The World Beneath

           Roger walked slowly across the old bridge. It was a blustery frigid winter day in the city, but he had hardly noticed. All Roger could think of was his father who had passed away recently. They had always been remarkably close, and Roger felt such a void in his life now that his dad was gone.

           He stopped at the top of the bridge and gazed down upon the half-frozen river that flowed beneath. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind out of the West blew the hat from Roger’s head and cast it toward the frozen tundra below.

           Roger desperately ran to the end of the bridge and searched for a safe place to make his descent. There was an opening in the chain link fence that he was just barely able to squeeze through before edging his way down the steep, slippery slope.

           He was halfway down when he lost his footing and slid uncontrollably, landing with a hard thump on the cold ground. He stood up and brushed off the snow, then searched the river’s edge for his hat. It was the last thing his father ever gave him, an original ball cap worn by Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees at the 1964 World Series game. He spotted the ball cap twenty feet away and ran to get it before the wind blew it away again.

           After retrieving his hat, Roger made his way back toward the hill that he came down earlier, but as he reached the base of the hill, something odd caught his eye. In behind overgrown weeds covered in icicles and snow, he spotted something with a reddish tinge. He swept the weeds to the side, and it revealed a rusty metal door embedded into the hillside. The latch on the door was severely rusted as well, so using a large rock that he found, Roger proceeded to hammer the lock repeatedly until it gave way. After the smashing it seven or eight times, the latch broke free.

           Roger tried to pull on the door, but between the rust and the ice, it did not want to budge. He searched the frozen ground for something he could use as leverage, and under the bridge is where Roger spotted a rusted wrench. He squeezed the wrench between the frame of the door and the latch and pried it back. After a few seconds, he felt it give way and the door swung open slightly.

           As he pulled the door open fully, a terrible stench encompassed his nasal cavity and he stepped back. Using his scarf, Roger covered his nose and mouth, then, after turning on his cellphone’s flashlight, he proceeded to enter the dark tunnel before him.

           As Roger inched his way down into the darkness, he was bombarded with years’ worth of cobwebs that seemed to envelope every crevice of the tunnel. The ground beneath him was solid except for the slow-running stream of water that appeared to be making an escape after years of captivity.

           Thirty feet into the tunnel, he came across an intersection, one heading East, and the other West. He pondered for a moment which way he should take and chose the East corridor. The light from the opening was quickly disappearing, but he continued onward. Another fifty feet or so had passed and he found himself at another intersection. This time, one went South and the other continued East. He was going to continue straight, but somewhere in the tunnel to the South, he thought he heard a voice.

           Going against his better judgment, Roger headed South. The tunnel seemed to go on for several miles, and he was preparing to go back when the battery died in his phone. He was left in complete darkness. Within seconds, Roger became disoriented, not aware of which direction he had come. He leaned against the wall of the tunnel, afraid to continue, but he knew that he needed to move on if he was ever going to find his way out, so he started back along the path, using his hands to feel the walls of the tunnel as he walked.

           Suddenly, Roger found himself falling uncontrollably. The ground beneath him had disappeared. He feared this would be his end. The fall seemed to take several minutes, and the fear of falling turned to the understanding that he could never survive a fall from this height, so the screaming subsided, and he just closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

           Soon after, Roger felt his body slowing down. Curious about what was happening, he opened his eyes just in time to see a glowing light ahead, then he stopped. His body hovered inches above the ground. He looked around and was surrounded by lush green fields and trees. He looked to the sky above but did not see the blue skies he was used to; instead, he saw shimmering purple lights dancing about like fireflies at night. The let off an ominous glow that reminded him of blacklights that were used backstage when he worked as an actor.

           Standing to his feet, Roger realized that he was still hovering above the ground, yet his feet felt as if they were on solid ground. He tried taking a few steps, and it felt slightly unusual, like walking across a field of marshmallows. He could hear birds, but none were to be seen. As he walked further, he spotted a waterfall, but the water was replaced with what looked like snow. It was a most unusual place, to say the least.

           As he neared the snowfalls, he noticed an opening behind it, so he proceeded inside the cavern, hoping to find a way out. The inside of the cavern was cold, and the walls glowed red like embers in a weakening fire. Across the cavern, he saw a shadowy figured hunched over. The glow from the walls gave it an eerie appearance.

           Roger turned to go when he heard a familiar voice pleading, “Please, don’t go.” Roger turned back toward the figure and saw it drawing nearer. He became immobilized out of fear. His feet refused to move an inch. The figure was nearly upon him now, and details became clearer. Roger stood there speechless.

           What he saw was impossible. He could not believe his own eyes and began to think that he was laying unconscious after the fall, and all of this was in his head.

           “Roger,” the figure in front of him said. “Don’t be afraid, son.”

           Roger stood face-to-face with his deceased father.

           “How can this be?” Roger asked. “I was at the hospital when you died. I saw them bury you! Am I going insane?”

           “No, son. Please, let me explain.”

           Roger paced back-and-forth, unsure of what he should believe. Finally, he allowed this person or thing that claimed to be his father, explain.

           “It is because of me that you are here right now. I caused the ball cap to fly off your head because I knew you would chase after it. I led you to this labyrinth and hoped you would find your way to this place.”

           “What is this place, exactly?” Roger asked.

           “It is realm where the living can interact with the dead. How it appears is different for everyone. Because you have such an inventive mind, it is quite unique.”

           “But why did you draw me here…” He hesitated to say it, “Dad?”

           “There were things that I didn’t have a chance to say when I was alive, and this was my one-and-only opportunity to make it happen.”

           “What do you need to say? I don’t understand.”

           “I kept something from you all these years, Roger. Something that I regretted telling you out of shame, but I think you need to hear it now.”

           “Okay, you have me a little worried now, Dad.”

           “Son, about a year before you came along, your mom and I were going through a rough patch, and I did something that I regretted ever since. I had an affair with one of your mom’s good friends at the time.”

           Roger stood there in disbelief. He wondered how this man he looked up to all his life could have cheated on his mom.

           “I had too much to drink one night after your mom and I had a big fight, and I found myself showing up at Lynn’s door. I begged her to help me work things out with your mother, but instead, I found myself in her arms, then her bed. The next day when I awoke, I felt so ashamed and rushed home to your mother and told her everything. A few months later, Lynn showed up at my work. She informed me that she was three months pregnant. I had to tell your mom, and I thought she was going to throw me to the curb with the trash, but instead, she told me that I needed to do the right thing and help support the baby.”

           Roger was having a tough time to fathom everything that was just dropped in his lap. His father continued.

           “Your mom is such an extraordinary creature. I don’t know where I would have ended up if it wasn’t for her. So, what I am trying to say, Roger, is that you have a half-brother. His name is Victor, and he still lives in town, though his mother has passed on. I was hoping that you two could finally meet up. I believe that you need someone to fill that void.”

           “How will I find him?” Roger asked.

           “Go to Dr. Simmons’ office on Main Street and make an appointment for a check-up.”

           “Will Dr. Simmons be able to tell me where he is?”

           “He is Dr. Simmons, Doctor Victor Simmons, M.D.”

           “Okay, Dad, I promise to see him. Can I come back here again to see you?”

           “I’m afraid not, son. I need to move on now. My time here is through.”

           “How do I get back to the surface?”

           “Just jump through the snow when you leave this cave. I love you son.”

           “I love you too, dad. Goodbye.”

           Roger turned toward the snowfalls and then back into the cave, but his father was gone. He took a deep breath and launched himself into the falling snow. When he emerged on the other side, he was back by the riverside. As he turned back around, the rusted old door had disappeared without a trace, so he climbed back up the hill and headed home.

           The next day, Roger booked an appointment to see Dr. Simmons, and was told they had a last-minute cancellation, and he could come in right away. While waiting in the examination room, he looked at the various diplomas and accomplishments that his half-brother had acquired during his career.

           When Dr. Simmons walked into the room, Roger could immediately see the resemblance. The doctor began to ask Roger some routine questions about his health, but Roger stopped him and explained the discovery that he recently found out about.

Dr. Simmons asked his nurse to reschedule the rest of the day’s appointments, and he and Roger spent the rest of the day learning about one another. Roger filled him in about their father and all that they did together while he was growing up. It was exactly what Roger needed in his life.

           Roger never revealed to anyone, his story about the labyrinth beneath the bridge, but each time he crossed it since that day, he made a point of climbing down the hill, hoping to find the rusty old door back again.