The Origins

A Bridge to Terabithia Ficlet

Author's notes:

This is a particularly long installment. I wanted to put in some backstory about the rope and its origins. And I want it to relate with Jess and Leslie's present relationship. As with before, this particular installment may serve as a continuation of the earlier stories, or as a standalone story. I also have to raise the rating of this fic up a notch, to make room for an increased maturity level in some situations put forth in this story (that is, if anyone notices where exactly this situation is).

I may have borrowed a handful of concepts from other stories, here and elsewhere. For instance, the boy meets girl, they fall in love, girl dies concept is probably an oft used storyline. Wait, isn't that what BtT is about (loosely)?

I have more notes in the other chapters, which you might have already read at this point.

Lastly, as a matter of disclosure, I don't own the rights to BtT.

Enjoy!

It was an ordinary a summer morning as a summer morning could be, and Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke were on a mission. Since the sweltering heat and humidity of the season had fully set in, the two started spending their summer mornings and afternoons--usually intermissioned by a quick lunch at either Burke or Aarons residence--splashing about at the pool downstream from the creek that ran along Terabithia. Leslie would oft tell countless stories about underwater life, and Jess listened intently, already imagining how he would transfer these mental images of the Terabithian sea creatures on paper.

The two discovered the pool during the previous spring break while surveying the land as part of "expanding the territory," as Leslie decreed in her regal, queenly Terabithia-speak. They annexed the pool into their kingdom, and named it the Lake of Enlightenment. It was where the rulers of Terabithia bathed to cleanse themselves of impurities, so that they can think more clearly, without excess baggage, so to speak. And, of course, it was where they swam on days when the weather was scorching hot and the humidity unbearable, such as today.

Near the wooden tree-bridge, the water flowed at a swift pace. After rainshowers, the creek looked more like a river, with torrential currents dashing downstream, filling the pool with crystal clear water up to chest-level of the two soon-to-be sixth graders. But on this particular summer day, rain had not set in for weeks, and the creek's tributaries only managed to create a shallow stream, but still enough for an enjoyable waist-deep plunge, which was good enough to cool down the two very active pre-teens and drown away their anxieties.

"This is the life!" Jess exclaimed, as he sat down to immerse himself up to his chest. "I could stay here forever!"

"You'l probably wrinkle, shrivel up and die of hunger, Jess Aarons!" Leslie teased, knowing that her friend, growing fast, had already gained a huge appetite, and is often in want of a meal or snack every two hours or so.

"Not if psychedelic color changes kill me first," Jess replied, looking intently at his queen who was sitting right across him. He was quite amused with the thought of seeing Leslie in what seemed like rainbow-like array of swimming attires. One day, she would be wearing a red one-piece. Another day, she would be wearing green. Another day, she would be wearing yellow. Today, she was wearing a particularly dark blue two piece suit that went pretty well with her blue-green eyes. Jess wondered if she'd start wearing violet, orange and indigo one of these days.

Jess, on the other hand, wasn't much particular with fashion, since he only ever had one set of swimming shorts. But it didn't matter to Leslie, he knew. She wasn't the kind who would choose friends for what they had, but rather for who they were. For who he was, Jess thought, contendedly. And besides, he knew that Leslie changed swimsuits because she felt these would soon be outgrown and go to waste otherwise.

It was nearing midday and Leslie thought it was time to get dressed and head back to the Burkes' for lunch, on her mother's invitation. The pair usually get dressed inside the castle stronghold, each taking a turn while the other guards outside by the tree house steps, "in case of attack," Leslie would say. But having grown comfortable in each other's presence even in these private moments--and in the interest of saving time--Jess and Leslie have decided to dispense with this encumbrance. They found it convenient to just change attire together in their castle, facing their opposite corners of the stronghold, in silent agreement that neither should be turning around until both have finished.

Today was different, though. As Leslie climbed up the treehouse steps and entered the doorway, she gave out a loud, surprised yelp.

"What's the matter?" Jess exclaimed as he rushed up to the treehouse entrance, sensing something wrong.

Both Jess and Leslie froze in surprise, eyes fixated on the figure at the corner of the treehouse. Looking back at them was a pair of equally surprised eyes.

"Hello," the voice from the figure said reluctantly, as the visitor stood up, stooping a bit due to the low ceiling of the treehouse. He was a kindly-looking man, in about his mid twenties, and he now extended his hand to the two. "I'm James Kirkpatrick. Call me Jimmy."

"What are you doing here, uhh, sir?" Jess questioned, quite worriedly. "How did you find this place?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Leslie interjected. "It was so rude of us to question you that frankly. I think we should introduce ourselves, first. I'm Leslie Burke, and this is my best friend, Jess Aarons."

"Ah, Aarons, yes," the man replied, shaking both Jess' and Leslie's hands, stopping to look at Jess more intently as if he were a familiar face. "I remember the Aaronses who used to live down the dirt road right up the street from the Perkins house."

"Well, it's known as the Burke house nowadays," Jess interjected. The man, hearing the name Burke, gave a nod of understanding towards Leslie's direction.

"I'm sorry to have startled you kids. I didn't know the treehouse was occupied," Jimmy explained. "Well, actually, from the looks of it, it does seem occupied. But it just didn't occur to me that it was being used right now."

"It's okay, sir," Leslie answered. "Well, we're still wondering how you found the place. Have you been lost in the woods?"

"No, actually," Jimmy replied. "I actually came here on purpose. I thought it would be good to revisit the place, for old times' sake."

"Oh, so you knew this place?" Jess excitedly cried.

"Not only did I know it, I built it--the treehouse, I mean!" Answered Jimmy. "Or at least I helped build it."

"There were others?" Jess asked, suddenly curious about how many other people knew about this apaprently secret place. Suddenly, it dawned upon him that Terabithia might not exactly be a secret place that only he and Leslie shared. He turned towards Leslie, and she gave him a look that seemed to say she was thinking the same thing.

"There was one other," Jimmy replied, the expression on his face now turning quite distant and longing. "But it's a long story."

"Why don't you come over to our place for lunch?" Leslie asked. "I think it would be okay with Judy."

Then after a puzzled expression from their visitor, Leslie added, "Oh, that's my mom."

"I guess it would be fine, if it's all right with your folks. I've come a long way, after all, and I didn't really stop even for breakfast on my way here to Lark Creek. And besides, I wanted to drop by the old Perkins place--err, the Burke place--too."

"Great. Would you mind if we got dressed first?" Leslie added. "We're still dripping wet!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll wait for you by the creek crossing, then."

And with that, Jimmy Kirkpatrick stepped down the stronghold's grand staircase and headed toward the bridge.

"That's was quite fascinating, Jess!" Leslie said, her back to Jess as she peeled off the top and bottom of her still-damp navy blue suit. She towelled off and started putting on her regular clothes.

"Yeah!" Jess responded as he did the same. "Do you think he was also responsible for tying our enchanted rope up the tree?"

"That's very likely. But did you notice the sad look on his face when he mentioned the one other person who helped build the treehouse?"

"Yes. But what could that have meant? Maybe he had a friend when he was younger, and they've drifted apart over the years."

"Maybe," Leslie responded as she finished putting on a tank top. With the sweltering heat, she rarely wore her signature sock-warmers these days. "Ready?"

"Yup! And hungry!"

The pair hung their towels to dry, then headed toward the bridge, eager to learn more about their strange visitor and his story. Approaching the foot of the bridge, they saw Jimmy gazing upward at the crab apple tree, where the remainder of the enchanted rope was still tied.

"It finally snapped, huh?" Jimmy said. "When I first planned going back to the woods, I wondered how I would get across. Did you guys build this bridge?"

"Yes, sir." Jess exclaimed, quite proudly. "Leslie and I built it, with a little help from mother nature," he added, pointing downward at the fallen tree trunk.

"Jimmy, please," their visitor interjected.

"Okay, Jimmy." Jess and Leslie replied in unison.

"This is great work you did."

The walk across the fields was quiet, and Leslie spied Jimmy wearing that same nostalgic, but sad look. Jess, meanwhile, tried to wrack his brains, trying to figure out where he saw the man before. The tall, salt-and-pepper haired man look vaguely familiar, like someone from his own past. They passed a dirty pickup truck at the end of the dirt road, and Jimmy explained he parked here, wanting to walk the rest of the way to reminisce.

Arriving at the Burkes', Jimmy left his boots outside the front door, and looked around inside the foyer in admiration, as it was both familiar and new at the same time. Leslie introduced Jimmy to her father and mother as a long lost Lark Creek resident who was paying a visit.

"Mr. Kirkpatrick," Bill Burke started the conversation as they were starting dessert, "You mentioned you used to live nearby. Are you visiting relatives or friends?"

"Jimmy, please." the guest responded with a smile, and Judy gave a nod. "Actually, I no longer have friends or relatives here. My family moved out about ten years ago. I did know the Perkinses, the folks who used to live here in this house, though."

"Oh, that's nice," Judy answered. "Were they friends of yours?"

"Actually, they were more than friends," Jimmy answered. "I knew this girl, who was very special to me. Samantha Perkins."

Jimmy cleared his throat, and Leslie thought his eyes were tearing up abit.

"Sam, I used to call her. Sam and I were best of friends. Perhaps the best of friends you could ever see. We met each other at fifth grade at Lark Creek Elementary. I was the new kid in town, see, because we inherited my grandfather's farm a mile down the road, and had to move in because life in the city was becoming expensive. And you could imagine the difficulty I had at first, being a city slicker and not knowing anyone. I had no friends, and you know how badly new kids in school are often treated."

Under the table, Leslie took Jess hand and gave it a tight squeeze. They smiled at each other.

"And then this one time, when the bigger kids were trying to grab my lunch money, this girl--whom I remember being in class with--suddenly approached and kicked their leader on the shin. As he howled in pain, the girl told them to beat it, and threatened more bodily harm if they didn't leave me alone. They called her a freak, screamed some invectives, and laughed at me for having to be defended by a girl. It was Sam."

Jamie took a sip of coffee and continued his story.

"I didn't thank her, because I felt so humiliated that a girl would have to defend me from bullies. I tried to avoid her for the next few days, but I noticed that the other kids seemed to shun her, too.

"One day during lunchtime, one of the mean kids threw a chewed-up piece of gum at her, and it hit her head. It stuck to her short-ish brown hair and boy, you could hear her screaming mad throughout the whole school as she stormed from the field back into the school's hallways!

"I followed her indoors, and it was only at this time I realized she was actually in tears. When I approached her, she just looked into my eyes, and broke down right then and there. I took her in my arms, this tough girl Samantha Perkins, and she was crying. Right there and then, without any word from me, she knew that I was thankful for how she helped me. And without her saying anything, I also knew she was grateful I was there. Somehow, whatever walls I had earlier erected came crumbling down."

Jess and Leslie exchanged another smile and another knowing look.

"We became the best of friends since then. Every day after school, I would ride the bus with her, and get off at her house, even if it meant I had to walk a mile to my own house afterwards. We spent afternoons together, making up stories, drawing and painting, and talking about our dreams.

"We should have a place, just for us, she told me one day. We were then walking across the fields down the road. And that was when we decided we would cross the creek. We got hold of a thick hemp rope from her father's toolshed, and tied it up the big crab apple tree. We spent many afternoons in the woods. We built a treehouse. It was our shelter--our stronghold where we held out against many of real life's problems. You see, my family was never really that well of; money was still hard to come by, since we were just starting with the farm. Her family was a bit better off financially, but she often felt neglected by her workaholic father and mother."

"It's great to hear you found a true friend," Leslie told Jimmy. And while Bill and Judy brought the dishes out to the kitchen, Leslie whispered, "She sounds a bit like me, with workaholic parents--especially when they're working on a book!"

"It was during our senior year at high school when we had our big fight," Jimmy continued his story. "You see, as is common with any friends, we've had our share of petty fights and disagreements. But in this one, I guess we were both too consumed with pride that neither one of us would relent and apologize. I suppose it was mainly my fault, too. Through those years, we were close as peas in a pod, but I started to grow fond of her, more than just as a friend. I never admitted it to her, though. Not until homecoming. Another guy asked her to be his date, and she agreed. The day she was to go to the dance, I confronted her at her home, and we just both lost our tempers. I told her about my feelings for her, and questioned why she should have to date other people. She told me she felt the same way about me, but that it's probably too late at that point, because she didn't know I felt the same, and had already opened up to other options. And that it was best for things to be left like that.

"We were screaming at each other, and I ended up leaving this house, slamming the front door. We didn't get to talk for some time after that."

"And so are you back at Lark Creek to try to look for Samantha?" Jess asked.

"No, not really. Three months after that fight, I was moping around at my house, and was surprised to see a familiar face approaching our driveway. It was Samantha. The moment I saw her approaching from my upstairs window, I ran straight outside. The moment our eyes met, our minds--our souls--seemed to have reconnected. Like before, without any words, we both knew that we were sorry, and that we both wanted to pick up back from where we left off.

"But, then, she told me something that I would never forget for the rest of my life. She was dying."

Leslie was feeling herself well up with tears at this point. It seemed such a beautiful story, but the impending tragedy seemed to overwhelm her. She shifted her gaze towards Jess, whose hand she was still holding. And he looked sad, too, but this was overshadowed by a look of concern. Perhaps he's worried that he might lose me, too, Leslie thought.

"Sam had been diagnosed with Leukemia," Jimmy said bluntly. "It wasn't until too late when they discovered it. The doctors said they could try to treat her, but the likelihood of survival was bleak, especially since her body was severely weakened already. She only had anywhere from four to six months to live.

"I was drawn into so deep a depression that I did not eat nor sleep for days. When I slept, it was only because I cried myself to sleep. I visited Sam every day. We could no longer go to our treehouse in the woods, but here at her home, we still continued to share that special friendship. We still shared our hopes and dreams. And we still tried to escape away from troubles, even if only in our minds. But I knew--and she knew--that our biggest challenge so far would be one that we could ultimately never escape.

"In spite of that, Sam was able to liven me up again. Even with a dying body, her spirit was as alive as ever. And somehow, as if by miracle, that life force of her extended towards me and through me, and even most other people whom she was with.

"I then decided that my life would not go on until we became one both in the human and divine eyes alike. I asked her to marry me, and she said yes. We got married in the woods, inside a grove of pines. She was so lovely that day. Her parents, the minister and I had to drive Sam through the fields, and we had to go 'round the long way, just to cross the creek without having to swing on the rope. She was so frail, yet so beautiful, I thought, as I carried her through the woods. I still remember the white, flowing dress she wore, and the garland crown she wore over her veil, and those beautiful bare feet, with toes that seemed to tingle in happiness at the touch of each needle of dried, golden pine below.

"It was the happiest day of our lives. It was a simple and solemn celebration, and yet to Sam and me, it was the grandest of all events. It was as if we were king and queen of an entirely different country, and each and every voice was calling out to us, wishing us happiness."

There wasn't a dry eye at the Burkes' dining table anymore, as Jimmy recounted his tale.

"From that point on, I had to watch her slowly succumb to her illness. It was terrible. But she would always smile at me and tell me she has had a happy and complete life, for she witnessed the miracle that was love.

"Sam died in her sleep one Saturday morning.

"It would never be the same for me. In a few weeks' time, my family decided to sell our property and find better luck elsewhere. The Perkinses did the same, I heard. While they held on to this house as one where they spent the happiest days of their lives with their daughter, they realized they had to move on. As for me, I have never loved again. But I try to live each and every day of my life in happiness, because for those few short years in my younger days, someone really special became part of me, and she is part of me still.

"And so this brings me back to Lark Creek. I'll be leaving the country soon, maybe for good, and I just wanted to get the chance to say goodbye to a special place, knowing that the special person I enjoyed the place with will always be in my heart."

Leslie found her tears freely flowing now, her head laying on Jess' shoulder. Jess now had his arm on Leslie's back, comforting her. "Thank you for sharing this with us, Jimmy," Leslie said, with difficulty because her throat felt lumpy. "I guess I do realize that we should cherish those we love and keep them close, because we never know when our time might come."

"I think that special place of Sam's and mine is in good hands now," Jimmy smiled as he looked back and forth from Jess to Leslie.

James Kirkpatrick bid his hosts goodbye that afternoon. While the Burkes offered for him to lodge at the guest room for the night, he graciously refused, saying he was able to do what he came for, and that was to visit the treehouse in the woods and the grove of pines. One request he had was to at least take a short look at Leslie's bedroom, which had been his and Samantha's bedroom when they were married. Leslie thought about this with a bit of concern, for this was probably where Sam had the final moments of her life, but since she died in peace, Leslie decided that her worries were unfounded.

The next morning, Jess and Leslie were again on a mission. It felt even hotter and more humid than the previous day. The two decided to go for an earlier than usual swim. At their respective homes, Jess finished his chores and Leslie packed a simple lunch in a basket. They thought they would talk more about the events of the previous day, especially with how close to home it hit. Except the dying part, Jess thought. He knew he could not bear to lose Leslie in any way.

And so they talked, discussing how fortunate their guest from the previous day had found his true love, and yet so sad because he lost her when they were just starting their life of happiness. But Leslie reasoned that perhaps it was meant to be that way: that the point of loving is being able to savor these moments of happiness and being together, and to remember each other in these special moments. And the two promised to do the same, in any event that a similar tragedy would befall them, but of course hoping against hope that they will not meet the same fate.

Both Jess and Leslie found it interesting that prior to their own royal wedding at the grove of pines, one other couple had underwent an actual exchange of wedding vows at that very same place. "Perhaps Terabithia has its special way of bringing people together," Leslie shared with Jess.

"So you do have orange," said a bemused Jess as she eyed Leslie who was seated across him in the pool.

"Of course. And indigo and violet, too," Leslie retorted. At this, Jess could swear Leslie had been reading his mind all this time and wasn't telling him about it.

"And all I have is drab, old, black pair of swimming shorts that've seen better days."

The only answer was a splash of cool water from Leslie's hands. These were met with even larger splashes of cool pond water directed at the laughing girl.

"Don't worry. They'll see even better days ahead," Leslie exclaimed as she grinned at her best friend. "Let's go eat!"

From the Lake of Enlightenment, they arose. Surely they were enlightened in many ways. They have so much to look forward to, and yet so much more to be thankful for in the present.

And as Jess and Leslie shunned their wet attire and changed garb from their respective corners of the treehouse stronghold, both turned around, ever so slowly, both innocently grinning as they stared into each other's eyes as they completed their respective tasks at hand. No trust was broken in the castle stronghold today. Only trust strengthened. For, to the king and queen, in their kingdom, there is only the here, and there is only the now.

Additional author's notes:

In hindsight, I thought about my choice of names for the original characters. I just used whatever first popped into mind. Samantha, of course, was a Perkins, but I got her name when one of my kids' favorite TV shows came into mind--Sam from Totally Spies. Jimmy, on the other hand, was somewhat an original name. But again, in hindsight, I may have been thinking about Star Trek unconsciously (although I'm not really a Trekker/Trekkie). James Kirk, of course, is the captain of the USS Enterprise in the original series. And "Patrick," well, probably came from Patrick Stewart, who played captain Piccard in Star Trek: TNG.

Thanks for reading, and I do appreciate reviews and critiques.

Grace