Chapter 2 Ark Of Despair

Lilith Blvd Lane

“Hey Dorris, I’m going to put the address into the GPS,” I said. Then added, “That guy, do you think he was telling the truth about this bridge?”

 “I honestly don’t know,” Doris mused. “That guy seemed pretty weird. What do you think?”  

The GPS interrupted, “Turn right, then continue straight. Your destination will be on your left.” 

“He didn’t even tell us his name. That was very rude of him.” I paused thoughtfully and added, “I just feel he was trying to be nosy and lure us out here to kidnap us.” 

“Maybe.” 

You have arrived at your destination, Lilith Blvd Lane.

Our surroundings were nothing but trees and bushes. It was getting late. The sun was going down. It was so beautiful. 

“Hey, Vanessa,” Dorris prodded, “Hurry up! I think I found the bridge.” Her voice was laced with excitement. 

I could feel something was off about the bridge. It’s colorless. “Hey Dorris, let’s not do this after all.” 

“What? Why? We made it out here, and now you don’t want to do this anymore?” Dorris said incredulously.

Warning

I paused in thought. “You know what? You’re right; let’s do this.” 

Before stepping onto the bridge, I felt a soft touch on my shoulder, a faint, eerie voice floated through the wind to my ears, “Don’t go, don’t do this. You will regret it.” The voice warned. As I stepped onto the bridge, the voice stopped.

Dorris whispered, “Vanessa, it’s very misty here. It feels like we are high up in the air. It’s suddenly very chilly, don’t you think?” 

I shrugged in answer and said, “Now that we are on the bridge, let’s ask about Mr. Johnson.” 

“Nah, that’s all you,” Dorris said as she took a step back. “You wanted to come out here. You ask.” 

I looked nervously around. The mist over the still water beckoned me with a supernatural air. Throat tight, I spoke, “I would like to know if Mr.Johnson is having an affair.” I held my breath for a moment in anticipation. 

Three anxious minutes passed.  Finally, Dorris broke the silence, “Well, this is very upsetting. Didn’t that guy say you have to sacrifice something meaningful? Remember?” 

“Oh yeah! You’re right.” I looked around curiously. “Do you think it would want earrings?” We giggled nervously. 

Dorris smiled, “We can try it. Help me get them out, man. These are my favorite pair of earrings.” 

“I’ll buy you more, Dorris.” 

I went near the bridge’s ledge and dropped the earrings over. I couldn’t see anything through the mist. We waited. Nothing happened. 

“Dorris, do you have anything else on you?” I asked.

“No. How about we try those shoes I’ve been begging you to let me borrow?” She suggested.

“I doubt the bridge would want my shoes,” I responded wryly.

“It’s worth a try,” Dorris said as she tried getting them off my feet. 

The Voice

We laughed the whole time. Finally, Dorris managed to pull one of my shoes off. She continued onto my other shoe. She tugged and tugged. As she pulled the second shoe off, her momentum caused her to fall back to the ledge of the bridge. Her backside went over first and she plummeted below. Oh my gosh!  

I heard a sound so earsplitting that it shocked me. My body jumped multiple times, and I started to panic. I couldn’t breathe. I was gasping for air. I know it was Dorris’s body hitting some surface below. That sound kept playing in my head like a song on replay. The mist started to clear up, and looking over the bridge, Dorris was nowhere to be seen. I whimpered, curling myself into a ball upon this bridge that I shouldn’t have ever visited. It felt like my heart was torn from my chest. 

Then I heard it. A soothing voice wrapped insidiously around me as it whispered, “Mr.Johnson is having an affair with another female.” 

Could this be the voice from the bridge? No. Dorris wasn’t supposed to be the sacrifice. In fact, none of this was supposed to happen! Dorris didn’t even want to come to the bridge. It’s all my fault! How do I go about telling her Mom? Her mom will be heartbroken and alone since her husband passed away two years ago. This will be devastating.