My Last Hope (Truth Series 4)

23: Forgiveness in Death

A/N: Yay! An extra long chapter! Just to let you all know, I will be posting a third chapter today since I won't be posting for a while.

CaptainSparklez POV

"Jordan, wait for me!" My friend and cousin, Carson, shouts from behind me.

"Be careful boys," my mother, Ashlynn, calls after us.

"We will!" I reply with a grin.

"Don't worry, Auntie A!" Carson grins as well.

Carson and I chase each other through a forest. It's our first time in the Overworld and we want to explore every bit of it. Of course, we are still young. I'm fourteen and Carson is fifteen. So we have my mother and Carson's father, Ashe, with us as guardians and guides.

I come to a sudden halt upon seeing a strange structure hidden among the trees. Carson doesn't notice I have stopped until it's too late and he crashes into me. I fall forward and almost faceplant into the forest floor but I manage to catch myself on a nearby tree. However, Carson isn't as lucky. He falls backward and lands on his butt with a small plop. He gazes up at me confused.

"Why'd you stop, Jord?" Carson asks as he stands up. I merely point in the direction of the strange structure. "Oh." He stares at it for a moment before grabbing my hand. "Come on, let's get a closer look." He pulls me through the forest towards the structure.

"Cars! Wait!" I try to get him to stop. He only stops once we're directly in front of the strange building. It's an old abandoned looking house.

"I dare you to go inside." Carson taunts pushing me towards the building. Not wanting to look dumb in front of my friend and wanting to appear brave, I approach the building. Carson, my mother, and Uncle Ashe follow close behind me. Timidly, I turn the knob and push the door open with an eerie creek. I walk in cautiously, the others still following my lead. Aside from the bit of light let in by the door, the house is pitch black inside. I walk slowly into the darkness until I walk into something. Scared out of my mind, I scramble backwards. I trip over my own feet and fall back landing on my butt with a loud thud. Something gleams in the limited light. A tall rugged man steps out of the darkness. In his hand he holds a knife.

"You're dead, kid!" The scary man growls. I cower in fear as he lifts the knife to strike me.

"Jordan!" My mom shouts. One moment the man is swinging his knife at me and the next my mother stands in front of me with her back to me. She starts to fall. Somehow in my stunned state, I manage to scramble forward and catch her before she collides with the rotting wood floor. Moments later I feel a hand on my shoulder and suddenly we're in a different place. Where exactly, I'm not sure. The hand leaves my shoulder and my mother is lifted from my arms. I stay seated on the ground stunned and shocked by what just happened.

"Jordan, stay here!" I vividly hear my uncle order. "Carson, go find Hero!" Then, I am left alone to try and piece myself back together. Some time passes before I make a move.

"Where is she?" I hear my father ask.

"This way," my cousin replies. I'm assuming they're headed for wherever my uncle took my injured mother. They stop along the way to drag me to my feet. My father wraps his arm around my shoulders in a side hug. We walk like this following my cousin as he leads us to my mother. He leads us to a room. Scattered around the room are various medical supplies and equipment. On a bed in the back of the room lies my mother. My uncle is crouched next to the bed holding her hand as tears roll down his cheeks. He releases her hand when we enter and stands to the side.