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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAeb5CzeNSLa
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANA7Bds64Etzs
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAqUVTMs83B0
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAdVGFJFChg8
That was until I saw him slowly go down as if the ground was pulling...
688Please respect copyright.PENANADzQ30Sj9WB
It was quicksand. He was stuck in quicksand!
688Please respect copyright.PENANAUs8yGYp5ii
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:
688Please respect copyright.PENANArVd5JtskeQ
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAviSQ6knG7l
"Oh, this is grand!" I approached him, chuckling wickedly.
688Please respect copyright.PENANASkR2aIx7fO
"Don't just stand there."
688Please respect copyright.PENANA3rohd9L6n2
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAMP08T6boSJ
"Get me out."
688Please respect copyright.PENANAmiGG2nlaDs
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?"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAX8iJBOqQig
By now, the sand reached his waist.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAvoTPm3CREF
"202!"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAK7KvWTVhbK
I made a buzzer noise. "Those aren't words, Ev. Try again."
688Please respect copyright.PENANAFUyZWqpOvY
"Stop messing around–"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAfgVypmxMxD
"Jeez, it's not that hard. Have you no primary socialisation?" I teased.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAipJwDvbZeH
His jaw clenched.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAwMO4cnU48T
I smiled. "Suit yourself. I'll be on my way then..."
688Please respect copyright.PENANAanoFQpVWlG
"Please," he muttered it in the epitome of reluctance, in the most – understandably – hollow, insincere, and quiet voice, that I almost missed it.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAWOa7MUHgtL
"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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAiM27aGHoK5
In response, he shot daggers at me. No, that would be an understatement. He shot karambits* at me.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAzNb4e5PMEz
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAOqIhauJDmN
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANALdIIvwTmJR
Cold, wouldn't be the correct way to describe the next glare he sent me. No, this glare brought about the ice age.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAGUbUH35yjK
"You are not serious," he growled.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAQpOyhOyRzE
"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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAHaREgcTtTt
"You won't walk away," He stated with absolute certainty.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAY48TCiiQ96
"Won't I?" Of course, I wasn't going to leave him there. But, he didn't need to know that.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAYyroBW4IyC
The sand was inching closer to his torso, by now.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAWlNRk5YfWa
"Clock's ticking," I pestered. "Tell me, do you like the taste of sand?"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAwtFvWpu0J7
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAcvyQin7SFz
"Seriously, this is not a pretty way to go. Anytime now would be nice," I ushered.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAHE5rWBIyam
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANA1CKm3fvIpu
No! I wasn't going to let him win! Not this time!
688Please respect copyright.PENANAsMg84QvXQQ
Then, just as the sand was about to swallow his shoulders, he spoke, "alright."
688Please respect copyright.PENANAXR2p0aZGZJ
Hearing the granite speak after that long made think I had dreamt it. "Huh?"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAwGEi7WyVWr
"I will tell you."
688Please respect copyright.PENANAtoUTBYJHAj
I raised my eyebrows, both surprised and suspicious. "You will?"
688Please respect copyright.PENANALnTsXl6dX4
"That's what you want, don't you."
688Please respect copyright.PENANABd3a9tJpB7
"Well, yes." I frowned. Where was he going with this?
688Please respect copyright.PENANARn98zIS5nO
"Then, I will tell you."
688Please respect copyright.PENANA3WPYdZkUxF
The frown remained on my face. Something didn't feel right about this. It felt too easy. "Go on, then."
688Please respect copyright.PENANA7DIh4CDs31
He was about to respond when I finally processed that the sand was now at his shoulders. The sand was now at his shoulders!
688Please respect copyright.PENANAdEd8SMt8En
He was going to die!
688Please respect copyright.PENANAk20UUFG731
That meant I'd never discover why the Front wanted me dead!
688Please respect copyright.PENANAbfCEKPCN1P
And he was going to die!
688Please respect copyright.PENANAgCNP3jNB4p
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAMazYCAikHI
Immediately, I handed him the bough and pulled. Gosh, how heavy could one be?
688Please respect copyright.PENANAVGsFiq2cO7
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAV1zoPuq22c
Just as he reached the edge, I heard a crack. It came from the bough.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAAffNaDVPP1
"Oh, for the love of God!" I huffed, on the brink in giving up.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAzURIfZ4ArO
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAuh8Rler5qc
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!
688Please respect copyright.PENANAVP4CE3loAx
That's when I realised my something. He hadn't told me anything, yet he got me to get him out.
688Please respect copyright.PENANA1PrrSzmlOW
I almost gasped.
688Please respect copyright.PENANA8up9Ut13vU
He remained silent for a reason! So I would have to help him! Oh, that cunning–
688Please respect copyright.PENANAOuda4CgpAK
He landed on top of me.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAqnCeXUytvh
It knocked the breath out of me, for reasons other than the weight of his body.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAD99i9RdNRx
Sensing his whereabouts, he immediately clamored off.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAgimWPyuvg2
I sat up and looked at my dress. "Aw, you got mud all over my next spring's Madam Brodeur dress!"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAeLi2S0JZjz
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAKz3JLi2HrZ
"Stop," I moved back as if his hands were fire. "I was joking about the dress," I informed him
688Please respect copyright.PENANAVptp2uZ07T
"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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAAh6K2B9lVY
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAzhigOVIsfs
He didn't respond.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAvqv38x0p6C
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!"
688Please respect copyright.PENANApKpVP2Khwf
"I did."
688Please respect copyright.PENANAmAPYXYPM7W
"So do it, then".
688Please respect copyright.PENANA72ppKJPQLs
"Then again, you would have gotten me out, anyway." Oh, that obnoxious son of an iceberg!
688Please respect copyright.PENANAml3NucOKbk
"Tell me!" I said – or rather shouted – the words for what seemed like the tenth time since meeting this guy.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAoNnI0Bmz0V
"You really don't want to know."
688Please respect copyright.PENANAKXe9XESNqe
"Yes. I do!" What was he, stupid?
688Please respect copyright.PENANAi6HDOKHXq9
"It's for your own g—"
688Please respect copyright.PENANA76Lsl9oKjF
"I don't care! I'm not an idiot. I know that you're just trying to stall!"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAQ74ENpsUfB
"Are you sure—"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAhE4I2k8Zjk
"Yes!"
688Please respect copyright.PENANA1NDkL6RsoS
"—that you're not an idiot?"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAsbyVhpHbMe
"Hey!"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAV58wedvoyG
"Hi," he had the nerve to answer back.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAgUEjXYSE1G
"I will throw you back in there," I warned.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAQ3SiyIRUjb
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–
688Please respect copyright.PENANAhfCFhgTvzc
No! I can't do this!
688Please respect copyright.PENANAr2WCkBvvld
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAZiHo9SiF1L
I bet he practiced that every day in front of a mirror.
688Please respect copyright.PENANATb439slWi9
"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."
688Please respect copyright.PENANAHCT10kKF53
"The sand is drying up," I said, sourly. "Get on with it, will you?"
688Please respect copyright.PENANAaDjcQLsQA8
And that he did...
688Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5oym9N1SH
688Please respect copyright.PENANAqIeVBjwHon
***
688Please respect copyright.PENANAMiiVDhr4S3
688Please respect copyright.PENANA6q9U7hRAq0
Remember when the kind iceberg informed me that I would regret ever asking because I would never be able to go back on?
688Please respect copyright.PENANA1JJfGf50CQ
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAAOpOUqMWSp
So I ran.
688Please respect copyright.PENANASQFpYBTtgu
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.
688Please respect copyright.PENANA6YNNzHpGlv
____________________________________________________________________________
688Please respect copyright.PENANAwSSHFHTd5n
688Please respect copyright.PENANAV8Wkf87lXu
Author's note:
688Please respect copyright.PENANAXr8JcoIlhF
Yes, I know, I'm evil for leaving you hanging like that. Moving on...
688Please respect copyright.PENANAh9jUEKuSME
Spoiler alert (not really): Prepare yourselves, next chapter's going to be interesting.
688Please respect copyright.PENANAP0U2IzR8rr
Please like, comment, and share. Thank you!
-Ruth
ns18.117.135.125da2