Chapter 13

As they walked, a sudden yelp echoed from behind them. One by one, they turned—only to find Tyler sprawled on the ground, his knee scraped and bleeding.

"Oh, come on. What are you, a kid? Tripping like that?" Mason scoffed as they approached him.

"Seriously?! I'm literally bleeding, and that's your first response?!" Tyler shot back, glaring.

"Guys, guys! Can we not do this right now?" Alicia interrupted, stepping between them. She quickly pulled out a first aid kit from her bag. "Let me patch it up before you both make it worse."

As Alicia finished patching Tyler up, Zariyah and Mason exchanged a knowing glance, both suppressing grins.

“There. All done,” Alicia announced, offering Tyler a hand.

He took it without hesitation, standing up a little too eagerly.

“Now that that’s settled, let’s keep moving,” Zariyah said, still smirking as they turned back toward the trail.

After what felt like an endless walk, they finally reached their destination.

They all stopped in their tracks, staring at the sight before them.

Mason let out a low whistle. “Well… isn’t this just wonderful?”

The bridge looked ancient—so worn down it seemed like it could crumble at any second. How was it even still standing?

"Well, I guess we take careful steps… or just say goodbye to the world," Mason muttered, eyeing the rickety structure. Then, as if completely unfazed by the danger ahead, he added, "All this water is making me thirsty." Without hesitation, he grabbed Tyler’s water bottle.

"Hey! That’s mine! Get your own!" Tyler protested, trying to snatch it back.

Mason easily held him off with one hand while chugging the water with the other. By the time he finally returned the bottle, nearly half of it was gone.

"Great. And now how am I supposed to survive the rest of the month?" Tyler groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead.

The girls exchanged unimpressed looks.

"They’re never going to change, are they?" Alicia sighed.

"Not unless one of them dies first," Zariyah deadpanned.

"Alright! You two can keep arguing once we get across. For now, let's focus on not falling to our deaths," Zariyah called out, snapping everyone’s attention back to the bridge. Without waiting for a response, she took the lead, carefully stepping forward.

One by one, they followed, avoiding the loose, splintered planks. Each step was calculated, cautious. The old bridge groaned beneath their weight, but they stayed on track—until suddenly—

CRACK.

A sharp snap echoed through the air.

A plank gave way beneath someone’s feet.

Zariyah froze mid-step, her pulse quickening. She glanced down, but the cracked plank wasn’t beneath her—it was behind her.

Spinning around, her eyes widened in horror.

“Tyler!!!” Alicia’s scream tore through the air.

“I know you trip over everything, but this is a bit extreme! Don’t die! I swear I won’t steal your water again!” Mason shouted, rushing toward Tyler—carefully, making sure he didn’t fall himself.

Zariyah sprinted forward, fear gripping her chest. Not today. None of them were supposed to die today.

Mason lunged, stretching out his hand. Tyler grabbed hold, his grip desperate. With a grunt, Mason pulled him up, muscles straining.

Tyler collapsed onto a sturdier plank, panting.

“No more foreshadowing!” Mason huffed, shaking his head.

Tyler let out a shaky breath, still processing what had just happened.

They had almost lost him.

And something told Zariyah… this was just the beginning.

Tyler sat there for a moment, his breath ragged, eyes wide with lingering shock. The others were watching him, the weight of what had just happened settling in.

"Alright," Zariyah finally said, her voice steady but firm. "That was close. Too close. We need to be more careful."

Alicia crouched beside Tyler, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

He gave a weak nod. "Yeah… just, you know… almost died."

"Good," Mason said, standing up. "That means you're fine. Now let's keep moving before something actually kills you."

Zariyah shot Mason a look, but he just shrugged. They didn’t have time to sit around.

With cautious steps, they pressed forward, their movements slower, more deliberate. The bridge creaked under their weight, each step sending a spike of tension through the air.

Then—another crack.

But this time, it wasn’t Tyler.

It was Alicia.

The moment stretched out in slow motion. The plank beneath her splintered, her foot slipping straight through. She gasped, hands scrambling for something—anything—to hold onto.

"Alicia!" Zariyah lunged, grabbing Alicia’s wrist just as her body lurched downward.

Tyler and Mason reacted instantly, reaching for her other arm, pulling, struggling.

But the bridge was old. Weak. It wasn’t just the plank under Alicia that was giving way—more were breaking, snapping like brittle bones beneath their weight.

T. B. C.

What do you think will happen next?

Will she survive?

Will she not?

Happy Reading!