"29" :: Chapter-16

The wheels were drawing near, with the sound drawing even more near as the vehicle moved towards Fabrice. The vehicle was making the entire bridge vibrate even from a distance. Fabrice closed his eyes, the distant roar of the engine was interrupted by the thunder in the sky, the serpent was still lying on his chest. 1...2...3  Fabrice began a count in his head. 4...5 were rather too quick, he immediately began rolling his body to the left side. With eyes completely shut Fabrice couldn't see if he had rolled over the serpent but a few moments later he felt its body touching his legs.

Fabrice kept on moving till he had rolled all the way to the end of the bridge, the vehicle had now turned and it was coming all the way towards Fabrice. He got up and looked at the vehicle drawing nearer and nearer. Fabrice couldn't think of anything so he jammed the knot of the rope tied to his hands and hung outside the bridge. He popped his head a little only to see that the vehicle was too close now. It was a two wheeler, red in color with humongous wheels at the bottom of its covered surface. The vehicle hit the bridge so hard, that the impact made Fabrice sway away in the air.

The surface below the bridge was made up of concrete leading to the waters below. Fabrice waited for a while, but no one came in view. Suddenly the bridge began rumbling with a light vibration. Before he could figure out, Fabrice was jerked hard by the rush of water below his legs. After lifting his legs away from the water's flow, Fabrice could hang comfortably. But the hanging was getting a tad bit uncomfortable so Fabrice decided to pull himself up. But a little face popped out from above. It was Emilia, she was smiling, which definitely meant something. She lifted her hand to expose the blade, and began cutting the knot of the rope holding Fabrice to the bridge. "Emiliaa!" shrieked Fabrice  "Stop" he shouted. But she kept cutting the rope, smiling all the while with an innocence that defied what she was doing.

Fabrice kept shouting till the rope finally snapped. He fell, the flow of water pushing him down, numbing his whole body. It was all happening way too fast but it appeared to happen slowly. Right before the plunge, Fabrice saw the thirteenth hour in its twenty sixth minute, and then the water took over his body and his breath.