In the woods between the Kennedy’s house (the one next door to mine), and the little yellow house, was our Bridge to Terabithia. One day, I think one of the boys, found a thin 3 foot piece of wood, and set it up as a bridge crossing over deeper into the woods. Behind the bridge was Terabithia.
We reenacted scenes from the movie, pretending the forest was much more than it really was. Trees were alive, they were tall, broad shouldered soldiers. Tigers and bears roamed around, like humans. They talked and walked on 2 legs. Our hideouts were logs, and sticks were metal swords. We would go into battle against the army of trees, always surrounded by the camouflage. We had teepees made of braches, and blue jays were vultures and hawks. We had a land of our own, the vast forest, and we made it whatever we desired it to be. A crowded forest to a crumbling ancient city in a matter of seconds. Trees changed to knights, with armor of bark and the piles of rocks changed to a medieval stone castle. We’d climb the trees and suddenly have a view of the city, from the watchtower. Nerf guns became canons, and the boys became princes.
In Terabithia, we were set free from the cages of reality. When we crossed the simple bridge, we could be whoever we wanted to be, from a queen to a doctor, and do whatever we wanted , from flying like batman over NYC to being Katniss in the Hunger Games arena. But only until dinner time when the wild birds had to be sent back into their cages.