毯上。她掐住自己的喉嚨,向後踉蹌,跌落在地上。100Please respect copyright.PENANA4HHBe51keG
100Please respect copyright.PENANAbRfcrIv0mu
「混蛋……」100Please respect copyright.PENANAlIfFBEylSv
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她咒罵道。腦中的低沉嗓音終於消失,但一切都太遲了。100Please respect copyright.PENANAb0T9Qju5Lg
100Please respect copyright.PENANAoKYfutfAZL
她不知道自己喝下了什麼。她想吐,卻吐不出來,腸子彷彿有生物在裡頭攪動一般。兩眼開始模糊,不,準確來說是被許多東西佔據。那些是一條條透明蠕蟲,隨著氣流不斷扭動。她抬頭張望,看見女士以及信眾身上爬滿與蠕蟲相同的紋理。它們迅速擴散,滲透到信眾的手、腳、脖子和臉上。信眾的五官已不付存在,只剩下一雙不知何時長出來的札托薩哈之眼,盯著露娜,唱著歌,那歌聲好像把人當成石榴剖開時所發出的慘叫,又像是某種長著角與尖牙之哺乳類的欣喜狂嚎。100Please respect copyright.PENANAyCNtJoVYI2
100Please respect copyright.PENANA44wfILkwVU
露娜想起身奔跑,卻發現自己失去了雙腳。地上滲出與紅毯相同顏色、如膠水一般黏稠的液體,冒出煙,惡臭撲鼻而來。用雞血調成的香水會是這種味道嗎?死在電網上的知更鳥會是這種味道嗎?跟艾瑪一同葬在墳墓裡的薰衣草現在會是這種味道嗎?露娜伸手,抓著滾燙的地毯,想要掙脫流沙一般不斷下陷的地板,但一切都是徒勞。她太渺小、太無助。100Please respect copyright.PENANAjqXh1GlUbj
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「救我……」100Please respect copyright.PENANAZpyFz3PQBU
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她看了看身邊的人,有那位女士,有信眾,有自己的母親,有同學,還有一位留著淡金色齊肩短髮的少女——是她自己。100Please respect copyright.PENANAM0uBcOjh48
100Please respect copyright.PENANAQfqjxoEeZw
金髮少女冷冷地看著一切,看著自己受苦。當自己的貓咪去世時無情的拋棄了自己,當所有人都不和自己說話時冷漠的離自己而去。所以自己死了,同薰衣草葬在墓園裡了,再也無法跟最要好的朋友一起去科博館了。100Please respect copyright.PENANAKljFXzsJEt
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「你現在在哪裡?」100Please respect copyright.PENANAt5dyNrW7Rd
100Please respect copyright.PENANAZXFxTNvSLO
自己問道。她只是想要知道那個金髮的少女到哪裡去了。如果可以,她還想再跟她多走一會兒。100Please respect copyright.PENANAKXUaBzqB9Z
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一會兒,一會兒就好,在自己還沒喝下相同的真露之前,在一切還未墜入無盡的深淵之前。100Please respect copyright.PENANARupVA4rFGg