Sometimes reality is not as true as originally thought. Dreams, fantasies and illusions can seem completely real. However, they are not always real and can be deceptive. The story titled “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce is a familiar example of illusion. The first time reader may not recognize it until the end. When the assembly of soldiers is changed, as well as when the sergeant moves off the axis and Peyton falls, the events that Peyton seems to experience have some small clues that suggest that the experiences are an illusion. Or perhaps these were some fantasies Peyton had had moments before she died? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As the guard moves around Peyton, he begins to pay attention to his surroundings. He notes that the flow is slow as, according to him, a piece of driftwood appears to dance or “move slowly” (Bierce Par.4). Yet in the first paragraph Bierce mentions that Peyton is looking at “fast water.” Maybe Peyton is simply imagining something different. The closer they get to the final result, the more Peyton begins to notice strange things that one might not normally notice. In the fifth paragraph of Bierce's story, Peyton closes her eyes to focus on thoughts of her family. But suddenly something begins to bother him, forcing him to pay attention to it rather than to the thoughts of his loved ones. “What struck the thoughts of his loved ones was a sound that he could neither ignore nor understand, a sharp, distinct, metallic percussion like the strike of a blacksmith's hammer on the anvil; it had the same sound quality. Peyton stated that the noise continued to become more and more distressing as it slowly rang, similar to a death knell; and then he told himself that all he heard was the ticking of his wristwatch (Bierce par. 5). Such a strange occurrence could suggest that he is hallucinating, dreaming, imagining, or simply freaking out. Another clue seems to suggest that Peyton may not have thought any of this. “When these thoughts, which must here be expressed in words, flashed in the brain of the condemned man rather than developing out of it, the captain signaled to the sergeant (Bierce par. 7).” Maybe he didn't even have time to think those thoughts before the soldiers sent him diving, or maybe something "flashed" the information in his brain. When another scene shows Peyton with his wife and a guest, he asked the guest questions. The soldier told him what was happening during the war and, when asked how far it was to the bridge with the repairs, he said it was “about thirty miles (Bierce par. 10-12)”. Perhaps, this bit of information could hint at his thoughts of running away from home, as well as his subsequent escape after the soldiers dropped him, suggesting that it's not entirely possible. As the story returns to the bridge, the story says: "When Peyton Farquhar fell off the bridge, he lost consciousness and it was as if he were already dead. From this state he was awakened – it seemed centuries later (Bierce par.18)..." The words “like one already dead” should whisper the idea that he is actually already dead, never to be awakened again. Another clue that might suggest that this situation is not really happening is: “the light around him flashed upwards. with the sound of a loud crash; a fearful roar was in his ears, and all was cold and dark (par.18).” The light doesn't make any noise, and the water takes a little longer to cool than it supposedly does.