The Covered Bridgepage 1 / 3
There was only one way to get to town. Walking or riding, there was only one road that crossed the river. The river wasn't bad, even though the water got a bit high and rough when the heavy rains came in early spring or late fall.
The road wasn't bad, even though it got narrow in parts and twisted back and forth through the hills, sometimes in such a blind turn that Carol was sure her Mom or Dad would smash into something before they got through the turn.
But there was rarely anything on the road in the other direction, and they never met another car on the tight curves. No, Carol didn't mind the road that much. But there was something about the bridge, the old wooden covered bridge that swallowed up the car and bathed it with shadows. There was something Carol hated.
"That bridge gives me the creeps," she said to her friend Jackie one evening as they sat on Carol's porch.
"That's not creepy," Jackie said.
"It is to me," Carol said.
Jackie shook her head. "I'll tell you what's creepy. Marigots. Those are creepy." She shivered.
"What's that?"
"My grandma told me about them. She said they come out once every fifty years, if the conditions are right. They only come out for an hour. They're like fat earthworms. But they eat meat. They have teeth. She said they're about due to come back."
"That's crazy," Carol said, feeling a slight shiver run down her shoulders and along her arms. She didn't want to hear any more about such nonsense. Even made up stuff could be spooky after the sun went down.
"It's true." Jackie jumped up and pointed toward the yard. Her eyes opened wide. Her mouth moved for a moment, but no sound came out. Finally, the scream broke free. "THERE'S ONE!"
Carol leaped from her seat and pressed her back against the wall next to the front door. "Where?"
"Got you." Jackie started laughing.
"Jackie! That's not nice." Carol tried to relax, but she could feel her heart slamming in her chest.