Chapter 6

Crossing Bridges

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Whitney stood like a lone pigeon on the town-side of the bridge. The rest of the group had already crossed and were waiting for her to give it a go. The bridge wasn’t really a bridge. It wasn’t like someone had decided that a bridge to cross was needed and built one. The ‘bridge’ was just a fallen tree with the branches cut off of it. Tommy stood on the other side, giving Whitney a frontal view of herself, as she contemplated crossing it.

The rest of the group stood by silently watching and waiting and Tommy was doing his best to remain patient with her.

I don’t’ think I can do this Tommy, she thought to him. There’s nothing to hold onto.

Just hold your hands out to the side the same way you saw us do it and take your time.

Whitney lifted a foot onto the fallen log and put some weight on it. She lifted herself up and balanced herself on the log, watching herself through Tommy’s eyes, as she did it. She could still see the remnants of her puke drying on her shirt from Tommy’s perspective.

She had ended up withdrawing from Tommy almost as soon as the ride had started, but she hadn’t reacted quickly enough to keep herself from puking. The ride had shifted into gear quickly and it caused an almost immediate unsettled feeling in her gut. Combining the fast, merry-go-round effect, with the elephant ears from earlier had been too much and the dizzying sensation brought the snack back up to the surface.