Epilogue

what once was

 

                        *****

 

 

            Dry, brown leaves littered the surface of the old gravel lane.  The aspens no longer held color; they had cast all they had onto the ground to be carried away forever.  The meadow surrounding the ranch lie flattened, waiting for summer rains and warm sun to bring it back to life.  The mountains lay cold in the distance, striking a menacing pose as if to scare away any travelers.  Snow capped the tips of the towering peaks, but the bases held their ground, refusing to let the snow coat them in an icy white blanket.

In a trance, Quinn shuffled lazily down the drive she had once been familiar with, wondering what had happened in her absence.  She had hoped she would return for the blooming season, but was denied and came only to see everything leaving with her, following her into the next world.

Continuing on her journey, she brushed the dismal branches of an aspen here and there as she followed the worn stone path to the porch.  The normal, comforting creak of the steps was absent as Quinn swayed passed the deserted flower pots that still sat on the railing where she left them.  Although the air felt empty without the squeak of the top step, she knew why it was gone and welcomed the truth as what was meant to come. 

Quinn breathed a breathless sigh, and took in the last of her home; all she was to take with her to the end of time.  Sweet memories plowed into her mind as she took in all the little details she had longed for.  Smiles glowed and laughs echoed as those wonderful times began to replay themselves"some being the focus of her daydreams, and others the sweet sting she barely remembered.

Shaking the dry tears off her face, Quinn turned left and followed the old wooden porch around the house.  As she reached the side, she dared a single glance through the window.  Here eyes found focus inside the dimly lit room.  Quickly, she jumped back out of sight.  Taking care to be cautious, Quinn edged herself back into view and peered in at the man she loved, sitting in a lonely chair in an old cottage that no longer held happiness.  She could feel the wet mess streaming silently down her frozen face as she gazed at his"now solemn and leathery.  Time passed, and the last cold rays of the sun dipped beyond the mountains, leaving the valley in dismal, hopeless shadow.  The air became heavy as it settled into an impenetrable mass of nothing.

A breeze picked up, carrying itself this way and that as it tried to pick up her hair and toss it through the bare trees.  She listened as it morphed into a bitter wind, screeching in protest.  Finally tearing her eyes away from Heath, she turned to face the hard wind.  She slumped around the house and slipped down off the back, onto the brittle lawn.  Just barely clinging to the will to continue, she urged herself on"on to a place where happiness would come searching for her.

Pushing towards the lake, Quinn stumbled across the now dead lawn, desperately trying but failing to crush every fallen leave that dared to cross her barren path.  The wind settled, and everything became still.  The lake slipped up in front of her, refusing to display the familiar face of peace she longed to see once more.  As if denying her unspoken plea, the reflective lake froze and became a mirror, reflecting back what Quinn felt"dead.  Maybe it was.  Maybe it could no longer live free.  It couldn’t be peaceful anymore.  The sun could no longer reach its shimmering face, and no breeze trickled across the icy mirror to create the endless comforting ripples that usually played across its glassy surface.  Occasionally, a leaf or two would fall onto the surface and slowly drift away into a land of nothingness, to be forever lost.  Everything seemed locked on pause, waiting for something to return and bring joy back into the lifeless land.

Realizing it was time, Quinn nudged her toes into the soft sand and gradually slipped down the small bank.  Although she couldn’t feel it, she could sense the sand slowly changing to goopy mud.  She continued, not wanting to draw out the pain of this last moment.  After what seemed like forever, the water finally engulfed her ankles.  Pausing briefly, she braced herself to take in the last of what she would see of the house she had longed to live in all her life.  But now it was over, it was time to go, time to leave the beauty of the world and let a new soul take her place.  A single tear willed itself to roll down her pale cheek as she realized what she had sacrificed.

Quinn turned to face what she had abandoned, but froze as her eyes fell on the man standing on the edge of the back porch, watching her.  His face had abandoned the thick leather coating it had adapted, and now held the image of hope, returned to the beautiful glow Quinn knew it to be.  In that moment she knew that he knew who she was.  Heath just stared at her, eyes pleading for her to stay, but still knowing that she would never be able to.  Oh, how she desperately longed to rush back up the little back and fling her heart and soul into his arms.  He arm twitched out instinctively as she struggled for control, but she knew that it would only hurt more when she couldn’t feel his soft touch.

Waging a silent war, Quinn forced herself to keep sense.  She dug her heels into the squishy mud that lay under the few devilish inches of water"the only thing chaining her to what had to be done.

She dragged herself deeper into the water, finally letting the tears breach the dam and scar everything that was left forever.  The water reached her knees, then seeped up to her waist.  The cold she knew was there leaked into her thoughts, paralyzing and contaminating whatever was left of them.  Although she couldn’t physically feel it, she now knew that the numbness would never leave.  It would follow her relentlessly through eternity.

As the water eased up to her neck, Heath called out into the gaping silence.

“I will never forget.”

He seemed relieved to get that one last deed into the world, to know that she would take a little piece of him wherever she went next.  Quinn could feel his eyes on her as the water finally pulled her into the depths of the lake.

A few moments passed in still silence before a thin white wisp seeped from the water and hovered above the placid surface.  As the wind returned, it whispered into the fading twilight.

“I’ll be waiting, my love.”

For the first time in years, Heath smiled.  Just knowing that she would never forget gave him the will to follow in her footsteps.  He looked around and watched the land transform back into the glorious place of peace it once was.

Seeming content, the wisp floated upwards, and all that was left of the beautiful girl floated worry-free up into the clouds.  Just as it reached the sky, light snowflakes began to sprinkle down on the valley, shining a new light on what had just sprung from heavy darkness.

Author's Note

This is an excerpt. The rest of the book is not finished yet :P Don't go asking what went down before this because I don't want to ruin anything. I might also add that this is hopefully the very end of everything. With that in mind I have left out a few crucial happenings near the end.