Onward

The Bridge

I slept all though the night as we continued on our way. I slept with Ian and Legs in the back until a bump woke us up.

EMMA: Whoa. Ian, are you there?

IAN: Yeah, we're still here.

BARLEY: Well, good morning to thee, dear Lightfoot men! Welcome to the Path of Peril!

I blinked the sleep from my strange purple eyes and looked out the window. Open fields stretched as far as I could see. Barley began scanning the area, taking his eyes off the road ahead

IAN: It's not much of a path.

BARLEY: Well, you know, they never really developed around here. So heads up, we could run into anything. A centicore, a wolf dragon, gelatinous cube...

EMMA: Okay, what is a gelatinous cube?

BARLEY: Oh, it's a giant green cube that instantly disintegrates all that it touches!

IAN: We're not going to run into a– (looking ahead) WHOA, STOP!!

Barley slammed on the brakes with a scream. We steppe dout of gteh van to see tate we were at the edge of what appeared to be a bottomless chasm a huge drop below. Ian held Leg's leash as he looked over the edge.

IAN: What is this?

BARLEY: Bottomless pit. Whatever falls in there, falls forever.

I looked down.

EMMA: It's really deep.

Suddenly, Barley pointed out an ancient drawbridge poised to stretch across the wide chasm.

BARLEY: Ian, Em, check it out. This is an ancient drawbridge! We lower that bad boy and we are on our way to Raven's Point. Look around for a lever.

IAN: Found it! But, it's on the other side.

Ha handed the leash to Barley and lifted his staff.

IAN: Okay, I got this. Aloft Elevar.

Magic shot out of the staff, but it disappeared halfway across the chasm.

EMMA: It's not working.

BARLEY: You can't cast a levitation spell on something that far away! It only has, like, a 15-meter enchanting radius. (nerdy laugh) Dad, can you believe this guy? (beat) What we need is a Trust Bridge. It's a spell that creates a magical bridge you can walk on. Just say "Bridgrigar Invisia."

IAN: Okay...

Ian practiced saying the words a few times before moving to the edge of the chasm. He held out his staff.

IAN: Bridgrigar Invisia.

The staff lit up but there was no bridge. But I saw that the staff was glowing.

IAN: It didn't work.

BARLEY: No, the spell's still going. You won't know if your bridge worked until you step on it.

IAN: Step on what?

BARLEY: If you believe the bridge is there, then it's there.

Ian looked at his brother like he was talking nonsense.

IAN: But it's not.

BARLEY: Well, not with that attitude.

IAN: I'm not going to step out onto nothing!

Moments later, Barley was tying a thick rope around Ian's waist and mine. He anchored the other end to a nearby rock. Legs sat in the front seat of the van with the window down and his feet resting on the dash, as if he was watching them. Barley gave the rope a tug resting it out. He grabbed the middle of the rope and looked at us.

BARLEY: Now we've got a rope. But you're not even going to need it because--

IAN: I WANT THE ROPE!

EMMA: I'm too scared to fall in there.

BARLEY: Okay, I'm just saying, you're not gonna need the rope because I know you can make that bridge.

Ian took a deep breath. Then he stepped over the edge and fell. Barley yanked on the rope, stopping Ian a few feet down.

IAN: Agh! I'm dying, I'm dying! I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead! Oh, my life is over!

BARLEY: I've got you!

He pulled Ian back up to the solid ground and dusted him off.

BARLEY: Okay, you fell. But was that so bad?

IAN: YES!

BARLEY: Are you still alive?

IAN: (reluctant) Yes.

EMMA: What wasn't funny you know.

BARLEY: Okay, so now you know the worst that can happen. So there's nothing to be scared of, right?

Ian looked across the chasm to the other side. I nervously took Ian's hand into mine while I held my own staff. Taking a deep breathe we begin to say the words.

EMMA and IAN: Bridgrigar Invisia!

The staffs pulsed with a magical glow.

BARLEY: Hey. You can do this.

We closed our eyes and stepped of the edge. I felt my feet step on midair planning itself on a glowing blue light that had just appeared.

BARLEY: Ha-ha!

IAN: Yeah!

BARLEY: THERE YOU GO!

EMMA:I can't believe I'm doing it.

I did another step. Ian stood for a moment holding his other leg up before slowly placing it down. But as he felt around, there was nothing there. Barley tugged on the rope pulling him back.

BARLEY: Believe with every step!

Ian probed again, hoping to find something solid. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and landed on another blue glow.

BARLEY: Oh yeah!

Ian took another step, and then another. I started to move ahead, enjoying this.

IAN: You've got me, right?

BARLEY: I still got you! WOOHOO! Ian Lightfoot is FEARLESS!

IAN: This is amazing!

Ian smiled. As if walking on air, he took one confident step after another, and soon the was standing in the middle of the chasm. He felt like a different person, suddenly fearless and bold. Ian didn't notice but the knot in the rope around his waist begin to loosen. Barley and I froze wide with shock. Oh no, if this happens, He'll fall.

As he took a few more steps, the rope completely untied and fell into the pit.

BARLEY: (covering panic) Yeah, but just keep going! Don't look back! Just straight ahead!

Ian howled with laughter, feeling incredible. I finally got to the other end of the side. Barley looked down at the useless end of the rope he still held in his hands.

IAN: (laughing) You've still got the rope, right?

BARLEY: YEAH! I GOT IT!

IAN: I AM NOT AFRAID! (beat) Oh man, I could stay out here all day!

BARLEY: OKAY, BUT KEEP MOVING! WE'VE GOTTA SEE DAD, REMEMBER?!

IAN: HEY DAD, THIS LAST STEP IS FOR YOU!

But when he looked over his shoulder toward Legs, he saw the rope hanging down into the pit. His confidence, vanished and so did the magic. Barley watched horrified as his brother plunged into nothingness. But just in time. I managed to grab Ian's hand.

EMMA: I got you!

Using all my might, I pulled Ian up to the solid ground and pulled him back up. I lifted my staff and pulled the lever. The old drawbridge creaked as it slowly lowered and touched down on the other side.