Captive{ated}

Four: Flower Picking

"Oh my god, we're going to die!" I cried as I looked over the edge of the bridge. All I saw far below the edge was a deep blue water, and the bridge only continued to get higher from it.

"I take it you've never been on the Mackinac Bridge," you laughed.

"A gust of wind is going to come in and sweep us off," I proclaimed, ignoring you. "Then if the sudden stop from the fall doesn't kill us, the water probably will!"

The Mackinac Bridge was the fastest route to visit your parents who lived in the Upper Peninsula. I had no idea the journey was going to include a bridge as tall and long as this, the only thing beneath it a watery grave.

"Very few people have ever fallen off the bridge," you said, eyes fixed to the road.

With wide eyes, I faced you. "You mean people have fallen off here?"

You shrugged, "Maybe two? It hasn't happened in years." When you glanced over at me, your smile widened at my expression. You put your hand on my leg and squeezed, "Don't worry. I've traveled this bridge before, and I'm still here, aren't I?"

"There's a first time for everything," I grumbled. You chuckled with a shake of your head, but your hand remained in place. I looked out at the scenery around us, trying not to look down. "To answer your question from earlier, no I've never been on this bridge. I've never been to the U.P. either."

Words couldn't do Lake Michigan justice. Its waters were a deep blue with ripples traveling across. In one direction, all I saw was blue, hardly able to tell where the sky met the water. In the opposite direction, I saw wooded islands and masses of land that I couldn't identify. It was all so natural. Already it was so different from what I was used to. With the windows of your car rolled down, I could've sworn that I noticed a difference in the air.

"You're in for a treat then," you promised.

"At least I finally know where your accent comes from." You were always so elusive in the past when I asked about it, choosing to tease me and make me guess rather than tell me.

"You would've known straight away if you were from Michigan," you countered.

"Sorry I can't help where I was born," I rolled my eyes and you laughed.

I miss how we used to laugh.

The rest of the ride was full of small talk, but we did stop long enough to stick our feet into the lake. The water was cool, refreshing break after a 6 hour car ride so far. The waves of it were big enough to belong to the ocean, crashing into our knees.

"You know, Chicago sits right on Lake Michigan, but I don't recognize it," I shouted over the powerful wind. I stared at the endless blue. "It looks much clearer here."

"Chicago and the Upper Peninsula are two very different worlds," you commented. "It doesn't surprise me."

"I like it here." I opened my arms and let the wind hit me, closing my eyes as I did. I felt all the sensations at once. "I feel so free. It's beautiful."

"Breathtaking." I glanced your way to see you looking at me.

I couldn't stop the smile that creeped to my face or the heat that burdened my cheeks. "I was talking about the lake, you know."

I heard you take a step closer to me and felt you wrap your arms around my waist. You pressed a kiss to my neck. "I wasn't."

And then you jerked us both back, falling into the water. A rush of cold enveloped me. I let out a shriek at your unexpected movement, caught between wanting to laugh and hit you. When I surfaced from the water, I brushed my now soaked hair from my face, seeing you smiling at me innocently. Crossing my arms over my chest, I was frozen. "God, you're lucky I love you or you wouldn't have that grin on your face anymore," I feigned anger through my smile.