Wallace
The night was always a good time for clearing one's mind of the day, especially after a long day of work. Eli often made his way out to this bridge, finding it a good place to overlook the water running below him and reflect on things. He liked the calmness of this quiet town, especially when compared to the busy town he came from. 

Since he had come here, he had been much happier. He had been making his own money, he had been living on his own, the independence felt nice. But even more than that, he felt healthier. Of course, this place had not suddenly cured all his illnesses. But... His asthma had seemed to have gotten a little better. 

He figured it was the fresh air in comparison to the smogy air he was used to back home. It was a nice change all in all. As he stood on the bridge, he took a deep breath in, and smiled a bit. 

He missed his family sometimes sure, but he did visit them on occasion. He did see them, he just had his own life now. He also enjoyed proving them wrong, he knew they thought he was going to mooch off them forever, and he probably could have, but that was not the life he wanted. Even if that life would have been easier. 

He didn't know if he would be here forever, but he knew for a fact that this was where his roots were settled now. He ran a hand through his hair and reached into his pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes, they weren't just normal cigarettes, but ones that had been prescribed for his asthma. He put it between his lips, and lit it up taking a deep inhale in before slowly letting it out. 

He looked down at the water, and tapped his fingers along the edge of the bridge.
Devon
The day had been long, and with her children being watched by the neighbor for the night as a favor, she was deciding to walk home the long way. Taking the scenic route through Briar Ridge wasn't always wise at night, but the sun was still peeking up over the edge of the land, and she felt it would be alright to go this way. It was beautiful all year round; that was the nice thing about living in a town like this. The trees, the rivers and ponds and lakes, everything... It was so nice to look at. 

The wooden bridge stood between her and the rest of the way home, but the figure ahead made her pause before she recognized exactly who it was. 

The city transplant-turned milkman was an oddball to her, but his personality wasn't off-putting. They'd only spoken once or twice in passing; and her children always pried open the window when he arrived with his delivery so they could wave to him. 

"Mr. Abrams," She greeted him as her feet slowed to a stop, leaning on the railing of the bridge as he did. "It's rare to see you out of uniform."
Wallace
As he noticed the other approaching, he turned towards her with a small smile. He had seen her on his route of course, but other than that he had really only seen her once or twice outside of that. It wasn't unexpected of course, she was a busy woman with kids, that kind of life required a lot of attention. 

As she spoke his smile turned into a grin, and he moved his cigarette to the other hand in an attempt to keep the smoke from blowing her way as he spoke. "Hello Mrs. Baker." He said with a nod. 

"Well, to be fair it's not often I see you not at home.." He said as he took a drag off the cigarette and blew the smoke away from her. "How are your kids?" Polite pleasantries were not really Eli's thing. He didn't know how to navigate them really. He could hold a converation, but small talk was harder. It didn't help he didn't have much he could usually bring to the table when it came to small talk. 

How about the weather? How is your family? That kind of thing had always been an enigma to navigate, but he tried his best to do so. He liked the stage after that, when you didn't have to stumble through conversation like that anymore. When you could just talk more freely, and God knows Eli liked to talk when you got him going, he was a rambler at heart. 

"So what brings you out to the bridge tonight? Just getting some fresh air? I love the view out here.. The water, it's all so calming you know?"
Devon
Her small laugh carried in the open air, and she looked down at the water below. "Well, it feels like I'm always home these days," She admitted. "If I'm not at home, I'm at the store or church... It's a routine, you know?" She raised an eyebrow. "I can only imagine you must get sick of going to the same houses over and over again every week." 

She stooped down, picking up a smooth rock by her foot and rubbing her thumb across the surface of it. "The kids are fine, although my eldest is under the weather... I've got the neighbor watching him tonight, because I have to do some bedside nursing for a pregnant woman... But I'm sure you don't want to hear all the details about that." She said bashfully. 

"Clearing my head... Is definitely a way to put it. It's nice to just walk when I don't have the boys dragging me around town, getting up to no good." She pulled her arm back and chucked the stone into the water, watching it make a small splash. "But I could ask you the same question, Mr. Abrams. And please— call me April, *Mrs. Baker* Makes me feel so old." She wrinkled her nose but laughed all the same.
James
A rock. A simple rock. Round. Grey. Hardly more than a pebble, really. 

Rocks fell into the Powell every day. Shifting currents, rainfall, *Landslides*. What harm could a rock possibly do? 

It *Splashed* Into the river, the noise hardly audible to the two humans talking far above the water's surface. But its ripples caught something's attention. With the near-full moon rising, the humans might catch sight of the *Hulking* Shadow that rose from the depths to investigate what was disturbing its home.
Wallace
He nodded, and gave a little laugh. "I mean.. I understand that. Sure, routine can get a bit boring but.. I mean it's also kind of comforting.. You know? Like I like to wake up and know exactly what I'm gonna do that day.." He said as he looked over at her and moved one step closer so that it was easier to hear her. 

He nodded along as she spoke about her eldest being sick and ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at the water again. "I'm sorry to hear that.. I hope that they get better soon.." He said as he glanced over at her. "Nothing too serious I hope.. I mean kids they're.." He shook his head. "Something else.. I mean kids eat dirt.. I mean not all kids eat dirt specifically, but you know what I mean.. They like do crazy stuff and their immune systems are just.. Like fighting it like.. Crazy. Can you imagine if one of us ate dirt? We would be sick so fast." 

He tapped his fingers along the bridge again and let out a small laugh. "Are they troublemakers? I guess all kids are at a certain age.." He said as he took in a deep breath. "April, alright.. Well then you have to call me Eli. Fair trade I think.." He said and shrugged, "I mean.. I was also just trying to get out for a while.. I mean I know I am basically out all day but.." He stopped when he saw something out of the corner of his eye, some kind of shadow, though he had no idea what it was, he glanced over at April and furrowed his brows as he pointed off into the distance. 

"Do you see that?" He asked blinking a few times unsure if it was only his tired imagination.
Devon
"Oh, my boys... They definitely eat dirt. But it's not like I want them to— they only do it when I'm not looking." She shook her head in fond exasperation of her two children, who she loved so dearly but drove her to her wits ends. Was that not what most of motherhood was? Worrying and cleaning and loving no matter how terrible those little monsters could be. 

"If I ate dirt, I think I'd just about keel over and die!" She laughed, but that only sustained for a moment, as Eli pointed off to something in the distance. "Oh... *Oh*." 

She had heard of the things that lurked in Briar Ridge, but never had she come face to face with anything herself. Until now, it seemed. "We should... Maybe we should go," She managed in a bare whisper. Maybe if she was quiet, it wouldn't hear them.
James
The surface of the water maintained its smooth, steady current. Whatever was lurking underneath did not dare breech the barrier. But it did open its eye. 

A Glowing. Yellow. Eye. It was so large that a paddleboat wouldn't even cover it in its entirety. The bridge was momentarily cast in a bright, amber light. One massive black pupil rolled to look at Eli. It lingered there, examining him up and down before it suddenly snapped towards *April*. It locked. Hard. The pupil narrowed as if it were searching for something it couldn't quite see. 

The eye snapped shut, casting the onlookers back into the dim of the moonlight. Its curiosity sated for now. It swam off with a sharp crack of its tail. Waves rolled from where it had dove and crashed against the bridge, making it groan and shake until the surface was still once more.
Wallace
He shrugged his shoulders, "I mean hey, sometimes you have to let them eat dirt.." He said with a small laugh. Once they had both seen the shadow though, his wide grin had faded as he squinted in the direction of the figure he could not quite make out. What was it? 

Her reaction confirmed for him that it was in fact real. He had both hoped and hoped it was not real. On one hand, he didn't like the idea of seeing shadows and having nothing actually be there but on the other hand, he wasn't sure he wanted there to be some weird shadow creature. 

As she lowered her voice and continued to speak, he could not help but keep his eyes forward for a moment. Watching as what looked like an.. Eye almost.. But it couldn't be an eye right. Still he watched, as the yellow glow seemed to stare at him, and then move to the woman next to him. 

He glanced over at her, searching her face for her feelings. As he did, suddenly a noise of something hitting water caught his attention as the waves crashed back against the bridge, which rocked and he took a step closer to April, resting a hand on her shoulder as the bridge shook. 

Once it stopped, he looked back out towards the water below then back to her, "Yep.. You're fucking right.. Let's get the fuck out of here.." He said as he nodded towards the other side of the bridge. "I think I should walk you home.. I mean.. Did I see that right? Did you see that.. Fucking thing?" He asked arching a brow. "What the actual fuck was that?" He asked taking in a deep breath as he glanced towards the water though he continued to keep walking with her off the bridge. 

"Are you okay?"
Devon
When that creature's eye locked on her, she could feel her blood run cold and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. This was the scariest thing she'd encountered in Briar Ridge; and she'd once nearly fallen down a foxhole. 

Nearly unable to speak, she clutched onto Eli's arm as the bridge swayed and creaked from the crashing of the water. Coming to her senses, she blinked and glanced to her companion, mouth open in shock and mirroring his own surprise. 

She was hardly able to answer his questions, her eyes trained on the water as the creature's tail disappeared down the river and out of sight. "I saw what you saw," She said, voice hardly above a whisper, as if afraid speaking it out loud would make it come back. 

"I'm.. I'm okay," April managed. "I know that weird things happen in these woods but I've never... Personally seen anything, even if I grew up here." She swallowed.