WILD HORSES
Jesse is struck unconscious in a car accident. Before he wakes up, he meets Leslie …
Like many others, I was very moved by the film 'Bridge to Terabithia' (I have yet to read the book). I wrote this fic because I wanted to give Jesse a chance to say goodbye to Leslie properly. It's set one and a half years after Leslie's death.
I listened to the song 'Wild Horses' (the version by Charlotte Martin and The Sundays) the entire time I was writing this - hence the title. I think the song suits the film beautifully. If you read, please review.
As of 13/3/09, this fic has been tweaked. Ever so slightly.
Jesse wanted nothing more then to be far away.
His parents were arguing again. His father was driving the car; his mother was in the passenger seat. Jesse and his little sister May Belle sat in the back. May Belle was playing with one of her Barbie dolls.
"For goodness sake Jack, we're on a budget!"
"No need to tell me we're on a budget, Mary! I've been on a budget my whole damn life!"
"Don't curse in front of the kids!"
Staring out the window, Jesse sought his escape in the countryside. They'd all gone to the grocery store that afternoon, and were now on their way home. Jesse would've given anything to be home right then with his paints and sketchpads. Instead, he had to suffice with laying his head back and closing his eyes.
There she was. Leslie Burke – a regular visitor to his daydreams. She'd been particularly 'vivid' lately, as if she were some place close by …
"What did you guys buy at the grocery store?" Leslie asked him.
"Nothing interesting … mom bought brussels sprouts. Let's just say I'm not looking forward to dinner."
"I like brussels sprouts! Can I come over and eat with you guys tonight?"
"Sure! I'll sneak you my brussels sprouts under the table."
"Neat!"
"JACK, LOOK OUT!"
What happened next was a blur. Leslie's face was gone, and Jesse's world was spinning out of control. Mary and Jack were shouting. May Belle was screaming. Something dark flashed across Jesse's window … followed by a crash. Jesse slammed against the side of the car. The last sound he heard was glass splintering beneath his head.
--
"Your son has a concussion, and some internal bleeding. How serious, we don't know yet."
Jack stood with the doctor in the hall outside the emergency ward. May Belle was at his side, holding his leg with one arm and her Barbie with the other.
"Is he … " Jack began, his voice sounding hoarse, "when is Jesse going to wake up?"
"We're hoping in a few days," said the doctor. "There is a chance it may take longer then that, but it's too early to tell."
After the doctor left, Jack sunk into one of the near by chairs, exhausted. May Belle climbed into the chair next to him. Mary was in one of the hospital beds further down the hall. She'd suffered a neck injury and a blow to the head, but she was going to be okay. Jack and May Belle, though jolted, were relatively unscathed.
It had been Jesse who'd taken the brunt of the hit. Jack couldn't stop visualising the accident, playing it over in his head like flashes from a bad movie. The car coming out of no where, the paramedics pulling Jesse's body from the wreckage …
May Belle placed her hand ontop of her fathers. Jack looked down at it, so small compared to his own. "He'll wake up, daddy. I know he will."
Jack pulled his daughter into his arms, clinging to her. Needing to cling to something.
--
Jesse opened his eyes. The world was still spinning …
"Jesse," he heard a voice.
Dazed, he closed his eyes again and tried to concentrate. Something had happened. The memory of being in the car with his family sailed mistily into his mind. They were driving back from the grocery store … there was an accident …
Jesse's eyes flew open.
"I'm … I'm … "
Blinking, he sat up. Like a camera lens coming into focus, Jesse's eyes gradually adjusted to the impossible scene stretched before him: lush, dark green rolling hills bordered by snow-capped lavender mountains, bathing in the sheen of a pearl white moon and an infinite cascade of night stars.
"I'm not in the car anymore," he thought numbly. He'd fallen and landed in a dream ...
Leslie Burke sat beside him, haloed in the moonlight.
"Hi, Jess," she said, smiling, as if he'd just stepped off the school bus.
Jesse could hardly breathe. Leslie was there, the very image of how he remembered her. So, so vivid, like a fresh coloured painting. All his senses heightened at once, dizzying him. Then, convincing himself with each gasp for breath that she was there, the urge to hold her suddenly overwhelmed him. He lunged forward and embraced her, grateful she didn't dissolve to air at his touch. Leslie giggled. Jesse thought he'd never heard anything more beautiful in his life.
"Leslie!" he spluttered. It was practically all he could say. "Leslie … oh my god, Leslie!"
He let her go, needing to look at her again. "Leslie, is it really you? Where are we?" He turned to the mountains. "Is it Terabithia?"
"Sort of," said Leslie with a shrug. "It's whatever you want it to be, really."
It was intoxicating. The joy of being with Leslie, and the grandeur of his surroundings. The memory of the car accident floated away – a boat heading for a distant shore. Jesse wanted to run across the valley until they reached the mountains and beyond. Until the memory of the accident, and of everything, was far, far away.
"Come on," he said eagerly, capturing Leslie's hand and standing up.
"No, Jess wait! I have to – "
"Race me, Leslie. Come on!"
Jesse started to run. He was out front at first, but Leslie soon caught up. Laughing, he turned towards her. She was laughing too, her hair swept back by the wind. Jesse was euphoric; weightless, like his feet were lifting up off the ground. He was twelve years old all over again, and he and Leslie were the fastest runners in all the land. Whipping across an endless valley like a pair of wild horses. The King and Queen of Terabithia!
"Jess, stop! Stop a minute."
Jesse stopped at Leslie insistence.
"Let's go lie down on that hill over there," she suggested, gesturing to the left of them. "Take a break?"
Though Jesse preferred to keep running, he followed Leslie to the hill. When they reached it, Jesse joined Leslie on the grass, lying beside her. Once he felt more rested, Jesse realised it was a good idea of Leslie's to come here. The sky was a vast, unmarked galaxy. Every star, the still and the shooting kind, was exquisitely sharp.
"Wow. It's like being in space, huh?" said Jesse in awe.
"I know," said Leslie. She pointed upwards. "See that star over there?"
"Ah, Leslie? I don't know if you noticed but there's a little more then one star out tonight," Jesse remarked with a chuckle. Leslie endeavored to be more specific.
"See the constellation that looks like an archers bow and arrow?"
Half squinting, Jesse followed her finger and searched the starry ocean until he found it. "Yeah, I see it."
"See the star that sits at the very point of the arrow? The really bright one?"
"Yeah."
"That's our star," she said, after a moment's pause. "That's where I'll be when I look down on you … "
To Jesse's surprise, Leslie was weeping. He sat up. "Leslie?"
Leslie stood abruptly from the grass. For one thrilling second, Jesse thought she was going to run away from him down the hill, but she only ran a couple of paces. Then she stopped, and bowed her head.
"Leslie?" he tried again, standing up this time.
"You have to go home, Jess," she said quietly. "I have to show you the way home now."
"What?" said Jesse, a tugging at his heart. "But I thought I was – "
" – you're not," she said suddenly, turning around. Her face glistened. "This is only temporary. I'm sorry, Jess. We don't have much time."
Faded memories began to materialize in Jesse's conscious, against his will. He heard the crash, the splintered glass …
"Leslie, don't do this. Please!"
"I have to."
"But I don't want to go back!" cried Jesse, the bad memories of his life intensifying. "I want to stay! Can't you change it?"
"No, Jess. I don't have that power."
Feeling something painful rise from his chest to his throat, Jesse clenched his jaw and tried to choke it back down. When it became unbearable, he spun away from her. He was facing the mountains, realising they'd never reach them.
"Your friend Leslie's dead," he heard his father's voice say, after Jesse came home from the museum.
"Leslie," he choked, sounding disorientated. "You fell. I wasn't there … "
Before Jesse could say more, Leslie rushed towards him and encircled him from behind with her arms, holding him against her. Jesse felt her tears trickling down the back of his neck, and the warmth of her breath as she spoke. "Jesse, you're life is going to be wonderful. You'll create things you can hardly believe! I know because you're what made my life so wonderful, and I know you'll go on to do the same for others."
Time was running out. Jesse grabbed hold of Leslie's arms and wrapped her even tighter around him. Bringing one of her hands up to his heart, he said, "I wish my life could be with you."
"I am with you," she whispered, her mouth close to his ear. "I'm always with you."
They stood there a while, holding eachother in silence. Then Leslie said, "Before you go, there's someone you have to meet. Turn around,"
Jesse couldn't believe it. Appearing from no where, like a reflection on rippled water slowly piecing together, was the giant troll. It lumbered in their direction, the ground vibrating with each one of its steps. It halted beside them, bent over, and held out its hand with a crooked, friendly smile.
"Hop on," said Leslie. "The troll will take us to the bridge."
"The bridge?" repeated Jesse, climbing with Leslie onto the troll's hand, easily big enough for the both of them.
"The Terabithian bridge," Leslie clarified. "You have to cross it to go home."
When Jesse and Leslie were both secured in its palm, the troll lifted them high into the air and began the journey to the bridge. Jesse lay down, relaxed, stretching his arm out for Leslie like a pillow. She lay next to him, tucking her head under his chin.
The sky swam over them. Jesse tried to keep an eye on his and Leslie's star, imprinting its position in his mind for later.
"Do you like brussels sprouts?" he asked conversationally. Leslie burst into giggles – music to Jesse's ears.
"What!"
"I just imagined you would," said Jesse, smiling against her hair. "I don't know why … "
"Well as a matter of fact, I do happen to like them," she said, amused.
"That's just wrong, Leslie."
"They're good for you!"
"It's still wrong ... "
--
"Goodbye, I'll miss you!" Jesse said to the giant troll, after they'd left its hand. The troll groaned something inaudible in response, waved at him sadly, stood tall and stomped back the way they came.
"Down here," said Leslie, weaving through the trees. It wasn't long before they'd reached the river, and the bridge. The marquee baring the words Nothing Crushes Us hung overhead. Looking to the other side, Jesse could already feel a 'force' drawing him there … gentle, yet powerful. Then he turned back to Leslie – a force all of her own, for what he knew would be the last time.
"Has it been real?" he asked. Leslie smiled.
"It has if you believe it has."
The sun was rising. The stars were starting to fade …
"I believe."
Jesse stepped towards Leslie, their eyes locked. With her face cupped in his hands, Jesse kissed his friend goodbye. When their lips were only partially separated, he told her, "I love you."
--
Jesse opened his eyes.
The first thing he noticed was brightly coloured balloons … and that his head really, really hurt. He groaned. Somebody's face appeared.
"Jesse?" his dad said softly, putting a hand on Jesse's shoulder. "Jess, it's me."
"Dad? I can smell hospital … " Jesse mumbled, still coming back to earth.
"You are in hospital, Jess."
Jesse looked down at himself realising he was in a white hospital bed with a tube taped to his right arm. He was surrounded by flowers, cards, and more balloons. The sun was shining in through the window. He looked back at his dad, who seemed older somehow …
"Do you remember what happened?" Jack asked tentatively.
"Car accident," said Jesse vaguely. "How long have I been out?"
"Three days."
It didn't feel like three days. Jesse's attention was soon back on the balloons and other various 'get well' offerings. "Who sent all this stuff?"
"Your sisters. Your friends at school. Ms. Edmunds dropped by some flowers yesterday."
The accident was becoming clearer in Jesse's mind. "May Belle … Mom! Are they okay?"
"Everybody's fine," said Jack, relieved to be able to say 'everybody'.
Something else was becoming clearer to Jesse . Something that happened after the accident. Then it dropped suddenly, like a weight.
"I died," said Jesse without warning. Jack looked alarmed. "Dad, did I … "
"There was moment," Jack explained gruffly, the memory causing him pain, "when you were first rushed to the emergency ward that we thought we might lose you. You flatlined, but you eventually came back."
"I crossed the bridge," Jesse murmured, staring into space. "It's because I crossed the bridge. She sent me back. Leslie! I mean … "
Realising how silly he must sound, Jesse stopped talking, feeling embarrassed. His dad was always telling him to keep his head out of the clouds. It was to his astonishment then that Jack asked: "what did Leslie say?"
"She told me to … live," said Jesse simply, understanding it had all been that simple. Leslie came to tell Jesse to live, and Jesse was able to then do what he'd wanted ever since Leslie Burke had left his life. After the shock and grief of Leslie's death, after accepting she was gone, Jesse's last lingering wish was to some how make sure Leslie knew how he felt about her.
He smiled. When Jesse turned back to his father, Jack had tears in his eyes.
"I sure am glad she came to see you, then, " he said, squeezing Jesse's shoulder.
--
"Can you see it?"
"I think so … "
Jesse and May Belle stood in the front yard of their house, May Belle holding some binoculars up to the night sky.
"You're looking for a bow and arrow, remember," Jesse prompted.
"I see it, I see it!" said May Belle excitedly, rising up and down on her heels.
"Good. Now see the star that sits at the very point of the arrow? The bright one?"
"Yep," said May Belle, zooming in as far as she could. "It's so pretty, Jess! Is that really where Leslie lives now?"
"That's what she told me."
"Do you think she can see us?"
"Sure," said Jesse, slipping his hands in his jeans pockets. "I bet she's got a massive, golden telescope that can see any part of the universe she wants."
"Cool!"
"Jess! May Belle! Dinner's ready … "
Their mother was calling them from inside. May Belle moaned in complaint, lowering the binoculars and holding her brother's hand on the way back to the house.
"Jess, when you went and saw Leslie, were you guys really in Terabithia? Like really?"
"I think so. I mean, the giant troll was there. And the bridge … and the mountains."
"You didn't see the kingdom?"
"Nah. We didn't have time."
"What did you and Leslie talk about?"
"Random stuff. I asked her if she likes brussels sprouts … "
May Belle snorted absurdly. "Jesse, you went all the way to see Leslie in Terabithia to ask her if she liked brussels sprouts? That's dumb!"
Jesse laughed. "Well, we spoke about other stuff as well."
"Like what?"
"Nevermind. "
"Jess!"
"I said nevermind!"
THE END