could this be my vision quest?

I’ve been avoiding walking down V. for the last few months. There’s something about the grittiness of the street and the hot dirty air from the passing cars that makes the entire journey feel oppressive. And I’ve always been wary of the last few miles along the cement bike path that cuts through the woods. But today I lacked the energy to deal with the extra miles along H. street and finally home.

V. never fails to leave me feeling empty. Maybe it’s the traffic, the litter blowing along the sidewalks, or the constant dogs barking that interrupt my thoughts so completely. Or the fact that I generally feel compelled to cross left, then right, then left again when I match paths with the dead zone. By the time I reach the woods, I’m sucked dry of motivation to continue walking home.

Halfway between the trailhead and the place where the cement empties me back out into the safety of the public view, I saw three figures in the distance. Standing in the middle of the path. All in black. Two men. One woman. And a huge black dog. I cursed my body for being so tired. For knowing that there wasn’t any chance of my responding to the instinct to start running. The dog started barking in huge piercing gulps. Fear became a fist tightly putting pressure against the base of my skull. I looked only forward at the farthest place imaginable – the interstices between land and sky.

They stood and as I passed one said, simply, the bridge is out.
And the dog stopped barking.
And I heard it again in my own voice --
the bridge is out
And I walked as hard as I possibly could. Harder than I thought possible. And I never looked back over my shoulder. But now I’m wondering where’s the bridge? And where’s the way home?