The Bridge Not Crossed
Once upon a time in a town known as Hallowville, lived a brave and kind-hearted young man named Saul. A strong sense of community bond thrived in Hallowville, primarily due to its isolation from rest of the world. Strangely enough, the only connection it had with the world outside was a single bridge. This was no ordinary bridge; it was popularly known as ‘The Bridge of Destiny’ due to an age-old legend attached to it.
According to the legend, at the age of 18, every individual of Hallowville had to take a journey across the bridge. It was believed that for everyone, the path they would embark upon after crossing it, would shape their destiny. But, Saul was different. He had always been sceptical about the legend and decided not to cross the bridge when he turned eighteen.
Time passed, and Saul felt blackballed by the villagers for disregarding the tradition. Rather than conforming to the people's pressure, he decided to prove his point by creating his destiny in Hallowville itself. He devoted his time to seeking knowledge, helping villagers, and learning various arts of survival and defence.
In the meantime, a series of unfortunate events started plaguing the town. The crops began wilting, people fell sick, strange and unnerving incidents became regular occurrences. The villagers attributed this to Saul’s disregard of the tradition, and the social ostracism intensified. But Saul remained unfazed, attributing the incidents to natural causes, hoping to find a solution.
His resilience made him increasingly observant of the occurrences around, and one day he noticed something unusual in the village well's water. Suspecting it to be the misfortune's cause, he took it upon himself to investigate. Saul dived deep into the village archives and found records of a similar series of unfortunate events hitting the town nearly a century ago. The documents revealed the existence of a magical crystal in a hidden underground cavern beneath the village. This crystal allegedly had the power to bless the village with eternal prosperity if preserved carefully. He deduced that this crystal must have been disturbed causing the misfortune.
With renewed determination, Saul decided to find the crystal. Armed with indispensable courage, he journeyed into the cavern after much hard work locating it. After days of strenuous searching, he discovered the misplaced crystal, returned it to its rightful place, and tranquillity flooded Hallowville once again.
The people's health improved, crops flourished, and prosperity returned akin to the golden days. This threw the villagers into a tailspin. The person who was earlier blamed for the misfortunes became their saviour. They were ashamed of doubting Saul and pleaded for his forgiveness.
This journey made Saul believe that shaping one’s own destiny doesn’t require crossing any physical bridge or conforming to societal pressures. Instead, it is about belief in oneself, the will to forge one’s path, and the courage to withstand adversities.
He garnered immense respect and was elected as the village chief. Thus, the young man who had once defied tradition to create his destiny was now the keeper of his people's welfare and traditions.
In the end, Saul’s story teaches us that the bridges we choose to cross or not cross in life truly define us. Every individual must have the freedom to choose their destiny and the courage to create it.