Where the River Runs

The Oak Bridge and The Girl

Collin lets out a sigh as he makes his way over to the old rickety oak bridge that stands tall over the Oakland River. Collin had always wondered if there was a certain symbolism for having an oak bridge over the Oakland river; but he never thought too much of it. Maybe they could only use an oak tree?

He kept his stride nice and slow, not wanting to get home any sooner than he had to. 

His mama was a nice woman, but he and his daddy put her in the ground when he was seven. Cancer. 

He missed her, but his daddy always told him not to cry about it, cuz cryin' showed weakness and no son of his would be seen as weak.

His daddy used to be nice before they buried mama; however, Collin believes that when they lowered mama into the ground, a part of daddy went too. 

Collin pries his gaze off of his scuffed-up work boots in time to see a young woman sitting on the edge of the bridge. As he steps closer, he immediately recognizes her as Anna Smith from his math class at Oakland High. 

He had always admired Anna. She was free-spirited, confident, everything that he is not.

With slow steps, he cautiously approaches the young dirty-blonde girl whose feet are dangling off the edge, over the gray water.

"Might wanna be careful. It's slippery."

She turns her head towards him, not appearing too startled by his sudden presence, "I'll take my chances."

"Pretty day, huh?"

Her head moves slowly from side to side as she scans the area around them, "Yeah. I guess."

"So, uh, what exactly are ye doin' out here? Alone I mean."

"Thinkin'. Wanna sit?" she taps the damp wood next to her and Collin thinks for a minute before plopping down next to her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"I'll sell 'em for a dollar."

A small chuckle escapes him as he looks at her. She looks different under the dimmed light from the trees blocking the sun, calm almost as if her worries are dancing away with the rapids of the river.

"Life ain't fair. You know that?"

He sighs, looking away from her and back at the fast-moving water below them.

"Yeah. I know that. Ain't a lot of good things that happen in this world, huh?"

"No. Good things happen in this world; I just don't think good things happen in this town."

A full smile breaks out on both of their faces as they look at each other.

"Wow." her smile becomes slightly smaller as she looks at him with an 'awe struck' look on her face.

"What?"

"Nothin'. Just don't think I've ever seen you smile."

His smile falls as he looks back out at the river, "Not much to smile about I guess."

She nods, "I know what ya mean."

"What's got ya so blue?"

"Life itself. You?"

"Dead-beat dad."

"That what the bruise on your cheek is from?"

Collin raises his hand to his left cheek. Daddy had hit him the other night after he forgot to do the dishes, but he didn't hit as hard as he usually did, so Collin had figured the bruise would be gone by now.

"You don't got anything to be ashamed of."

His deep brown eyes meet her sky blue ones, "Do your..."

"No, no. My daddy wouldn't hurt a fly and my mama is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. What about you? What's your mama like?"

A few loose memories of mama surface in his head as he looks down at his hands before mumbling, "Dead."

"I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"Cancer got her. Began in her breast, then to her lungs, before it began to slowly eat her alive. I was seven when God called her home."

She places her soft hand on his as their eyes meet again, "I am so sorry."

A small smile pulls across his lips as he looks at their hands, "It's alright. She's in a better place."

Anna nods and they fall into a short spell of silence before the bells of the Church ring out in the distance. Fear runs through Collin's veins as the bells let out five strikes. He's supposed to be home now. Daddy'll kill him.

He quickly jumps up with Anna getting up with him.

"What's wrong?"

"I've gotta go. Daddy'll kill me if I'm not home."

He begins to run away, but her voice pulls him to a stop, "Meet here tomorrow? You can walk me home if you want."

With a racing heart, he turns to look at her again, "Okay."

Her smile is the last thing he sees before he is running for his life down the gravel roads towards home. Tomorrow, he kept repeating in his head, it'll all be worth it tomorrow.

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A/N:

Hey everyone!

This is my first short story and my first time ever posting anything on here, so bear with me as I try to figure this out! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and are enjoying the story so far; it will get better I promise this is just the backstory/setup for the characters.

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing good and I am looking forward to publishing the next chapter soon!

- Rae