Happily Ever After......NOT!

Chapter Nineteen

      Hayden leaned over into the dark provoking pit, he squinted into the darkness hoping to see Amaya at the bottom uninjured; but all he saw was complete darkness. "AMAYA!!!!" He yelled then he reminded silent begging for her beautiful voice to shout back, anything to let him know she was alright. The only sound that he heard was his own echo. Hayden laid his head done on his arm feeling defeated and lost without her how could he function and go on living? He felt like his whole world revolved around her.
                                                                   ~
       Darkness pulled at me begging me into its darkness. My body hurt everywhere and my head pounded ready to burst out of my skull. The ground was cold and hard. Somewhere in the distance Hayden yelled my name, but when I tried to turn my head shooting pain shot down my body. Letting out a painful groan I slowly opened my eyes my vision blurry for a bight as I tried to focus on the dark walls all around me. Where was I? I slowly brought my hand up to my head and sat up grimacing. My head was spinning, but slowly my memory of falling came back to me, but I don't remember ever landing on the cold ground so I must have blacked out.
     I opened my mouth and tried to speak what came out sounded raspy and weak, "Hayden??" I coughed and tried again, "Hayden?"
      From up above me I heard him shout, "Amaya?! Is that you?!!!! Thank heavens! Are you alright?" He said relieved that she was alive.
        I rubbed my head as it pounded making me dizzy. My hand touch wet blood I must have hit my head pretty hard.
      "Amaya answer me!" Hayden yelled down the pit, "Are you okay?"
       "I...... I don't know Hayden I'm so scared. It's really dark...... and I hurt all over." Tears fell down my face.
        "Amaya ... Amaya, listen you're going to be okay I'm going to get you out. Now I need you see if you can see the top of the pit? I can't see you at all it's really deep,  but can you see daylight?"
      I squinted and tilted my head wincing, "I..... I see some sunlight." Slowly I tried to stand, but tumbled back down to the cold ground.
      "Are there any ledges?"
       I groaned, "Hold on," I stood back up and hobbled over to the hard dirt wall and grasped it for support. "I don't see any ledges Hayden, and I don't think I could climb out my foot is injured."
       "What if...."
        "Shhhh Hayden do you hear e that?" I asked turning my head to the side.
         "Hear what? What's happening down there Amaya?" Hayden's voice etched with worry and concerned.
           The sound was quiet and soft, it sounded like zillions of oats falling into a empty space. I jumped feeling something small hitting my legs again and again. Bending down slowly with one hand holding onto the wall I knelt down and felt gritty hard sand tons of it coming from the wall and falling onto my hand. With more investigation I found that along the whole walls of the pit sand was falling and fast! I gasped and stepped away from the wall stumbling I back way till I was in the center where no sand had reached yet. Through the darkness I watched the sand fall all around me piling on top of each other and spreading like a wave towards me.
        "What! what is it Amaya what's going on?!"  Hayden yelled peering down into the pit, but he was unable to see anything.
       "Hayden, it's the pit! It's filling up with sand!" I yelled up to him my voice quavering. The sand was now to my feet.
          "Hold on Amaya! I'm going to get you out of that bloody pit!"
          "Hurry Hayden!! The sand is covering my feet!"
        Hayden jumped to his feet looking around for anything the would be long enough  to reach into the pit. "Come on Hayden, think think!" Hayden muttered to himself. If only I had a bloody rope! He thought. Then he smiled that's it a rope! "Amaya I'm going to leave you for a few minutes! I'll be right back!"
        "Hayden don't leave me down here!"
       "I won't I promise!" Hayden darted over to the red trees searching for vines. With luck there was trees on the edge of the path with vines. He snatched as many as he could and pulled them out carefully so they won't break. He needed them to be as long as possible. With vines flying behind him he ran back to the pit and with quick hands started braiding the vines together.
       Down in the pit fear was settling in the pit was my stomach and I didn't like it. I trusted Hayden with my whole heart that he would find a way to get me out of here, but what if he didn't get to me in time? The gritty cold sand was already at my knees and caving into my boots.
      I took a deep breath trying to slow my pounding heart, "Hayden.... If I don't make it out of this..."
      "No! Don't even think about that, I'm getting you out of this."
      "I know but Hayden...."
      "No buts Princess!"
      Tears fell down my face, "Hayden if I don't make it I want you to continue the mission and get the stupid necklace for the Great Wizard and break you curse, because Hayden.... Hayden when I first met you we weren't exactly the best of friends. We bickered and argued. But look at us now Hayden, we've come so far and being on this adventure with you is the best thing that ever happened to me. Hayden, I love you."
     Above Hayden took a deep breath, she loved him?! But she knew his was curse! He could never tell her how he feels or he'll die. Hayden finished braiding the vine together into a long rope then tying one in the the log and the other end to his waist he threw the log around a tree then pulled tightly to make sure it'll hold. He leaned over into the pit, "You can stop saying your good byes love, I'm coming done!" He carefully put his feet on the edge of the pit and slowly started walking down the wall of the pit, his hands grasping the vine that held his weight as his feet kicked off the side of the pit sending him further and further down.
     I clasped my hands together excited then looked down at the sand that was at my waste now and had no intention of ever stopping. I jerked myself to the side trying to climb up onto the sand, but the sand acted like glue and I couldn't pull myself free. The sand piled higher and higher. I could hear soft thumps as Hayden's boots made contact with the dirt wall.
       "Hayden hurry! The sand is past my waste!"
        "Hold on Amaya!!" Hayden kicked off the wall faster.
       I became frantic when the cold sand reached my chest and Hayden still hadn't reached me yet. My heart pounding fast in my chest I gasped for breath.  "Hurry Hayden!" I screamed my body trembling. "Hayden!" I coughed spitting sand out of my mouth as the sand started coming up around my cheeks. I filled my lungs with one last breath of air before the sand swallowed me engulfing me in its rough gritty darkness. I tried desperately to swim to the surface to get even a pinch of air, I managed to push my right hand up, and waved my hand desperately trying to grab something to pull myself up with.  Then I felt his hand grasp mine, his fingers tightening around my hand he pulled hard. Slowly I felt my body start to move upwards. I kicked with my feet to help loosen the sand around me.
     My head broke loss of the sand and I was able to breath I gasped and coughed for air filling my lungs with as much as possible. Through the dim lighting  I could make out Hayden hanging onto a braided vine. His one hand grasped the vine firmly and his other hand still held mine as he helped pull me free from the coarse sand.
     Relief flooded me like sunshine overtaking a dark day. It felt so good to be free for, the sands evil grasp and to be able to move again. I quickly wrapped my legs tightly around Hayden's waist and my arms around his neck, clinging to him like a baby koala bear on it's mother's back. The sand continued filling up as Hayden's strong hands held the vine, having to hold his weight and my own he slowly put one hand over the other and started slowly climbing back up as below us the sand inched along.
    I hugged Hayden tightly his warm body pressed against mine. I could feel his heart beating heavily and sweat trickled from his forehead and down his neck. My heart ached for him, during this whole adventure he has been amazing! Sure at first he started off as kidnapper, but now he was so much more. He was the guy who rescued me from my father's prison, he taught me how to catch bull frogs, more importantly he became my friend, and the man I love.
     "What are you thinking about?" He asked grimacing as he climbed.
      I laid my chin on his broad shoulder so I could look at his face through the darkness, though light was starting to shine down on us more as we neared the top of the pit, "Thank you for saving me." I whispered softly to him.
     His body trembled softly at her whisper. Her breath warm on his ear. He gaze went from looking at the clearing above to her legs wrapped around his waist. Why did she have to be so bloody beautiful. He thought to himself, she has no idea what she's doing to me. "You didn't think I'll leave you to die down there did you, Princess?"
      "No, I mean I hoped you wouldn't."
      Hayden chuckled softly.
      "What's so funny?" I asked.
      He turned his head to the side and smiled, "We're in the Enchanted Forest of Love, and you fell." He paused then added, "So you fell in love."
     I rolled my eyes at his cheesy joke as he continued to laugh, "Shut up." I said giving his a squeeze as he continued climbing up the vine.
     We were nearing the top of the pit when suddenly Hayden stopped pulling us up and we dangled on the vine.
    I waited for him to start pulling us up again, thinking maybe he just needed a quick rest. He had pulled both mine and his weight up for about an half an hour now. Hayden remained still though, he didn't pull up anything more. He just held us where we were. "What is it?" I asked. We were so close to the top of the pit why would he stop now?  Then I heard it, the soft creakkkkk as something slowly began to break. My face pale, "Hayden?" I whispered. It was less dark now since we were closer to the top and I could make out Hayden's face and hands. His hands were white as sheets as he gripped the vine and his face was drained of color.
     "The vine is breaking Amaya, we don't have much time..... I'm going to throw you to the top." He said as the vine snapped slowly breaking more and more.
       "WHAT!" My voice echoed off the dirt walls around us.
       Slowly Hayden turned taking one hand off the vine he wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me move from his back to his front. I clung to his shirt collar as he positioned me in his one arm. "Hayden, how do you know if this is going to work?" I trembled in his arms.
      "There's a chance for everything." He paused and was quiet for moment then said, "Do you trust me, Love?"
        I gripped his shirt tightly in my trembling fingers, "I trust you with my life" I  whispered.
       Hayden smiled, "In case this doesn't work." He leaned in so quickly I didn't see it coming. Suddenly his lips were on mine, they were warm and soft I wanted more. I moved my hand to his hair and kissed him back likening the feeling of our lips touching. Fireworks went off and for a precious moment it was just him and me, then reality struck that we were still hanging on a vine that would break any moment and send us falling to our death.
      Hayden pulled back grinning softly, "Get ready."
     I nodded and with all his body strength he started swinging causing the vine to sway back and forth. Faintly I could hear the vine start to break fast as Hayden  swung us back and forth. Fear came over me and my heart tightened in my chest, what if this couldn't work and we died? "Hayden........ What if this...." I didn't get to finish my question though because Hayden swung back for the last time and we flew forward with all his upper strength he threw me upwards towards the top of the pit.
     I screamed I flew through the air, my arms going out in front of me to catch anything they could. With a thud my body slammed against the edge of the pit my finger nails digging into the dirt as I clung to the edge of the pit. Squinting my eyes open I was never so happy to see the bloody red grass and trees around me of the Enchanted Forest of Love. I let out a joyful cry, "Hayden! Hayden you did it!"
     From down below me where he still clung to the vine he sighed with relief, "I knew you could do it, now hurry pull me up." He said as the vine snapped a little more.
     Placing my palms on the cold hard ground I pushed myself up and scrambled to my feet. My eyes widen as I saw the big tear in the vine, it was down to one last vine. Once that last one snapped it was over. I ran towards the vine lunging for it just as it snapped. I missed completely and fell to the ground. "NO!" I screamed as the vine fell into the pit I heard Hayden yell. I hurried over to the edge of the pit, "HAYDEN!!" I screamed and watched helplessly as the vine disappear to the bottom of the pit.