“This is NOT crossable!” Aldo says turning his back on the bridge.

“Well, it is just about the only way without hiking through a canyon full of Iret Spiders.” I said looking downwards, though the ravine was shrouded in its usual mist I knew that deadly creatures lurked down in it. Aldo turned and looked down too, his eyebrows scrunched together in his worry face.

“Well let’s cross.” I say gesturing my hand to the sad exception of a bridge. It’s railings long since fallen to the world below and countless steps missing, Aldo might as well be right about it being uncrossable. My eyes wandered farther and I saw a glimpse of the shimmering palace shrouded behind a cloud and I set myself at the start of the bridge determined to cross the stretch. I extended my leg to place it on the first plank that was strapped to the bridge ropes on either side, weathering and overuse and it’s unkempt state made it creak warily under my weight. Aldo watched me with wide eyes and it made me think too, that any second the entire bridge would snap. I continued, I knew it was perilous and it was likely I would not make it across without something breaking.

Another step, creak.

Another.

And another.

SNAP.

My left foot plummets but the sharp edges of the wood catches me at the knee and I quickly pull myself up. I look back my breath panting in gasps, my adrenaline peaked. I realize the bridge is now shrouded in mist, I call out.

“ALDO!” I hear nothing in return and I think of turning back. I continue onward thinking Aldo would surely follow after me.

__________

“KIRA!” I yell, she’s so far gone that the now very thick fog smothers any trace of the bridge, I step tentatively towards the first handholds of the bridge but when I reach I grasp nothing but air. I wave my hand around reaching farther over the edge. Still nothing there.

“What….where’s the bridge.” I ask trying to peer through the fog, a large gust of wind came blowing my hair into my eyes. When my vision is cleared I have to blink again to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, the entire bridge was gone. I looked over into the ravine below but it was replace with a happy creek burbling some 20 feet down. I looked across, the distance seemed infinitely smaller now and there wasn’t any shimmering palace peeking out from the clouds, it was just more mountain ranges. Everything was gone.