社群

I was on a train that traveled through different seasons. The window showed spring cherry blossoms, then suddenly golden autumn leaves swept across the glass. The train entered a tunnel of snow-covered trees, everything silent and white. When it emerged, it was summer, and the train was running along a coastline with azure water. An old woman sitting across from me handed me a photograph of this exact train, taken decades ago.

I walked into a garden where every flower was a small mirror reflecting a different sky. Some showed sunset, some showed starry nights, some showed aurora. In the center of the garden was a pond that reflected not me, but a version of me as a child, smiling and reaching up.

I was walking through a forest where every tree was made of crystal. Sunlight hit the branches and scattered into thousands of tiny rainbows. The ground was covered in soft glowing moss. I reached a clearing where a huge crystal tree stood in the center, its roots going deep into a pool of liquid silver. A white deer with antlers made of light appeared from behind the tree and looked at me.

周三的午后，还是过期的海盐

记不清是怎么开始的了，反正一睁眼我就站在一个挺破旧的地下通道里。墙上贴满了那种花花绿绿的广告，但仔细一看，上面印的居然全是我小时候弄丢的橡皮擦。 我往前走，路口停着一台那种老式的自动贩卖机，灯管一闪一闪的。我想买瓶水，结果投币口吐出一张软绵绵的纸钞，上面画着我邻居那只猫。这时候，自动贩卖机说话了，声音像极了我高中那个数学老师，它问我：“你要买‘周三的午后’还是‘过期的海盐’？” 我鬼使神差地选了“过期的海盐”。 结果哐当一声，掉出来一只透明的塑料袋。里面居然真的装着一小滩海水，海面上还有个微缩版的灯塔在发光。我刚想拆开，那个灯塔突然就开始报警，声音大得要命，震得整个通道开始像果冻一样晃动。 接着，我脚下的地砖变成了一排排黑白琴键。我每走一步，就发出那种很沉闷的钢琴声。路边那些广告纸里的橡皮擦全都活了，开始满地乱滚，想把我的脚印给擦掉。我当时心里贼慌，总觉得要是脚印被擦光了，我这人就彻底“查无此人”了。 最离谱的来了。我跑出通道，外面根本不是街道，而是一片巨大的、粉紫色的沙漠。天上有三个月亮，排成一个等腰三角形。中间那个月亮像个显示器，上面正在滚动播放我昨天洗澡时哼的那首歌的歌词，但全是乱码。 我低头看了一眼那袋“海盐”，发现里面的灯塔里走出一个微缩的我，也正拎着一个更小的塑料袋看着我。 然后我就被渴醒了。

あ

Sitting in a living room that smelled of old carpet. The TV flickered with static, playing a childhood cartoon I couldn't quite name. The characters had no faces, yet they kept calling my nickname. Despite the dim light, I felt an inexplicable sense of safety.

Y

Falling asleep on a late-night train. Orange streetlights flashed rhythmically across my face like a warm hypnosis. The carriage was empty, save for the low hum of the motor. I didn't know where it was headed, but I hoped it would never stop.