Author's Note: Not much to say here, except that this story isn't going to be that long. About four chapters, then the epilogue.

The Bridge

Chapter Two

My leg muscles tense, preparing for the jump. Suddenly, I feel arms wrap themselves around my waist. I twist around to see my mom holding me, tears in her eyes.

I smile weakly at her and rest in her arms, but my smile disappears when I notice her standing in a corner of the room, glaring at me.

My mom pulls away and quietly closes the window. I stand next to her, wishing. Wishing things had been different.

I glance at my mom and she smiles softly at me. She takes my hand and leads me downstairs. We sit in the living room. My mom looks into my eyes.

I try to look away but when I do, I see her leaning against the sofa, thinking. Planning. I can tell by the glint in her eyes that I'm not the only one who wished things had been different.

My mother begins to talk to me. Her voice is kind of choked, and I'm trying to hear what she's saying. But, it doesn't sink in. She's talking to me about safety. Like I care. Though I'm glad she doesn't know what happened, or why I was at the window in the first place.

I stare straight ahead, occasionally nodding. Finally, my mom stops talking and simply looks at me. She takes hold of my hand. "Do you understand, mi hija?" She asks softly. I nod and she lets me go.

I wander outside to the massive pond. I look around me as I get nearer. Moss is growing out of the earth, along with a variety of pretty wildflowers. The grass sways gently in the breeze. I can see myself in the pond, I can see my reflection, but I don't recognize myself. My face is gaunt and my cheeks are flushed. My cerulean eyes seem distant and far away. My once pretty, long, silky hair is matted against my face, slightly sticky from perspiration. I jump back as a frog jumps into the pond, sending ripples throughout the water.

I look behind me. My mom is in the kitchen, cooking. She doesn't seem to notice what I'm doing. But I can tell she's worried.

I turn back to the pond and jump back in surprise when I see her in front of me.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"Revenge," she replies coldly, a gruesome smile spreading across her pale face. I begin to back away but she walks around me, causing me to turn around. She takes a step forward; I automatically step back.

Splash.

My foot hits the cold water. I take a sharp intake of breath as I realize how cold it is. Then she's in front of me, sneering at me. She reaches out. Her hand is inches away from my pink shirt. I stumble backwards. And trip.

My body falls into the water. I start to sink as my clothes grow heavy, dragging me down. I struggle to breathe, but the sheer cold surrounds me. Suffocating me. I try to make my way back to the surface. I swallow some water and begin to splutter.

As I near the top, I can see her distorted reflection from under the water. Watching me. Smiling.

I try to scream but only end up swallowing more water. I try to break the surface but my jeans are caught on something. Damn underwater plants.

I tug at my pant, using more energy than I should. My arms grow weak and heavy. I begin to sink down. I never realized how deep this pond was.

The darkness surrounds me, crushing me. I gasp weakly for air but only end up swallowing more murky water.

The water swallows me and my world is starting to go black. Is this the end?