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The Ghost In My Machine

Stories of the Strange and Unusual

Creepypasta Of The Week: “The Old Bridge In The Park”

January 30, 2023 by Lucia

Previously: “Resort Job.”

This week’s creepypasta, “The Old Bridge In The Park,” is a delightful surprise of a read. Written by Arthur “Moist Squelch” Burgandy III (apologies to anyone who finds the word “moist” upsetting) and published to the Creepypasta Wikia in May of 2018, it takes tons of well-worn tropes and turns them on their heads in some delightful ways. If you like stories centered around slightly sinister towns with eerie urban legend-type locations that… may not actually be legends? This one’s for you.

A black and white photo looking across an old wooden bridge in the woods

What I like so much about this one is the tone: It reads much like a fairy tale — in particular the variety that feature foolish youths going forth and confronting something they don’t understand. (See also: This month’s Most Dangerous Game, which will be arriving for your enjoyment in about two weeks.)

[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]

It’s also very tongue-in-cheek, though, tipping its hat to this specific type of story and the character that typically populate them. It’s great fun to read, although be warned that it’s also sort of a “terrible child gets their comeuppance” tale, so if that’s a no-go for you, you may want to avoid this one.

Otherwise, go forth — just be sure to stay away from that bridge in your town that no one ever crosses. There’s… usually a reason to avoid it.

***

The children in the town of [REDACTED] knew better than to cross the old bridge in the park, especially during the evening hours on foggy nights. Even the grown-ups stayed clear, knowing that those who dared venture out were doomed never to be seen again, and everyone knows grown-ups are usually pretty naïve when it comes to such matters. They had even made an effort to stop people from crossing the bridge by making a gate that closed every day an hour before sundown to block access to the park. The grown-ups seemed so proud of themselves for “protecting the little ones”, and so the children didn’t have the heart to tell them that it was a waste of money better spent buying birthday and Christmas presents. Everyone knew better than to cross that bridge, so there was no reason for a gate at all.

Unfortunately, Eleanor was nobody, and even if she was somebody she was a very stupid little girl.

Keep reading…

***

Follow The Ghost In My Machine on Twitter @GhostMachine13 and on Facebook @TheGhostInMyMachine. And don’t forget to check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available now from Chronicle Books!

[Photo via lubiechili/Pixabay]

Filed Under: Tales Tagged With: creepypasta, Creepypasta of the Week, fairy tales, haunted bridges

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