Ashling

Chapter 12

He was sitting in the vortex tunnel.

Only this time, Tyler was falling. The bridge was rotating, and he felt himself slipping.

It's a trick, he thought. He couldn't fall from the bridge in the vortex tunnel. Everyone knew the mechanism behind it, you felt like the whole room was rotating and you would lose your gripping any second, but you know you won't. Then why was he falling? Why was he trying to hold on to something, why was he clutching the rope so tightly?

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he tried to pull himself up. He could see the darkness below, the impending doom. The bridge continued to achieve a full 90 degree rotation, and he kicked his legs to try and somehow save himself. He looked to his right and found Cassandra sitting beside him. She had her legs up to her chest and her arms embracing them. How was she so calm? They were gonna fall any second and she was sitting so peacefully as if everything was right in the world.

"Cassandra.." There was pure fear in his voice.

"It's all in your head, Tyler." She looked over at him, "You and I both know this bridge does not tilt."

"I don't know what's happening, I don't know, I can't.. I don't know.. Save me!" He looked at her with panick in his eyes.

She gently held out her hand for him. He immediately placed his hand on hers, gripping it tightly. She held him with all the force in the world. Her grasp was so reassuring that he could never doubt the strength it had.

She said, "You need to trust yourself."
He frowned slightly and she continued, "You're a strong, confident man. But you lack the trust one should have on himself. You doubt yourself, you over think things and most of all, you're scared."

He gulped. Why was she saying such stuff?

"You need to trust yourself. You need to take a deep breath, and follow your heart. You need to trust your instincts. Let go of my hand, Tyler."

He shook his head violently and said, "No. No, no, no, no. I can't. I'll fall. I'm scared. It's making me dizzy. I can't."

"Hey.." She said softly. "You know why it's not dizzying when you sit and stare at the wall? It's because you're not focusing on anything at all, but simultaneously focusing on one thing. Sometimes that's all you need. That one thing to grab on to, that one thing to concentrate on when you're going in circles. But you don't need assistance every time. Hold on to your own self, Tyler. Have faith in yourself. Let go of my hand.."

He looked at his hand clasped tightly with Cassandra's. How could he let go? She had always been saving him, how could she let him go now?

She spoke again, "It's all in your head, Tyler. Don't think too much, trust yourself."

Her voice echoed in his ear as he took a deep breath. He closed his eyes.
I can do this, I need to trust myself. I can save myself.

He let go of her hand and waited. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he was sitting safely on the bridge with Cassandra sitting right beside, looking at him. The tunnel was rotating the same way it did, but he wasn't falling anymore. He never was. It was all just in his head. He grinned at her and she cocked her eyebrow as if to say "I told you so".

She titled her head and with a smile said, "Wake up, Tyler. Wake up."