Joyce Anne's POV

Jess graduated from High School yesterday, so everything is mine now, except that May Belle's still here. With Jess gone, I guess a lot of rules have been lifted:

Never talk about that blue house across the street from here.

Never say the words "Terabithia". It was only for him and May Belle. Personally, I don't know what that word is, so I wouldn't use it anyways.

Never cross that bridge north of here with the big blue sign on the top. I've only seen the bridge once, it was pretty cool, and I'm looking forward to checking out the other side.

Never enter my room.

4 rules. I don't think May Belle's going to enforce numbers 1, 3, and 4, so I'm looking forward to trying those out.

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"Hey, May Belle, since Jess is gone, I was wondering…"

"Yes?"

"Well, what is that blue house on the other side of the street all about?" I asked.

"Well…" May Belle looked a little nervous, and her face showed sadness.

"Sorry." I said quickly.

"No, it's alright. It's just that…"

"What?"

"I-I'll tell you tonight, maybe Mom and Dad can help me tell the story." May Belle said.

"Okay."

I entered Jess's old room. Nothing interesting, everything had been taken out except for his bed. Daddy said that May Belle now gets the entire room to herself. Lucky. My own room is small, small as a closet.

I stare out into the forest. I take a deep breath, and put my first step onto the bridge. Slowly, savoring the moment, I walk towards the other side. I step into the forest. I don't understand why Jess wanted to keep me out of this place.

I had always complained that I'm old enough to go, but Jess said he wouldn't let me in until his dying day. Why? I was about to find out.

"So, you're Joyce Ann." A very mystical, yet powerful voice said, ringing through the forest, shaking every leaf of every tree.

"Wh-What?" I asked, scared.

"Don't be scared, Joyce Ann. I'm Leslie." The voice said, apparently, she was Leslie.

"W-Who?" I asked.

"You mean Jess never told you about me?"

"Y-You know Jess?" I asked nervously.

"Yep. We've been friends since fifth grade. Still are, until he went off to college. I'm not allowed to leave Terabithia, ancient dark magic. I'm working on a counter-curse though, I think I'm almost done."

"Tera-Terabithia? Jess forbade me from saying that word."

"Jess…of course, still sad over my death, too bad I never died. Joyce Ann, if you ever meet Jess again, tell him you spoke to me, Leslie Burke, and tell him that in order to see me again, just come back to Terabithia. He hasn't been here since the day I died."

"Why didn't you tell May Belle? She comes here often." I asked.

"Because…Because he was still mourning over me at that time, so he made a vow to never come back to Terabithia, or so May Belle said. That's why she couldn't convince Jess to come back. I think that Jess has gotten over that vow. Tell him, please?" The voice pleaded.

"Sure."

"Oh, and if he doesn't believe you, this is what I look like." All of a sudden, a white, glimmering figure appeared in front of me. I jumped and fell backwards.

"Hehe, don't worry, I won't hurt you." The girl said, assuring me. She now looked solid. She was a very beautiful ten-year-old girl.

"Remember every detail about me, Joyce-Ann, and describe me to Jess. For now, good bye!" Leslie said, and she disappeared into the forest.

"Leslie?" I asked. No one responded.

During Christmas break, Jess returned home from College, and I almost forgot to tell him about my meeting with Leslie. On the second to last day, I told him.

"What? You went into Terabithia without my permission?"

"B-But I saw Leslie Burke!"

"Yeah, right. You probably learned that name from May-Belle, or my parents."

"No, seriously." I described her to him, and he slowly softened.

"There's no picture of her anywhere…no one ever told you…" With that, he ran off into the forest.