For Fandango’s Story Starter #117-
This week’s Story Starter teaser is: I had just finished putting the last of my books in the trunk when…
Winter Night. Figure on the Bridge
Ladislav Mednyánszky1888
I had just finished putting the last of my books in the trunk when… I remembered that one last thing that I could not, that I refused to leave my Grandfather’s house without.
It was my little treausre.
We had found my little treasure five, maybe it was a half dozen years ago when we were taking our walk to the snowy bridge in the woods behind his house. It was purely by chance that we found this little reminder of my lost childhood and I was thrilled to have found it.
It has been our custom, to take our walk to the bridge just before I leave for my parent’s house for Christmas. I thought it was silly to visit them now and for Christmas in addition to that when it had been ages since we had really been a family.
I belonged here now and they had no one but to blame but themselves for this.
I left my room and my packing and went down the stairs to my Grandfather’s study.
I knocked on his study door and waited for him to ask me in. He was getting along in years and he didn’t like to be surprised or startled. Even by me.
” I’m looking for my treasure. I want to take it with me. Is it in here?”
My Grandfather was sitting at his desk with a glass of brandy by his hand. ” No. No. It’s probably outside. Just at the foot of the path near the bridge. Why don’t you leave it here? Leave it where it is. This time. ” he said.
” I don’t want to leave without it. I want to take it with me. I want them to see it. ”
” Of course you do. ” he sighed. ” Of course you do. ”
I went out to the foot of the path and there under a tree was my treasure- a smooth white bone no bigger then the palm of my hand, pitted with age and warm, despite the cold air around it to the the touch.
I lifted it up and took it back to the house and as I passed the my Grandfather’s study I called to him. ” I found it. ” I said stubbornly.
My Grandfather looked up at me.
” I want them to see it.” I said firmly.
My Grandfather nodded into the darkness behind me and said, ” Of course you do. ”
I went back up to my room and finished packing and then I got myself ready to cross the bridge in the woods behind my Grandfather’s house so that I can haunt my Parents, like I do every Christmas.