The Return Of The King | Bridge To Terabithia

The Return Of The King

     "Jesse, can we go play at Barbie's playhouse?" May Belle's voice asked through the phone. Ever since May Belle had grown tall enough to reach the telephone, she had been making calls all the time. Jess was driving home from college, tiredly listening to the whining of his little sister. All he wanted to do was go home and eat dinner in peace. Jesse spoke into the boxy device with a yawn, "Maybe after dinner we can visit Tera-"
     "Shhhh! You have to use the code word," May Belle scolded, interrupting him. She and Jess had thought to make a code name for Terabithia. He wanted it to be "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots" but she insisted on making it "Barbie's playhouse".
     "And besides," May Belle continued, "it'll be dark by the time you finish dinner. Mom won't let us go outside in the dark." May Belle was beginning to sound just like Ellie, always finding a way to get what she wants.
     "Oh fine, you win. Get your boots on, I'm on our street," Jess replied, giving up the fight. Leslie would've wanted him to.
     As he parked the car in the driveway he watched his sister skip outside. Jess walked toward May Belle and raced her up the hill. At the bridge, May Belle announced, "The queen has arrived along with the king. All hail the king and queen!"
     "It is good to be back," Jesse admitted, holding his arm out for the queen. The two crossed the bridge together, Jess puffing out his chest in a regal way. "Let us go to the sacred grove of pines to report this wonderful news," he stated in a proper tone.
     "Where is the grove again?" May Belle whispered into his ear and giggled. He led the way.

• • •

     "Beep...beep...beep!" Jesse was startled awake by the pandemonium of a truck backing up. Jess walked to his window and peeked outside. He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the bright morning sun. After a few seconds, he could make out a big white truck parked at the old Perkins' place and a man climbing out of it. The man pulled open the truck's door and started to heave furniture into the house. On the truck in bold letters were the words, MOVING TRUCK. Oh great, new neighbors, Jess thought. The last time someone moved in he had become friends with their daughter and right when everything was finally going well, she had died because he went on a stupid trip with Miss Edmunds.
     Jess felt May Belle nudge him out of the way as she looked out the window and said, "I wonder if they have a daughter around my age?" May Belle's eyes grew large with excitement and she threw on her sneakers and ran outside. Jesse knew Mom would be mad when she found out May Belle was outside alone, so he unwillingly followed her. They walked to the house and found their new neighbors standing outside. There was a woman who was instructing the mover where to put the countless boxes, a man who was on the phone, and a ten year old boy pulling on his father's shirt. The boy had brown eyes and dirty blond hair, and wore a t-shirt bearing the face of a tiger. The boy saw them and walked over. "Hi! My name is Charlie. My family moved here hoping for more woodland," he introduced himself.
     "Hi, my name's Jesse and this is my sister May Belle," Jess replied, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. May Belle smiled at Charlie, too disappointed to talk. After listening to the boy babble for 10 minutes about his family and where he was from, Jess realized the time and interrupted Charlie's monologue to head inside and leave for school.
     Later that afternoon, May Belle and Jess went back out to Terabithia and played there for what felt like an hour.
     May Belle kicked at the dead leaves carpeting the ground as she complained, "...and she always wins at everything—mph!" May Belle was cut off as Jess wrapped his hand around her mouth and signed for her to be quiet. As she was talking, Jess had heard a branch snap nearby. He looked around and then turned his attention back to May Belle.
     "I think there is an invader trying to sneak up on us," Jess warned in a hushed voice. His sister nodded her head. They crouched down, listening to the periodic crunching of dried leaves. They peeked past a tree and saw Charlie making his way through the woods. Great, Jess thought to himself sarcastically. He didn't want to deal with the painfully cheerful child again, and he was worried he'd make fun of His sister for believing in magic.
     Suddenly, May Belle tripped on a tree root, causing Charlie to whip his head in their direction. Jess, being the faster of the two, had already hid himself behind the thick tree trunk. Charlie walked over and spotted Jess and May Belle. "What are you doing here?" Charlie asked with a confused look on his face.
     "What are you doing here? We live here, you live over there," Jess responded, pointing at the old Perkins' place.
     "I was exploring the woods. I didn't realize our property ended here, sorry. Why is there a bridge over there? Is that some kind of castle?" Charlie speculated, more curious than a new born baby. Jess looked at May Belle, then at Charlie, and lastly at the castle stronghold. May Belle gave him a reassuring nod. "You promise never ever EVER to tell anybody what I'm 'bout to say," Jesse asked. Charlie made a cross over his chest with his finger. "That is Terabithia, me and my sister are the rulers of it. It's a magical place that only extraordinary people can go in." Jess grimaced, waiting for Charlie to laugh at him or say that he was crazy.
     "That sounds awesome! Can I be one, too? What does it take to be a ruler? What do you do there? Were you just coming back from Terabithia? What kind of magical stuff happens there?" Charlie burst with questions, a large grin on his face.
     May Belle and Jesse smiled, for Terabithia had a prince.