Every state has them. Urban legends. Fantastic stories of supernatural phenomena. Giant man-eating catfish swimming around in rock quarries, ghost dogs, monster houses, and the lady in white. I grew up on these stories. I always thought they were just that. Stories. Things told around the campfire to while away the hours or told at parties to freak out high friends. I never thought that there was any truth to any of it. Until that night. That fateful night one November, just a few years back. Now I'm being tormented by a story. Why did I let Bill and Jake talk me into going? I'll just go back to the beginning. That's the best place to start, don't you think Doc?

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   I was sitting at home on a Saturday night, bored off my **** and surfing the web for, for--- I can't think of good lie. I was surfin for porn. Hell, what's a red-blooded nineteen year old male supposed to do when alone at home on a Saturday night? I was just getting into a halfway decent site when the phone rang.

   "Hello?"

   "Danny? It's Billy. You got anything goin' on tonight?"

   "I answered the phone didn't I? Does it sound like I'm throwing a ****' party? Of course I got nothin' goin on."

   "Well, how would you like to get out of the house and spend the evening with a member of the fairer sex?"

   "Whatcha got in mind?" I asked, cautiously. "Because I really am not feeling the club scene tonight." 

   "I was actually thinking about takin these girls on an outing that will not only freak them out, but possibly have their panties hittin the floor by the end of the night."

   I was intrigued and just a bit leery. "Who are the girls?"

   "We-e-e-e-ell, it'll be you, me, and Jake," he began, "and Samantha, Kaley, and Bailey. I kinda told Bailey that you have a thing for her and..." 

   "You what!!!" I cut him off. "I can't believe this!"

   "I'll pick you up in an hour," he blurted as he hung up.  

   I sat back and thought about it. I'd had a crush on Bailey since the fifth grade. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. If she agreed to go, that had to mean she was even just a little interested, right? Besides, from what I had heard, her break-up with that ****, Thomas (he hated when anyone used the diminutive of his name, self-absorbed **** that he was), had been really messy.

   I had watched Bailey grow over the years. She had the type of smokin' hot body that could stop traffic, which is the reason she intimidated the hell out of me. She was so beautiful, and me? I was just me. Nothin' much to look at. Maybe this was my chance. Maybe her break-up put me in a position where I could at least get a look at those ****. Suddenly, the idea sounded great and I rushed around to get myself presentable.

   Bill's car pulled up about forty-five minutes later, packed completely full. That meant the back seat of his Mustang was going to be cramped, Bailey would be virtually on my lap. The thought brought a rise in my groin. Bill, Jake, and the girls raced up my front steps, laughing and horsing around. This had the potential to be a great night. 

   Bill threw the door open and they all poured into my  house. Bailey looked  absolutely  gorgeous. She was wearing knee-high, black leather boots, a red vinyl mini with black fishnets, a glittery halter top, and a little black denim half-jacket. I stood staring at her like a dolt, sure that I'd start drooling and she would just turn and walk out, disgusted. She smiled instead and gave a shy little wave. I smiled back, nervously, feeling like my face would crack and shatter.

   "Hi, Danny," she cooed sweetly. "How are ya?"

   I just stood there for a second, feeling stupid and probably looking the same. "Nothin' much," I replied weakly, still wearing that stupid grin.

    She pointed to my monitor, which was still logged in to the last porn site I was on. In my rush, I had completely forgotten about it. "Find anything interesting?" she asked, smiling.

   Embarassed, I hurriedly clicked the window away and tried to think of a good lie. "Oh, I was just doing some research--- uh--- for, uh, on of my, uh, humanities classes. Yeah, we're doing a study on the impact of porn on the web and its accessability" I knew she'd see right through it and think me a pervert.

   "Oh," she replied, "I was just going to say that that is one of my favorite sites."

    I was flabbergasted. Totally surprised that a girl like her surfed for porn on the web.

   "Shall we get going?' Bill asked from behind me.

   "By the way, where we goin'?" I questioned.

    "Cry-baby Bridge," came the quick reply. 

   Kaley, who had not lived in town very long, looked confused. "What's Cry-baby Bridge?" she asked, obviously a little shaken. 

   "Cry-baby Bridge is a small, covered bridge just outside of town. Back in the '60's, a bus full of kids lost control and smashed over the side. They all died. You go there at night, put baby powder on the back bumper, cut the motor, drop the car into nuetral and coast across the bridge. When you get to the other side, there will be little handprints in the powder. The kids actually push the car across the bridge."

    Kaley started to tremble as the blood drained from her face. The thought of ghostly children visibly disturbed her. Jake wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Relax, babe, I'll take care of you," he said softly to her. She relaxed, slightly.

   We piled into the car, ready to go off on our night's adventure. Without a word, Bailey slid into the back seat and right up onto my lap. I was stunned. Speechless. I just went with it, hoping that she wouldn't feel the raging boner growing under her ****. She glanced down toward my lap and then at me, smiling. It was definitely going to be a great night.

    Conversation was loud and lively on the way to the bridge, but everyone avoided talking about what we were all geting ready to do. In the back of everyone's mind, fear lingered close enough to keep the subject from crossing our lips. Up ahead, the shadow of the bridge loomed against the night sky. We were there.