The Bridge
“I followed the figure. Sophie filled my mind, this was what I had to do. This was what she wanted me to do....”
Chapter I: The Nightmare,,,,
Like a statue I stood, frozen at the spot. There was not a single
part of my body that moved, besides my thumping heart and racing pulse. Sweat slowly fell down on my palms and neck. My breathing thickened and I found it hard to swallow. There was not yet any reason for such reactions, but in my dreamlike state, I did not question such things. I watched the foggy gloom, swirling in a mist under the bridge and my eyes widened as it parted and a figure appeared. The figure I had been waiting for, the source of my fears. As it closed the distance between us, fear consumed me like a dark shadow, spreading from my toes, all the way up into my clenched throat. Still, the figure walked on, coming closer with each step, but never seeming to reach me. It’s eyes flashed open and bore into mine, they were cold and filled with hatred, as our gaze held, the coldness seemed to seep into me, as if sharing deep dark secrets that no one wants to know. The figure was two steps away when the screaming started.
As my eyes flashed open in the darkness of the room I could still hear my own scream echoing into the darkness. My parents didn‘t come that’s because my dad was such a solid sleeper, he wouldn’t hear anything and mom had started wearing earplugs. There was nothing that they could do to help, they couldn’t wake me up, couldn’t give comfort. Every night I have the same horrible nightmare. It always plays out in exactly the same way; I always stand there waiting for someone who, in the morning, I can’t see why I am so scared of. I did however talk to them about it so they decided to contact a counselor to help me, after deeply expressing myself about my nightmares, she said that it is has to be triggered from something, something in my childhood maybe, my parents couldn't think of anything though. Then I started thinking back, nothing came to mind besides the car crash that took my twin sisters life. . .
Chapter II: Sophie,,,,,
It was on a late Saturday afternoon, in the middle of summer. It was so hot that we had all of the windows down to let the heat escape and any breath of cool air outside to make its way in. We had just been for a 3 day visit to our grandmother’s in Lexington, Kansas and were all a little tired but very happy. Mom and dad were sitting in the front, their hands connected between them, and Sophie and I played a little in the back. As nightfall fell upon us we grew tired and decided it was time for a nap. Her sleeping head resting against my shoulder. After a few hours in the car, I realized that the seat belt was to tight on her neck, so I moved her seat-belt from over her shoulder to under her arms. She looked a lot more comfortable and curled closer into my side, That's when it hit... the car swerved to the side of the highway, hitting our car into the concrete wall. But it slammed into us with such a force that my body moved against the seat-belt and the whiplash left me gasping for air. Then I heard the sound of shattering glass. I looked at the upper part of my seat-belt that was wrapped securely against my shoulder, the only thing keeping me in, and gasped in horror. My gaze shifted toward my sister Sophie, scared of what I might find. She was no longer there. I looked in horror towards the front windscreen, and discovered the source of the shattering glass. There was a gaping hole in the windscreen, with blood gushing out of it. The last thing I heard was my mother’s echoing scream, before I blacked out.
Chapter III: Is She..?,,,,,,
It felt like forever. I couldn’t see anything, I felt terrible until I woke up, when I did, I was on a hospital bed, I had a few minor injuries, but the whiplash from the seat-belt embedded cuts into my skin, and a couple of other cuts and bruises. My mother faced the same dilemma but with a broken arm and a rather deep cut above her left eye from a piece of flying glass. Dad had a slight concussion from hitting his head on the windscreen and a few cuts but was otherwise ok. Sophie, well Sophie was not ok. And Sophie would never be ok ever again. It was like that old nursery rhyme:
All the King’s horses and all the Kings men,
Couldn’t put Sophie together again.
No, we couldn’t put Sophie together again. She would always remain in scattered pieces of our memory, never to be put back together again.
I was ten then when the accident happened, four years went by, and aside from the usual bad dreams and horrors that almost every kid has, I was fine. I tried to move on with my life. We moved to different homes and I changed schools. It was like starting our life all over again, except without Sophie. Then, on the night of our 14th birthday, that’s when the dreams began. They were always exactly the same, and I always woke up at the same time with the same scream. So this morning was unlike any other morning, except this time I had decided to do something about it. I had realized that I recognized the bridge in my dream. We had taken a field trip there in the 5th grade. Sophie had loved that bridge, imagining that it was the type of bridge pretty lady’s would have walked across with their umbrellas shading them from the sun. Only the rich ones, she had decided, gazing down on the world from above. I was pretty sure I knew how to get there, so deciding to do something about these dreams; I got out of my bed and silently made my way out the front door.
Chapter IV: Bridge,,,,,
It was early in the morning, but our neighborhood was alive with people. I finally reached Highway Park, where I was pretty sure the bridge was located. I made my way along the central path that ran down the middle. It was dark inside, all the trees creating a cover from the early morning sun. There was a fog in the air that swirled and snaked its way around everything. I walked and walked until I thought I may as well turn around and go back to bed, when all of a sudden I could see it, peeking out of the gloom. I kept walking until I could see it in full view and stopped. Once again that piercing fear took over me. My throat closed up, my palms wet with sweat and my heart kept up a frantic beat within my chest. It was exactly like in my dream, and so I was not surprised when a figure emerged from the fog.
Chapter V: The Figure,,,,,,,
As it closed the distance between us, fear consumed me like a dark shadow, spreading from my toes, all the way up into my clenched throat. Still, the figure walked on, coming closer with each step, but never seeming to reach me. It’s eyes flashed open and bore into mine, they were cold and filled with hatred, as our gaze held, the coldness seemed to seep into me, as if sharing deep dark secrets that no one wants to know. The figure was five steps away when...wait. This was not my dream. I knew what was happening and had complete control. I was about to run when a thought hit me. I had been having this dream every night for two years. I was 16 now and it was time for this to stop. Then suddenly I realized, that maybe Sophie was in charge of these dreams, maybe this was Sophie’s doing. Did she blame me for the accident? I certainly blamed myself. Maybe this was her way of getting me to join her?
Chapter VI: Entering,,,,,,,,,,
I had made up my mind. As the figure approached, now three steps away, instead of waiting, I walked out to meet it. Seeming unsurprised by this turn of events, it turned on it’s heel, and with one glance back at me with those cold eyes, walked away from me towards the fog. Without another thought or hesitation, I followed the figure. Sophie filled my mind, this was what I had to do. This was what she wanted me to do. I just followed and followed, letting the mist and gloom consume me, from head to toe like the fear had previously. It snaked its way around me, no longer sinister, but welcoming. The figure had disappeared but I kept on walking. Until the fog had consumed me. Until I was no more..
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Last update: 24-08-2010 06:55 |
| Published in : Mystery |
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