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T h e H o l l o w s O f
H I R A E T H
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T h e E n d:
Denouement
Part Two/Seven
And so fall away from happiness is what I did. But it turned out this bitter way: that was never the reality. This is the reality. This is my God forsaken life. All of this danger, this bloodshed, this pain—this is the reality.
And, in this reality, I can't escape my routes—what people before me have had to deal with. Just because of a stupid tale. These are the times when you realise that there is nothing humane about some of us humans. I resent them for what they've done to me. I resent them for what they've done to my life.
—Sky Forest, twenty-four hours post reality.
"Recognise this?" That familiar taunting voice pulled me annoyingly out of my dreams as I restlessly tried to get some sleep. Jameson was gone. Eden ordered some random person I didn't recognise to take him out of the room. I hadn't heard any screams, so I could only assume that he was okay.
I looked up, but instead of grimacing at my captors face, my face instead went slack as I recognised a jewel, the string looped around her index finger. My pendant.
"Catch." Eden threw the jewellery piece at me, and my arms flinched as I realised I was tied down; I couldn't catch it. Not that I needed to; despite her criminal mind, Eden is a trained guardian, and she can throw with skill and precise measurements. It landed in my lap. And there sat something I hadn't seen since the incident with Carter. Carter. Where is he? I knew that feeling at the ball wasn't good—a boy doesn't just disappear before he takes a girl out to a grand ball.
"What have you done with Carter?" I growled. Eden laughed and I grew infuriated. I swear that bitch is going to hell when–
"Don't worry, Carter is here willingly." I could hear the smirk in her voice. My thoughts stopped, smoking off into a cloud of unfinished trails.
Eden, seeing my reaction, seemed content as she flashed a victorious grin. "Well, maybe half willing." She continued and I shook my head. The same old tricks, over and over–
"You can see him if you want," My head jerked up a the proposal—Eden knew I was interested. "But I don't think it'd be mutual feeling if you did want to." Eden continued, pulling up Jameson's chair and perching on the end of it, as if ready to jump into attack. These guardians really are all taught the same thing.
I shook my head at her, scowling. But I couldn't deny that she had all the information. "What do you mean?" I asked her, watching as her already fired up ego began to bubble over.
Eden scoffed, "You seriously thought that after all those love confessions, Carter would still take you to a ball?" I just stared at her. What? Eden's cackles had no effect on me as thoughts and assumptions whirled around in my head. No. Just after we had practically accepted each others invitation–
"Your love for Jameson just went and did it, Sky." Were Eden's last words before she stood up, the chair scraping against the floor as she shifted it. I couldn't process anything. I only knew one thing; Carter's disappearance was my fault. All the anger I felt about him ditching me suddenly fizzed out. It wasn't his fault. And all along, I had believed something that terrible had happened to him—I was that something terrible. I am.
"Wait," I called out to Eden, whose fingers were hovering over the door handle. The girl swivelled around expectantly, probably wondering why I was wasting her time.
"Where did you find it?" I asked, nodding down at my pendant which still sat on my lap.
Eden smirked once more and I considered the fact that she held the answer to every question I had been asking since I got here.
"Right where I planted it."
Immense silence followed. I stared at her. What she said had shivers running down my spine. The cold air tore across my skin as I mulled over her answer.
"What do you mean?" I echoed my question from earlier, but instead knowing exactly what she meant. She had to be lying. There has to be another answer.
Eden grinned as she unlocked the door, not replying. My heart sped up; suddenly, I wanted her to stay so that she could tell me more of her wicked knowledge.
"You put it there." I spoke, trying to bait her, grateful when Eden stopped moving. "You knew I'd pick it up, you–" Eden pushed down the handle and the tired metal groaned.
"Who were you trying to hurt?" I asked her. She opened the door. "Eden." My voice was supposed to be firm and unwavering, but it was unsteady and it definitely wavered.
"Who were you trying to hurt?" I repeated impatiently, the desperation seeping through. Eden walked out of the room and I thrashed around in my chair.
"Eden!" I called out as the door began to shut behind her. "Eden!" I screamed, infuriated and overcome with the strong sensation of the unknown.
Then, the door shut, and echoes of desolation rang out, clear as day but as deadly as night. And as I slumped back in my seat, my pendant shifting around on my lap, I realised I knew absolutely nothing. I knew nothing about everything.
It seems that I've misplaced a few of my hours—something I realised when I awoke in an unfamiliar room. In the shadows, I recognised Jameson opposite, still asleep—or drugged. I wouldn't be surprised if they had gagged us again.
My hands were tied up in front of me this time, whereas they had been bound to the frame of the chair previously, but my legs were still out of use, tied tight to the legs of the chair. I bent over, using my tied hands to try to unknot my legs. The ropes were thick and tight, but finally it looked like I was making decent progress.
Moments passed, noises echoed down the corridor, and I realised that I only had a limited amount of time to free myself. If only Jameson would wake up; we could put together a decent escape plan, all that we have right now is the hope that these ropes aren't tied as tightly as they seem to be.
Then I had it. My left leg was free. I started on my right leg, after glancing woefully over at Jameson; we can't waste time—he needs to wake up.
The other rope didn't take as long, maybe my fingers had mastered the skilful art of untying. I clawed at the last piece of rope, desperately pleading it to just come loose. The rope loosened around my ankle and I grinned, applying force by my leg, watching as the rope unraveled itself.
With my legs free, all I really had to do was stand up. I stood up, but suddenly that plan didn't seem good enough; what next? Looking down at my restricted hands, I decided I'd find a way to untie them. With Jameson out of command, I looked for something sharp to slash them with.
Many worried glances later, I spotted a broken banister, with jagged, sharp wooden edges. It wasn't a knife, but it would have to do. I got to work on practically sawing off my rope whilst Jameson stirred in his sleep across the room. Anxious to wake him up and get moving, I acquired quite a few rope burns before finally freeing myself.
I dashed across the room, the rope falling to the floor as I did, and crashed onto the floor at Jameson's feet, untying his ropes in the same order I had done mine. I shook him several times, and he let out a few grunts, alerting me that he was somewhere present.
"Sky?" The voice was rough and rugged, and I looked up to meet a very groggy gaze. I put a finger to my lips as I freed his hands.
"We need a plan." I whispered to him, but Jameson was distracted, glancing around the room with a confused stare.
"We're alone." Jameson stated, as if it was illegal, or suspicious.
I ignored it. "Yes, but only for a–"
"Something's wrong." Jameson muttered, pushing himself off his seat, swiftly followed by me as I rose up from the ground.
"It's a trap." Jameson seethed next, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the corner of the room, shielding us with the shadows.
Silence sounded more suspicious than noise ever did as we stood with our backs pressed against the wall and our hands interlocked.
It grew too quiet for ten seconds, then in a moment, it wasn't quiet anymore.
"Come on, Sky, crawl out of your hiding place before I kill someone you love." Eden's voice taunted in a sing-song voice and I felt Jameson's hand trying to force me back, but I was already jumping out from the corner of the wall. And who I saw was not who I was expecting.
"Kai?" My voice rang out, piercing through the dark shadows in a way that had me cringing. Kai seemed to blanch, then Eden shoved him forwards. He landed on the floor with a painful jolt, his knees bashing into the hard stone floor. I rushed over to him, trying to help him up, then I heard a trigger click. I froze.
Looking up, I saw the same guy who had tried to kill me multiple times, and I wouldn't let him get away with it now.
"Harry," I spoke with caution, my raising hand being the only movement I made as Jameson tentatively shifted over to Harry.
"Don't do it." I coaxed him gently, but he shook his head.
"Then get away from him." He ordered, but I frowned. "These are my orders, Sky; I don't want to hurt you," Harry warned, then I was suddenly reminded of his feelings for me. And I hated Eden, I hated Eden for what she turned him into.
"But I will if you don't listen to me." He warned, desperation seeping through his voice, if not shone already in his eyes, hooded by his dark eyelashes, a stark contrast to his dirty blonde mop of hair. I obeyed, to both save my life and his virtue.
Eden clapped her hands together, "Come on then, Kai, show us your women skills," Eden persuaded him with an evil edge and I frowned, "Go on then, just monopolise the girl." Kai scrambled to his feet—kind of. He was on one knee, one of them bent in front of them, his right hand reaching into the pocket behind him.
"What the–" Jameson was interrupted by a flying Harry, holding him back with strength I have never seen from him.
Looking back, I saw Kai wearing a regretful stare. Then, he did the unexpected, but it was expected—by Jameson. And I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that I was expecting it too.
With the black box in his hand, he pushed up the lid, revealing a beautiful crystal ring, yet its beauty was jarred by the horrid moment.
He breathed, "Sky Forest," He addressed to me and I cringed away slightly, hearing the fight between Harry and Jameson break out behind me.
"Will you marry me?" And then my whole world fell apart.
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Will you help me plant a sunflower?
Yeees?
Pleaseeeeeee
#greenthumbs
OMG
#SKAI
WOO YEAH
SORRY JAMESON
IF YOU LIKED IT SHOULDA PUT THE RING ON IT
(Like Kai did)
Tips And Tricks To Get Her To Marry You After Less Than 24hrs
By, Kai (insert last name)
BUT CARTER
MY BOO
IM SORRY YOU MISSED OUT X2
THESE BOYS HAVE TOO MUCH COMPETITION
-olympics
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Next update: Monday
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CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT PART TWO SPOILER:
What does Sky say?
Why did Kai propose?
And what does Eden have to do with it?
You must always remember those who you start to forget 😈