The Goddess Test ◊ L.H.

thirty-six

Quinn Jackson ◊  

Nothing.

I felt absolutely nothing. No happiness, no sadness, no pain. Nothing. I was numb, and it felt horrible. Darkness surrounded me, silence consumed me.

It wasn't the same feeling as when I was unconscious, this was different. When I was unconscious, I could at least feel something but for now - I felt nothing. Is this what Death felt like? Absolute and utter nothingness?

I was surprised I even had thought still, let alone memories and feelings.

Luke.

Was he alive now, was he healthy once more? I wanted desperately to know if he was feeling better once again. What I wouldn't give to see him happy right now.

Though if I knew Luke, I would know that he is incredibly angry at me right now. He is beyond pissed that I would sacrifice myself for him, but I don't regret anything.

Death is inevitable.

◊

It has felt like I have been here for months, there is nothing going on anymore. Nothingness and numbness has become my only feelings. The memories are starting to fade, but I'm trying to hold onto the ones that I cherished the most.

My mother before the sickness, how we would spend hours in the garden or how she would tuck me in each night, but not before reading me a story from her library.

Luke, all of the memories he gave me. They were slipping away, all but the small moments with him that I adored. When we were making cookies one late night, or when I made him sit through some of my favorite horror movies.

When he first told me he loved me, when I nearly died and seeing how upset he was but how full of love he was for me, when he got down on one knee and asked me to be his forever.

They all seemed so distant now. I focused on his face, hoping that it would keep me sane while the numbness consumed me.

◊

Years have gone by and I was losing myself. The only thing that kept me going was constantly remembering who I was but even then, it was exhausting.

My name is Quinn Jackson, and I was a mortal who fell in love with an immortal. This was something that I chanted just to hold on to some sliver of who I was.

I could barely remember my name, let alone all of the painful memories from when I was alive.

"Quinn," A voice whispered and suddenly there was a bright light. He was there, and I wanted to cry. This was my mind playing a horrible trick on me. "Quinn, please. Come with me."

"You're not real," I whimpered, but then I felt his touch. The touch that I have craved for years now, before I felt the rest of my body respond and I gasped as suddenly I was in the Underworld, beside Luke.

"Quinn," He breathed out, and I immediately collapsed into his arms. I ran my hands over his body, before they came to his face and I was so utterly lost in confusion as to why this was happening.

"You're alive." I whispered, and he nodded as he held onto me tightly. I felt myself coming back, piece by piece as I stayed in Luke's arms, the happiness and love I once had was now back.

"Yes, and so are you." He murmured, his lips coming to press on my forehead and I glanced around. The rest of the council was there, all of them with happy looks on their faces and I looked back at him.

"Why? I gave myself up so you could live on." I spoke, and Arnold nodded as he came forward and Luke stepped back, but I found myself stepping closer to him. I was apart from him for too long, I had to be near him now.