Status: This story is completed, but I may edit again later on.
The Vance Creek Bridge
The Vance Creek Bridge
Crows fly above and below the evergreen forest on a cloudy September afternoon. The evergreen forest hugs the curve of Mount Rainer until, thousands of feet below, it drops off into the Skokomish River. Nestled between the trees and more than three hundred feet above the river lies the Vance Creek Railroad Bridge. If it wasn’t cloudy out the trees would provide perfect protection from the sun. There was a girl with a pink backpack about fifteen feet across the bridge and a boy leaning against a tree that was labeled with a no trespassing sign.
“You don’t have to do this you know!” he yelled.
“There’s no other way out,” she said.
“What? Kelly, come back here! Let’s talk about this!”
“If I come back you’re just going to convince me to go home!”
“So what if I do?” The boy looked off the cliff and grabbed the tree truck. “I will come out there, even if I am afraid!”
“I’m afraid, too. That’s the problem.” The girl sat down on the edge of the railroad ties and let her legs dangle over the side.
The boy got on his knees and crawled over to the bridge. “Why make me face my fears if you’re not going to face yours? This would be the easy way out.” With each word the boy moved across the bridge, closing the gap between him and the girl.
“You can’t talk me out of this, Billy! I’ve wanted this for too long.” Her eyes seemed focused on the river below.
The boy had closed the gap and sat down next to the girl, pulling his legs up so that they were crossed on top of the rails. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Why do you want this?”
“I’m lonely.”
“I’m with you.” The boy’s eyes remained shut, but the girl’s eyes remained fixated on the rocks and waves. He grasped her hand and a tear rolled down his cheek. “I’m with you.”
The girl pushed his hand away. “Save someone who deserves it.”
He looked at her with tears pooling in his eyes. “You do deserve saving.” With his eyes closed the boy had tears rolling down his face.
“You’re right. I’ll save myself.” With that, the girl pushed herself off the bridge and for a moment it looked as though she were flying. She was the size of an ant as her blood painted a rock below and her body was swept away in the current.
“Kelly, I love you. You can’t just leave me here on my own,” the boy whispered and opened his eyes looking to the spot where the girl once was. He jumped up, looked all around the bridge, and collapsed to his knees. The quiet forest was filled with his sobs and curses as he looked down to the river.
At about forty feet out the bridge had railroad ties missing and exposed metal beam supports. The boy ran towards the forest, tears covering his face. His eyes were focused on the forest as he slipped through the gap between the ties. There was a loud crack as his ribs hit a metal rail and another as his head hit one. Small clinks filled the forest as he hit five more beams before landing in the river. Just like the girl, the boy was carried away by the current.
“You don’t have to do this you know!” he yelled.
“There’s no other way out,” she said.
“What? Kelly, come back here! Let’s talk about this!”
“If I come back you’re just going to convince me to go home!”
“So what if I do?” The boy looked off the cliff and grabbed the tree truck. “I will come out there, even if I am afraid!”
“I’m afraid, too. That’s the problem.” The girl sat down on the edge of the railroad ties and let her legs dangle over the side.
The boy got on his knees and crawled over to the bridge. “Why make me face my fears if you’re not going to face yours? This would be the easy way out.” With each word the boy moved across the bridge, closing the gap between him and the girl.
“You can’t talk me out of this, Billy! I’ve wanted this for too long.” Her eyes seemed focused on the river below.
The boy had closed the gap and sat down next to the girl, pulling his legs up so that they were crossed on top of the rails. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Why do you want this?”
“I’m lonely.”
“I’m with you.” The boy’s eyes remained shut, but the girl’s eyes remained fixated on the rocks and waves. He grasped her hand and a tear rolled down his cheek. “I’m with you.”
The girl pushed his hand away. “Save someone who deserves it.”
He looked at her with tears pooling in his eyes. “You do deserve saving.” With his eyes closed the boy had tears rolling down his face.
“You’re right. I’ll save myself.” With that, the girl pushed herself off the bridge and for a moment it looked as though she were flying. She was the size of an ant as her blood painted a rock below and her body was swept away in the current.
“Kelly, I love you. You can’t just leave me here on my own,” the boy whispered and opened his eyes looking to the spot where the girl once was. He jumped up, looked all around the bridge, and collapsed to his knees. The quiet forest was filled with his sobs and curses as he looked down to the river.
At about forty feet out the bridge had railroad ties missing and exposed metal beam supports. The boy ran towards the forest, tears covering his face. His eyes were focused on the forest as he slipped through the gap between the ties. There was a loud crack as his ribs hit a metal rail and another as his head hit one. Small clinks filled the forest as he hit five more beams before landing in the river. Just like the girl, the boy was carried away by the current.
♠ ♠ ♠
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