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!”

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

reached out to hold my hand, but I instinctively drew away from him and protested, “It’s fine.

back at me with unreadable eyes, then withdrew his gaze and reminded, “Be

walked carefully behind him. The pit’s entrance was seven to eight meters above us and with the heavy

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

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

miserable. Ashton had a good physique, so he could have easily climbed up on his own, but it was much more difficult with my added weight, not to mention, I could

rainwater and a layer of mud coated his skin. Even

first. If this goes on, neither of

frowned and pinned me a hard stare. “Would you give up so easily if

stunned by his question. Realizing 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

fine by me!” he retorted. Disregarding my struggles, he pulled me up and continued climbing

no easy feat and I fell down

you climb up?” A

earth is too soft here. Throw down some tree branches!” Ashton ordered before shifting his gaze to me.

he had already broken all of the branches Laurel dropped down just now

as he stuck the broken branches into the pit’s

Rock climbing!

so I began snapping the branches with him. He found a rock on the ground and used it to knock the short

complain as he scaled the wall and knocked in more stake-like branches as

where I could no longer pass more stakes to him. Hence, I could only hand him whole branches and let him break them off piece by piece before

at the pit’s entrance also caught onto Ashton’s idea. Hence, instead of throwing whole branches down, they broke them off and put them in a bag before lowering it down to Ashton on a

impaled with stakes. Ashton looked

though I had never learned rock climbing, my survival instincts had

say

rain pelted down harshly on our bodies. Laurel, who was completely soaked through like everyone else,

prone to sinkholes, especially on rainy days. C’mon,

sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

area just collapsed!” Tabitha’s boyfriend suddenly

as one and sure enough, a large area of the ground had

used to be a mine. Some spots were dug to a depth of approximately ten meters and no one has been managing this area in years.

gasped in terror. “I saw many tea trees on the mountain. Isn’t it dangerous

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, Scarlett would never have been in

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.

not blaming you. It’s not exactly your

with adrenaline, but now that I

listened to their conversation, my knees suddenly gave out

caught me before I hit the

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

She’s just tired after the stress her body was put through. All

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

body temperature radiating and

flushed a crimson

subjected to the harrowing ordeal in the pit. Worried that I would catch a cold, Nora gave me the clothes she had brought that day and told me get changed inside

because she was worried I wouldn’t be able to change my clothes due to some unseen

“You

to travel through the forest. Otherwise, only God knows what would’ve happened to you if you were still trapped down

perplexity. “Didn’t you guys search for me because Tessa came looking for

Ashton. He came back with Rachel later on. It turns out that she

blurted out, “Then, has Tessa come

her brows. “I would’ve forgotten all about her if you didn’t mention her. We haven’t seen

When it started to rain, we got worried, so we hiked toward the mountain.

lips and

moment, Nora’s gasp broke the silence. “Did you guys tell Tessa to come back

I nodded solemnly. “Yeah.”

lips pressed tightly together as her brows drew together. “Damn! That woman is seriously vile. She talks

I felt all the energy

rest in our tents for the

Nora wanted to accompany me in my tent, but she was taken away

tired to inquire about the rest of them, I lay in

never say

night, and I jolted awake when thunder cracked across the sky like a

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

out to grab

tried to recover from my shock.

gradually, I regained my bearings and furrowed my brows. Shouldn’t he

lips and uttered icily, “What are

and I flinched closer to him. However, he didn’t seem to notice the subtle

for a while, I merely

hugged me and coaxed me to

I gradually dozed off in his arms and slept through the entire

already bright when I woke up the next day, and the morning air was

I felt slightly

man really comes and goes like the wind. I would’ve thought I hallucinated everything if not for the earplugs still stuck

position. When Nora came into my tent

“My head… hurts.” My throat was so dry I could barely say more than two

may be down

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

haste and spoke to someone. “We should pack our things

but my

Then, a frown appeared between his brows when he touched my

suggested, “Mr. Fuller, you should take her to the base to see a doctor first. There’s a clinic

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

straight to the base while the others

after getting into the car. My

temperature fluctuated as I drifted in and out of consciousness, and I

When Ashton’s face came into view, I reached

several failed attempts. As my emotions spiraled out of control, I

me. Then, the muffled sound of his voice

outside world was horrible. After a few tries,