22) Covered Bridge

Covered Bridge

Suddendly we hear a scream from between the trees, it was Astoria. "Here!! Come here quickly!! I see a bridge!!" She yelled over to the other ones of the group. We all stare at each other, speeding up and gallopping through the woods together will we reach Astoria. And there it really was, a covered bridge, leading over the slime river a few hunderet meters down the river. "Omg I can't belive it!" Namir said, trotting around us happily. "I don't know guys... thats a covered bridge!! Don't you all watch horror movies?!" Müsli said, sounding afraid as always. "Well," Khaos said dryly, "Out of everything we got through this night, I fear that a covered bridge is not the biggest of our worries." "Especially because out option would be to walk through probably poisonous slime." I added with a slight sigh. Arctic laughed, and Müsli muttered something, but stopped arguing against the idea. We all walked silently through the forest along the edge of the river, side eyeing the slime and hoping to reach that bride soon. "I hope we will really find back hope soon," Arctic said suddently. "I wish so too," sighed Namir. "This night is a nightmare." I agree, falling from a quick trot into a slow canter. "Guys, did the moon still not move?" Müsli asked suddently. Khaos looked up to the moon, which was still fixed in position like it was hours earlier as well. "It did in fact not move." Agreed Khaos simply. I sigh. "What can go wrong? A fixed moon, a night full of.. nightmares and creepy catastrophy." Astoria shot me a warning side eye, there was no need to scare Namir and Müsli more, who probably already hate our village as much as possible. "What a wonderful journey" Namir muttered, finally slowing down as we got closer to the covered bridge leading over the river. I step ahead together with Khaos, sniffing the planks with slight nervousness. "You go first," Khaos said, looking at me. "I stay behind if something happens. We cross three at a time, so Namir and Arctic follow him." We all nod, with Astoria and Müsli coming to a stop next to Khaos. I look around, checking at Namir and Arctic, wo nod at me to signal that they're ready. I nod as well, slowly stepping up the ramp, trying not to spook at the shadows and the roof over my head. Namir and Arctic very slowly followed me, with Namir looking quite brave this time around. He probably knew covered bridges like this from his home a lot. I slowly start walking down the bridge, listening to the sound of my hooves on the old wood. "This is creepy" mumbeled Arctic, who was slowly walking behind me. I just nod, looking around to check on Khaos and the two others, wo were still standing on the other side, waiting for us to cross. I walk more confident now, leading them over the bridge. About halfways, we suddently hear a river, firstly faint, then louder and louder. Namir and Arctic gasped, looking down from the bridge, staring at the.. fully normal river?! "What in the world..." I breathe full of suprise. "The River.. the.. slime!!!!" Namir stammered. I shake my head, now trotting down the other side of the bridge quickly and then turning around to see.. a fully normal river. Khaos nodded, saying "They're through. Now lets go, I dont want to waste time." He stepped up onto the covered brigde, with Astoria behind him nudging Müsli till he was brave enough to follow Khaos as well. Trotting slowly over the bridge made their hooves echoes sound through the covered bridge, sounding funny. And then, they as well, suddently started to hear the sounds of a river... first silently, and then more and more present. Khaos stared out of the bridge at the.. very normal looking river, being fully baffled. "What is going on..." Astoria whispered, staring out too. "That is a river" said Müsli voiceless. Khaos just nodded, trotting the last meters of the bridge to meet the others. "Do you guys see a normal river as well?" I ask, by now not trusting my own mind anymore. Arctic laughed because this situation was that absurd. "Well," Khaos said slowly, "Yes." He looked around slowly, then looking at the other ones with an undefined look on his face. "Do you guys notice something?" He asked slowly. "Where?" Asked Astoria, while I ask "What do you mean?" Arctic, who was standing very still, looked around, and then said with fear in his voice "The forest on the other side looks different if we look at it from here. And when you step over here..." He stood again in front of the covered bridge, "Through the bridge it looks different, like the forest we just walked through." "..But if we look at it from here.. it is.. our forest!!" Astoria gasped, trotting to Arctic and then along the river again. I look around in pure suprise, staring at the forest we were standing in. "It is our forest" I nod in shock. "It smells like home." Khaos agreed. "That.. that is awesome that is perfect!!" Namir gasped at us. "Lets run home!! Please, this is no fun anymore!" Müsli pressed while yawning tiredly. I nod, and Khaos agreed too, saying "Yes. Come on guys, lets go home. We should be home very soon." We start slowly walking away from the bridge, with Müsli saying suddendly "The moon changed, it's probably nearly sunrise right??" I stare up, as well as the others, and we all agreed. "I can't belive this is over" I mutter under my breath.