Chapter 24: The Dangerous Bridge: The Challenging Journey of the Poisonous River
In the previous chapter, you read:
The mysterious old man pressed a button, revealing an invisible bridge, but two dangerous creatures from the river attacked them.
Ali and his companions subdued both creatures. Now they head towards the river to cross the bridge.
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Now, Ali and his companions stood before the bridge, which gave a sense of impending danger.
The bridge looked very old and perilous. Its wooden planks were decayed, and many parts were broken, as if foretelling an unfortunate event.
Junaid, eyes wide in disbelief, said,
"What? This is the bridge we're going to cross the poisonous river with? It could collapse at any moment!"
Sheikh Hamza responded seriously, "This bridge seems strange to me!"
Junaid nodded in agreement, "Yes, I feel the same!"
Ali looked at the bridge carefully, sensing its weaknesses, and said, "This bridge looks extremely fragile.
If we all climb on it at once, it might collapse." His voice carried a mix of fear and concern.
The mysterious old man smiled and said,
"That's absolutely right, Ali! This bridge is weak, and it can't bear all our weight at once. The sensible thing is for us to cross in pairs."
Junaid, surprised, asked, "In pairs?"
Ali nodded, "Yes, the old man is right. We must do it this way."
Sheikh Hamza asked the old man, "So which pairs will be crossing?"
The old man answered calmly, "Junaid and I will go together, and Sheikh Hamza and Ali will be the other pair."
Sheikh Hamza smiled and said, "I'm fine with this pair. What do you think, Ali?"
Ali responded immediately, "Yes, uncle, I have no objections!"
Junaid, excited, said, "I'm ready to cross the bridge with the old man!"
Seeing Junaid's enthusiasm, the old man said,
"I'm glad to see your eagerness, Junaid! But remember, there could be many challenges as we cross the bridge."
Ali, worried, asked, "What kind of challenges?"
The old man warned in a serious voice,
"Remember, there are many poisonous creatures living beneath this bridge. If they hear our footsteps, they might target us."
Ali took a deep breath and said,
"So that means we need to move very carefully."
Sheikh Hamza asked,
"Is there any other danger?"
The old man replied seriously,
"Yes, the bridge is weak. It could break at any moment while walking.
So it's wise to hold onto the ropes tied to the sides of the bridge while crossing."
Ali nodded,
"We'll do that."
Sheikh Hamza pointed towards his weapon and said,
"We have special weapons to deal with the poisonous creatures."
The old man nodded in satisfaction,
"Exactly. Now, we shouldn't waste any more time. We need to start crossing the bridge."
Junaid eagerly asked,
"Who will go first? Me and you, or Ali and Sheikh Hamza?"
The old man made the decision,
"Ali and Sheikh Hamza will go first."
Ali quickly responded,
"We're ready!"
The old man advised them,
"Take out your weapons!"
Ali tightly gripped his iron rod, and Sheikh Hamza unsheathed his sword.
The two exchanged a look, gathered their courage, and stepped onto the bridge,
"As soon as the first step was taken, the creaking of the bridge filled the air, creating a sensation of unease.
Sheikh Hamza's body shivered lightly, as though the bridge itself had warned him."
Ali, gathering his courage, said,
"Uncle, we must control our fear!"
Sheikh Hamza smiled and replied,
"You're right, Ali!"
Ali then told Sheikh Hamza,
"Hold onto the ropes along the side of the bridge. It will make it easier for us to cross!"
From behind, the mysterious old man shouted,
"Ali and Sheikh Hamza! Move carefully forward!"
Both of them tightly held onto the ropes on the sides of the bridge.
They continued to move forward, with the creaking sound growing louder, as if the bridge could collapse at any moment.
Slowly, they crossed halfway when suddenly, the river stirred violently. It was caused by a poisonous creature—a fish—lurking in the water.
Seeing the poisonous fish nearby, worry spread across the faces of Sheikh Hamza and Ali.
Sheikh Hamza (in a worried tone):
"Ali, it's a poisonous fish! What should we do?"
Ali (in an excited tone):
"We just need to keep moving forward. If it attacks us, we already have our weapons ready!"
After this, Ali and Sheikh Hamza continued to move slowly. Gradually, they crossed halfway.
Suddenly, the river stirred as if some massive creature was trying to rise from the depths. Large bubbles began to form in the water, and then a gigantic poisonous fish leaped out, attacking.
"Ali, be careful!" Sheikh Hamza shouted loudly.
Ali swiftly swung his rod and struck the fish's head with a powerful blow. The fish thrashed and fell back into the water.
"Ugh! That was really dangerous," Ali said, wiping his sweat.
Sheikh Hamza let out a sigh of relief and said,
"Ali, we've crossed halfway."
Ali, encouraging himself, replied,
"A little more effort... the goal is close!"
Finally, they crossed the last part of the bridge. Sheikh Hamza joyfully exclaimed,
"Congratulations, Ali! We've crossed the bridge!"
Ali, however, expressed his concern,
"Real congratulations will be when Junaid and the old man safely cross too."
Ali took a deep breath and said,
"We've crossed the bridge, but how will the message reach Junaid and the old man?"
Sheikh Hamza (with enthusiasm):
"I have a way!"
Ali (eagerly):
"Really? So, tell me!"
Sheikh Hamza said,
"Just watch!"
Sheikh Hamza drew his sword and waved it in the sky. On the other side, the old man smiled and said,
"See, Junaid, Sheikh Hamza has given the signal. Now it's our turn!"
Junaid, eyes wide, said,
"Wow! How did you know they crossed the bridge?"
The old man explained,
"I told Sheikh Hamza to wave his sword after crossing the bridge."
Junaid let out a sigh of relief and said,
"Then let's go, now it's our turn."
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamza (with a smile):
"Did you get it, Ali?"
Ali (with a little laugh):
"I understand now. You and the old man must've decided that after crossing the bridge, you would wave the sword in the sky."
Sheikh Hamza replied,
"Exactly, you got it right!"
Now, the mysterious old man and Junaid had reached the bridge, determined to cross.
The bridge now stood in front of the old man and Junaid:
The big question was—
Will the mysterious old man and Junaid be able to cross this dangerous bridge as well?
Will the river remain calm, or is there another danger waiting to stop their steps?
To find out, read the next chapter…
Chapter 25
To be continued…