A news Air-Raft arrives at the scene. It floats in the sky above the bridge recording the chaos, but I’m too focused on two questions to care. 

Where did I miss count? 

And why are there still 4 shadows? 

I keep looking back as we move on to safety. One of the shadows doesn’t pursue us. Instead, it stops in the middle of the bridge on the opposite side to the car wreck. I can barely make out a dark lump on the ground.

Why is a shadow stopping over there?

As we jog closer to safety, I suddenly remember. 

Shivers run down my spine.

// We blow past a homeless man in the middle of the bridge sitting on cardboard. He seems asleep but the empty cup begs for coins beside him. I pay him no mind as we keep going. \

I look to the line of safety in front of me, the fire-knights and crowd of onlookers, then I glance back at the shadow. 

Just let it go Aly!

Searching for the will, I comfort myself with the fact that saving 4 should be more than enough to keep moving forward.

Keep moving. Just keep moving.

“Blast it!” I mumble to myself. I sense my sister’s glance on me for a moment. 

You did your best! KEEP GOING! It’s just one—

|| The only thing is, the young man never made it all the way across. ||

Life.

|| …never made it... ||

“Blastitblastitblastitblastit BLAST IT!”

I put the weight of the driver on Sarah’s shoulders, “Sarah, keep going!”

She of course stops to see where I’m headed. “Where do you think you’re going?!!! ALY!!

“GO! There’s another person on the bridge!”

As I look back I see a fire-knight run over to help Sarah and the driver across the bridge. A slight tinge of relief washes over me to know she’s gonna be safe, but it does nothing to help quell my mind of the fury I feel for overlooking the possibility that someone else could’ve been injured on the bridge. I should have looked! I should have known!

// 4 Shadows are still on the bridge while the other 19 have already disappeared. 3 of the 4 shadowy figures walk over to surround the wrecked vehicles. \

I run straight into the middle of the bridge, narrowly avoiding pitfalls and fighting the increasingly steep decline with a fractured rib. Thank the Hosts or whatever for adrenaline. I blow past three shadows who’ve conveniently made way for me to run between them. 

This bridge better not fall! 

I vault over the railing and check on the old man. Luckily, he’s still alive but a gash on his head is bleeding. I assume some debris hit him when the Elemental landed. I look back up to the top of the hill that this bridge has become— to where my sister is. She’s being held back by the fire-knights.

I’ll be there soon!

I grab the old man’s arm and wrap it around my neck.

Weight lifting class. I gotta thank Issac later. Lifting this guy would be a chore otherwise…

Gripping his belt I’m able to pick up the old man, who’s surprisingly lighter than I thought he’d be. I try to adjust him over my shoulder but I’m reminded of the sharp pain in my side from being hit by a car. My adrenaline helps to mask the pain but the old man’s ever-so-light weight brings it to the forefront in my mind.

With the old man in tow, I rush straight towards the safe end of the bridge using the sidewalk. Nevertheless, that dash slowly turns into a climb part-way through. I hear the sound of the cars scrapping into the river below as more cables snap. 

Thankfully, the old man was on the side of the bridge that didn’t get messed up by the cars, so I use the railing like a ladder to help me climb up with greater ease. On the other hand, the support column that’s missing is from this side of the bridge, behind me, leaving me to climb a steeper bridge. 

I strive to get halfway there. Sadly, just as I do, the support column next to me creaks. Cracks form on the concrete connecting the column to the bridge. I quickly manage to move us to safety.

COME ON!

Just as I get a meter away, the bridge takes another dip, and I’m forced by the pain in my side to drop to one knee as the adrenaline wears off. I feel the bridge about to fall and the knights on the other side gather to try to meet me with aid, however as soon as they step on the bridge, it dips down a foot so they stay right where they are. 

I’m so close, come on!

I try to muster the strength to carry him, but my side beams with even more pain the harder I try. The bridge dips again and more cables snap from the other side. The constant shaking causes my body the greatest pain I’ve ever felt. I want to cry from the sheer force of the pain but tears won’t fix the mess I’m in. I’m done being a crying baby! I can’t cry now.

Think Aly. Think!

Everything slows to a halt as I try to think a way out of this. I try my best to logically unscrew myself out of this disastrous situation. The pain doesn’t help my focus. That’s when I see my one hope on my left. One single shadow remains on the bridge and stands on the other side of the railing. I feel the dark silhouette’s eyes burrowing right into me. Once again, forbidden memories begin creeping into my mind.

|| “A stabbing happened today in a mugging-gone wrong…” ||

I was there.

|| “Two girls were killed on a morning jog today…” ||

I was always there. 

|| “An unfortunate set of events unfolded today when a toddler was left in the backseat of a vehicle…” ||

When it first started. I didn’t quite understand.

Looking back, I should have paid more attention. 

I should have stopped them.

|| “WHAT ARE YOU DOING ALY!?” ||

I tried to run into the street. 

I saw it coming.

Other pedestrians turned their heads to see what was about to happen. Their eyes followed it and widened in horror at the realization.

I tried to reach him but my adoptive father grabbed my coat collar and stopped me. 

The man wasn’t even looking up...

The car couldn’t stop in the slush.

|| I could have saved him… ||

These are shadows of Death.

I should have seen it coming.

If only I looked at the bigger picture—

I could have saved them

I could have saved all of them.

I could have stopped all of their deaths!

I stare right back at the haunting silhouette.  

One shadow. 

Wait a second… 

I look around as the realization kicks in.

There’s only one shadow. 

As morbid as it may be, I smile.

So it’s this kind of choice I can make this time…

|| I could have saved him… ||

Not this time— 

“Never again”, I whisper. 

Time resumes. 

The right side of the bridge I’m on disconnects where the solid ground meets the bridge. It begins sliding down while the left side of the bridge stays up and makes the bridge a lopsided trap to walk on. 

I stand, taking a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain, “NEVER AGAIN!”

Suddenly a cold sensation fills my body, renewing my strength and fully numbing the pain. I sling the old man across my shoulders like a madwoman and I dash to the end of the bridge despite the pain— despite the uneasy mess of pavement.

When I get towards the end of the bridge, there’s a 8 foot difference between where I’m standing and where the knights are laying down trying to reach me. 

I steady myself and prepare a power-clean shoulder press to throw the old man towards the knights. Just like how I was taught, with one fluid motion I send the hobo up. 

As I throw him, the world seems to slow. The knights grab hold of the hobo’s clothes and pull him up. Just as they yank him to safety, the entire bridge collapses with a folding drop towards the water. I’m able to look into each of the eyes of the knights above me. All of their horror-laden eyes are on me. Some open their mouths to scream but I can’t hear anything. 

I scan the crowd of knights for the one person I needed to know was safe.

Sarah. 

A group of fire-knights hold her in place. I can see her lips screaming for me but there’s no words. 

No sound. 

Nothing. 

Darn it…

I really wanted to see Momma-Mary be surprised on her birthday. 

I really wanted to see Sarah grow up and out class me in professional sports.

I really wanted…

I look at the knights who were able to catch the old man. They look at me with teary eyes. One of them nods his head as if in approval. For some reason I smile back.

The bridge swings down and I’m thrown over the end and hit the side of the concrete barrier. I see the water fast approaching. 

It feels…

Cold.