The Trollbridge (Long, but I guarantee you'll love this story) (1436 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.9 on 54 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Anthony Locascio (View user info) at 2004-09-13 23:39:47 EDT
Farmer John came home after a fourteen-hour day in the fields to the unwelcome sight of his wife waiting for him in the doorway. It's not that his wife was an unwelcome sight - he'd been looking forward to coming home to her all day and perhaps a bit of loving after the children had been put to bed. The fact that she was waiting in the doorway for him meant that she wanted him to do something, and after fourteen hours of sowing the fields and picking basket after basket of rocks from the fields, he was in little mood to do anymore work today.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he led the oxen team to their tethers. "You look angry." His wife, a handsome woman of thirty-three years, wrung her hands in vexation.
"John, the boys were over playing by the bridge again. I've told them so many times, they're going to get run down by an coach or trampled by a team of horses playing over there, but I caught them doing it again. I told them they were to go to bed without supper and that you'd punish them when you got home. Lenny did as he was told, but Paul sassed me back."
John sighed and wiped his brow with his kerchief. "Okay, I'll make sure they don't go near the bridge anymore. Tell them to come to the table for dinner. The punishment they get will more than do the job, no reason for them to go hungry."
"John I really think that...."
"Sally, you asked me to handle it. There's only two ways I handle it. One of them involves taking the razor strap to their backsides."
"Oh God, John, no...."
"And the other is I tell them the story about the bridge. That'll scare them away from it for good."
"That old fairy tale? That won't scare Paul, he's too old to believe it."
"He'll believe it. When I'm done telling it, they'll both believe it."
-------
Dinner was quieter than normal. Eight year-old Lenny enjoyed his food as much as every night, but Paul, five years older and "a little too big for his britches", as his mother would often describe him, sat and sulked, barely picking at his food. He pooched out his lower lip and scowled, knowing that punishment were always meted out after dinner rather than before, so as not to spoil the meal. To Paul, that was the stupidest reason he'd ever heard in his life.
After the rail-thin farmer finished his gargantuan meal and wiped his mouth, he turned his face to his children.
"I understand the two of you disobeyed your mother this afternoon," he said quietly. Lenny immediately shrank back, his eyes downcast at his impending doom.
"We was careful!" Paul sassed back. John remembered his father would have given him a stinging slap for talking like that. Sally was adamantly opposed to physical punishment, and the behavior of the older boy had suffered as a result. "We can hear when there's a cart or a horse comin', we was careful!"
"Your mother told you both not to go play down there. Now both of you go wash up and get into bed."
Lenny pushed his chair out and walked away as though he were to be hanged, his head drooping. Paul shoved himself away from the table defiantly, stomping away into the dark with yet another "We was careful," muttered under his breath. Farmer John went in to change for bed. Although he never favored it, he wore his button-down nightshirt tonight. When he went upstairs to tuck the children in, they were still awake and arguing with each other. The farmer listened on the stairs for a few moments.
"You're such a baby, there's nothing over there," Paul said petulantly.
"Dad says we ain't s'posed to go over there," Lenny replied meekly.
"Dad don't know nuthin', we was bein' careful."
Farmer John came the rest of the way up the stairs. Paul's eyes flashed like those of a criminal caught in the act.
"So I don't know anything, is that what you said Paul?" The boy turned his face away, unable to answer. "Is that what you said, Paul?" he repeated more firmly.
"Yes, SIR!" Paul snapped. John felt his fists tightening, but relented at the knowledge that giving the boy a well-deserved beating would mean no loving from Sally after lights out.
"Come over and sit with Lenny. I'll tell you exactly what I know, and why you shouldn't go near that bridge."
Paul flounced out of bed, moving with the slow reluctance that only a teenager could. He sat barely on the edge of the bed, just out of reach of an unexpected backhand from the thin but strong farmer.
"You boys know Mr. Anderson who lives up the road, right?" John asked.
"The old man?" Lenny piped. John nodded. Paul was silent.
"Anderson is older than old, sonny. He's ancient. He was old when I was a child on this very same farm. In fact, he was the one that built the bridge across the river." The two boys looked at each other in amazement - the bridge was so old, they couldn't imagine a time when it wasn't there. "That's right, Mr. Anderson went to the city even longer ago, before I was born. He knows how to build things like that, and he was the one who designed and build the bridge. We all thought it was a great idea at the time - it saved us from driving the wagons down to the shallows. There have been floods and snows and baking heat, but that bridge is still there, as sound as when Anderson built it."
Farmer John shifted a bit and allowed his voice to become somewhat graver. "Now, you'll notice the arch-style of the bridge, how the support beams run deep into the rock on each bank of the river?" Both of the boys nodded. Even the skeptical Paul was becoming transfixed by the story. "There's a good area there, under the bridge, hidden in darkness." John let the word "darkness" hang in the air a few moments before continuing. "You boys know that field over by the well you like to play in?" Lenny nodded enthusiastically. Paul just looked annoyed at the segue. "What sorts of animals live over there?"
"Bunnies!" Lenny cried happily. "Lots of brown bunnies!"
"I seen a red-tail fox out there once," Paul volunteered. "And a 'possum. And the squirrels of course."
"That's right, kids, there are a lot of animals out in that wild field, because when there is an open space in nature, chances are something will come and live in it, no matter where it is. And that's what happened to that dark place under the bridge. Something came to live under it. The troll."
The two boys were silent now, incredulous at what they were being told. Farmer John lingered, then continued. "Yes, I know it sounds stupid, and we didn't believe it ourselves when it first happened. Then one night, O'Shaughnessy, the farmer who used to own what is now our south field, was on a late night drive, taking his old dairy cattle to the renderer. Something came out in the dark and snatched a cow."
Paul huffed indignantly. "A cow is too big to pick up."
"It picked it up alright, picked it up and dragged it under the bridge faster than a rattler snatches a frog." John stared directly at Paul until the boy broke away. "O'Shaughnessy went nuts after seeing that, told Anderson and my father that what had come out from under the bridge was 'the night come alive'. Oh, wait, no, he said it was 'darkness come alive', that's it."
"What did you do?" Lenny whispered. He was obviously terrified, the blankets pulled up to just under his bulging eyeballs. Paul was keeping up a skeptical air, but the farmer could see the story was getting to him.
"Well my father and Mr. Anderson went down to the bridge to burn that thing out. They brought torches. It was the light, they thought, that would drive it away. Well it didn't. It came out of there faster than anyone could have guessed and knocked those two big, strong men silly. They were lucky it didnt' kill them. " Farmer John paused again, for effect, then continued. " There was a certain boy who had followed them, a curious boy that didn't listen to his father and wanted to see what was under the bridge. That boy was me. And the troll nearly got me as well." Farmer John unbuttoned his nightshirt to the waist, revealing a long, jagged scar running from just under his breastbone down to his hip. "It tried to get me. It was dragging me back to the bridge. To eat me. Then my father hit it with his torch, and I saw what it looked like."
Lenny now was squeaking softly in terror. Paul was sitting bolt upright, unable to admit to the fear that was creeping into him. "The troll caught on fire, and thanks to the Lord God above, it let me go. It ran down back into the water and under the bridge. The claw wound got infected later, and the doc told me it was the dirtiest, filthiest cut he'd ever seen, had almost turned septic. But I survived. Now you'll notice, there is a goat tether on the other side of the bridge. Mr. Anderson leaves a goat there every so often, so the troll won't attack anyone coming across the bridge."
Paul scoffed, but it was a scoff soaked with uncertainty. "If that's true, then the troll won' come outta there during the day, so we was safe." He crossed his arms as though he had made a critical point. Farmer John rolled his eyes.
"Yes, it shouldn't come out during the day, but it will if you bother it, and the sound of children running and shouting, young.....tender children....will definitely bring it out. Like it came after me, my father, and Mr. Anderson. Now it's time for you to go to bed. Stay away from the bridge." Farmer John turned the kerosene lamp down to a flicker, then decided to add a little extra drama. " I just hope it hasn't gotten your scent so it can follow you back here tonight."
Downstairs, Farmer John got the loving he'd been hoping for. Upstairs, two young boys lay awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking of dark spaces under bridges.
-------------
"C'mon,"
"Dad says we're not supposed to."
"He said it to scare a baby like you. Now c'mon and stop being a baby!"
"We're gonna be in trouble." Lenny followed Paul reluctantly as the two padded their way silently down the stairs and out the back door.
"Unless you're a scaredy fraidy peecat, you'll come on. Or do I have to tell Billy Boy and the other guys at school you're a little girl?"
"I am NOT!" Lenny said stoically, immediately shushed by his brother. The two boys made their way down to the river. In the starlight, the dark bridge stood like a monolith of ebony. Warm brown wood, so innocuous in the daylight, now had taken on the sheen of ebony. The water flowing gently beneath it was dark, like a river of liquid blood. Even on the clay and stone bank, they could see the dark recesses under the bridge where their father had told them the troll had taken residence.
"Go on, Lenny. Go on and take the lamp down. Unless you're a baby," Paul goaded. The doting younger boy gingerly took the lit kerosene lamp from the older brother he idolized. Gingerly, as though the ground before him was sprinkled with broken glass, he edged towards where the water disappeared into the darkness. The boy was whimpering, almost sick with fear.
"I knew it!" Paul said. "You're just a fraidy little craven coward! Wait 'till I tell Billy and the guys!"
"I am NOT!" Lenny shouted, spinning around. The glass lampshade of the kerosene lantern tumbled over and crashed onto the rocks. Lenny made a grab to try and save it, and instead dropped the base of the lamp. The kerosene caught fire in an instant and flared up dramatically.
The thing that had slunk out from the darkness had been invisible only moments before, totally unseen in the blackness. It had been only inches away from Lenny when the fire flared up. Now it recoiled, hissing and spitting, and the boys saw something gaunt and misshapen, something that had turned black from the mold that covered it, something that reeked of the corpses of fish and other things left rotting on the river banks, something that sported huge black claws in place of fingers and yellow teeth that gnashed in frenzied unison. It lurched again for the younger boy. Lenny screamed and staggered backwards out of reach, the bright flame driving the troll away from them.
"Run Lenny! Run!" screamed Paul. He raced as fast as he could towards the safety of the back door. He stopped in the doorway, turning to see his little brother running as fast as his little legs could carry him, his pajamas flapping. Paul thought at first they had lost the creature, and then saw the tall grass parting only yards behind the fleeing boy as something unseen moved through it with a wicked purpose.
"Oh MY GOD LENNY RUN RUN!" Paul screamed. He could hear the boy's frenzied breathing, and beneath that, the thump of feet far to heavy to belong to an eight year-old boy. Lenny made it to the door just as the grass at the edge of the yard was parting, only feet away. With an agility borne of stark terror, Paul leaned out and caught his brother's hand, snatching him off his feet and into the house before slamming the heavy oak door behind him and dropping the crossbar. There was a muffled THUMP and the door jarred as something rammed against it. The boys heard a muffled curse and then a snarl of anger as a light came on in their father's bedroom. There was a horrific sound, like the squealing of metal, and then silence. The boys ran up to their room and spend the night huddled together, sweating in fear.
---------------------
"John, you'd better come take a look at this honey," Sally called. The irritated farmer, already less than pleased with his late start, followed the sound of his wife to the chicken coop, where the wire had been rent to shreds. The carcasses of several of their hens were rent to pieces. Only bloody scraps remained. "What do you think? Bobcat?"
Farmer John didn't say a word. He was looking at the tracks on the wet ground, tracks that didn't belong to any bobcat, any bear, any fox. He followed those tracks wordlessly back through the tall grass, all the way to the bridge, where he saw that Mr. Anderson was tying another helpless offering to the tether. The two nodded wordlessly to each other, and then went back to their work.
"Yes, a bobcat. I'll lay out a few traps. Tell the boys so they'll stay clear of them."
"Speaking of staying clear, it looks like your story worked. The boys came down to me today and said they'd never go near that bridge again. You told them that scar you got from the scythe that one year was from a monster?"
"Something like that."
"Well, I suppose someday we'll have to tell them the truth, but it'll work just fine for now."
Farmer John had nothing to say to that. He didn't know how to tell his wife that not all truth was meant to live in the light. Some truth lived in the pitch darkness, like the darkness under an old bridge, and that was where it was meant to stay.
User Reviews
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2005-04-01 20:22:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
congrats on getting published you motherfucker.
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-01-16 18:22:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+2
Submitted by Donitsu2002 (user info) at 2005-01-12 23:09:13 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
awesome
Submitted by someone (user info) at 2004-09-28 19:24:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by nakedguitarist (user info) at 2004-09-18 10:11:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
really good stuff
Submitted by Katastrofadark (user info) at 2004-09-18 06:11:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Absolutely wonderful
Submitted by kabigon (user info) at 2004-09-18 05:26:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Disektor (user info) at 2004-09-18 03:10:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Therighteouswicked (user info) at 2004-09-18 02:50:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I enjoyed that, I hope there a part 2.
Submitted by StonedSilly (user info) at 2004-09-17 23:59:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Holy shit.
I finally took the time to read this!
Submitted by Gizmo (user info) at 2004-09-17 23:52:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
One of the best stories I have read in a long time.
Submitted by matt <bnlfanmatt.at.yahoo.com> at 2004-09-17 21:23:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Wow, damn good stuff.
Submitted by Shane <inshane09.at.yahoo.ca> at 2004-09-17 19:44:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
good, but you fucked up the names/ages of the kids when they were having dinner.
Submitted by cupzonia (user info) at 2004-09-17 19:37:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great story.
Submitted by Lost_Gator_Fan (user info) at 2004-09-17 19:19:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice work, a very enjoyable read.
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2004-09-17 18:58:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Hippy (user info) at 2004-09-17 18:41:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i'm scared. i'm going to go hug a tree.
Submitted by WiKi (user info) at 2004-09-17 18:02:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This was, for lack of better words, fucking awesome.
Submitted by hcp28 (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:47:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
That was fantastic
Submitted by Gnome (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:12:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
and the only rating what wasn't a +2 was accidental.....
Submitted by retarded_ape123 (user info) at 2004-09-17 17:05:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
stupid nigger
Submitted by 1Point21Gigawatts (user info) at 2004-09-17 16:31:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Pretty good dude. I figured the father was going to be camped out under the bridge at night, and he was going to fuck with them. I didn't really think the monster in your story existed.
Submitted by VirtuosoDilettante (user info) at 2004-09-17 14:45:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff.
It's worthy of more than just an Ubersite post and review.
Submitted by EatMeCompletely (user info) at 2004-09-17 14:42:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I love a good troll tale...
Submitted by enraged_baboon (user info) at 2004-09-17 14:34:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
hahaha, kickass. i hope you wrote this.
Submitted by Scott_James (user info) at 2004-09-17 13:55:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by FilthyAssistant (user info) at 2004-09-17 13:49:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I really enjoyed this. Excellent stuff.
Submitted by Julia (user info) at 2004-09-17 13:26:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great story.
Submitted by knucklesnelson (user info) at 2004-09-17 12:01:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Kicker of all ass!
Submitted by mikethescottish (user info) at 2004-09-17 11:59:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Je t'aime.
Submitted by precision (user info) at 2004-09-16 15:42:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
that was great
Submitted by wazzawazzayo (user info) at 2004-09-16 14:59:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice work.
Submitted by runninginplace (user info) at 2004-09-14 11:09:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by xenon (user info) at 2004-09-14 10:47:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
(Long, but I guarantee you'll love this story)
Agreed!
Submitted by PJ (user info) at 2004-09-14 09:38:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great piece of writing...
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-09-14 08:47:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yet again.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-09-14 08:47:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
One more.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-09-14 08:46:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Shit!
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-09-14 08:46:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
We're going to lose our house and end up living under a bridge like common trolls.
--Homer Simpson
Submitted by cd\ at 2004-09-14 08:38:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
groovy
Submitted by jimbo (user info) at 2004-09-14 07:46:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fucking badass.
Submitted by pobz (user info) at 2004-09-14 06:21:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fried Gold!
Submitted by PWNstar (user info) at 2004-09-14 03:11:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
fucking awesome fairy tale
Submitted by Spookster (user info) at 2004-09-14 02:21:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by atz at 2004-09-14 01:23:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
"a handsome woman of thirty-three years"
Submitted by tinactin (user info) at 2004-09-14 01:16:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent.
Submitted by seanfogy (user info) at 2004-09-14 00:55:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
good shit man. i liked this a lot
Submitted by whiskey_jack (user info) at 2004-09-14 00:37:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
some damn fine writing
Submitted by Kaelic (user info) at 2004-09-14 00:18:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
A damn good read.
Submitted by Sideburns (user info) at 2004-09-14 00:18:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
awesome.
Submitted by SullyThePirate (user info) at 2004-09-14 00:07:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Wasn't that long. I liked it.
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2004-09-14 00:04:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Long but yes, I liked it.
Submitted by jack11058 (user info) at 2004-09-13 23:56:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Absolutely worth the read. Nice twist on an old tale!
Submitted by Impassive-Digressive (user info) at 2004-09-13 23:54:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I haven't read a good fairytale for ages.
This was pretty cool.