𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐌𝐄 - 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

the gang continued to trek through the endless miles as the sun started to dip a little lower.

as they approached a lengthy bridge spanning a river, caroline voiced a practical concern.

"do we know when the next train is due?"

chris pondered an alternative, suggesting, "we could go down to the route-136-bridge."

however, teddy protested, "what are you, crazy? that's five miles down the river. you walk five miles down the river, you gotta walk the five miles back. that could take till dark. if we go across here, we'll get to the same place in ten minutes."

his point resonated, yet vern interjected, "yeah, but if a train comes, there's nowhere to go!"

teddy, who was undeterred by his concerns, responded, "we'll just jump."

chris shot him a skeptical glance, saying, "teddy, that's a hundred feet."

teddy outlined his plan, suggesting that they could go around if they wished, but he was still resolute about crossing at that particular bridge.

"i'll be waiting for you on the other side, relaxing with my thoughts," he declared with relaxation playing on his face.

gordie couldn't resist asking, "you use your left hand or your right hand for that?"

a playful smirk spread across caroline's face in response to the banter as they stood on the brink of the unsettling bridge, a hundred feet above the river below.

teddy retaliated with a, "you wish," before taking the lead. 

their shoes clunked on the wooden surface of the bridge. a few steps in, caroline noticed gordie's absence. she turned back to see him with hands on the steel bars, feeling for any vibrations signaling an approaching train. caroline knew he was the smart one of the group for a reason.

once it was deemed clear, gordie resumed walking. the group walked in silence, looking down to the spaces between the wooden planks, which revealed the water. 

caroline gingerly stepped on the wooden planks, ensuring her shoes wouldn't get caught in the gaps. behind her, vern had a more cautious approach, which was crawling on his hands and legs, with his tongue peeking out in determination. gordie followed suit behind him, placing his steps as vern advanced. during this time, the only sounds were the birds.

as vern crawled along the bridge, his progress was interrupted when his white comb slipped from the front pocket of his shirt. he attempted to catch it, but the comb gracefully fell into the ominous water beheath.

"i lost the comb," vern declared in defeat.

gordie, annoyed, replied, "forget it, vern."

caroline glanced back at vern with her reassuring smile.

midway across the bridge, gordie decided to place his hands on the steel bar once more, seeking any vibrations. this time, he held on a bit longer. a distinct chugging noise reached his ears, and as he looked back, he saw the smoke of an oncoming train growing nearer.

"TRAAAAAAIIINNNN!"

the group turned to look back, stunned at the sight.

the whistle of the train grew louder. in that moment, their hearts seemed to collectively fall out of their asses. 

with adrenaline pumping like never before, the group raced desperately to the end of the bridge. chris and teddy led the charge, followed by caroline, while gordie and vern struggled at the rear. gordie's panicked screams echoed as he urged vern to get up, but despite the urgency, vern clung to his sleeping bag, paralyzed with fear.