The Dare


The Day

July in Governor Dodge State Park found the frogs fat, and the crickets thick in collective song. I never knew the river to be so muddy, though it didn’t stop us from trying our luck for catfish. The long weekend away was the first time I’d ever camped out in a real tent. Ronny, my brother, went out of his way to ignore me and made it painfully clear that the only reason I was there was ‘cuz the folks went to see Aunt Minerva and if I ever wanted to hang out with him and his friends after this, I’d best not be telling the folks anything about the beer they was drinking. I thought it was kinda funny the way they got that drunken guy in front of the liquor store to buy it for them, but I didn’t say nothing. I was with high-school guys and I was making the most of it.

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The Bridge

After an hour of not catching nothing, Jimmy says we should go down about a half mile and fish under the bridge. He knows the place ‘cuz he’s been there with his pa and they always have good luck there. The guys start packing up and heading down river and I’m right behind them when Ronny throws an empty beer can at me and tells me to stay behind ‘till I fill it clear full with worms. He tells me to dig in the river-bank where it’s wet. I musta give him a mopey stare ‘cuz he tell me to shut up, “Don’t even think of cryin,’” and, “hurry up about it.” I find lots of worms and fill the can pretty quick and find those guys in the river below the bridge when I get there. They’re skinny-dipping and start screaming at me to go up top and jump off the bridge into the river. I look up and there are sorts of cars going by, I tell ‘em there is no way I’m taking off my clothes, climbing up top and jumping in. I don’t know how high it is but it looks like a lot more than my 2nd floor bedroom window, maybe three times that high.

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The Dare

Ronny is the first one outta the water. He comes over to me and says the guys think I’m a pussy and this is the one way I can show ‘em I’m not. He says the water is plenty deep enough below the exact middle of the bridge, the highest point and all of them did it before I got there. “The rest of the weekend is on your own if you chicken out,” he says, as I start to literally piss my pants. My shorts are so wet from digging he doesn’t notice at first but then he looks at my leg and sees piss flowing down it and grabs me. “Look you little shit, do this and you’re one of the boys. If they see you pissing your pants its over for both of us, you don’t have to get naked, just get up there and do it – NOW.”

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The Fall

I start up towards the top side of the bridge and by the time I reach the road; all the guys are out of the river and back in their shorts on the bank. They are actually cheering me on and for just a second I think I can actually do this. When I get to the middle of the bridge I see that there is a railing I have to climb in order to get to the other side where there is a small ledge I figure I’ll jump from. The guys are going wild, screaming my name. Ronny screams out he’s got a beer for me for after. I don’t think I like beer and I’m thinking how even though I can’t stand Aunt Minerva, I’d rather be there right now. When I get over the railing to the ledge I get my right foot on firm, when I swing my left leg over though and go to plant my foot, I miss the ledge completely and feel myself falling head first towards the river.

I close my eyes just before I hit the water and then there’s nothing.

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words: Michael J. Solender, North Carolina (not from here, are you)
image: 'suspension' - Brigita Orel, Slovenia ( Do The Write Thing)

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another riverside (maybe the same, later): Butler Creek (#21)