Second Chance

Chapter 43

My eyes sprung open and I instantly recognized the interior of the cellar around me, which meant that I was back. What the hell did I just experience?! Was that seriously the last time I would ever see Riley?! Was I actually about to die?!

"Justin! Are you okay?" A worried voice cried in my ear.

I looked up to see Maria staring at me with scared eyes. I was still laying on the ground, but my head was in her lap. She was gently brushing her fingers through my hair, which felt really nice, and gave me a sense of calmness.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just took a quick trip to purgatory then came back, that's all." I said lightly, reluctantly getting up.

"I thought you died." She said with a choked sob.

"If I was dead then I wouldn't be breathing and my eyes would be open and blank. Trust me, I know what a dead person looks like." I said bluntly.

"I heard you scream, then it sounded like you fell down. I got out of the tunnel and back up here as fast as I could, then saw you laying there unconsciously. I thought someone had hurt you." She looked very concerned, which probably meant that she did not want to leave me now, which could cause some problems. Still, it was worth a shot.

"Maria, I'm fine, but I need you to leave. Right now." I said slowly, looking her straight in the eyes.

"No. Not until you tell me what's going on with you." She said stubbornly.

"There's nothing going on, okay? I was just a little under-hydrated and I passed out, that's all." I lied, trying to sound convincing.

I wasn't sure why I lied to Maria. Maybe it was because I didn't want her worrying about me if it was something serious. Which it might not have been. It could be just a simple minor concussion. Maybe it also could be that I knew that I was dying soon anyway, but I didn't want to tell anyone because it would make it that much harder to die. Either way, I didn't want to show weakness in front of her or anyone else, so I had to play it off like it was no big deal.

"Justin, you were out for nearly an hour." She informed me. "Normal fainting spells do not happen for that long."

"An hour?" I repeated, realizing we were running out of time.

"Yes. Maybe we should get you back to the infirmary." She suggested, trying to get me up.

"No, we're escaping, remember? There's no time for useless medical shit." I said impatiently, standing up on my own.

"I would rather see you stuck here for a little longer but safe and healthy, than free out there but slowly dying." She insisted.

"Okay, here's the deal." I sighed. "We escape tonight, then we go to the nearest hospital in the next town over tomorrow morning. Okay?"

Maria nodded slowly, then started to back towards the hole. She then stopped and stared at my face. I brought my hand up to my nose, and wiped it across the area between my mouth and nose. When I pulled back, I saw a long streak of blood on my hand.

"How long have you been getting nosebleeds, Justin?" Maria asked warily.

"They just started a few days ago." I said honestly, figuring she would find out the truth eventually.

"That can be a symptom of a brain tumour. Have you had any sharp headaches, dizziness or hallucinations?" She demanded.

"Yeah, I have, but according to the doctor here I only have a mild concussion." I tried to reassure her, but she didn't look reassured at all.

"How did you get a concussion?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

"When I caused that explosion that killed Riley, It must have had some effect on me too. It fractured my skull slightly or something. Then the trauma and constant stress made it worse." I explained, although probably not very well, since medical stuff wasn't really my thing.

"I really don't think this escape is a good idea. It could damage you even more." She said uncertainly, running her fingers through her hair.

"I'll be fine, okay? We just need to make it through tonight, then first thing tomorrow morning we'll go to the hospital and they'll fix me. I promise." I said firmly, even though I wasn't entirely sure I could keep that promise.

Maria studied me for a moment, then finally said. "Okay, Justin. I trust you. Just please be safe and don't do anything stupid. I'll be waiting for you at the end of the pipe."

"Okay, I love you, Maria." I said, giving her a small smile.

She smiled back, then said. "I love you too."

Just as she was about to go down the hole, something went flying through the air, and landed in the wall between Maria and I. It was stabbed into wood, and I realized it was a knife.

"Aw, that's sweet." A taunting voice said from across the room. I looked over to the top of the staircase, and saw the Descouche brothers in the doorway. One had a knife to DK's throat, and the other was holding Alex tightly by her hair. "But neither of you are going anywhere."