Chapter 55:Starting Over

Ophelia’s POV

After a desperate attempt to grasp Arthur's hand, I lost my balance, slipping over the edge. I fell for what felt like forever until I hit the ground with a violent thud, knocking the wind out of me.

Panicking, I tried to breathe, but it wouldn't come. Rolling on my back with two tremulous inhales, relief washed over me as my diaphragm relaxed and my lungs expanded with air.

Still gasping and coughing, I stared at the cliff I'd just fallen from. It was jagged and several stories high—much steeper than I'd realized. Even if I wanted to—and I didn't—I couldn't make it back up there without some help. This was not a mere tumble down a grassy hill.

I rolled to my left side on my stomach preparing to stand. Pressing my palms to the ground, I surveyed the landscape. I had no idea where I was and even if I had, the nighttime torrential downpour was making visibility close to nil.

Panting, in a split second I went through my options. Nobody was around for miles,