Dorian's Bridge by Nicola Vallera

Dorian, a beggar, spends his life on a bridge that is alive and produces strange hallucinations.

Dorian's bridge

Dorian is a beggar and lives on a bridge. He begs for money on the deck and sleeps in the underbridge. Other characters always stay on the viaduct. There is a nun who walks back and forth the bridge covering her face with a hood. Lord Mordel is a decayed nobleman who had spent his wealth on gambling, brothels, and alcohol. A despicable couple made of a grumpy woman and a submissive fiancée are after Lord Mordel because they hope he sells off his palace to them. Two unprofessional policemen bother Dorian often questioning him a lot because they suspect he is a woman’s murderer. Lena, the florist, is always kind with Dorian, and so is Arthur, the food stand owner. Finally, Theodore is a beggar too but much more evil than Dorian. The latter is a good man and one day meets a very beautiful noblewoman who loses her handkerchief. The woman feels in love with Dorian and asks him to marry her but, she never comes back. The mendicant feels sad and has another issue. In fact, he feels he is gradually losing his memory, and it seems like he has never left the bridge. One day, something eerie happens. Dorian notices that the deck is empty except for the presence of two twins who mysteriously turn into horrific monsters and run after Dorian who manages to reach the underbridge where he is safe. Moreover, nobody recognizes the panhandler after that frightful experience. The beggar tries to understand the happenings but, the more he uses his logic, the more he fails.

Genre: FICTION / General

Secondary Genre: FICTION / General

Language: English

Keywords: bridge, mystery, supernatural, sci-fi, monsters, nightmares, beggars, 1800s, love, determination, poverty, amnesia, VR, abuse, thriller, suspense, drama, delusion, horror, gambling, drunk, food, clavichord, witch, nun, flowers

Word Count: 50,000

Sample text:

Once upon a time, there were a man and a bridge. The former and the latter were somehow related until the day the man understood that his world was not what he had thought it was.

The man was a beggar whose house was the bridge itself. His name was Dorian and was so penniless he could not afford new clothes, a home, and have a family like every decent human being. The mendicant was a good man but, hey, when I say good, I mean GOOD! Unfortunately, the world does not always reward goodwill, honesty, morality, obligingness, wholesomeness, or you-name-it-ness. 

The stray-pooch-looking panhandler had spent his humble life floating in the sometimes-rough-sometimes-calm sea of poverty. His not-so-appealing recollections were a blend of sad moments such as the death of his dear mother and little sister from consumption. The image of himself vehemently sobbing by the bed on which his sibling minuscule body was laying had tweaked his consciousness and signified a lot during his life.

Dorian had gone through countless hurdles that, same as massive rocks weighing hard on his precarious shoulders, had depicted his unenviable existence. As a child – and what an unlucky one – after having juggled with his heavy thoughts, harshly pressed by the wait-for-nobody responsibility, Dorian had stopped his studies to help his family.


Book translation status:

The book is available for translation into any language except those listed below:

LanguageStatus
French
Translation in progress. Translated by Laurène Aucouturier
Portuguese
Already translated. Translated by Matheus Rocha Mendes Nascimento
Spanish
Already translated. Translated by Isabel Martínez

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