So that\'s it, huh?" Despite the canopy offered by the trees, Thibault was drenched by the time he and Ben reached the tree house. Water poured from the raincoat he was wearing, and his new pants were soaked below the knees. Inside his boots, his socks squished unpleasantly. Ben, on the other hand, was bundled from head to toe in a hooded rain suit; on his feet, he wore Nana\'s rubber boots. Aside from his face, Thibault doubted he even noticed the rain. "This is how we reach it. It\'s awesome, isn\'t it?" Ben motioned to an oak tree on the near side of the creek. A series of nailed two-by-fours climbed the side of the trunk. "All we have to do is climb the tree ladder here so we can cross the bridge." Thibault noticed with apprehension that the creek had already swollen to twice its normal size, and the water was moving fast. Turning his attention to the small bridge, he saw that it was composed of three parts: A fraying rope bridge led from the oak tree on the near side toward a central landing station in the center of the creek that was supported by a four listing pillars; this landing was connected by another rope bridge section to the platform on the tree house. Thibault noticed the debris deposited around the pillars by the rushing waters. Though he hadn\'t previously inspected the bridge, he suspected that the relentless storms and rapid flow of water had weakened the landing\'s support. Before he could say anything, Ben had already scaled the tree ladder to the bridge. Ben grinned at him from above. "C\'mon! What are you waiting for!" Thibault raised his arm to shield his face from the rain, feeling a sudden sense of dread. "I\'m not sure this is a good idea—" "Chicken!" Ben taunted. He started across, the bridge swaying from side to side as he ran. "Wait!" Thibault shouted to no effect. By then, Ben had already reached the central landing. Thibault climbed the tree ladder and stepped cautiously onto the rope bridge. The waterlogged boards sagged under his weight. As soon as Ben saw him coming, he scrambled up the last section to the tree house. Thibault\'s breath caught in his throat as Ben hopped up on the tree house\'s platform. It bowed under Ben\'s weight but held steady. Ben turned around, his grin wide. "Come on back!" Thibault shouted. "I don\'t think the bridge will hold me." "It\'ll hold. My grandpa built it!" "Please, Ben?" "Chicken!" Ben taunted again. It was obvious that Ben considered the whole thing a game. Thibault took another look at the bridge, concluding that if he moved slowly, it might be safe. Ben had run—lots of torque and impact pressure. Would it hold the weight of Thibault\'s body? With his first step, the boards, drenched and ancient, sagged under his weight. Dry rot, no doubt. Thibault\'s mind flashed on the photograph in his pocket. The creek swirled and spun, a torrent beneath his feet. No time to lose. He walked slowly and reached the central landing, then started up the last suspended section of the rope bridge. Noting the rickety platform, he doubted it would support their combined weight simultaneously. In his pocket, the photograph felt as if it were on fire. "I\'ll meet you inside," Thibault said, trying to sound offhand. "You don\'t have to wait in the rain for an old man like me." Thankfully, Ben laughed and ducked into the tree house. Thibault breathed a sigh of relief as he made the shaky rise to the platform. He took a large, quick step to avoid the platform and stumbled into the tree house. \'This is where I keep my Pokemon cards," Ben said, ignoring his entrance and motioning to the tin boxes\' in the corner. "I\'ve got a Charizard card. And a Mewtwo." Thibault wiped the rain from his face as he collected himself and sat on the floor. "That\'s great," he said, puddles from hi............