Beyond The Bridge [ONC 2023] // Longlisted

Epilogue

In the darkness of the tunnels, it was knowing she was by my side that kept me going. No matter how much pain I was in, no matter what dark thoughts crossed my mind as we tried to escape, having her there made it all so much easier. She offered me the comfort I needed in those darkest moments.

She could have left me behind. She could have gone on without me and left in that cavern with a broken leg and no way of moving, but that was not the person she was. Grace would have done anything for anyone, even if it meant hiding her own injury to ensure a final destination was reached.

I have never known anyone with the same selflessness as her. Her determination to see the best in a bad situation was unlike anything I have ever seen. I'm lucky to have known her, even luckier to have loved her, even when she didn't know. Grace Williams was the best person in my life and I am a better person because of her.

Even after all these years, I still miss seeing her on the bridge. I miss seeing her with her feet hanging over the edge of the water, the stillness of her presence as she watched the water. I miss her laugh, the curl of her hair after it's been let out of its plait, and the simplicity in the way she was.

Grace thought herself to be ordinary, but she will always be the most extraordinary person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

I will spend my whole life wishing for one more moment with her. For one more hug, to squeeze her hand just once more.

Perhaps we will meet again one day. Until then, I shall spend my life waiting for that moment to come.

Levi rests the pen on top of the paper and sits back in the chair, looking at the window and across the grounds to the bridge. It sits still in the distance. To everyone around him, it is just some wood, but to Levi, it is where it all started.

Sometimes he can still see her sitting on the bridge, but she is gone when he blinks, the bridge returning to its empty state. He sighs, allowing the breeze from his open window to tickle his hair.

Silence settles over him, a calming stillness that he relishes. These are the moments when he finds himself thinking of her.

The first girl he loved.

The only girl.

~~~

First Published - March 18th, 2023