All Chapters of HIDDEN EDGES : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

My head feels heavy, my arm and back hurt all over, a really sharp pain in my chest and I can't move my right leg much."You don't have to run away," she laughs a little, "you can't, even if you want to. It's not like you have anywhere to go." I look around and see it's just a vast empty space with no end, just the sky and the earth."Where are-", I try to speak, but my throat lacks moisture that only blood comes out. "Here," she hands me the cup, "take this, and you'll feel better."I look at it skeptically and she sighs."I'm not the one you should be afraid of. Now take." She hands it over again, and I take it this time, still eyeing her and the cup. It's a black liquid, looking like coffee, but the smell tells you another story entirely. Scrunching up my face and holding my breath, I take it all in one gulp and my throat opens as the warm tasteless liquid passes through, surprisingly making me feel a lot better.I look at Betty, and see she's lying down in a bed that wasn't ther

"So", I decide to continue with my string of questions, "Where exactly are we?""We're in-between life and death, my dear," she says."Huh? Like an afterworld?""Er, well. We could say that. It's where souls remain when detached from the body. From here, you can decide to go back or go on.""By go on, you mean really die? Like cease to exist at all?" She nods in response to me and I try to process my current situation. I could choose to go back or go on. I'm not ready to die just yet and the fact that Dylan actually risked his life to save me changes a lot of things. What if Jake had suspected? We'd both be dead meat by now."Crystal," Betty's soft voice brings me from my thoughts, "Don't think too hard about it." She takes my hand in hers, holding it firmly, and it calms me down."I'm sorry you had to go through all this alone," Betty says with moisture in her eyes, obviously fighting back tears from falling. Her affection and kindness towards me is quite unnerving but calming at th

He dragged me into a hut. I've been in so many strange places recently, I doubt anything would surprise me anymore. But strangely, this one does, as it disappoints my expectations. It's just an empty room with a bed as opposed to the powerful aura he exudes.He loosens the rope from my body, relieving me a little but making me feel a little exposed as he stands in front of me in silence, looking at me really closely from head to toe, and I suddenly become conscious of how I look right now. Not sure of my face and hair, since there's no form of mirror whatsoever, but my once white shirt is now auburn as a result of my dried blood with a tear in the chest area and several other little holes probably from the tree I fell in, my blue shorts stained with mud and dirt and also dried blood. "Look at me," he says, and I cower away in fear, not daring to even move. "In the eyes," he says again, and I obey this time, raising my eyes slowly and stopping right at his, my heart beat thudding lou

"Cr-crystal?" he asks and rushes over to loosen the rope tied around me with a wide smile and teary eyes.The moisture forming in his eyes look so sincere I nearly fall for it a second time but realize myself and move back as he tried to pull me in for a hug, bringing confusion and hurt to his face, wiping off his disgusting smile."What's wrong?" he frowns, giving me a once-over, "You seem, different.""Do I?" I ask, keeping a straight face."I'm sorry," he looks away in shame, "that was insensitive of me to say. I know you've been through a lot because of me, Crystal, and it's unavoidable that you change. It's just..." He comes closer, and I move away, disgust clearly written all over my face."Save it," I finally say, and he looks up at me, "I'm not interested in flimsy conversations and apologies, especially not with you." He looks at me confused, trying to figure out my intentions and feelings, but I show no expression on my face, blocking him out completely. He doesn't deserve

"Promise me," Dylan says almost in a whisper, "Promise me you won't hate me. Please.""Dylan," I look him in the eye, mustering up all the courage I have, "I love you more than anyone could ever imagine and that fact is never ever going to change."_ A promise. A promise I made. A promise I couldn't keep. I stare wide-eyed at the lifeless man in front of me, trying to figure out my feelings, trying to make sense out of everything that's happening.Just when I was about to kill him, he put a knife in his own heart to save me from an enormous inevitable guilt and regret. Even at the last minute, even when I was the worst I could be, even when I broke my promise to him, he still thought of me. He loved me to death and I couldn't. I could neither save myself nor him. He relied on me to come back alive, and I did, but only to take his own life. I should have never come back. I should've remained dead! I'm such a weakling. I can't even protect the one I love.Suddenly, the door slams open