the burning bridge - a short story

I awake to the smell of smoke.

I lift myself from the ground. My vision is blurred, as it usually is when I first awaken. I squint, but before me all I can see is an orange blob.

“What’s going on?” I yawn and then rub my eyes in an attempt to see what is in front of me.

My vision becomes clear, and I shake. My bridge, my home, it was up in flames! I falter for a moment, afraid, not knowing what to do. My breathing becomes erratic as my heart pounds in my chest. A wave of fear envelops me. I am, terrified.

I snap out of it.

“My home! My home! No!” I shout as I sprint towards the bridge but stop when I feel a hand press on my shoulder, gesturing me to stop.

I turn to see a figure in a black cloak that covers his face. I have never seen this person before, but can’t help but feel as though I know him.

“It is pointless,” his voice sounds familiar, “let it burn.”

I ignore his words and brush his hand off my shoulder. There is no time to stop and talk. I grab a small bucket lying on the ground and continue towards the lake. I fill the bucket up quickly and run to the bridge. I throw the water onto the flames. Nothing happens. The flames do not falter and continue to burn.

I run back, fill it up again and run back to the bridge. I can’t let it burn down. I can’t..

I throw the water onto the flames, again nothing happens.

“Why isn’t it working!?” I cry out as I sprint back down towards the lake. As I make my way back to the bridge I see the figure. He now stands closer, watching me with eyes I cannot see.

“Who did this?” I ask as I run towards the bridge.

“It was I,” he says.

“Why!?” I snap at him, but continue running. There is no time to stop. I fill the bucket up again and run back to bridge. I have to save it.

“Because you were unable to,” the cloaked figure drifts closer to the flames, “this was a necessity, Nicholas.”

“How do you know my name?” I say as I throw the water. Still the fire is unaffected. I sprint back to the lake, yet again, “furthermore, how did you find this place?”

“None of that is important, Nicholas,” he replies.

“Who are you!?” I shout as I fill the bucket up, and begin to run back to the bridge.

“That is not important.”

It is odd, this comfortable feeling I have around this person. I don’t know his name, I don’t know how he got here, I don’t even know what he looks like, but, oddly enough I feel comfortable with him being here. I’m not afraid of him, even though I feel as though I have every reason to be.

I stop running and put the bucket down. I am tired and need to catch my breath. I look at the figure, and he lifts his finger and points at the bridge. I turn my head and watch it burn. The rotting wood cackling as it turns to ash, the thick smoke filled the cold night air.

“This needed to be done, Nicholas. This bridge is beyond repair. The other, who was once here with you, has gone. That person was able to see that there was nothing that could be done, but you stayed, why is that?”

I turn back to him, “How did you-”

I stop myself, knowing he won’t answer my question, and turn back to the bridge, watching as the flames continued to engulf it, “I don’t know. I just thought that, maybe, I could fix it. I thought perhaps it wasn’t beyond repair and that,” I pause, “I don’t know.”

“But, deep inside you knew the truth. You knew that this bridge was broken beyond repair. Which is why I do not understand your reasoning for staying here, in this hell, day and night, trying to repair something that cannot be repaired. For what reason would you do such a thing?”

“Because I’d have done anything to keep this bridge working, to keep it operational.”

“But, why?”

“Because I love it! Because I need it!” I turn around to the hooded figure, “why else would I!?”

“Perhaps,” the hooded figure turns to me, staring at me with eyes I cannot see, “because it is all that you know.”

“What?” I blink, and the figure disappears.

“Perhaps,” I hear his voice behind me and turn around. He is staring at the bridge again, “perhaps it is not love that binds you to this bridge, but the simple fact that you know nothing else but this bridge.”

“Are you doubting the fact that I love this bridge!?” his words anger me.

“Not at all, I have no doubt in my mind that you do. But, I do not believe it is love that keeps you bound to this place. It’s the fear that without this bridge, you’ll have nothing else. It’s the fear of being along; the fear of moving on, without it.”

I stand quietly, and continue to watch the burning bridge, and then turn my head down to the bucket beneath me. The liquid in the bucket is no longer water, but gasoline. I turn back to the hooded figure. I want to ask why, but, I already know.

“I won’t burn it down.”

“Which is why I had to do it for you,” he pauses, “you called this place home when you first awoke; this isn’t your home, Nicholas.”

I put my head down, “it’s the only home I had left.”

“No, it’s not.”

“You don’t understand. I sacrificed a lot for this place. I gave up the home I had in order to keep working. I needed to fix it.”

“Your true home is not lost to you, Nicholas.”

I turn away from the hooded figure and the flames, “I disregarded my parents, my brothers, my friends for this bridge. I threw it all away, sacrificed everything for this, so I can’t just give up,” it is silent for a moment, “what’s left for me if I don’t at least try to save it.”

I hear the sound of my bucket being lifted from the ground. I turn and see the cloak holding it.

“What are you doing?” I say.

He vanishes in front of me, and then appears directly in front of my bridge.

“What, what are you doing?” I yell.

He holds the bucket with two hands.

I take off in a sprint.

He swings his arms backwards.

I yell. I scream. I beg.

“Don’t! Don’t do it!”

He brings his arms forward. I can see the liquid leave the bucket. I watch as it reaches the fire and the flames burn bright. I stop and cover my eyes and face from the light of the flames.

After a moment, I open my eyes and it’s gone. The flames, the smoke, the bridge.. All of it is gone. Only the hooded figure remains. I continue running, sprinting as fast as I can, past the hooded figure, until I reached the end.

There is nothing left of the bridge that once stood there. There is nothing but a chasm.

I clench my fist. I turn behind me, cock my fist back, and then swing with all my might. I feel nothing as my fist, and my body go right through him. I tumble to the ground, landing on my knees.

“Why?” I mutter to myself, “why did you do that?”

The hooded figure is silent behind me.

I can feel the tears swell up in my eyes, “why did you have to do that?

I slam my first on the ground, “It wasn’t your place, it wasn’t your place to do that!”

The figure walks to me and puts his hand on my shoulder again, “raise your head, Nicholas.”

I lift my head, and ahead of me, far ahead of me is another bridge. It seems to be miles ahead, and the road to it is dark, pitch black.

“That is yours, but only if you get on your feet and move forward. If you stay here, if you at this place it will kill you. This bridge has taken much from you, and if you had stayed here trying to fix it, eventually it would have taken everything, and still have fallen. You need to move forward, Nicholas.”

“But, I can’t do this alone..”

“You’re never alone. Look to your left.”

I turn my head and see them, walking from the shadows. My family, my friends; all of my loved ones.

Tears continue to swell up in my eyes as they walk towards me, and I stand up. They come and embrace, and we all face the New Bridge that lies in front of us.

I turn around, and the cloaked figure is gone. I look forward and fear grips me.

I then feel a hand grab mine and turn to see my brother smiling, “Don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

I feel another hand grab my other hand, and see my sister laughing, “We’ll always be here for you, ‘till the end.”

All of my family, my friends, everyone I held close were there, holding each other’s hands. I calm down, because, I wasn’t alone. I turn back where the bridge once stood, and then back towards the new one that stood before me.

I then look forward and took the first step.

In to the darkness we go, may the light guide each of us to safety.

A calm wind blows, and I hear the cloak figure’s voice echo in my ear, “Stay Strong. Live Long. Take Care.”

Image from The Steve Laube Agency