《龍貓》

夏天剛開始的時候，小悠和爸爸搬到鄉下的一棟舊房子。屋頂有點歪，門打開時會發出輕輕的聲音，像是在嘆氣。屋子周圍長滿高高的草，風吹過時，會發出沙沙的聲響。

小悠喜歡那個聲音。

白天，陽光從紙窗灑進來，空氣裡飄著木頭和泥土的味道。她常常一個人跑到屋子後面的森林，那裡的樹很高，抬頭幾乎看不見天空。偶爾會有不知名的小生物在葉子間跳動，發出細碎的聲音。

有一天，她在樹根旁發現了一條小小的通道。那不是刻意挖出來的，更像是自然留下的縫隙。她蹲下來，看了一會兒，然後就鑽了進去。

裡面有點涼，空氣濕濕的。她沿著通道慢慢往前走，直到光線變得柔和。那裡，有一個巨大的身影，靠著樹幹安靜地坐著。

牠很大，比任何她見過的動物都大。肚子隨著呼吸慢慢起伏，發出低低的聲音。

小悠沒有立刻靠近。她只是站在那裡，看著。

過了一會兒，那個生物睜開了眼睛。

牠沒有驚訝，也沒有移動，只是看著小悠，好像早就知道她會來。風從洞口吹進來，帶動牠的毛微微晃動。

小悠走過去，輕輕坐在牠旁邊。

沒有誰說話。

她只是聽著牠的呼吸聲，慢慢地，覺得自己也變得安靜了。

那天之後，小悠沒有告訴任何人這件事。她只是偶爾會再走進森林，坐在那個地方。有時候牠在，有時候不在。

但她知道——那裡一直都有什麼。

有一晚，下起了大雨。

小悠站在鄉間的小站牌下，撐著一把有點舊的傘。四周很暗，只有遠處偶爾閃過的燈光。雨落在地上，聲音很密。

她不知道為什麼會覺得有點孤單。

就在這時，旁邊多了一個重量。

她轉頭，那個巨大的生物站在她身旁，全身微微濕著。牠低頭看著她的傘，然後輕輕地發出一聲低鳴。

小悠把傘往牠那邊移了一點。

雨聲變得更清楚了。

不久，一輛公車從黑暗中出現。車門打開時，燈光照在牠的身上。牠眨了眨眼，然後慢慢走上車。

門關上之前，牠看了小悠一眼。

車子消失在雨裡。

小悠站在原地，忽然覺得風變得很溫柔。

後來的日子裡，她慢慢長大，也漸漸不再走進那片森林。但有時候，在風吹過的時候，她還是會停下腳步。

因為她知道——

有些東西不會消失，只是換了一種方式，留在世界裡。

English Version

At the beginning of summer, Xiaoyou moved to the countryside with her father. The house was old—the roof slightly crooked, the door sighing softly when opened. Tall grass surrounded it, whispering whenever the wind passed through.

She liked that sound.

During the day, sunlight filtered through the paper windows, filling the air with the scent of wood and earth. She often wandered alone into the forest behind the house, where the trees were so tall they almost hid the sky. Sometimes, unseen creatures rustled among the leaves.

One day, she found a small passage beneath the roots of a tree. It didn’t look man-made—more like a gap the forest had quietly kept.

She crouched, watched for a while, then slipped inside.

It was cool and damp. She walked slowly until the light softened. There, resting against a tree, was a giant figure.

It was larger than any creature she had ever seen. Its belly rose and fell with each breath, making a deep, gentle sound.

Xiaoyou didn’t approach right away. She simply stood there and watched.

After a while, it opened its eyes.

It didn’t seem surprised. It didn’t move. It just looked at her, as if it had always known she would come. The wind drifted in, stirring its fur.

She walked over and sat beside it.

Neither of them spoke.

She listened to its breathing, and slowly, she felt herself becoming quiet too.

After that day, she told no one. She simply returned to the forest from time to time. Sometimes it was there, sometimes it wasn’t.

But she knew—something was always there.

One night, it rained heavily.

She stood at a small countryside bus stop, holding an old umbrella. It was dark, with only distant lights flickering now and then. The rain fell steadily.

She wasn’t sure why, but she felt a little lonely.

Then, something heavy appeared beside her.

She turned—there it was, the giant creature, slightly wet, standing quietly. It looked at her umbrella and let out a soft, low sound.

She shifted the umbrella toward it.

The sound of rain grew clearer.

Soon, a bus emerged from the darkness. When the door opened, the light fell across the creature. It blinked, then slowly stepped inside.

Before the door closed, it looked back at her.

Then it was gone into the rain.

Xiaoyou remained there, feeling the wind soften around her.

As the years passed, she grew up and no longer visited the forest as often. But sometimes, when the wind moved through the trees, she would pause.

Because she knew—

Some things never disappear.

They simply remain in the world, in another way.