The Bridge

Chapter 1

                                                             "How it all began"

Hi, I'm Aoi! I'm 17 years old, 5'5 and I live in Japan. I have beautiful, healthy caramel brown hair that is in a bun and is twirled at the top. Right now I am currently in a grumpy and annoyed mood since I'm in the car going to our new house. I'm not really open minded and I'm moving, if you couldn't tell. I don't like this whole thing because I had friends for once and now it feels like I'm abandoning them and I'm back to square one, lonely. The radio is up so loud but all I can hear is my thoughts. I am blocking the music out. Sorta like when you're in another world; spacing out. Sometimes I wish I was just in another world. One filled with adventures. Far away from here, where I can be free. But who knows if that will ever happen..?

Well, anyways...I really enjoy reading and I do it quite often. That's the only thing that will make me happy in annoying situations like these.

I finally tuned back into the real world and the radio surprised me and made my ears pop, loudly. I slowly rolled my window down and it made an ear hurting screech, as if a cat was scratching a blackboard...; our car is pretty old. I then flinched and cringed a little because of that sound and then stuck my head out the window like a dog, closing my eyes and taking in the soothing breeze, trying to forget everything for a bit.

We finally arrived. I opened my eyes slowly, not really excited for anything and pulled my head into the car, droopily. Then I quietly observed my surroundings and tried to find a good place to read. I noticed a beautiful bridge right over a glistening stream filled with water and I thought to myself, that seems like a good spot. I started heading towards the bridge and then about halfway through I remembered I forgot the most important thing... My book. My only happy source at this point. So I quickly went back and grabbed it. Trying to avoid eye contact with my parents. When I got closer to the bridge I realized the beautiful suburban area where there was a small town. It seemed not right though.. like there's no people there. It seemed quite spooky and I had the random feeling that someone or something was watching me and I got goosebumps all over. Quickly shaking my head, I tried to forget these creepy thoughts and to just keep my head high. Nothing creepy of the sort is happening here...right? I hope so.

My parents seemed to be involved in getting all the luggage and exploring the forest that was towards the right of the houses on the side of the bridge where the car is at. I decided to toughen up and cross the bridge. While I was crossing the bridge I could hear the wooden planks making sounds like it's breaking or screaming for help and I quickly went into a panic of fear that I might fall in. I took 3 deep breaths and continued. I found it odd that it was so broken down because from afar it honestly seemed new and shiny. Like those pretty fancy Japanese bridges that we have around here.

I lifted my foot off of the last wooden plank of the bridge and it just suddenly broke. I got over in time so nothing too serious or dangerous happened to me.

The leaves blew in the soothing breeze. In the dead silent afternoon. The leaves got caught in my messy hair that was also being taken by the wind and it caught me off guard. I took 6 steps forward on the rocky path that was ahead of me. It was very mossy and looked so old. After 6 steps, the ground suddenly started crumbling.. And it took me a bit to realize that the parts of the rocky path were falling, but me and everything else as well. It was like the rocks and everything was being sucked in by the ground. I couldn't really believe what was happening. I gave such a delayed reaction but I screamed... Well, it was more like a shriek. Then I thought, if this is really it, then maybe I should get as much more manga as I can. So I quickly opened my manga but before I even got to read, a piece of glass fell from one of the windows of one of the houses falling as well with everything else and the piece of glass scraped against my finger, causing me to bleed and then the blood dripped onto the manga. It seemed like because of that, the manga was sucking me in... I was becoming a part of it. A part of that world.

I could see how realistic everything was becoming, how there were colors. For some odd reason..I'm here. In the world of One piece. Where adventures literally await you wherever you go. Where the sea is so vast. I was happy but also worried how would I ever get back? Well I shouldn't really worry about that now. I should just enjoy myself and face the problem at hand in this world. But dang, my parents are pretty oblivious if they didn't even realize what was happening. I guess they're probably safe. It was probably everything falling on my side of the bridge.

I fell out of the sky and landed in a boat in the middle of the ocean. The boat wasn't very sturdy but for now, It'll do. I could feel the water getting more rapid all of a sudden and out of nowhere there was a huge whirlpool and it was sucking me in. I was panicking as I had no idea what to do in this kind of situation. So without thinking I noticed the barrel on the boat and quickly stuffed myself into it. The whirlpool spun and spun and I felt so dizzy and I thought I was gonna die. But, amazing enough...I didn't. The whirl pool was over and I noticed it destroyed the boat but the barrel was pretty much left unharmed and I was relieved. So, yeah... here I am in the middle of the vast ocean. I could see the beautiful sunset. I quietly admired the sunset and then realized there's no land or people in sight. There was a little hole in the barrel that I was able to see through. I wish I was able to see more. But, I'll just have to wait until I find land or something. I slowly closed my eyes and dozed off to sleep. Forgetting everything for a bit. I needed a break. This is too much, too crazy. Why? Why is this happening? I have no answers. How would I be able to get answers, anyways..? I know people are here, somewhere because I was reading the manga and watching the main characters go on their dangerous adventures all over the sea. I never thought I'd also be here.. Maybe even joining them someday. If I ask anyone here they might just think I'm crazy and out of my mind. There's no hope. But maybe, maybe... by any chance there may be someone who is also like me, who also got sucked into this world. So maybe there is hope. I'll just have to ask around and for now, just try to fit in and not stand out that much. But, hey. I guess this is where my adventures as a pirate begin.