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 me

instinctively drew away from him

with unreadable eyes, then withdrew his

The pit’s entrance was seven to eight meters above us and with the

collapsing, the people above had to stand a distance away from

enough. When I

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

and a layer of mud coated his skin. Even his usually neat

muddy ground and said, “You go up first. If this goes on, neither of us is getting out

me a hard stare. “Would you give

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

me!” he retorted. Disregarding my struggles, he pulled me up

no easy feat and I fell down once

climb up?” A voice

is too soft here. Throw down some tree branches!” Ashton ordered before shifting his gaze to me. “Don’t worry.

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

as he stuck the broken branches into the pit’s wall. Soon, more branches

Rock climbing!

what Ashton was trying to do, so I began snapping the branches with him. He found a rock on the ground and used it to knock the short branches

but Ashton did not once complain as he scaled the wall and knocked in more

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

entrance also caught onto Ashton’s idea. Hence, instead of throwing whole branches down, they broke them off and put

pit’s wall was impaled with stakes. Ashton looked down at me

feeling more secure with the stakes to support my weight. Even though I had never learned rock climbing, my survival instincts had kicked in and

never say

Laurel, who was completely soaked through like everyone else, peered at me with

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

cue, lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Everyone couldn’t care less about anything else and

area just collapsed!” Tabitha’s

glanced back as one and sure enough, a large area of the

no one has been managing

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

you guys go off to? If we weren’t looking for you guys, Scarlett would

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 oversight on my part. To show my

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

the pit, my entire body was pumping with adrenaline, but now that I escaped

to their conversation, my knees suddenly gave out

and he caught me before

Let me take a look at you.” Anxiously,

just tired after the stress her body was put through. All she

to my feet, but Ashton hugged me close to his body and scooped me

could feel his body temperature radiating and also

flushed a crimson

the pit. Worried that I would catch a cold, Nora gave me the clothes she had brought that day and told

space because she was worried I wouldn’t be able to change

my throat awkwardly. “You

as she sighed. “Thank God Laurel’s call for help was loud enough to travel through the forest. Otherwise, only God knows

actions and I looked at her in perplexity. “Didn’t you guys search for me because Tessa came looking for

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

“Then, has Tessa come

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

time for you guys. When it started to rain, we got worried, so we hiked

pursed my lips and

gasp broke the silence. “Did you guys tell Tessa

I nodded solemnly. “Yeah.”

woman is seriously vile. She talks about virtue and kindness every chance she gets,

Suddenly, I felt all the energy drain from

decided to rest in our tents for

experiencing a life-and-death situation, everyone was bone tired. Initially, Nora wanted to accompany me in my tent, but she was

them, I lay in my tent and

never say never chapter

middle of the night, and I jolted awake when thunder cracked

I realized with a start that there was

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

recover from

regained my bearings and furrowed my brows. Shouldn’t he be with Rachel

my lips and uttered icily, “What are you

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

a while, I merely stared

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

I gradually dozed

and the morning

to my side, I felt slightly incredulous when I found the space

would’ve thought I hallucinated

a while, I remained in the same position. When Nora came into my tent and saw me lying down with my eyes open, she paused briefly and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling

lips to answer. “My head… hurts.” My throat

may be

hearing my scratchy voice. Upon touching my forehead with the

she rushed out in a haste and spoke to someone. “We should pack our things right

to say something, but my throat

ominous eyes. Then, a frown

him and suggested, “Mr. Fuller, you should take her

with a pounding headache. I knew that

brought me straight to the base while the

asleep again after getting into the car. My body felt light,

drifted in and out of consciousness, and I was plagued by an unending stream of nightmares, unable to break

someone standing beside me. When Ashton’s face came into view,

was on the verge of breaking down after several failed attempts. As my emotions spiraled out of control, I began

him hugging me. Then, the muffled sound of his voice reached my ears, but I couldn’t figure out

of not being able to communicate with the outside world was horrible. After a few tries, I realized that I couldn’t open my mouth, let alone speak. Hence, I chose to give