She had traveled thousands of miles and still couldn’t believe she had finally made it. It had taken her a few years to track it down, but now the bridge hung before her; rope, wood, and moss. She could hardly contain her excitement.
She rushed to the entrance and noticed a sign: “Beyond this bridge lies the dark forest inhabited by many creatures, both known and unknown. Beware!” Chuckling to herself, she proceeds.
The bridge sways and creaks under her weight, but adrenaline is coursing fast through her veins. In the center of the bridge, she stops. She sits cross-legged, closes her eyes and inhales deeply. The swaying of the bridge lulls her into a meditative state. That is until she feels a presence.
She glances to her right and is staring straight into the eyes of a scantily clad aborigine.
“Beware,” he whispers, then jumps over the side of the bridge, disappearing into the mist. The magic broken, she leaves the bridge and travels home.
Six months later, she would be dead.