Warning death and a mean father.

Disclaimer: I do not own bridge to Terabithia

Jack the Darkmiester

By Ancient Midnight

Chapter One

A Foundling in the River

Jack hated that his son would go to the forest nearly every day, but what he hated more was Jesse's head up in the clouds. Jack figured a real friend running through the forest, playing hide and see or tag, or some racing game would keep his son grounded. In fact, it was the only reason he didn't forbid his son from running around without supervision. That boy needed something to bring him down to earth or Jack would be feeding him for the next forty years or so.

If his daughters weren't taking care of the baby, Jack would have had them run after their brother. Instead he checked in on them every day; during lunch on weekends, when he got home from work and once in a while between chores and housework. The boy was a menace and needed the supervision, Jack didn't want to hear of anything wrong going on in that forest. On weekends he would drive to the other side of the forest and walk the 20 minutes into where his son played. He still hadn't found the bridge Jesse must be using to cross the ravine. Today was Saturday, and Jack was not met with any screams or laughter.

Jack usually only went so far, but the silence disturbed him. The sun wasn't shining in the forest like it was everywhere else. The rain had finally let up, and the ground was still little more than mud. The harsh wind was pushing at Jack's back, although he was sure a gentle breeze had been going West on his drive here. Jack started to head to the tree-house, but for some reason he heard something from the ravine.

Splashing, calling out in a friendly manner. I swear, Jack thought to himself threateningly, if those kids are swimming . . .

Jack sprinted as fast as he could when he suddenly remembered Jesse never learned how to swim. The boy was practically useless when it came to nearly everything, how was Jack supposed to teach him how to swim. Keep coming. Jack promised himself Jesse would be getting swimming lessons if he wasn't drowning right now. You are almost there-the Queen. Jack shook his head, what where they playing?

"Darkmiester!" That was his friend's voice, he knew. He had heard them call it out quite often, and was sure this was a spying game of some sort. Probably to any parents that came by as a friendly warning to one another. Just in case they were up to no good, such as swimming in a deep ravine after the rain fall.

Jack had to stop, unsure which way he was supposed to be headed. He was being ridiculous. Jesse knew he couldn't swim, he would never go near water like that. The boy may keep his head in the clouds, but he knew when things were dangerous didn't he? Jack shook himself off, and started heading back to his truck. After all it wouldn't matter if he did drown, it was one less mouth to feed, probably saved on the next 40 years. At least he thought this was the way to his truck, as Jack left the forest he could see the deep ravine below him.

"Damn boy, I'm going to be late coming back for lunch," Jack checked his watch again. 11:36, he could still make it with no problem. Jack bent over to catch his breath, if he could find that twisted tree with the rope, he would find his way back to the tree house and then his car.

After a few minutes going down river, Jack got tired of walking into the screaming wind and getting hit by the thicker and thicker brush. He decided to head up river, and next time bring a compass and a map. Maybe he shouldn't come out here at all. It was a big waste of his time after all.

Jack checked his watch again and started jogging, he could see the tree up ahead all Jack had to do was take a left, and head maybe 15 minutes and he'd be at his truck. He spat in the river and saw the shoe. A girl's shoe, Jack stared at the shoe in confusion for a few seconds. What was a girl's shoe doing down in the ravine? Had Jesse hated his shoes so much he threw them away? If he did, Jack would tan his hide tonight when he got home, then make the boy go fish them out.

With a dawning sense of horror Jack noticed the shoe remained immobolized attached to something underneath the water. "Jesse!" Without hesitation he threw himself in the ravine, carefully landing on the bank, away from the rocks. "Jesse!"

Jack dove into the muddy water. He was almost positive that this was a person. He knew it in his guts, the same guts that had served him well in his Navy time. Jack grabbed the shoe, feeling the leg (a child's leg, his mind supplied for him), then the other leg. Both were jean like Jesse's. Jack continued tugging and feeling until he managed to pull what must have been a log off the child.

Carefully, Jack turned the small person over, clearing their face of the mud and hair. He couldn't get a pulse or see if they were breathing. He threw the person over his shoulder and climbed out of the ravine. when the small person was laid back on the grass, he finally managed to notice the hair was a little too long, and her purse was still around her. Talia? Tara? Either way, Jack knew this was Jesse's friend.

She was still warm, Jack called out for help while working on her. It wasn't surprising that no one came, but Jack was still frustrating. Jessie could still be in the water, and Jack was here trying to save a girl that probably wouldn't make it. She was getting colder under his jacket and had not started reacting at all. Jack was almost sure she was a goner, he had never seen someone come back after this long. But he still couldn't just leave a little girl to die, not even for his son, could he?

Jesse could be just down there, having fallen after his friend. Or down river, holding onto a rock or tree. Or he could be at home, doing extra chores. Jack picked up the girl, there was a farmer just down river, he would be able to call for help.

"Heyo," someone called out. That old horse farmer whose name escaped Jack's mind came riding up. "What happened? Did those kids get hurt?"

"Yeah, take her! my son's down there!" Jack jumped back down.

Jack thanked all the Navy training he had as he swam through the rushing water. It was impossible. He could have swam right over Jessie and not seen him, the watner was so thick Jack couldn't see more than a few inches from his face. He could have touched his own son on the head and not even felt the boy's hair, his hands were so cold. He searched and searched but there was nothing down there he could find.

Hopefully Jesse was back home doing chores. Jack dimly heard someone enter the water behind him, he probably wouldn't have noticed if the rescuer hadn't actually grabbed him.

"Sir, get out of the water!" The uniformed man was at least 10 years younger than Jack.

"The boy must have been washed downriver!" The farmer called down.

"What?"

"You need to get out of the water, we'll take it from here. My team's already looking downriver for any sign of the boy," The rescuer helped Jack out of the ravine, "We're doing everything we can, we just need you to stay out of the way and safe. Harold can Jack use your shower, and borrow a set of clothes?"

"The girl? Will she be alright?"

"She was pronounced dead, massive head injury and she drowned," The rescuer told him gently."Did you know her name, where she lived?"

"Leslie, she lives right next door to me."

Jack almost wanted to hit something. He had wasted the chance to save his son to save her. There was still the chance that Jessie was doing chores. Jack settled down with this thought and made quick work of getting to his truck and grabbing a change of clothes. It would scare the girls to see a mud monster come into the house, so Jack took the offered shower.

Jack went home to tell his wife there was no sign of their son, and that his friend had died. Jessie had left early that morning, Brenda told him with a smirk, he still hadn't come home to do his chores.

"Honey, go get your mother. There's something I need to tell you all."

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