Bridge

Lila shakily stood up as she hurried to draw the curtains of the carriage. Curse this carriage, this is why I should ride on a horse. Lila grumbled in her mind. Peering out the window, she could see a battle raging a small distance away from the bridge. The carriage had stopped in the middle of the bridge. Wait, Lila paused. THE CARRIAGE HAD STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE?

Frantically yanking at the handle of the carriage door, Lila cursed out loud when she realized they had barricaded the doorway. They're going to collapse the bridge.

Lila stripped off the hanging curtains and grabbed the curtain rod, brandishing it like a bat. Thank god for the amount of space in this carriage. I can take a proper swing at the door. Just as Lila prepared to destroy it, the bridge rumbled. She stumbled as she put her hand to her pounding head.

Why...why does my hand feel wet. Lila's vision was blurry as she tried to focus on her hand which was now drenched red. The bridge shook again, this time throwing her against the wall. In a heart-wrenching moment, a loud crack snapped through the air and the carriage plunged into the water.

All the noise cut out as the carriage sank, the only light coming from above. It grew darker and darker as it sank, and it didn't help that water was beginning to leak inside. Lila's heavy breaths filled the carriage as her hands gripped the rod so tight that her knuckles turned white. I don't have enough energy to break the door open. I'll have to make do with the window.

Taking a deep breath, Lila swung with all her might at the glass. The glass cracked, causing more water to spray in from the tiny cracks. Her movements grew sluggish as she moved through the water pouring in with difficulty.

Frustration roared through her as she sank along with her now-soaked dress. If she was to take the dress with her, it would only be dead weight. "Stupid dress." With one motion, Lila stripped off the top layer of her dress, leaving only the plain undergown. Checking to make sure the notebook was secure, Lila picked up the rod again.

The water was now up to her waist and still pouring in at alarming speeds. With one last heave, the thick glass shattered, and a flood of water spilled in.

In the blink of an eye, the carriage was filled with water. No time to waste, Lila thought. Taking a deep breath before the last bit of the carriage filled in, Lila dove through the broken window. The broken glass cut and scraped at her skin, drawing lines of blood down her arms as she pushed through. Wincing in pain, Lila kicked desperately toward the surface.

Her lungs burning as she resisted the urge to take a breath. The surface of the water got closer and closer, and Lila could almost feel the sunlight above gently embracing her skin. But the darkness that crawled in the corners of her vision told another story. Her legs and arms felt like jelly as they strained to keep her up to the surface. No, Lila thought with dread. I'm so close.

With her last push of energy, Lila stretched her hand above the water hoping that someone, anyone would see her. Even though she was still struggling to stay awake mentally, Lila felt her body go limp and the light grew further and further away as she sank. Maybe now I can finally be free. Her eyes closed as the darkness consumed her and just before Lila fell unconscious, she could swear she heard a splash...