The Bridge at Midnight

M Mehran

Chapter One: The Crossing

Sami had always taken the long way home. Not because he liked it, but because it let him avoid the old bridge at the edge of town. Locals called it cursed—too many accidents, too many stories whispered in the dark.

But one night, pressed for time and weighed down by thoughts he couldn’t escape, he chose the shortcut. The moon hung low, the air heavy, and the bridge stretched before him like a dare.


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Chapter Two: The Stranger

Halfway across, Sami noticed someone standing by the railing. A man in a dark coat, still as stone, staring into the water below.

“Are you okay?” Sami asked cautiously.

The man turned, his face tired but kind. “Funny question,” he replied. “Most people don’t stop to ask. They just walk faster.”

Sami shifted uneasily. “It’s late. Dangerous to stand here.”

The man smiled faintly. “Dangerous places reveal honest conversations.”


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Chapter Three: The Burden

They leaned against the railing, silence stretching. Finally, the man spoke. “What are you carrying?”

Sami frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Everyone who walks this bridge carries something heavy. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be here at midnight.”

Sami wanted to deny it, but the truth pressed too hard. His failed business, his fractured friendships, the feeling that he had run out of chances—all of it clung to him like chains.

“I’m… tired,” Sami admitted. “Tired of starting over, tired of pretending I’m fine.”

The man nodded knowingly, as if he’d heard the same confession countless times.


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Chapter Four: The Story of the Bridge

The man gestured to the wooden planks beneath them. “This bridge isn’t cursed. It’s a place where people decide. Some choose to keep carrying their burdens. Others… let them go.”

Sami’s chest tightened. “Let them go how?”

The man tapped his chest. “Not by jumping. By choosing. By saying, This is not the end of me.”


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Chapter Five: The Question

The wind picked up, rattling the beams. The man’s eyes held Sami’s like a mirror.

“Do you want to cross this bridge,” he asked, “or stay stuck halfway for the rest of your life?”

The question sliced through him. Sami realized he had been living in halves—half-dreams, half-tries, half-courage. Always pausing, never arriving.

He swallowed hard. “I want to cross.”


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Chapter Six: The Step

The man smiled, stepping back. “Then walk.”

Sami’s legs felt heavy, but he moved forward. Each step sounded louder than the last, like the bridge itself was urging him on. By the time he reached the other side, the weight on his shoulders felt… lighter. Not gone, but bearable.

When he turned to thank the man, the bridge was empty.


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Chapter Seven: The Morning

The next morning, Sami woke with an unfamiliar clarity. His problems hadn’t vanished, but the fear of trying again had loosened its grip.

He called an old friend he hadn’t spoken to in years. He reopened his laptop, sketching plans for a project he had abandoned. Small steps, fragile but real.

The memory of the man’s words echoed: Not the end. Just a crossing.


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Epilogue: The Other Side

Sami often walked past the bridge in daylight. It looked ordinary—just wood, nails, and ropes. Yet, every time he glanced at it, he felt gratitude.

Because somewhere between one side and the other, he had decided not to give up.

And that was the real magic of the bridge at midnight.