January 14th
Take my hand
•••••
"Look at me."
Peter's hand slipped slightly, but he wasn't going to let go. "Ed look at me."
Edmund slowly glanced up, tearing his eyes away from the river below. He locked onto Peter, tears staining his cheeks as he fought to keep his grip on his older brothers hand.
The rickety old bridge swayed slightly in the wind, making Peter sick with worry, but he couldn't let that worry overtake him. "I'm gonna pull you up but I need you to stop panicking and to help me, okay?" He said firmly.
Edmund nodded quickly, not even wanting to argue, he wanted up as soon as possible.
The recent storm had made the river below much more rough than it would usually be, and now that he was in the position he was, hanging over the water with Peter being the only one stopping him from falling, he had no idea why he'd listened to those boys.
Why cross an old, wooden bridge that would definitely break if he walked on it just because he was dared to?
But of course he'd realised how stupid it was when it was too late, and now he was definitely going to get an earful from either his Dad, his Mum, or Peter.
His bets were on his brother actually, considering Peter was risking ending up in the river himself. The bridge was struggling to hold both of their weights combined, and it was only a matter of time before the entire thing snapped in half and sent them both into the freezing water below, which neither boy fancied at all.
"When I lift you up enough, take my hand." Peter told Edmund. "My other hand, you grab that okay?"
Edmund once again nodded, and did everything Peter told him to do until they were safely back on the river bank, Peter laying on the ground to catch his breath, but freezing completely when the sound of the bridge collapsing echoed across the empty park.
Edmund stared as the planks of old rotting wood disappeared into the river, and swallowed hard as he sat there, shaking slightly and not daring to look at his brother.
Peter sighed when he felt the first signs of rain, and ran a hand through his hair as he sat up, facing Edmund. "Care - Care to explain?" He asked, voice quiet.
Edmund hesitated, unsure on what exactly to say. "Sorry." He whispered in the end, avoiding eye contact as best he could.
Peter sighed. "I don't want an apology, I want an explanation." He replied. "What on earth were you doing on the bridge? Everyone around here knows it's not safe, that's why there's a bloody sign saying so!"
Edmund swallowed hard. "They - They dared me to." He said quietly.
Peter nearly laughed. "And you listened to them?" He muttered.
Edmund shrugged. "They were saying things." He murmured.
Peter stared at him for a second, before sighing, forcing himself to calm down for a moment. "Do I need to go and track these boys down?" He asked, half joking and half very much not.
Edmund shook his head. "Just leave it," He told his brother. "I'll end up in more trouble if you go after them."
"Will you end up in more trouble if I don't?"
"I'll stay away from them." Edmund said.
Peter raised an eyebrow. "You and I both know that's easier said than done." He said slowly.
Edmund sighed. "I know, but there's nothing you can do about it." He told him.
"Ed come on, these boys are like, two years older than you, you're only 10." Peter said. "I don't want you hurt."
"Look, we go back to school soon." Edmund sighed. "Just leave it, I'll be fine."
Peter didn't look too sure, but he didn't say anything else because he knew it would just get Edmund all worked up. But he did decide to keep a close eye on his brother from that moment on, no one would bully him and get away with it, not on his watch.
The rain by this point had gotten heavier and they were both now getting rather wet, so with a deep breath Peter stood, holding out his hand. "Come on," He breathed. "The house will be empty for another hour, what do you say to a hot chocolate?"
Edmund smiled at this, taking his brothers hand and standing, still a little shaky but mostly having calmed down. "I say that's a very good idea."
•••••••
