BEYOND

CHAPTER THREE

With the way Peter looked at his situation, he should be at the bottom of the water. If there was anything more surprising, he had yet to experience it.
Slowly as he sank, he felt something latch on to him.

At first it seemed then gradually it became more solid around his arms. Something or someone?

No, this isn't right, he thought to himself.
Powerful arms gradually pulled him out of the water.
He was too tired, too weak to make any conscious effort to fight the pulling force on him. His mind kept slipping out of consciousness.
Slowly he was been pulled out and dragged out of his watery near-grave.
Blinking his eyes open ,he coughed up lots and lots of foul water.
Argh! I feel horrible ,he thought to himself.

The voices he had heard took on an unsettling absence.
With his back to the ground, he was dragged along a surface.
He felt so weak to make any conscious effort at least to stop this
force from pulling him apart. Too weak to pull back, he slipped out of
consciousness...again.
He woke with a start, confusion set ring in. "Where am I?"

He looked around and saw he was in a clearing of land surrounded by water. An island of sort.
He had a dream of himself drowning and being rescued by a goddess. A beautiful, radiant goddess.
It seemed like the world was spinning in his mind's eye. His head was pounding. He felt debilitated to his bones.
"My mouth tastes like shit,"he thought to himself, letting out an oath in his mind.
Startling him, a feminine voice cut through his hazy mind.

"You are awake,"she started, pausing for a while.
"What is your name?"she asked.

Ugh! He felt like his head was about to fall apart.
He was too stunned to answer. He never believed he would meet anyone here.
Least of all, a girl!
It was too much to take in. He had assured himself a while ago that only he existed here.
That sure seemed a longtime ago.
"Hello?" She asked again.

"Oh.. I am Peter," he spoke out loud.

"Well Peter, you almost drowned,"she replied sternly.
"I happened to be wandering about and managed to stumble on you struggling and helped you out."
"That water you dove into is called the water of misery."
"If you had drowned you would have forgotten about your life and be
trapped here forever."

Looking at her, she reminded him of his girlfriend.
They looked a lot alike. Peter instantly decided that he liked her.
Shifting away from his thoughts, he suddenly grabbed all she had been
saying.

"Loved ones?" Peter asked in confusion. He felt like his head was tuned to super confusion mood. I can't even remember her name.

Frustrating though. Negative thoughts moved through his head .
"You are crying," she said ,which was obvious.

"None of your business," he muttered. "I was just thinking.

"Well ,it's the effect of the river I am sure,"Martha said.

Slowly and gradually his thoughts were aligning up. He could now
think clearly much better than before.

"Huh, you said something that felt like I could actually get off here?"

She scowled at him.

"So who are you?"he asked.

She looked up,and answered ,"It doesn't matter."

"Why do you say so?"He asked.

She laughed bitterly,"we do have all the time or no time to know each other."

"Now, there isn't a reason to say all that, I hate boring conversations but if you insist, my name is Martha."

Hmm, i have heard that name before he thought but he just couldn't place it.

"Well it's nice to meet you Martha, he replied."

"Feeling's definitely not mutual,"she countered.

"Uh...actually,I am going to need more information Martha,"Peter said.
"You don't want me in your face, that's fine but I need you to answer me."

Peter launched into a series of questions. "how did you end up here?"
"Is it possible to get out?"
" I actually assumed I was the only one here,"

She flexed her fingers like she was practicing a throat strangling technique.
"I ended up same way you did,"Martha confirmed. " I died and I found my
self here."
"Time actually doesn't occur normally here."
"A thousand years out here is a
day on earth," she explained to him.
"Here no rules apply and yes you could get out only if you are not trapped here."
"As for myself, i can't,"Martha replied.
"It is part of my punishment."
"As for you, there are a lot of things ahead and also a chance."

"What am i supposed to do then? Sit and wait till I get trapped?" Peter asked.

"That would be fine." Martha frowned.
" But that wouldn't be nice because I neglected to help you."
"Well you have a lot of chance to get off so am gonna help."

Peter scowled suspiciously. "Are you sure you can help me?"

Martha looked at him reproachfully.
"Well I had a memory of someone I loved actually but it is a little hazy."
"Actually ,I will tell you later. I faced my own fears along the way and I nearly got lost in here but I always kept on holding to the fact that those people I loved did love me back in return."
"lastly to clear all confusion ,we are not the only ones here ,there are others who exist but in a state that seems like they are lost."

Peter winced with the thought of him ending up like that.

Martha sighed. "That is actually how I knew that this place create your worst fears." "The water here erases ones memories terribly."
"I am just wondering how you really survived that because you where
almost gone by the time I came to your aid."
Martha turned to go.

"Peter you have a chance of going back home,if that 's even possible."
"I haven't figured that out yet but something tells me you will."

"Hmm... home,i I would love that," he thought to himself.

Shout to Valerie839 she did a lovely job in editing this chapter.. Please follow her and check her books.

Just finished this chapter, I know it not all that long but I wanted to create something that would give meaning to other parts of the book. Please click the vote button.
Sorry I gave a right update at the wrong time earlier..
Still watch out for it.. It will give more light to the place of wandering loolzz and we'll 😂to the beauty as well.
Lots of 😍