In the golden October,the air was filled with the faint fragrance of osmanthus,a scent of harvest that seemed to make the entire earth sing and laugh.Under the moonlight as clear as flowing water,a solitary tree stood quietly on a vast meadow.The surrounding trees seemed to fear its presence,keeping a distance of several meters,as if afraid to get too close.The pale moonlight filtered through the branches,casting shadows that danced like whispers.
Beneath the tree,a girl in black leaned gracefully against the trunk,blending into the night.The moonlight outlined her silhouette,casting a soft shadow on the ground.Her eyes were closed,her long eyelashes trembling slightly,and her breathing was gentle and steady,as if she were immersed in a sweet dream.
The villagers knew her well.Every October,she would come as scheduled,sit quietly under the tree for a week,and leave quietly by mid-month.Everyone was curious,but no one dared to ask why she was always there.
On this day,the wind was strong,rustling the branches as if urging something.The girl was awakened by the breeze,slowly opened her deep,night-like eyes,and stretched before standing up.
"Sis,what are you doing here?"A childish voice broke the tranquility of the meadow.
The girl turned to see a cute little girl,about nine years old,with bright,starry eyes staring at her.Beside her was a chubby yellow puppy,so adorable it made one smile.
"I'm here to meet someone,"the girl replied with a smile,resting her hand on the tree."I come every year.If I didn't,he might cry his heart out."
"So you're waiting for someone,"the little girl said,walking closer and looking curiously at the tree.She reached out and gently touched the bark."But why do you sleep here every day?Has the person you're waiting for come?"
The girl bent down and lightly touched the little girl's soft hair,which smelled fresh."He's right here.This tree is my family."
"Big brother?"The little girl blinked,puzzled."Can a tree be a brother?Does he eat food?"
With a soft laugh,the girl leaned back against the tree."Let me tell you his story."
Her thoughts drifted back,as if returning to twenty years ago...
---
At night,Nan Gongyao wriggled out of the sack and looked around.The sky was completely dark,with the moon hidden behind thick clouds.She had managed to escape from the kidnappers'truck and tear open the sack,leaving rope burns on her skin from the nightmare she had just experienced.
Exhausted,she squatted by the roadside outside a dark forest,trembling with fear.She had escaped in the evening,and now it was night.The darkness was oppressive,and she dared not move forward alone for fear of encountering danger.The kidnappers were long gone,and she had no choice but to stay and rest for the night.
A few minutes later,Nan Gongyao suddenly stood up and looked ahead.A truck was parked on the road a few hundred meters away,its headlights illuminating a stretch of ground.The doors opened,and seven or eight men,each holding a club,stepped out and walked towards her with fierce gazes.
"Where did that brat run off to?"a bald man growled viciously.
"She can't have gone far!"a young man sneered.
"Find her in one hour,or don't bother coming back!"the bald man ordered.
The men began searching,and the hillside was flooded with flashlight beams."There!Behind that tree!"someone shouted.
Nan Gongyao shrank against the tree trunk,but she was quickly grabbed by the men.
"Let me go!"she screamed,tears streaming down her face."Please!Don't—!"
The bald man lifted her face and sneered,"You dare to run?!"
"Shut up!"one of the men shouted,raising his club."I'll teach you a lesson!"
He struck her head,and she fell to the ground with a scream,blood gushing from her forehead.The man raised his hand again,but the bald leader grabbed his arm."Don't kill her.She's still worth something."
Half-conscious,Nan Gongyao was thrown into the back of the truck,which was already filled with terrified children and girls.The truck started,and she drifted into an uneasy sleep,her body bruised and bleeding.
---
The next morning,the truck pulled off the highway and arrived at a dilapidated town.The children were herded into the backyard of an old inn,guarded by snarling dogs and men with iron rods.Nan Gongyao huddled in a corner,watching everything.She knew she had to escape.
———————————————————
金秋十月,空气中弥漫着淡淡的桂花香,那是丰收的气息,仿佛整个大地都在欢歌笑语.
在如水的月光映照下,一棵孤独的树静静伫立于宽广的草地之上.周围的树木仿佛对它的存在心生畏惧,纷纷远离,间隔了好几米,唯恐靠得太近.微弱的月光洒在树的枝叶上,树影婆娑,似在轻声呢喃.
树下,一位身着黑衣的少女优雅地倚靠着,仿佛与这夜色融为一体.银色的月光勾勒出她的轮廓,淡淡的剪影在地上铺开.她闭着眼睛,长长的睫毛微微颤动,呼吸轻柔而平稳,宛如沉浸在甜美的梦境之中.
路过的村民们都知道,这位少女每年十月都会如约而至,静静坐在树下,待上一周,直至十月中旬才悄然离去.大家心中满是疑惑,却无人敢上前询问她为何总是坐在那里.
这一天,风有些大,吹得树枝轻轻摇摆,似在催促着什么.少女被微风唤醒,缓缓睁开那双黑如夜空的双眼,深邃而神秘,轻轻起身,伸展了一下身体.
"姐姐,你在这里干嘛呀?"一声稚嫩的童声打破了草地的宁静.
少女回头望去,眼前是一个可爱的小女孩,大约九岁,明亮的眼睛如星星般闪烁着光芒,直勾勾地盯着她.身旁还有一只憨态可掬的黄色小狗,乖巧得让人忍俊不禁.
"我来见个面."少女笑嘻嘻地回答,手轻轻搭在树边,"我每年都来,要是不过来,他说不定就哭得不成样子了."
"原来姐姐在等一个人."小女孩听后,迈开小步子,走到少女身后,满是好奇地打量着那棵树,伸出小手轻轻抚摸,"那姐姐你怎么天天靠着树睡啊?你要见的人来了吗?"
少女俯下身子,手轻轻点在小女孩的头顶,发丝柔软滑腻,弥漫着清新的香气,"就在这,这树是我的家人."
"老大哥?"小女孩眨了眨大眼睛,满脸疑惑,"树也能当哥哥吗?它会吃东西吗?"
少女再次轻轻倚靠在树边,"姐姐给你讲讲他的故事吧."
思绪缓缓回溯,仿佛回到二十年前...
夜晚.
南宫遥从布袋中挣脱而出,环顾四周.
天色已完全暗了下来,夜幕降临,月亮被乌云遮住.
从绑架犯的货车上幸运地掉落,南宫遥费了好大一番力气才抠出一道麻袋口子挣脱出来.
身上被绳子勒出一道道痕迹,在布袋里的经历堪比噩梦.
南宫遥拖着疲惫不堪的身子,在一片黑暗森林外的大路旁蹲下,瘫坐在地上.身体因害怕而不住地颤抖.
她从布袋里出来时已是傍晚,如今又是晚上,这漆黑的夜让她不敢独自前行,生怕遇到危险.
而从她出来的那一刻起,绑匪也早已不知去向.
所以南宫遥只能留在这里,找个地方休息过夜.
可过了几分钟后,南宫遥突然从地上站起身来,朝前方望去.
只见一辆货车停在几百米远的大马路上,车灯照亮了几十米长的距离.
车门打开,七八个成年男子从车上走了下来,每个男子手里都拎着棍棒.
他们目光凶狠地朝着南宫遥所在的方向走来,南宫遥脸色煞白,浑身颤抖不已.
"那小屁孩逃哪去了?"一名光头男子凶恶地说道.
"那小妮子肯定跑不了多远!"一名年轻男子冷笑着说道.
"老大,那小鬼肯定跑不远!"一名高个男子说道.
光头男子看向他们,"行了!我给你们一个小时的时间,把那小鬼给我找出来!不然的话,都别回来了!"
众人纷纷答应,立刻开始寻找起来.一时间,整个漆黑的山路上满是手电筒的光芒.
"喂?!那女孩在那里!"有个人突然喊道.
众人急忙望过去,发现南宫遥确实就躲在距离他们几十米外的一棵大树后面.
"就是那个小鬼!"光头男子冷哼一声,对大家说,"都把这女孩抓起来!我要狠狠折磨她!"
众人闻言,脸色一喜,纷纷冲向南宫遥.
南宫遥见状,脸色煞白,吓得不断往大树后面缩去,但无论她怎么躲,很快就被其中几个男子扑倒在地.
"放开我!"南宫遥惊恐地大声哭喊道,"不要过来啊!不要过来啊!!"
光头男子大笑一声,将南宫遥从地上拉了起来,看了看她的小脸,突然一把捏住了她的小脸蛋,让她转过头去看着自己.
"你这小鬼,居然敢逃!我让你逃!"光头男子恶狠狠地笑道.
南宫遥泪流满面地看着他,眼中满是惊恐,无助与委屈.
"放开我!放开我!"她哭泣着大声叫喊起来.
"给我闭嘴!"一名男子用力扇了她一巴掌,骂道:"小鬼,居然敢逃跑!看老子把你打成猪头!"
男子说完,一巴掌重重砸向南宫遥的脑门!
"啊!"南宫遥惨叫一声倒在地上,脑门瞬间破开一个大口子,鲜血飞溅!
男子脸色狰狞,举起手还想继续打.
但这时,一只手抓住了他.
男子一愣,低头一看,发现光头男子正拽住自己.
"大哥?"男子疑惑地看着光头男子.
光头男子瞪着他,"你想打死她吗?"
"没...没有啊..."男子傻眼了,慌忙解释道.
光头男子冷哼一声,"这小鬼还要留着卖钱!就算要打,也不能打死!打破相也不行!明白吗?"
男子点点头,他本来就没打算要打死她,毕竟光头男子说得有理,这小鬼还要留着卖钱呢,打死了就不值钱了.
"走吧!回去了."光头男子又扫了一眼南宫遥,然后招呼起其他人上车.
那几名男子也不敢迟疑,匆忙扶起南宫遥,把她丢上了货车车厢.
车厢里已经塞满了孩子和女孩,但即便如此,还剩下一大半的地方空着.
货车启动,车轮碾压着地面,扬起一片灰尘.车厢内的孩童女孩被弄得灰头土脸,南宫遥也被弄得满脸灰尘,不过此刻谁也没心情去顾及这些.
车子行驶在漆黑的道路上,颠簸不断,车窗的挡风玻璃外时不时有车辆行驶而过.
夜晚的公路非常安静,除了前方一盏盏路灯照耀外,并无人烟.
车厢内很乱,小孩们全都挤在角落里,互相靠着,害怕不安地抱在一起.而那些女孩则面无表情地蜷缩在车厢某处,默默承受着一切,她们都知道等待自己的是什么样的命运.
南宫遥因为晕倒,直接躺在地上睡了过去,不过即使睡着了,也能听到车子的发动机轰鸣以及颠簸的声音.
不知过了多久,南宫遥突然醒了过来,坐起身来打量了一下周围的环境.
此时已是第二天清晨,天色渐亮.经过一夜的颠簸,货车行驶在高速公路上,路上的车辆已经少了许多.
货车车厢里的孩童女孩们,一个个疲惫不堪,无力地靠在车厢的角落里或蜷缩在角落中,有些孩子一晚上都没睡觉,睁着一双呆滞无神的眼睛看着车厢.
那些女孩的情况更糟糕,大多都伤痕累累,有的受了重伤,有的甚至奄奄一息.
没多久,货车驶下了高速公路,来到一片山林处,沿着公路行驶一段时间后,便是一个小镇.
货车进入了镇上,在路边一家旅馆的停车场停下,有人跳下车,打开了车厢的车门.
众人鱼贯而出.
南宫遥坐起身来打量着周围的一切,这是一间装修老旧的旅馆,周围都是低矮破旧的老房子,道路坑坑洼洼,看起来十分落后.而且这里的气氛很压抑,所有人的脸上都没有笑容,面无表情,只有那几个小孩脸上带着一丝丝惶恐,畏惧地打量着周围的情况.
众人来到旅馆门前,随后走了进去.
旅馆的前台是一个年约五十岁的老妇人,此时正看着报纸.
当这些人进入旅馆时,她的目光只是瞥了几下,便收了回来,继续看着报纸.
"进去吧!"光头男子招呼着众人进去,把小孩们全都带到了旅馆后面的一栋老旧房子前,然后把他们全部推了进去.
一名男子走了过去,打开铁门,放出了里面的一条狗,对着所有人汪汪大叫.而后又有三个人陆续出来,手中各自拿着一根铁棍.
这是给小孩们的警告,让他们别动逃跑的心思.
南宫遥被挤在角落,看着这一切,虽然不知道这些小孩们是怎么想的,但她自己是不想留在这,只想逃出去.