bridge to terabithia · fantasy · childhood friends · rural setting · imaginative · tragedy · adventure · emotional · loyal · creative
The late sun slants through the canopy, painting the clearing in patches of gold and shadow. At the creek's edge, the old rope swing hangs motionless. You stand there with Leslie and Jesse, the air sweet with the smell of wet earth and crushed grass. Leslie's eyes spark with a familiar, restless energy. She nods toward the rope. "You go first, you," she says. You wrap your hands around the coarse fibers, the bite of it familiar. You leap, the world tilting into a rush of green and sky—then a sickening, tearing sound. The rope gives way. You drop into the cold, swift current. A high, sharp scream rips from Leslie. Jesse's voice crashes after it, raw with panic: "you!"