LARRY
PARKS
Rakotzbrücke
(The
Devil’s
Bridge)
Copyrigh
t
©
2025
by
Larry
Parks
All
rights
reserved.
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part
of
this
pu
blication
ma
y
be
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red
or
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o
r
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means,
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g,
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m
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publisher.
It
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to
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book,
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it
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a
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or
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it
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any
other
means
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ut
permissio
n.
First
edition
This
book
was
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typeset
on
Reedsy.
Find
ou
t
m
ore
at
reedsy.com
Cont
ents
1
Chapter
1
1
1
Chapter
1
Rakotzbrücke
(The
Devil’s
B
ridge)
Whispers
of
mystery
had
long
shrouded
Rakotzbrücke
,
the
l
e
g
e
n
d
a
r
y
D
e
v
i
l
’
s
B
r
i
d
g
e
i
n
K
r
o
m
l
a
u
,
G
e
r
m
a
n
y
.
S
t
o
r
i
e
s
h
a
d
s
w
i
r
l
e
d
a
b
o
u
t
i
t
s
e
e
r
i
e
p
e
r
f
e
c
t
i
o
n
f
o
r
g
e
n
e
r
a
t
i
o
n
s
—
h
o
w
i
t
s
r
e
f
l
e
c
t
i
o
n
i
n
t
h
e
s
t
i
l
l
w
a
t
e
r
s
f
o
r
m
e
d
a
f
l
a
w
l
e
s
s
c
i
r
c
l
e
.
S
o
m
e
b
e
l
i
e
v
e
d
i
t
w
a
s
m
e
r
e
l
y
a
n
o
p
t
i
c
a
l
i
l
l
u
s
i
o
n
.
O
t
h
e
r
s
c
l
a
i
m
e
d
i
t
was
something
more:
a
portal
to
the
unknown.
Hans
and
Gerda
Sch
midt
had
grown
up
in
the
shadow
of
t
hese
l
e
g
e
n
d
s
.
T
h
e
i
r
c
h
i
l
d
h
o
o
d
s
w
e
r
e
f
i
l
l
e
d
w
i
t
h
h
u
s
h
e
d
t
a
l
e
s
p
a
s
s
e
d
d
o
w
n
t
h
r
o
u
g
h
t
h
e
y
e
a
r
s
,
s
o
m
e
d
a
t
i
n
g
b
a
c
k
o
v
e
r
a
c
e
n
t
u
r
y
.
B
u
t
t
h
e
m
o
s
t
c
h
i
l
l
i
n
g
s
t
o
r
y
w
a
s
a
l
w
a
y
s
t
h
e
s
a
m
e
—
a
t
c
e
r
t
a
i
n
t
i
m
e
s
o
f
t
h
e
y
e
a
r
,
t
h
e
b
r
i
d
g
e
’
s
r
e
f
l
e
c
t
i
o
n
w
a
s
n
’
t
j
u
s
t
a
t
r
i
c
k
o
f
t
h
e
l
i
g
h
t
.
I
t
was
a
gateway.
And
tho
se
who
crossed
it
at
the
wrong
moment
were
neve
r
s
een
again.
Most
dismissed
such
stories
as
mere
folklore,
but
Hans
and
Gerda
couldn’t
ignore
th
e
unsettling
number
of
disappearances.
Determined
to
separate
fact
fro
m
fiction,
they
spent
months
1
RAKOTZBRÜCKE
(THE
DEVIL’S
BRIDGE)
(5)
scouring
old
newspaper
archives,
compiling
every
recorded
vanishing
link
to
Rakotzbrüc
ke.
With
each
faded
art
icle,
each
cryptic
account
,
a
patt
ern
emerged.
If
their
calculations
were
correct
,
t
he
next
opening
of
the
gateway
was
near.
And
this
time,
they
w
ould
be
there
to
witness
it.
Their
research
uncovered
another
chilli
ng
d
etail—the
phe-
nomenon
only
occurred
once
during
winter.
It
happe
ned
mainly
in
the
warmer
months
when
the
temperature
was
unseasonably
warm.
That
week,
the
temperature
was
forecasted
to
spike
well
above
normal.
Both
Gerda
and
Hans
were
sure
the
phenomenon
was
bound
to
happe
n
ag
ain.
Armed
with
sophistic
ated
audio
and
video
equipment,
Hans,
Gerda,
and
several
close
f
riends
set
up
camp
near
the
bridge
early
Monday
morning.
Their
goal
was
simple:
capture
undeniable
proof
of
the
anomaly.
They
weren’t
the
first
to
try
,
of
course.
But
they
were
deter-
mined
to
be
the
first
t
o
succeed.
Each
person
would
take
turns
manning
the
equipment.
Gerda
was
first.
She
aimed
the
camera
at
t
he
majest
ic
bridge,
poking
its
presence
beyond
the
rising
mist
from
the
early
morning
dew
.
She
knew
luck
would
have
to
be
on
their
side
because
the
gateway
could
open
anytime,
and
each
day,
they
planned
to
t
ake
the
equipment
back
to
the
tent
before
mi
dnight.
So,
hopefully,
it
would
happen
while
someone
was
recording.
Time
was
running
out.
By
Thursday,
tension
had
given
w
ay
t
o
c
e
l
e
b
r
a
t
i
o
n
.
T
h
e
g
r
o
u
p
p
a
r
t
i
e
d
,
d
r
a
n
k
,
a
n
d
d
a
n
c
e
d
n
e
a
r
t
h
e
e
e
r
i
e
s
i
l
h
o
u
e
t
t
e
o
f
R
a
k
o
t
z
b
r
ü
c
k
e
,
t
h
e
i
r
i
n
i
t
i
a
l
e
x
c
i
t
e
m
e
n
t
f
a
d
i
n
g
i
n
t
o
t
h
e
r
h
y
t
h
m
o
f
t
h
e
n
i
g
h
t
.
L
a
u
g
h
t
e
r
e
c
h
o
e
d
t
h
r
o
u
g
h
t
h
e
t
r
e
e
s
—
u
n
t
i
l
a
s
u
d
d
e
n
b
u
r
s
t
o
f
b
l
i
n
d
i
n
g
w
h
i
t
e
l
i
g
h
t
s
h
a
t
t
e
r
e
d
the
darkness.
2
CHAPTER
1
A
collective
gasp
cut
through
the
ai
r.
Hans,
Gerda,
and
the
others
sprinted
toward
the
equipment,
hearts
pounding.
Julio,
the
group’s
cameraman
for
tha
t
night,
stood
motionless,
his
camera
locked
onto
t
he
event
.
Then
he
sighed
and
shook
his
head.
“False
alarm.”
They
followed
his
gaze
to
the
sourc
e—a
biker
gang
rolling
through
the
woods,
their
headlights
gleaming
off
t
he
wat
er,
engines
rumbling
like
distant
thunder.
It
was
an
illusion.
The
spacing
of
their
bikes
on
the
bridge
and
the
re
fl
ection
of
th
eir
lights
momentarily
brought
the
bridge
alive.
From
a
distanc
e,
t
he
bridge
looked
like
a
space
portal
h
ad
formed.
“Are
you
recording
this?”
Gerda
asked
Ju
lio.
“Never
s
top
ped.”
“At
least
we
can
add
it
to
the
footage
of
our
trip
when
we
edit
the
video.”
The
air
deflated
from
their
lungs.
Shoulde
rs
slumped.
Heads
hung
low.
Disappointment
settled
over
the
camp
like
a
heavy
fog.
By
Sunday,
hope
had
dried
up
completely.
They
packed
some
of
their
th
ings
one
by
one,
muttering
the
same
defeated
refrain:
“We’ll
try
again
next
year.”
Ever
the
optimist,
Gerda
c
limbed
onto
a
picnic
t
able,
raising
her
beer
in
defiance.
“I
want
to
thank
all
of
you
for
coming
to
witnes
s
what
never
was,”
she
announced,
her
voice
carry
ing
over
the
quiet
camp.
“But
tonight,
we’re
forgetting
about
that
damn
gateway.
Tonight,
we
party
like
it
never
existed!”
A
roar
of
approval
followed,
and
soon,
the
music
and
laug
hter
returned.
None
of
them
noticed
the
waters
beneath
Rakotz
brüc
ke
begin
3
RAKOTZBRÜCKE
(THE
DEVIL’S
BRIDGE)
(5)
to
shimmer.
None
of
them
saw
the
perfect
gaseous
cloud
take
sh
ape
inside
the
circle
on
ce
more.
Even
J
ulio,
who
found
himself
once
again
on
camera
duty,
did
n
o
t
n
o
t
i
c
e
t
h
e
b
r
i
d
g
e
c
o
m
i
n
g
a
l
i
v
e
.
I
t
w
a
s
h
a
l
f
p
a
s
t
m
i
d
n
i
g
h
t
,
and
the
others
were
still
lost
in
their
revelry
at
the
c
ampsi
te.
None
of
them
was
there
to
witness
what
was
unfolding.
He
might
have
caught
it
sooner
if
not
for
Fraulein
Gretchen.
She
had
been
eyeing
him
since
they
passed
his
group
while
hik-
ing
on
Monday.
Now,
as
the
others
partied,
she
had
cozied
beside
him,
drawn
to
the
quiet
observer
behind
the
camera.
Since
he
did
not
drink,
he
had
no
problem
manning
the
equipment—though
tonight,
h
is
at
tention
was
divided.
That
night
,
Julio
had
hi
s
blanket
on
the
ground.
Fraulein
G
r
e
t
c
h
e
n
a
n
d
h
e
w
e
r
e
m
a
k
i
n
g
o
u
t
w
h
e
n
h
e
c
a
u
g
h
t
a
g
l
i
m
m
e
r
o
f
l
i
g
h
t
o
u
t
o
f
t
h
e
c
o
r
n
e
r
o
f
h
i
s
e
y
e
.
S
t
a
n
d
i
n
g
u
p
i
m
m
e
d
i
a
t
e
l
y
,
h
e
c
h
e
c
k
e
d
t
o
s
e
e
i
f
t
h
e
c
a
m
e
r
a
a
n
d
a
u
d
i
o
w
e
r
e
w
o
r
k
i
n
g
.
G
r
e
t
c
h
e
n
was
still
playfully
fondling
his
ear
with
her
lip
s.
“Stop,
this
is
importa
nt.
Can’t
you
see
what’s
happening?”
He
said
to
her
with
a
stern
but
play
ful
voice.
“Look
at
it;
it’s
getting
brighter
and
brighter.
Come
on,
let’s
get
c
loser.
”
The
luminous
gateway
had
a
compelling
allure,
almost
trance-
like,
and
it
kept
tugging
at
their
interest.
At
the
river’s
edge,
there
was
a
small
row
boat.
They
went
down
to
the
water,
determined
to
get
a
c
loser
look.
Meanwhile,
the
light
got
bright
enough
to
grab
the
attention
of
the
others
partying
at
th
e
c
ampsite.
Hans
was
the
fi
rst
to
notice
the
l
igh
t.
“Look,
guys,
the
forest
is
be
ginning
to
light
up.
Must
be
responding
to
our
partying:”
He
said
playfu
lly.
“No,
I
think
it’s
the
bridge,”
Gerda
said
as
she
took
off,
4
CHAPTER
1
running
toward
Julio’s
loc
ation.
The
rest
of
the
gang
took
off
after
her.
Near
the
video
equipment,
there
was
no
sign
of
Julio.
The
forest
glow
was
getting
brighter
and
brighter.
Gerda
turned
toward
the
bridge,
her
thoughts
conflict
ing.
She
wanted
her
full
atten
tion
on
finding
Julio
and
not
caring
about
the
bridge.
Yet,
the
bridge
was
mesmerizing.
Her
heart
was
racing
as
the
ominous
light
loomed
large.
“Julio!
J
ulio!”
The
rest
of
the
group
yelled.
The
yells
from
her
friends
temporarily
knocked
her
back
to
reality.
She
saw
a
small
row
boat
drift
through
the
fog
on
the
far
sid
e
of
the
river.
Her
stomach
c
lenched.
That
same
boat
was
near
t
h
e
m
w
h
e
n
t
h
e
y
f
i
r
s
t
s
e
t
u
p
t
h
e
e
q
u
i
p
m
e
n
t
o
n
M
o
n
d
a
y
,
a
n
d
i
t
hadn’t
moved
until
now.
“Guys,
ge
t
ove
r
here!”
Gerda’s
voice
cut
through
the
tense
air.
She
was
standing
near
the
equipment.
As
they
gathered
around,
she
maneuvered
the
camera
so
everyone
could
see
it.
T
he
camera
began
playback
with
the
motorcycles,
and
they
watched
as
th
e
humming
of
the
bikes
slowly
t
ransformed
the
water.
“Look
at
the
water,
guys;
it
appears
to
be
vibrat
ing.”
“Would
the
soundwaves
have
that
big
of
an
effect
on
the
water?”
Hans
asked.
“It
must
have.”
She
replied
a
s
she
zoomed
in
on
the
water.
“When
I
go
back
and
view
the
water,
it
is
always
completely
ca
lm.
Somethin
g
h
ad
to
stir
it.”
G
e
r
d
a
f
o
r
w
a
r
d
e
d
t
h
e
c
a
m
e
r
a
t
o
t
h
e
m
o
m
e
n
t
t
h
e
b
r
i
d
g
e
c
a
m
e
alive,
and
what
they
saw
blew
t
heir
collective
minds.
As
they
b
e
g
a
n
w
a
t
c
h
i
n
g
,
t
h
e
y
h
e
a
r
d
a
f
e
m
a
l
e
v
o
i
c
e
.
S
t
u
n
n
e
d
,
G
e
r
d
a
r
e
w
o
u
n
d
t
h
e
t
a
p
e
,
a
n
d
s
u
r
e
e
n
o
u
g
h
,
t
h
e
r
e
w
a
s
a
f
l
i
r
t
a
t
i
o
u
s
v
o
i
c
e
in
the
background.
5
RAKOTZBRÜCKE
(THE
DEVIL’S
BRIDGE)
(5)
“Maybe
Julio
is
at
the
nearest
hotel.”
A
voice
in
t
he
back-
ground
whispered,
drawing
quiet
snickers
from
th
e
group.
“Quiet!”
Gerda
snapped
as
they
continued
watc
hing
the
video.
Then
they
saw
it.
The
Gateway
“Look
at
the
bridge!
My
God,
it’s
Real!”
“There,
there’s
Julio
and
the
girl!”
Hans
pointed.
They
watched
as
the
two
made
their
way
down
to
the
boat
.
Julio
jumped
in
first
and
turned
to
help
Gretchen
aboard.
Julio
managed
to
free
the
boat
from
the
river
bed
and
slowly
rowed
toward
the
ominous
bright
light
as
if
they
were
in
a
trans.
Gretchen
sat
in
front
of
him,
leaning
back
on
his
chest.
They
were
approximately
30
yards
from
the
gateway,
an
d
the
record-
ing
stopped.
“What!
What
happened?”
Hans
asked.
“I
don’t
know!”
Gerda
replied.
“Noooo!
This
can’t
be
happening!”
She
shouted.
She
rewound
the
tape
for
a
few
s
e
c
o
n
d
s
a
n
d
p
l
a
y
e
d
i
t
b
a
c
k
,
b
u
t
t
h
e
s
a
m
e
e
n
d
i
n
g
s
h
o
w
e
d
e
a
c
h
t
i
m
e
t
h
e
y
w
a
t
c
h
e
d
.
“
S
c
h
e
i
ß
e
!
”
G
e
r
d
a
e
x
c
l
a
i
m
e
d
.
“
W
h
a
t
d
o
w
e
d
o
n
o
w
?
W
e
h
a
v
e
t
w
o
p
e
o
p
l
e
m
i
s
s
i
n
g
,
a
n
d
t
h
e
t
a
p
e
s
h
o
w
s
u
s
s
o
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
t
o
t
h
e
p
o
i
n
t
t
h
e
y
d
i
s
a
p
p
e
a
r
.
“
W
h
a
t
a
r
e
w
e
g
o
i
n
g
t
o
tell
people?”
“We
tell
th
e
truth,
Gerda.
This
is
why
we
came
here,
to
find
the
truth
.”
Hans
added.
“But
we
don’t
have
the
truth,
only
partial
truths
that
add
to
the
folklore.
This
tape
will
open
up
more
questions
than
answ
ers,
and
we
will
be
at
the
tail
end
of
it.
”
Lynn,
G
erda’s
best
friend
from
London,
walked
over
to
her,
put
her
hands
on
her
shoulder,
and
turned
her
around
so
she
could
cry.
Once
Gerda’s
head
hit
her
shoulder,
she
began
to
sob
uncontrollably.
Lynn
knew
the
effect
the
events
had
on
her.
All
6
CHAPTER
1
the
tim
e
and
energy
she
put
into
th
is
led
t
o
nothing
but
more
questions.
She
also
knew
t
hat
deep
down
inside,
Gerda
wanted
to
see
the
gateway
in
action,
even
if
it
was
a
t
the
cost
of
lives
,
and
that
made
her
feel
ev
en
worse.
L
y
n
n
l
i
f
t
e
d
h
e
r
h
e
a
d
.
“
H
e
y
,
d
o
n
’
t
w
o
r
r
y
.
Y
o
u
d
o
h
a
v
e
s
o
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
f
a
r
m
o
r
e
t
h
a
n
y
o
u
e
v
e
r
h
a
d
.
W
e
a
l
l
k
n
o
w
w
h
a
t
happened
here;
most
of
it
i
s
on
t
ape.
I
say
we
immediat
ely
m
a
k
e
a
c
o
p
y
o
f
t
h
i
s
t
a
p
e
a
n
d
t
a
k
e
i
t
t
o
t
h
e
p
o
l
i
c
e
a
n
d
l
e
t
t
h
e
m
i
n
v
e
s
t
i
g
a
t
e
w
h
i
l
e
w
e
h
a
v
e
c
o
n
c
r
e
t
e
e
v
i
d
e
n
c
e
t
o
e
x
a
m
i
n
e
a
n
d
u
s
e
for
the
next
time
we
are
her
e.
”
“Lynn’s
right,
G
erda.
We
now
know
a
lot
more
than
we
ever
did.
We
know
the
vibrations
from
t
he
bikes
kicked
start
ed
the
gateway,
we
know
that
we
can’t
stare
at
it
because
of
its
trans-
like
powers,
and
we
k
now
t
he
best
time
to
be
here
and
get
another
shot.
”
H
ans
ad
ded.
“Yes,
that’s
right,
Gerda,”
t
he
others
chimed
in.
One
year
to
the
day,
the
crew
set
up
again.
In
honor
of
J
ulio,
they
set
up
a
makeshift
burial
plot
at
the
ex
act
location
t
he
camera
was
last
year.
Gerda
felt
t
his
new
l
ocation
was
better.
It
was
on
the
other
si
de
of
t
he
lake
and
had
a
better
view.
This
time,
the
crew
was
on
high
alert.
Th
ere
was
no
partying
this
time.
Their
campground
was
just
up
the
hill
from
the
ca
mera,
and
they
could
see
partial
s
pots
of
the
lake
and
bridge
from
their
tents.
As
they
were
finishing
up
with
their
tents,
Lynn
ran
ov
er
to
Gerda.
“Look
at
those
two
over
there,
Gerda.
”
S
he
pointed.
“No!
That
can’t
be!”
They
took
off
running
over
the
bridge,
yelling.
“Julio!
Julio!”
A
young
man
turned
around
as
t
hey
approached,
staring
at
them
confused.
“Yes,
how
do
y
ou
know
my
name?”
7