As backbreaking as it was, I managed to travel a reasonable distance, after that last argument. Of course, it wasn't as far as last time, but considering the sheer number of blisters on my foot by now it was, indeed worse. However, I figured, Everest was human too – more or less so – and that meant, eventually he'd get tired, as well. So we would have to stop eventually, right? Even if we didn't, we'd run out of forest at some point, and I'd be liberated! Therefore, I kept my complaints quiet, and marched on, ahead of him.
704Please respect copyright.PENANA3apQcBZdtg
This time, instead of counting up the seconds, I counted the number of trees we passed, collecting a twig from each one, out of boredom. It seemed beyond stupid, and besides I had to drop half of them, as all two hundred failed to fit in my hands, but, the next thing that happened proved it to be the smartest decision I had ever made.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAiiqSV84a1N
So there I was, collecting my two-hundred-and-ninth twig, from my two-hundred-and-ninth tree, when I heard my name being called, from behind me.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAoLDbmQpxyQ
Turning around, I wasn't exactly sure what I was supposed to be looking at. Everything seemed fine. The trees were gently swaying, in response to the light wind; the ground was veiled in leaves, dirt, and detritus; and Everest was standing on that ground.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAUY4qgkrA6l
That was until I saw him slowly go down as if the ground was pulling...
704Please respect copyright.PENANAELKmp7k4Zu
It was quicksand. He was stuck in quicksand!
704Please respect copyright.PENANANcIAarcWF4
There was a lot that I could have done at that moment. Pull him out of there, get something to pull him out of there, scream for help (inefficient), or just walk on. But here's what actually happened:
704Please respect copyright.PENANAME6L04CBvw
I laughed. I laughed so hard, I dropped the remaining twigs out of my hands. In fact, I had to hold on to a tree to balance myself.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAu5Ph9DbxhV
"Oh, this is grand!" I approached him, chuckling wickedly.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAJlhj1vEq70
"Don't just stand there."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAE6d92050Pf
How calm he managed to be in a situation like this, really, truly utterly amazed me. "No? What do you want me to do, then?" The idea of him asking me for help drew a mischievous smile on my face.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAIcC9amZ5qG
"Get me out."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAfEd2qXxQMt
Not that I'd actually expected him to beg, but this wasn't a request, it was an order. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't particularly fond of obeying orders. "What's the magic word?"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAXlLsAcprj4
By now, the sand reached his waist.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAQ583P4yGjf
"202!"
704Please respect copyright.PENANA6cYi9IOOh9
I made a buzzer noise. "Those aren't words, Ev. Try again."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAtADwd8SKmz
"Stop messing around–"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAL98HM0k0w1
"Jeez, it's not that hard. Have you no primary socialisation?" I teased.
704Please respect copyright.PENANArFyQ8Zo121
His jaw clenched.
704Please respect copyright.PENANARekUSpEBdZ
I smiled. "Suit yourself. I'll be on my way then..."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAr4tJlHjDn5
"Please," he muttered it in the epitome of reluctance, in the most – understandably – hollow, insincere, and quiet voice, that I almost missed it.
704Please respect copyright.PENANA75aLkJaATi
"What was that? I don't think I quite heard you." Alright, I was evil. But he nearly killed me! And he made me stumble through this place for three hours! And, this was fun, anyway.
704Please respect copyright.PENANA21m6dWdFcU
In response, he shot daggers at me. No, that would be an understatement. He shot karambits* at me.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAbYIMZxXHin
So, deciding to put him out of his misery, I grabbed a nearby bough and held it out to him. Just then, a genius idea came to mind. It was pure genius.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAExIgUq3t72
I hovered the bough over his head. "Let's make a deal, shall we? I will help you get out of this... sticky situation if you tell me why the Front wants me dead," I offered sweetly.
704Please respect copyright.PENANARMCYQXaahy
Cold, wouldn't be the correct way to describe the next glare he sent me. No, this glare brought about the ice age.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAKF6WnGV5Uj
"You are not serious," he growled.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAMvUWyn3uiU
"Oh, I'm quite serious." I nodded, batting my eyelashes at him. "So, what's is gonna be, Everest?" I asked, swinging the bough from side to side.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAS9sm8FnWzA
"You won't walk away," He stated with absolute certainty.
704Please respect copyright.PENANA01Q1g4vAvj
"Won't I?" Of course, I wasn't going to leave him there. But, he didn't need to know that.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAeCB06HIae8
The sand was inching closer to his torso, by now.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAmeyStJlAqz
"Clock's ticking," I pestered. "Tell me, do you like the taste of sand?"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAER5lfkotDh
He did nothing. How adamant, he was! I mean, seriously? Even if it came down to death, he would remain as stubborn as Canadian weather? That had to be one secret.
704Please respect copyright.PENANADFSl6wKQf2
"Seriously, this is not a pretty way to go. Anytime now would be nice," I ushered.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAFpkZPNlDNW
A few more moments passed and he still did nothing. It was when it came to his chest, that I began to think he was actually suicidal. You should probably get him out now, Emerald.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAEdAMAbhSlm
No! I wasn't going to let him win! Not this time!
704Please respect copyright.PENANA6kSeEwpSDF
Then, just as the sand was about to swallow his shoulders, he spoke, "alright."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAShsNzC62Ax
Hearing the granite speak after that long made think I had dreamt it. "Huh?"
704Please respect copyright.PENANARr0JNzClwL
"I will tell you."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAjuGGh1Irfy
I raised my eyebrows, both surprised and suspicious. "You will?"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAs4uNDTItx8
"That's what you want, don't you."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAkDoX5FjJqR
"Well, yes." I frowned. Where was he going with this?
704Please respect copyright.PENANAPgeR0qvdLM
"Then, I will tell you."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAfsBnYATkcZ
The frown remained on my face. Something didn't feel right about this. It felt too easy. "Go on, then."
704Please respect copyright.PENANASWFUpbgFGN
He was about to respond when I finally processed that the sand was now at his shoulders. The sand was now at his shoulders!
704Please respect copyright.PENANAVvUOp2eUob
He was going to die!
704Please respect copyright.PENANAk6BiaBv2LU
That meant I'd never discover why the Front wanted me dead!
704Please respect copyright.PENANAjJXb4JMoi3
And he was going to die!
704Please respect copyright.PENANAa3i5DfgJ7V
I was many things, but I wasn't a murderer. Or an idiot. And, just standing there doing nothing counted as indirect murder, and plain idiocy.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAj9TvT9AQzY
Immediately, I handed him the bough and pulled. Gosh, how heavy could one be?
704Please respect copyright.PENANAvglc3jU3Hw
He was in the center of the brown mess, and I was at the edge of it, so first I had to pull him towards the edge, even if it meant he was still shoulder deep in mud, and then get him out of it. And what hard work it was! I, quite literally, fell on the ground, out of effort.
704Please respect copyright.PENANATwTbysTJyc
Just as he reached the edge, I heard a crack. It came from the bough.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAb3Nc4A4uUE
"Oh, for the love of God!" I huffed, on the brink in giving up.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAQKxsvXpLps
There was nothing much I could have done at that point. So instead, I grabbed his hand, which was surprisingly clean, and pulled. Unfortunately, the rest of him wasn't. Even more, unfortunately, I had to touch all parts of that bastard's body in the struggle to save his life.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAa1RS1rUAN1
After much pulling, and much more cursing (from me in particular), I did it! I got him out! And how easier it would have been if it had just done that a long time ago!
704Please respect copyright.PENANAFHC4XEMK0R
That's when I realised my something. He hadn't told me anything, yet he got me to get him out.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAcUFPmHqFWA
I almost gasped.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAKuagVXUMM7
He remained silent for a reason! So I would have to help him! Oh, that cunning–
704Please respect copyright.PENANAbDJ3BDBk8s
He landed on top of me.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAg9boLuctzB
It knocked the breath out of me, for reasons other than the weight of his body.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAu5KzPmq3vg
Sensing his whereabouts, he immediately clamored off.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAemLVzTdKPv
I sat up and looked at my dress. "Aw, you got mud all over my next spring's Madam Brodeur dress!"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAolZx8CryTD
He looked at it. "It's not much." Before I could process, he began dabbing at parts of my dress, and parts of my body that made me freeze.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAZAv18TITev
"Stop," I moved back as if his hands were fire. "I was joking about the dress," I informed him
704Please respect copyright.PENANAcZkbq1pT4T
"Oh," he got up. "Then, I guess I should say thank you." Despite his words, it was dead obvious that uttering those two words were the last thing he wanted to do.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAVtF459qmOK
Not that I needed him to. "You should say the answers to my questions. Right now." If he thought he was getting away with this one, he had another thing coming.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAkuBIZpQrTY
He didn't respond.
704Please respect copyright.PENANApcmM0D4eIt
As much as I tried to maintain it, my patience rebelliously slipped out of me. "You said you will tell me if I got you out!"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAUZ3cblnpYr
"I did."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAqlmClwYrZp
"So do it, then".
704Please respect copyright.PENANAKxsnKsNgJ8
"Then again, you would have gotten me out, anyway." Oh, that obnoxious son of an iceberg!
704Please respect copyright.PENANA6XxlRhKg2J
"Tell me!" I said – or rather shouted – the words for what seemed like the tenth time since meeting this guy.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAy6BeMmkxXL
"You really don't want to know."
704Please respect copyright.PENANAQV25ybYCFk
"Yes. I do!" What was he, stupid?
704Please respect copyright.PENANAgfFWooXt4S
"It's for your own g—"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAzPTOMlsiOs
"I don't care! I'm not an idiot. I know that you're just trying to stall!"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAAsBLTNTnxi
"Are you sure—"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAg929yM05pB
"Yes!"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAmt9sbFpIYu
"—that you're not an idiot?"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAmHIEwj7O3g
"Hey!"
704Please respect copyright.PENANAjjF3gm7b3K
"Hi," he had the nerve to answer back.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAzHpFOLPxRO
"I will throw you back in there," I warned.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAbDI0BEmRLA
His eyes pierced into mine. But I held my ground, that was what I did! If he thought I would surrender, he thought wrong! Even though his artic glare stung my eyes, I wouldn't give up! Even though it was visual torture staring directly into them, he'd be daft if he thought that I'd back down–
704Please respect copyright.PENANAty3BiEAofK
No! I can't do this!
704Please respect copyright.PENANAxp0OhSpRlh
I can shamefully admit that I looked away. I had to. After all, it felt like abuse, forcing myself to continue staring into those deadly things.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAnB2S4UtNVE
I bet he practiced that every day in front of a mirror.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAWaffbqWcsS
"You don't get it, do you?" he suddenly spoke. "Once you hear this, you can't go back on it. No matter what you do, or how much you ever wish that you hadn't asked, you cannot go back on it. If you can't handle it, you cannot go back on it. If you can't forget it, you cannot go back on it," he leaned close, resembling a predator. "If it hurts you, you cannot go back on it."
704Please respect copyright.PENANA3oJPSlfs7m
"The sand is drying up," I said, sourly. "Get on with it, will you?"
704Please respect copyright.PENANA948bTlZFIp
And that he did...
704Please respect copyright.PENANAaV7tQftnQb
704Please respect copyright.PENANArQ8JJ1gfwD
***
704Please respect copyright.PENANAq3aCxoYYHy
704Please respect copyright.PENANAZc2qRahcv0
Remember when the kind iceberg informed me that I would regret ever asking because I would never be able to go back on?
704Please respect copyright.PENANABnMR3SrCsp
It agonises me to concede that, he was right. The conceited mongrel was right. I couldn't handle it. I couldn't forget it – I didn't even bother trying, for that matter. And it hurt. A lot.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAKYakPSpSKE
So I ran.
704Please respect copyright.PENANADLUKJFaj8Y
I didn't know how long for, or why. Perhaps until I could escape the forest. Or perhaps until the air resistance dried the ever-flowing stream of tears that slid down my face. Yeah, what he told me was... bad.
704Please respect copyright.PENANAXsj9Qw2RKG
____________________________________________________________________________
704Please respect copyright.PENANADuziYrcXha
704Please respect copyright.PENANAWbSfcCvt3F
Author's note:
704Please respect copyright.PENANAuWVcMWLnPw
Yes, I know, I'm evil for leaving you hanging like that. Moving on...
704Please respect copyright.PENANAT3GRkG0P2m
Spoiler alert (not really): Prepare yourselves, next chapter's going to be interesting.
704Please respect copyright.PENANA2MWfPrWG3A
Please like, comment, and share. Thank you!
-Ruth
ns18.220.69.92da2