Related to, if not actually a sequel to, They Wear Their Souls On Their Skin.
One
What they said doesn’t matter. You know this as sure as you know anything.. They can call you chicken all they want, because chickens are as brave as they are cowards, as stupid as they are smart. The younger kids can dare you to go across the river all they want. You don’t have to go.
But a part of you wants to.
No one crosses the river. Not really. It’s wide and deep, so there’s ferries, but they just take you over. You have to swim it to cross it.
It’s been a week and you keep coming back to here, sand and shingle and clay shore next to the river.
Two More