Beyond The Bridge [ONC 2023] // Longlisted

Chapter Three

"You are to be back before nightfall," Mother says, passing me a small wicker basket in which she has placed a few sausage rolls. "I don't want you walking around in the dark."

"Don't worry, I'll be back long before dark."

"Just promise me, Gracie. I know you've made the trip to the village on your own before, but there are some unsavoury figures out there."

"I know. I promise to be home before nightfall."

"Thank you." She kisses me lightly on the forehead. "Go on, off you go or you won't be back in time for supper."

"See you this evening."

Mother smiles as I step through the front door of our small cottage and into the blinding morning sunlight. I blink, my eyes adjusting to the light as I take in the morning's peacefulness. The wind collects small strands of hair that have fallen from the plait down my back. They whip around my face, sticking to the beads of sweat already forming in the early morning heat. I take a deep breath, breathing in the fresh scent of the fields.

Nearby, the trees rustle in the breeze as the birds tweet merrily away without a care in the world. I listen to the sound of the water rushing through the stream and a small bubble of excitement builds in the pit of my stomach.

The sixpence Levi had thrown into the air just a few days before landed heads up, which meant we were venturing down the stream to find its end. We had agreed to meet in three days so we could make the appropriate excuses to escape for the day. Mine was easy enough, and I simply followed Levi's idea about needing to complete some tasks in the village. I don't know what excuse Levi used. Mrs Edgeworth has never liked him walking around on his own.

I don't enjoy lying to Mother, but I had struck a deal with Levi that I have to keep.

I swallow the guilt that rises after the excitement, knowing that we will only be gone for the day. Mother doesn't need to know where we are really going, especially as I thought it would be a brief trip. Despite Mother's old talk that the stream went on forever, I knew that not to be the case and thought our journey would be short-lived. If it is short enough, I can still complete my errands in the village before returning home.

With the basket swinging from my arm, I set out across the grass and towards the bridge. A slight breeze blows through the grass and I wish for nothing more than to take my shoes and stockings off and run around barefoot. I love the sensation of grass tickling my ankles, the connection to the surrounding ground, and the freeing sensation it offers me.

There is little time for frolicking in the grass these days. I spend my alone time on the bridge with the water spraying my ankles.

"Punctual as ever, Miss Williams," Levi says. He grins at me from the bridge. A satchel swung over his shoulder and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair sits in its usual position. All over the place.

"I did not expect to see you here already. I would have thought you were still in bed."

"Not quite. There is something in my bed, but it isn't me."

I frown. "What on earth does that mean?"

"Mother would never let me out of the house alone, as you well know. So, I stuffed my bed with blankets to make it look like I'm sleeping, left a note on my writing desk just in case that is uncovered, and snuck out using the servants' staircase. No one saw me."

"No one knows you're out here?"

"Not right now. Perhaps they will in about an hour or so, but it will take them a while to catch up with us."

"You are going to be in so much trouble."

"I am always in trouble. At least this time it will be because I did something daring and original."

"Is this really daring?"

He shrugs. "It can be whatever you want it to be."

Levi bounces on the balls of his feet, turning to look at the other side of the bridge. We have both crossed the bridge countless times before, but we always follow the small dirt path that leads to the village. The stream twists away from the village, travelling over a large area of grass before it disappears into a line of trees.

Mother always warns me against going into the trees. She says there are unsavoury characters lurking within and a number of dangers that could appear out of the darkness before one even notices they're there. Usually, I follow Mother's instructions to the letter, but this time, the excitement building inside me far outweighed any dangers. That, and I am not going alone.

I step onto the bottom of the bridge, listening to the water moving underneath and hitting the wooden posts that keep the bridge in place. Levi looks at me and smiles, mischief and excitement glinting in his eyes. Even though he says this adventure is for me, I can see on his face and in his eyes that this is something he has been looking forward to. I can hardly blame him. My life may be spent working, but Levi's is controlled in a different way.

We're both trapped by the hands we have been dealt.

"Are you, Grace Williams, ready to venture to the end of this stream? Are you ready to see what really lies at the end?"

I shake my head and roll my eyes. "You are so idiotic."

"Answer the questions, Grace."

"Yes, I'm ready."

"Then let us explore the unknown and uncover the truth about this formidable torrent of water."

He grins at me, and I can't help but smile back. Together, we cross the bridge to the other side and begin to follow the stream, unsure of just where we might end up.

~~~

Idiots to Lovers by itsmeimthevampire

Two strangers pretend to be a couple to win a dumb bet. The wager: they must enroll in couples therapy and fool their counselor.

First Published - March 1st, 2023