The Frog at the Top of Frosty Mountain

Showdown

"I told you to stay out of the city." Bruce Fisher. Sr said with a booming voice. 

Allan closed his eyes.

"You're not real." Allan said. "None of this real."

Mr. Bullfrog stood beside Allan, staring at the giant crocodile with a serene expression on his face. 

"You created me to battle your writer's block and to serve as a moral compass." Mr. Bullfrog said. "Why did you create Bruce Fisher?"

"Stop asking me questions!" Allan shouted.

"You're the one asking yourself questions." Mr. Bullfrog said with a laugh. "So answer them. That's why you've come up here, isn't it? To answer questions. So answer this: why did you create the crocodile?"

Allan opened his eyes and forced himself to look at the colossal monster in front of him. Bruce Fisher Sr. had piercing yellow eyes, eyes that only someone with a death wish would look at. But Allan forced himself to look at them anyway. And in them, he saw something familiar...

...the refelction of angry eyes in a rear view mirror.

His own.

"The car crash." Allan said.

"Yes." Mr Bullfrog nodded. "Go on."

"I was arguing with my dad about something. Something so stupid, so foolish. And I was so angry. We were late to a movie. We could have seen the next showing, but I just had to watch it at that time. Becaue I wanted to go back home and..."

"...write." Mr. Bullfrog finished for him.

"I could have just written the next day. You were right. My writer's block was just guilt. Guilt for being so selfish. Guilt for pushing away my girlfriend and my family."

"And that guilt is standing right in front of you now."

"Yes."

Allan was suddenly washed over by a wave of understanding. He knew now why he was standing on top of Frosty Mountain next to a giant frog and facing an even more giant crocodile.

"To be able to write..." Mr. Bullfrog started.

"...I need to let go of my guilt." Allan finished.

Mr. Bullfrog smiled and nodded.

"You know everything you needed to know from me." Mr. Bullfrog said. "Now it's all down to you. Good luck."

Mr. Bullfrog dissappeared from sight, but Allan knew he was still with him. He had always been with him, every single day from the moment of the accident.

"Let go of your guilt." Said the voice of Mr. Bullfrog. "You can't move on if you cling to the mistakes of the past. You must let go of them if you want to avoid the mistakes of the future."

Allan took a step forward, and was now only a few inches from the falling over the edge. He looked into the eyes of Bruce Fisher. Sr.

"I know what I did was wrong." Allan said to the mosnter in front of him. "I've learned my lesson. Now, I'll let you go."

"You can't let me go!" Said the booming voice of the giant crocodile. "I'll be everywhere! In your house, in the streets, in your car! You can't escape me!"

"Actually, I can. There's only one place where you'll be."

"Oh yeah? And where's that?"

"On a page."

The giant crocodile roared a mighty, final roar. Then, it was gone. Allan was standing by himself on a green hill.

It was over.