Out there in the world somewhere, there is a land called Terabithia.

It was left unnoticed for centuries, until one day, a young boy and girl stumbled across it, after crossing a creek.

Their names, were Jess and Leslie, and they had become the king and queen of Terabithia.

Daily, they would visit their kingdom, mapping it out, and defending it from the Dark Master and his army.

One day, however, after months of the king and queen ruling, tragedy struck.

The king had decided to join one of his mundane teachers on a trip to a museum, and decided to not tell the queen.
He figured that she wouldn't want to go, and would like to spend the day on her own in Terabithia.

The king spent the whole day out, and once he came home, he was embraced by his hysteric mother and sisters.

The king didn't understand what had happened, or what was going on, until his father spoke up.

While trying to swing over the creek and into Terabithia, the rope snapped, and the queen dropped right into the rushing and rising waters of the creek.

She had drowned.

The king refused to believe it, and locked himself up in his room for the rest of the day.

A couple weeks after that, the king stayed away from Terabithia, becoming plain old Jess once again.

He just couldn't believe it.
Leslie, who had shown him their magical world, who was the queen and the most brave and creative girl in a world so bland and demanding, had died.

And it was his fault.

Jess knew for a fact he could've prevented it, if he had just been less selfish and decided to invite her along with him, she would still be living.

That same day, after school, Jess was determined to find Leslie.
She couldn't be dead, she just couldn't be.

So, as fast as he could, he took off down the trail to Terabithia.
When he arrived at the creek, his heart completely stopped when he saw the frayed remains of where the rope hung.
Thinking quick on his feet, Jess ran across a giant tree log that went over the creek, and into Terabithia.

He frantically ran throughout the land, searching for Leslie, his best friend, his queen of their land.
Suddenly, he heard a voice calling.

Could it really be her?

It was coming from the entrance!

Being the fastest in Terabithia, it took Jess no time at all to reach it.
He was full of hope.
He could prove them all wrong!
Leslie was alive!

His heart dropped, however, when he only saw his little sister, Maybele, stuck on the log trying to get across.

Jess, being the considerate brother and king he was, made his way over to help his little sister onto the mundane side of the creek.
When he asked why she was there, she told how she wanted to go with him.

Outraged, Jess told her no, but after his sister tried to follow, he pushed her down, demanding that she go back home before he turned and ran across into Terabithia.

....So she really was gone.

Leslie.

The most lively part of Jess' life.

His best friend.

His only friend.

His queen.

Gone.

Jess ran.
He ran as far and fast as he could into Terabithia, refusing to believe that Leslie wasn't there.

Out of the corner of his eye though, he caught sight of one of the Dark Masters minions running along side him a few yards away.
He was heading in the same direction he was, straight towards the castle.

Well, Jess wouldn't have that.
He and Leslie built that together, it was all he had left of her, there was no way that he would let a creature of evil taint their home.

The minion was faster than him, and Jess cried out in despair as it changed courses for him. He tripped and closed his eyes, covering his face in preparation for the pain.
He was slightly surprised, when it turned out to be his father, pulling him into and embrace.

Jess wanted to be mad, he wanted to scream at his father for tainting his and Leslie's kingdom...

But he could only cry for the girl.

He wanted her back, he wanted her back with all his heart.

Who was going to rule beside him?

Who was going to defeat the Dark Masters army with him?

Who was going to help protect their kingdom?

...

Who was going to be his best friend?
His only friend?

Jess could only weep to his father, telling how it was his fault that Leslie had died.
His father refused, however, saying that it never could've been Jess' fault, that he never would've known.

As much as he wanted to believe his father, Jess couldn't.
There would always be a part of him that blamed himself for the death of his best friend, but he kept silent and just hugged his father, crying.

Who was going to be there when grown ups got on his last nerve?

~

A day later, Jess sent a small memorial boat with a drawn picture of his queen, along with a few paint tubes she had given him and pine cones down the creek.

The creek that took her life.

Jess watched as the small memorial floated down the creek, holding back his tears.
He looked up, seeing something above the creek that looked like a makeshift bridge.

Suddenly, an idea sprung to his mind.

He quickly asked Leslie's parents if he could use the wood left on their property, since they were just about to move.
They said yes, and Jess got straight to work.

He brought the planks into the woods, he cut off tree branches, he sawed the planks to size, he even painted a sign.

It took him the rest of the day, but Jess was proud of his work.

~

The next day, Jess approached his little sister, inviting her to join him for a surprise.
He made her close her eyes and led her into the woods, and stopped just at the creek. When he told Maybele to open her eyes, he himself took a second to marvel at his work.

Jess had constructed a bridge.

The walkway was the nicest wood he could pick out, and the side railings were made up of tree branches.

But just above the bridge, mounted in the middle of an archway made of branches, there hung a sign, with one of the many things that Leslie had said that stuck in Jess' mind.

"Nothing Crushes Us"

He had named it Leslie's bridge, so she could protect people if they ever did cross.
So that the same thing that happened to her, never happened to them.

Maybele was awestruck, and Jess walked slowly along side her as he explained everything about Terabithia.
He had even made a twig crown for his sister.

Slowly, the forest on the other side of the creek began to change.

Purple flowers sprung up from the ground, and creatures of all kinds made their was out from behind the trees.

A wide path grew out in front of the two, giving them a clear view of their kingdom.

A castle rose from the ground on a hill in the distance, and Maybele's crown grew into one of the finest silvers and gold.

A tree troll came up to Jess, and gently placed a silver crown atop his head.

The crown of a king.

The king had come back to his kingdom once more, with a princess at his side.

He made himself a mental promise that day.

That only those who have the mind of the queen;
One of creativity, bravery, optimism, kindness, and open mindedness...

Shall ever cross the Bridge to Terabithia.

"Just close your eyes,
But keep your mind wide open."
~Leslie, Queen of Terabithia,