home

search

The Strange Place 10 : Across The Bridge Of Ifrit

  Masa Ed as he has decided—never to make a sound when in pain—fought back at the depth of his mind against the scorching pain he could feel in every corner of his body, crawling from his skin, to his organs and his bones. Every single cell of his body were like they are on fire, but for some reason they refuse to burn. All Masa Ed could feel was the sensation of his body on fire—burning thoroughly—and the intense pain that accompany it, seeming like it will not end anytime soon.

  However, it didn't take long that his eyes snapped open. Yet again, he was back in the damned room a third time, but this time, it was a scorching pain that lingers amidst his cold silent fury and his hatred for those behind the veil—who are doing this to him.

  Masa Ed, looking expressionless, rose in one motion from the large bed and made his way to the table. This time he has chosen not to display his weak side, so he ignored the biting pain of the flame in his mind, a residue is will will soon overcome and subdue like the inhuman scorching blaze before it.

  Like the second time, he found the paper that contains the unchanging message of the nameless idiot. And after he read it carefully before it caught fire, he carried the lantern which has also has not changed. And walking towards the door, he stood in front of it, and as the unchanging instruction, he stare at the eyes of his reflection on the door for three minute after which it seems the door to vanish, and turning on his lantern, he exit the room, stepping feet on the corridor beyond it.

  For the third time now, Masa Ed after deciding not to change his decision for the previous two times he came to the corridor to search for room 33 as the nameless idiot instructed, head towards the left end of the corridor where door 32 and door 3 are the last doors that are opposite each other. Then after reaching it and improvising door 33 like he has done before—taking plate 3 on door 32 and sticking it close to plate 3 that is on door 3 to make door 33, he knocked on it after which he answered the voice from behind it like the first two times, before he entered the room behind the door and fetch the white notebook and white pen like the first time, but while noticing the whispering and the tempting feeling in his heart that wants him to look at the person on the bed contrary to the instructions, has gone up one level than the second time—the previous time.

  Moving on... Masa Ed having exit the room interact with the pen like the first time, receiving the instruction on how to leave the corridor from it like the previous two times, which he followed, doing like the second time, and as a result, he returned to the place behind the door he exit—the landing of a stair suspended above the sea of fog.

  Masa Ed not delaying after receiving the instruction from the pen like the previous two times, starts going down the stair and the invisible ones that are becoming visible as he steps on them. Then moments later, he reached the end of the last stairs as instructed, and he once again received the instruction that will help him cross the bridge of Ifrit he will conjure by turning his back after which he will bow to the lantern nine times, doing just like the last time.

  'I pray you guys don't follow you rules word for words.' Masa Ed mused internally.

  Since the time he rose from the bed, what he has been thinking about is all the instructions he has received and has been following so far—both the one from the nameless idiot and the white pen. And this time, having reached a conclusion that all the instructions involved observing them to the last detail, he decided to follow this particular instruction that will help him cross the bridge of Ifrit as it was stated—word for word—hence, observing it to the last detail.

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  Moving on... After bowing nine times to the lantern, after which its flame became red, looking snake-like like the eye of a primordial being, Masa Ed dare not take his eyes off it as he walk backwards until the flame returned to how it was before, signifying he has reached the bridge of Ifrit.

  However this time, Masa Ed did not continue to walk on the bridge backwards so as not to see what is behind him. Instead, he close his eyes tightly shut and carefully turned around facing the direction he will travel on the long bridge of Ifrit that he knows for sure is very long.

  'Should I try it?'

  Masa Ed deliberated if he should open his eyes to see if there is really nothing in front of him as he concluded already from the instruction. However seeing no need to take unnecessary risk, he shook his head, rejecting the idea, and he starts running on the bridge, crossing it, but with his right hand holding the lantern and the left hand holding the notebook stretched, so that when he trail of the straight path as he has decided to keep his eyes tightly shut till he cross the bridge, they will hit maybe the statue or the balustrade first, then he will not fall of the bridge's edge probably.

  Anyways... Masa Ed in this manner continue to run very fast on a straight line, regardless of the fact he can't see what is in front of him, hoping if he trail towards the edge of the bridge, his stretched hands or what they are holding will contact the red stone balustrades at either side first or the stone statues lined alongside them.

  However, this time, Masa Ed after running a great distance with his left hand having hit a stone statue once and the stone balustrades twice—he felt pain though. He noticed the floor and the place did not heat up like the first time, hence verifying his conclusion that the instructions should be followed as written. Then coming to a decision, he tilt his head downward after which he slightly open his eyes to look at the floor of the bridge he is running on.

  "Don't see what's behind you, bastards." Masa Ed muttered, cursing whoever came up with the tricky instruction.

  And although he is feeling very uncomfortable from the sweats all over his body and the soreness he felt all over his joints, which are both the result of him maintaining top speed since he started running on the bridge, he never for once thought of slowing down, even after he discovered looking at the floor of the bridge will not make the scorching inferno that he thinks is behind him engulf him and inflict on him unbearable pain. Instead, he increased his speed a little, hoping and praying he stepped off the bridge as quick as possible before his lantern goes out.

  Time passed.

  "Mmm, it has as changed?" Masa Ed muttered as he noticed the ground below him that he his treading on has switched from the interlocked red bricks of the bridge deck to a sandy ground like that of a beach that is illuminated only by his lantern light that is as bright as when he got on the bridge. Then by this, believing he should have crossed over the bridge, he slowed down and opened his eyes. Then lifting his head though he wasn't certain its a great idea, he saw in front of him a giant silhouetted ship that is like a viking long boat with a giant snake figurehead and is anchored on a sea illuminated by the bluish-white light of the gigantic moon that backdrops it, with its portside facing him like its waiting for him.

  "I guess this should be the last stage."

  Saying this, Masa Ed came to a halt because the white notebook and pen, as usual, have broken free from his hold somehow to do as usual, which is give him the instruction of his next move.

Recommended Popular Novels