Down The Bridge

     "I didn't mean to kill him!" I say as the dead body floats in the green water and the bird food in my hand. "You killed my favorite angel fish! I hate you." My brother screams and runs to his room that leads with a brightly colored door. "Well I hate it here!" I yell with an empty audience and the bird food as my microphone. 

 Outside is louder than my scream, from the braai going on and the soccer game across the street nobody was bound to hear it. With the exception of my mother, the door whips open, almost hitting me. "I should bliksem you!" As she threatens me, she points to my left, her right. "Go to your room yelling like that!" My usual activity at this time of day would be eating outside with the rest of them, but that is no longer an option. So, I go by my older brother once I see my mom has left. My brothers 18 but his music career isn't going very well so he's staying at home for the meantime. I walk into his room and instead of listening or playing music he's doing something unseen and starts yelling at me to get out.

 The door to my room has ended up being my last and only option. My room is contrary to my brothers, very plain and filled with classical music. I wish it were brighter so I'd be happier. Regretting my wish as red spots from the palm of my hand color the room. It starts disappearing along with my bed and my curtain and then everything. Pitch black. 

--

 Then there's light.

 I wake from my sleep that felt like days, into a world unlike mine. Where things are usually down they're up and things that are up are to my right. "Howdy there partner I think you have some explaining to do!" A British Shorthair Cat with a cowboy hat and a western accent charges at me but when I try to speak bubbles foam through my mouth. "So, that's how you really feel, miss?" the cat tips off his hat and his face and sorrow, he leaves. My hands reach out for him but as soon as I touch him the hat evaporates along with the accent. I don't know what dream this is but I can't say I like it. I attempt to speak again but instead of words an alarm must have been set off because a bunch of animals and mini people run through a bush and out another one. The alarm that sounds more as a growl comes through the brown bushes and trees and an ogre with a fish shaped hammer stomps through. "Why must you break pretty fish into death?" He asked me. 

"Who broke your fish into death?" I ask the big ogre and he smiles. The smile revokes some kind of growth because he gets smaller but still staggering tall. "I do not know anymore, must you find them with me?" Unsure if that was a question or demand I nod and we start walking. 

"Do you like chickens?" The ogre asks me as we walk, seeing him closer he looks more fluffy and kind rather than the mean exterior he portrayed beforehand. "To eat or as a pet?" "Both." I almost answered but we stopped at a bridge. A creature with wings for arms but a woman for chest and head approaches us. "Get out!" It screams at us. "But we must pass." I say daring the bird woman. "Why can't you leave us alone!" Her eyes start to tear up and she tries to wipe them but her feathered arms do no good. I walk up to her and wipe the tears. "What did they do? Are these the same people who killed his fish?" The ogre and the harpy-like woman exchange glances and nod. 

"They come and break stuff and get upset when things don't go their way, they want to leave but still bother us." a sting enters my throat, it reminds me of how I treat my siblings and I start to feel remorse for these creatures. "Where do they live?" I ask hoping to possibly stop something. The bird fellow points down the bridge where there's a cave that plays loud classical music. I take one step slowly down the bridge as the ogre and the harpy follow me, it creaks and after the ogre many planks fall through.

 Down below is not fog, but tons of dead creatures that have wounds that don't seem to be from falling. I make it to the cave with my new friends to defeat their enemy, but all I see are mirrors. And each new mirror is me killing the ogre and the harpy. 

--

I wake up crying, I am the problem. "But you can be the solution" A voice connected to my mom states, but my mom looks at me weird when I ask her if she said anything. I hug my mom tightly and after she covers my red wound I go outside with her to the braai. There I talk to her about buying my brother an animal and selling the old fish tank to help promote my brother's music, and she agrees.