Part 2 of 6 · 5 minThe Bamboo Bridge

"Just keep moving," Anbu said quietly. "We won't make it if we stop."

Kavi didn't answer immediately. He stood with his back to the churning creek, his second torch held low so its light wouldn't disturb the others. The bamboo planks beneath them were no longer green; they had turned a sickly pale yellow, stripped of moisture by the relentless spray but softened by rot. Water pooled in their grooves, creating invisible treacherous lakes where the ground suddenly gave way.

"I know the way," Kavi said finally, his voice cutting through the roar of the flood. "This shortcut bypasses the main dam. We'll be at the ridge in twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes felt like an eternity to Anbu. He looked at Meera, who was adjusting her camera rig despite the rain slicking the lens. Beside her, Ravi wiped mud from his ears, his head jerking back as a particularly loud splash echoed from the valley floor below.

"Your map doesn't show water this high," Anbu murmured, shifting his weight to the center of a plank that dipped visibly under his boot. "The main ridge path is only three hundred meters further up."

"The main path is flooded out," Kavi snapped, stepping forward with exaggerated confidence. He tapped a specific section of bamboo near the far bank. "See this one? It's solid. I tested it myself an hour ago before the surge hit."

Anbu watched the beam of light sweep across Kavi's face. The rival guide's eyes were bright and sharp, devoid of the weariness that clung to Anbu like wet wool. He moved with a fluidity that suggested he'd done this exact crossing a dozen times, yet the bridge shuddered violently under his next step, sending a spray of muddy water onto Meera's boots.

"Trust me," Kavi insisted, gesturing toward the dense wall of bamboo ahead. "The wind is wrong for the main river today. This grove stays drier."

Meera hesitated, her finger hovering over her camera's record button. The sound engineer, Ravi, took a tentative step forward, his eyes scanning the dark water beneath them. The creek was swollen and brown, swallowing the edges of the wooden structure whole. Every footfall created a ripple that seemed to grow larger than the last.

"Follow him," Meera whispered to Anbu, though her own grip on the tripod tightened until her knuckles turned white. "If he knows the ground, let's move."

Anbu nodded once and stepped forward, his torch cutting a narrow cone of light through the driving rain. The bamboo grove was a chaotic tangle of stalks and hanging vines, the air thick with the smell of wet earth and decaying leaves. As they crossed, the bridge groaned again, a long, low sound that vibrated in their chests. Ravi slipped on a patch of slick algae, his foot sliding out from under him before he could find purchase.

"Ravi!" Anbu shouted, lurching forward to grab his arm.

The impact threw both men off balance. Ravi dangled precariously over the edge, his other hand clutching a coil of cable that had dragged into the water. Below, the roar of the creek drowned out all other sound, but Anbu could see the white foam swirling against the dark wood beneath them. The plank Ravi stood on dipped sharply, water rushing up to their knees.

"Grab the vine!" Kavi yelled, his voice cracking with sudden urgency. He lunged forward, extending a hand toward Ravi's dangling partner.

Anbu braced himself against the swaying bridge, planting his feet firmly on the stable sections while keeping his center of gravity low. The bamboo quivered under their combined weight, threatening to snap. With a surge of effort, Anbu leaped sideways, catching Ravi around the waist just as the plank beneath them groaned and splintered.

They swung in an arc, suspended over the churning water, before Anbu dragged him onto a slightly more stable section of the bridge. Ravi gasped for air, his face pale in the beam of the torchlight.

"Solid," Kavi said, stepping forward to inspect the damage. "See? My route was right. That old path behind us would have collapsed under that much weight."

Anbu wiped mud from Ravi's jacket and looked at the bridge ahead. It stretched into the darkness of the bamboo forest, disappearing into shadows that seemed deeper than the surrounding rain could explain. The planks were uneven, some rotted through to the point where they hung loosely, dangling like broken teeth.

"We're almost through," Kavi claimed, his tone lightening as if the danger had passed. "Just keep your eyes on the center. Don't look down."

"Look down," Anbu corrected softly, watching a particularly large puddle form between two planks. It shimmered with an oily sheen that made the surface nearly invisible. "The water moves faster than it looks. Watch for the gaps where the wood splits."

Kavi smirked, his confidence returning. "You're overthinking this. Come on, we're almost at the dry zone."

As they pressed forward, the bridge began to tilt. The weight of the group shifted as Meera adjusted her camera again, and suddenly the far side dropped away with a sharp crack. Ravi slipped once more, his foot finding an empty space between the planks. He reached out blindly, fingers scraping against the rough bark of a hanging vine, but missed.

"Anbu!" Meera screamed, diving forward to catch her tripod before it plunged into the dark water below.

The bridge lurched violently, sending Anbu stumbling toward Kavi. The rival guide stumbled over his own foot, nearly losing his balance as he tried to maintain his rhythm. The bamboo beneath them shrieked like a dying animal, and the sound of rushing water filled their ears, drowning out everything else.