Bridge at the End of the World

"What is faith?" Angilia asked, sitting down at the dining room table.

"Belief in an illusion," replied Faye, removing the carafe from the coffee maker sitting on the oak buffet against the west wall. She walked to the table, poured coffee into three of the cups, and then returned the carafe to the buffet before sitting down next to her sisters.

"Angilia," said Morgana taking a sip of her coffee. "You know better than to get Faye started on anything to do with religion or spirituality. She doesn't believe in anything."

"I damn well know I don't believe in that "Bridge at the End of the World", Aunt Pearl was always ranting about." She glared across the table at Morgana. "That old bat was crazy, and--I'm telling you two right now--I'm going to break her will. My lawyer says..."

"You're just pissed," Morgana said, "that she didn't leave you this house."

"You're damn, right I am!" Faye glared at Morgana. "That crazy old woman promised me this house."

"When?" Morgana and Angilia asked in unison.

"That day she asked us what we wanted as an inheritance. I said I wanted the house, and she said..."

"She said she'd think about it," Angilia picked up a cookie off the plate sitting in the middle of the table. "I don't know why you're so upset. She left you the yacht."

"Pfft!" Faye sneered at her sister. "This house is worth more than the Sea Dream."

"The townhouse is worth more than the Sea Dream." Angilia smiled sweetly, "I'll tell you what, Faye, if you like, I'll talk to Aunt Pearl's lawyer on Tuesday, and see if I can trade you the townhouse for the yacht."

"I don't want the townhouse! I want this house!"

"I'm damn well not going to trade you this house for the yacht." Morgana got up and walked to the sliding glass door that led into the backyard. "I like..."

"Would you sell this house to me?"

"Faye," Angilia joined Morgana at the door. "Why do you want this house, so bad?"

"Jed Marshal, of Homes of the Future, is buying up land in this area. When I told him I was inheriting this house, he offered me two million for it."

Morgana and Faye glanced at each other and winked. They had already had the house and land appraised, so they knew the house and land was worth well over two million.

"Did he tell you why he wanted to purchase the house?"

"Who cares, Morgana," Faye growled. "He can bulldoze everything to the ground."

"I care, Little Sister, " Morgana purposely used the nickname that Faye hated.

"Don't call me Little Sister! I'm the same age as you two."

"Not exactly," Morgana smiled sweetly. "You were born five minutes after Angilia, and she was born five minutes after me."

"So you won't sell me the house?"

"I might." Morgana paused as if considering the idea. "Let me think about it, and I'll give you my answer on Tuesday."

"Why Tuesday?"

"Because I'll have to ask Aunt Pearl's lawyer if I can sell the property. And, since Monday is Memorial Day, Mr. Jone's office won't be open."

"Fine," Faye got up, and started for the front door. "Morgana, call me on Tuesday after you've seen the lawyer."

"Where you going," asked Morgana.

"To my apartment. Where did you think I was going?"

"Faye," Angilia rushed to block her sister's exit. "If we don't stay in this house for the next three days, none of us will inherit anything. And," she winked at Morgana. "There won't be a house for Morgana to sell you."

"Shit!" Faye turned and walked down the hall to the room she had slept in as a child."

***

At midnight, Faye heard a noise coming from the dining room. Getting up, she put on her robe and walked down the hall to the dining room. There she saw Morgana and Angilia staring out the sliding glass door into the backyard. "What are you two looking at?"

"Uh," Morgana quickly closed the drapes. "Nothing."

"Don't give me that crap!" Faye rushed to the door and jerked the curtains open. Faye stared out the window, her mouth opened as if to speak, but nothing came out.

The backyard no longer existed. A wooden walkway, with wooden handrails covered with emerald green vines, and trees along either side led from the back porch into a grayish mist. Faye turned around to face her sisters, "What's that? Where's the backyard?"

"Faye," said Angilia, "is this the first time you've seen the.. Uh... walkway?"

"Yes!" She started to open the doors, but Angilia stopped her. "Let me go!"

"Faye," Morgana said, "that's the bridge Aunt Pearl talked about."

"The Bridge at the End of the World? You mean it leads off the planet into..."

"It goes into another dimension." Both Morgana and Angilia attempted to pull Faye away from the door.

"Let me go!" Faye hit Angilia knocking her down, and then bit Morgana's hand. Pushing the door open, she ran onto the wooden bridge, and rushed toward the mist.

Morgana helped Angilia stand up, and then they watched Faye disappear with the bridge.

WC: 867