The Bridge of Footprints
Episode 4: The Empty Span
Without warning, the line of travelers halted as the figure directly ahead of Julian stepped off the edge of the invisible path and vanished into the silent abyss below. Julian froze, pressing his boot forward into the mist to test the ground, and felt solid stone materialize beneath his sole with a sharp, echoing click. The footbridge had reappeared, spanning the chasm once more under the pale light of a rising moon that cut through the valley fog. He rushed forward across the granite pavers, desperate to put as much distance between himself and the spectral procession as possible before the span dissolved again.
Rain Without Clouds
As Julian neared the safety of the camp side of the ravine, a heavy, freezing rain began to fall from the clear night sky, though not a single cloud marred the star-lit canopy above. The raindrops were heavy and viscous, splattering against his jacket like drops of dark oil and instantly soaking through his clothing to chill his skin. Looking back across the ravine, he saw that the entire footbridge was now completely submerged beneath a rising tide of black water that bubbled and hissed as it boiled against the ancient stone. The spectral figures were gone, replaced by hundreds of wet footprints that covered every square inch of the bridge like a swarm of insects.