Long Bridge

6

I've been feeling like absolute shit for a week or two now so I'm sorry about not updating. Sorry for probably letting you down and being a little bitch every time I was asked to update. If this chapter is not up to par, I apologize. Also, if this is as bad as my last chapter, I'm putting this on hold because this is just going to end up adding to the shit I've been dealing with. Sorry again. Bare with me.

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As Kassidy approached the butcher's, she couldn't figure out which house around it was Gladys'. The buildings were all so alike it was difficult to find any indication that it was an old lady's home. Back in New Orleans, there might've been a few cats or dingy lace curtains in the window, but here there was literally nothing to add charm to any exterior. The rain definitely didn't help. It covered all surfaces in view with a thick haze. She could only barely make out what she was looking at. As Kassidy was staring way too long at a window, a loud booming voice came from a door that had just swung open violently, "Gladys you are no help around here with your witch bull. So goddamn useless..." The butcher was carrying a large bucket of fish heads that were swarmed with flies. One fell on the ground next to his foot as he stepped out into the pouring rain. Kassidy wrinkled her nose in disgust as she watched the head become saturated. With a final slam of the wooden door, the large man waddled toward a wooden shack at the edge of the forest. An old woman reopened the door and shouted, "At least I don't smell like shit asshole!" Because of her age, she shuffled very slowly back inside. Kassidy caught the door just before she closed it, "Mam, I need your help if I could only have a minute of your time... Please?" Gladys scanned the area for any spectators as if there was something to hide and motioned for Kassidy to come in.

Five seconds inside, Kassidy wanted to puke. The first thing she saw when she walked in was all of the remains of animals just rotting into the floorboards. A black cat was licking up an orange liquid coming from one of the piles of flesh. The metal tables had sharp knives of all different shapes and sizes scattered across, freshly chopped meat sitting next to them. Kassidy held her breath and walked cautiously. Gladys lead her to a room that was decorated in fine silks and fabrics hung messily around the walls. Lamps and patchwork pillows littered the floor. It smelled of essential oils with the slight stink of rotted remains from the other room, but it was tolerable. "Come, sit. What is troubling you, dear?" Gladys smiled at her. It was creepy but polite, almost as if she knew what she was going to say. "I heard you could help me get out of this place. Do you think you could help?" Kassidy started to play with her fingers. "Drink this and I'll tell you" Gladys held out a porcelain tea cup filled with a thick green liquid. "I'm sorry but i'm not going to drink this unless you tell me what it is" She pushed the cup back toward the old woman. "It's just something to help ease your tension. Open up your mind and such." She pushed it back towards Kassidy. She was willing to try whatever she could, "Ok fine." She took the cup and placed it to her lips. It tasted of pistachios and dirt.   

The moment the liquid was swallowed, her eyes shot open and she found herself in a different room.  Kassidy was surrounded by floating colors and morphed faces. It felt as if she was questioning her existence and feeling very hopeful for the future all at one time. Her mind allowed her to be outside of her own body. The patterns and colors were constantly changing around her. She looked down at her hands. It was like she could see all of the blood running through her veins. "Di- Did you just... Drug me?" She tried to speak normally but she was pretty out of it. "No my darling. I opened your mind. Now, to get home... Right... You cannot get home simply by boat. No... Not by boat.... But by mind...." Gladys was nothing more but a loud, echoing voice. Kassidy was high, but she wasn't stupid, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I came here for no reason then? Thanks for the help.. I think i'm just gonna go." Before she could get up, Gladys snapped her fingers and she was out like a light. She woke up inside of a small wooden boat drifting away from the island. The water was rocking the boat slightly. The weather was calmer and clearer than normal. She tried to move and realized her arms and legs were tied together. She tried to speak but she had no mouth. Kassidy furrowed her eyebrows together in frustration. She looked toward the shore, Ruel and his family were all standing there staring as she departed. She noticed how unhappy they looked. They all held straight faces just staring ahead. Their eyes rolled to the backs of their heads and rolled back black. All 3 men smiled so wide their mouths reached their ears. The sky became a dark grey, the sun hidden by sheets of clouds. Their faces began to melt and became disfigured. The men fell to the ground into a blob of their own bodies. An ear piercing shriek came from every direction. Kassidy tried to scream but it was no use because again, she had no mouth. She closed her eyes and began to silently sob wishing to get out of here. As she opened her eyes, she was back in Gladys' room. "What the fuck was that! Why would you do that to me you... you... wretched woman!" Kassidy was trying to catch her breath. "Do what? I haven't done a thing to you. Now would you calm down. I haven't told you how to get out of here yet." Gladys walked over to a tea kettle and placed a hand on the porcelain cup with the green liquid. "You already told me how. You just drugged me, planted me inside of a weird lucid dream, and now you're going to deny that any of that just happened? What the fu-" Kassidy was completely cut off. Gladys snapped her fingers again and all there was was pitch black.

"Kassidy? It's almost 11 and your breakfast getting cold." A voice was heard from Kassidy's right. Her eyes were still closed. "What the fuck? I'm in bed?" Kassidy grumbled confused. "Well why wouldn't you be? Come on hurry." Kassidy guessed that was probably Ruel. She was still very bewildered but nonetheless got out of bed. Kassidy was still quite woozy with every step. Slowly but surely, she finally made it to the dining chair. Harry looked over to an unsteady Kassidy. "Hey honey are you okay? You look kind of pale," Harry put a hand to her head, "No fever. Just let me know if you need anything okay? Poor baby." He frowned and got her food from the counter top. A few moments later, Harry placed a warm plate of french toast in front of her. The heavenly smell did something to Kassidy.  She was suddenly awake and aware of everything around her. Ruel was sitting in front of her munching away on his meal. She was already aware she was magically transported back to the bakery, but now she was AWARE and shaken by it. "What a strange dream..." She said out loud. "Hmm?" Ruel murmured with a mouth full. "Nothing." Kassidy couldn't tell anyone about this because what if it wasn't just a dream? Kassidy began to eat.

Harry and Louis watched as Ruel and Kassidy talked, "Do you think... She went to Gladys? A strange dream that she doesn't want to speak about? Don't you think that's weird?" Harry asked Louis. "Her weird look on her face as she came downstairs gave it away... Like she wasn't mentally with us yet," Louis replied, "You told me that you told her she shouldn't go right? Why did she still go? Stubborn little shit huh. Are we going to tell her that it wasn't a dream?" Harry shook his head and whispered, "She'll figure it out eventually."

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I still feel like this was a piece of shit chapter but you got the update you wanted. I have felt no motivation for quite a bit. this is the best I can pull out of myself right now. one of my longest chapters so far.

as you can probably tell, I have never one drugs in my life. just took some of it from other people's experiences.