THE SECOND CHANCE

Edmund began to get memories of his time with his family and his friends. He couldn't believe that this was how it was all going to end. He didn't want it to end like this.

No one would even be aware of his whereabouts. No one would know where he died. His mum would be devastated and his dad worse.

He tried to clear those thoughts from his kind but he just couldn't. They mattered a lot to him. He knew this was his end. He was going to be buried in this deep quicksand.

He finally made up his mind. He had to enjoy every bit of the few minutes he had left before he goes out of breath. He began to reminisce on the good memories he had.

At first, he thought of his best friend. He remembered the moments they shared. How they did their chores and how they played. He remembered how they rode together. He also reminisced about his time with Drax and then with Skurt.

'What wonderful friends they were.'

His heart finally drew to his mother and father. He could feel aches in his heart.

Could this be the pain of death or the pain of love? Is this the consequence of having this feeling called love? Is this the consequence of having loved ones.?

'You feel the pain even before it hits them.'

"How I wish I didn't have to go like this." His thoughts were so painful that he could feel tears gathering in his shut eyes.

What hurts him the most was Akima's betrayal. Moreover, he didn't even know what he was being killed for. If only he knew, maybe he would have apologised earlier. But as of now, it was late.

He was a dead man.

He gave up all his hopes and decided to prepare for his journey to the netherworld.

Maybe it would be a more pleasant one than this. He wished he would meet friends like he had here and have wonderful parents like this.

He cleared all thoughts from his mind and allowed his hands to fall….

Suddenly he felt some rope tied to his right hand. It was as if someone was trying to pull him out of the place. He was extremely happy. It seemed fate didn't give up on him after all. He held on to the ropes tighter and the other person began to pull. In a matter of seconds, he was out of the quicksand.

He raised his head but still couldn't get a clear vision since his whole body was still covered in muddy water. He laid flat on the bushes trying to enjoy the second chance given to him by life. It was like a miracle to him. He who never thought he would ever see the sun anymore was now in the open.

Suddenly water was poured on his face but it stopped at soonest. He waited patiently for another but decided to get up when he couldn't feel the liquid.

He used a piece of leaf to clean his eyes and allow himself vision.

He widened his eyes at what he saw.

'It was extremely dark.'

He looked at his front to some group of people about four in number.

"Are you alright?" A feminine voice asked. She was one of the four people who had rescued Edmund.

"I don't know… Probably I should be." He replied. He was a bit dumbfounded by all that just happened. He was also extremely tired from all that took place.

"Come with us." The lady said and turned. The other three people also went along with the lady. Edmund turned to take a look around. He could hear different creepy sounds making him a bit terrified.

He looked at the group who were now a few meters away from him confused about what to do.

'Should I follow them or just go home' One thing was certain to him. He couldn't afford to trust anyone so easily after what just transpired with Akima.

He looked around and noticed that his horse was missing.

Akima must have let it go or probably went along with it.

"My life belongs to them. So I might as well just go along." He heaved and rushed to catch up with the group.

They walked some more meters and arrived at the major route leading to the TIMS tavern. There Edmund saw some horses tied to a big tree just at the entrance of the forest.

The lady who spoke earlier got on hers and began trotting. She appeared to be the leader of the group as she was often referred to with courtesy. Another female who was probably her escort got on hers and did the same motion.

Edmund was placed on one and the two men got on the last horse.

They rode for some minutes with the lady taking the lead. Approximately 10 minutes later, they arrived at the town and rode to LATIVO inn. It was one of the most popular inns in the kingdom not because of its exquisite lounges but because of its size.

»LATIVO inn was the biggest in Atkins.

They rode to the main entrance and got off their horse. Some men rushed out and grabbed the reins taking the horses to the stables.

Edmund became worried about his saviours' identity. He wasn't as afraid as he previously was but was eager to see their faces.

They walked into the inn which was brighter than the outside. There was a lamp in each corner of the big room. Edmund noticed this and immediately turned to his saviours. At last, he could finally see their faces.

He popped out his eyes at the first glance he caught. The face was familiar, no be knew the person. He could never forget this face even if he had just woken up from his nights of sleep. He had hoped to see her again but never expected his prayers to be answered so quickly.

"Warrio-" He yelled but didn't even need to complete his words to catch Verola's attention.