In Love, Never Say Never

In love, never say never chapter 741

Now that no one was around to talk to me, the pin-drop silence in the pit intensified the crippling terror within me.

The boggy soil reminded me of the night I had the miscarriage. My body couldn’t help trembling like a leaf.

I couldn’t afford to let fear overtake me, or else I would probably kick the bucket here. There were so many things left undone. I had yet to raise Summer up and achieve my dreams.

“Scarlett, can you hear me? I found some branches. Be careful, I’m dropping them now.” Laurel’s voice came from the opening of the pit.

“Okay, do it,” I replied.

In the next second, some branches fell from above, and she asked, “Scarlett, why did you ask for the branches?”

I felt for the branches on the ground. Holding it in my hand, I knocked against the ground and found that soil around me was pretty solid.

I took a few steps forward hesitantly. “I’m using them to check my surrounding, because I’m afraid that I might fall into another deeper pit.”

“I see, you’re really smart. Hold on, I’m going to find a vine now.”

Then, I could no longer hear her voice. I continued to scan my surrounding with the branch in my hand. After a few steps, I noticed that something was wrong. The soil beneath my feet was too marshy. To my dismay, I found myself sinking gradually.

My heart grew heavy, and I broke out in a cold sweat. At once, I knew that I had stepped into a swamp in the pit.

I raised my head and shouted, “Laurel, are you there?”

Fortunately, she was nearby and rushed over when she heard me. “I’m here.”

“I’m in trouble.” Deep down, I felt a little despondent. “I think I accidentally stepped into a swamp.”

“Ah!” she shrieked all of a sudden. “What should we do now?”

Feeling hopeless, my body sank gradually into the bottomless swamp.

“Don’t sweat it, Laurel. Quickly look for a vine or seek help. I can still hang on for a little longer. Don’t panic!” Trying my very best to keep calm, I racked my brain for a solution, recalling that before the ground I was standing at earlier was solid.

Grateful that I’m still holding the branch, I poked the ground around the swamp. Sure enough, the soil was much harder. Breathing a sigh of relief, I got on my hands and knees to reduce the weight on my feet.

As a result, I would sink at a slower speed.

Boom! Boom! A clap of deafening thunder roared, following by the sound of raindrops pitter-pattered on the ground.

I felt disheartened. Even if I got out of the swamp, I would never be able to climb out of here. Once the rain became heavier, water would accumulate in the pit, and I would get injured or even killed. To make the matter worse, a landslide might happen, and Laurel would be in trouble too.

“Scarlett, are you okay? It’s raining already. What should we do now? Why is Tessa taking so long?”

Outside the pit, Laurel paced up and down in distress. Yet, she had no idea what to do.

The rainwater fell and slowly flowed into the swamp, making it even soggier.

My heart sank. I could only take a gamble now. It would be just my luck if the ground in front of me was still swampy. If it wasn’t, I might pull through this.

Taking a deep breath, I clenched my fists. With all my might, I leaped out of the swamp.

Before I knew it, my feet landed on the area ahead of the swamp. Still, I felt like a cat on a hot tin roof. The moment I noticed I was no longer sinking, but standing on solid ground, my anxiety ceased.

The thunder was ear-splitting that I could barely hear Laurel’s voice. Listening to the sound of rainwater gushing in, I guess that the swamp formed over time due to the stagnant water in the pit.

The marshy ground was originally a flatland. The huge pit came about because the ground was hollow.

A City was in the southwest, where it was mainly covered by forests. After tens of thousands of years of plate motion, there were many coal mines in this area.

Over the past few years, there was no regulation, so the locals were free to do coal mining, leaving behind quite a number of underground mines. Even though the professionals came over for maintenance, the existence of these mines made the ground boggy and unstable.

The prevalence of landslides was caused by the cave-ins of the mines. Rainfall sped up the soil erosion. Hence, with this ten-meter-deep underground pit, the surrounding land could collapse anytime.

I would’ve seen it if I had come during the day, but that wasn’t the case at night when I was as blind as a bat. Once I fell inside, I could only ask for help to get out of it.

“Scarlett, can you hear me? Are you still alright? Don’t be afraid, someone’s coming down to get you.” Laurel’s voice sounded from above.

I lifted my head and answered, “Okay, be careful!”

I was worried about that the person who was coming down might fall into the swamp, so I warned, “Bring a torch when you come down. There’s a swamp down here. Be careful!”

In love, never say never chapter 742

“Got it!” came the voice from above.

Soon, the dark pit was lit up by a beam of light. I remained still, not daring to move a muscle. I squinted against the brightness to see a figure looking down from above, seemingly belonging to a man.

Assuming that it was Armond, I called out in warning, “Armond, be careful. There’s a swamp here and the ground is soft. I’m worried that this area might sink at any moment. Please be careful!”

He didn’t respond, but tied a rope around his waist instead. With the flashlight in one hand, he used the light to find his footing while the other hand groped the soft walls of the pit as he walked in my direction.

The flashlight’s beam was aimed directly at me, so I couldn’t make out Armond’s features. Casting my gaze around, I spotted two slightly deeper pits a short distance away, probably left by my feet earlier.

There was also some muddied undergrowth all around the area, all of which were tea trees, which proved that my guess was right—the ground here had given way not too long ago.

The rain was getting heavier and my clothes were completely soaked by then. I wasn’t sure if the ground beneath my feet could hold my weight, but I had to try making my way forward. When Armond closed in on me, I called out again, “Be careful. Some of the areas are sinkholes!”

“Mm,” he responded just when he reached my side and I was taken aback to hear the familiar voice.

My head whipped up in surprise. “Ashton? What are you doing here?” For some reason, my nerves instantly loosened the moment I saw him and I breathed out an inaudible sigh of relief.

With his lips pressed into a straight line, he raised his brows in provocation. “What? Are you disappointed that it’s me?”

I froze for a split second, but ignored his sarcastic remark and urged, “Let’s get out of here now. This place could sink at any time!”

Needing no further explanation, he grabbed my hand and looked up at the entrance of the pit. “I’ve found her. Tie the rope to a tree and make a dead knot.”

Laurel answered from above, “Okay, got it. Be careful, guys!”

tied the other end of the rope on his body around mine and instructed, “Follow

hold my hand, but I instinctively drew away from him and protested, “It’s fine. I’ll follow behind

unreadable eyes,

The pit’s entrance was seven to eight meters above us and with the heavy downpour, climbing up would

entrance from collapsing, the people above had to stand a distance away from it and could only assist

myself up the rope, but my arms weren’t strong enough. When I slipped down after a few tries, getting out

felt miserable. Ashton had a good physique, so he could have easily climbed up on his own, but it was much more difficult with

his skin. Even

up first. If this goes on, neither of us is getting out

hard stare. “Would you give up so easily if it

that he had misunderstood, I sighed softly. “It’s not what you think it is. Our priority right now is to minimize the loss. We’re both going to end up getting injured if we

retorted. Disregarding my struggles, he pulled me up and continued climbing the

was no easy feat and I

doing? Can you climb

down some tree branches!” Ashton ordered before shifting his gaze to me. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave

dazed by him, he had already broken all of the branches

stuck the broken branches into the pit’s wall. Soon, more branches were dropped into

Rock climbing!

a rock on the ground and used it to

but Ashton did not once complain as he scaled the wall and knocked in more stake-like branches

us increased to the point where I could no longer pass more stakes to him. Hence, I could only hand him

down, they broke them off and put them

a large section of the pit’s wall was impaled with stakes. Ashton

the stakes to support my weight. Even though I had never learned rock climbing, my survival instincts had kicked in and I wasted no

never say never chapter

down harshly on our bodies. Laurel, who was completely soaked through like everyone else, peered at me with worry lining her features. “We have to

sinkholes, especially on rainy days. C’mon,

of thunder. Everyone couldn’t care less about

just collapsed!” Tabitha’s boyfriend suddenly

enough, a large area of the ground

meters and no one has been managing this area in years. On rainy days, accidents are prone to happen,”

many tea trees on the mountain. Isn’t it dangerous

spoke up right then, aiming her words at Ashton. “Mr. Fuller, where did you guys go off to? If we weren’t looking for you guys,

that, everyone turned their attention to Ashton. He cast a fleeting gaze at them, but remained otherwise calm. In a polite and sophisticated manner, he expressed his regret. “What happened today was an

pursed her lips. “We’re not blaming you. It’s not exactly

but now that I escaped from that precarious situation, exhaustion hit me like

my knees

me before I hit the ground, smoothly pulling me into his

a look at you.” Anxiously, Nora squatted beside me to

not injured. She’s just tired after the stress her body was put through. All she needs

nodded reassuringly at her. Then, I tried to get to my feet, but Ashton hugged me close to his body and

could feel his body temperature radiating and

face flushed a

in the tent after being subjected to the harrowing ordeal in the pit. Worried that I would catch a cold, Nora gave me the clothes she had brought

into the tiny space because she was worried I wouldn’t be able to change my

awkwardly. “You really don’t need to watch me like that.

for help was loud enough to travel through the forest. Otherwise,

actions and I looked at her in perplexity. “Didn’t you guys search

her head with a frown. “Not long after we got separated, we trekked around the forest, but then returned to camp when we didn’t find Ashton. He came back with Rachel later on. It turns out that she sprained her ankle and couldn’t

out, “Then, has Tessa

small crease formed between her brows. “I would’ve forgotten all about her if you didn’t mention her. We haven’t

we waited a long time for you guys. When it started to rain, we got worried, so we hiked toward the mountain. That’s when we heard Laurel calling

my lips and

silence. “Did you guys tell Tessa to come back

I nodded solemnly. “Yeah.”

as her brows drew together. “Damn! That woman is seriously vile. She talks about virtue and kindness every chance she gets, but she’s

mum and resumed changing my clothes. Suddenly, I felt all

to rest in our

wanted to accompany me in

the rest of them, I lay in my tent

say

I jolted awake when thunder

turned on my side, I realized with a start that there was

could release a scream, a hand shot out to grab mine and then came a

recover from my shock. “Ashton, what are you…” I

daylights out of me, but gradually, I regained my bearings and furrowed my brows.

lips and uttered icily, “What are you

clap of thunder boomed overhead, and I flinched

surroundings instantly became quiet and for a while, I merely

he didn’t utter a single word. Instead, he hugged me and coaxed me

with, I gradually dozed off in his arms and slept through the

up the next day, and the morning air was slightly humid due to the

slightly incredulous when I found the

I would’ve thought I hallucinated everything

even after waking up for a while, I remained in the same position. When Nora came into my tent and saw me

head… hurts.” My throat was so dry I

may be down with

knitted together upon hearing my scratchy voice. Upon touching my forehead with

to someone. “We should pack our things right now and go back to A City. Scarlett is down

something, but my throat hurt too

into the tent and scanned my face with his ominous eyes. Then, a frown appeared between his brows when he

trailed in after him and suggested, “Mr. Fuller, you should take her to the base to see a doctor

me up. By then, my head was buzzing with a pounding headache. I knew that nothing I said would make a

Ashton brought me straight to the base while the others

the car. My body felt light, as

of consciousness, and I was plagued by an

When Ashton’s face came into view, I reached out to grab him, but my fingers just couldn’t seem

failed attempts. As my emotions

of his voice reached my ears,

was horrible. After a few tries, I