Love Unspoken

Quinn stared at the sea in astonishment. She never knew Amber Bay had a spot like this.

The view had her mesmerized.

"Beautiful, right?" Alexander said suddenly.

Quinn turned to him. His voice sounded more normal; he seemed sober.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked.

Alexander walked up to her. The distant car lights lit up his face, making him clear to see.

"I don't know," he said, the sea breeze lifting his shirt and messing up his hair.

He looked a bit disheveled, less serious than usual.

"I heard the sunrise here is beautiful," Alexander said.

Quinn was surprised.

He continued, "I thought, in life, we should make some beautiful memories. When we're dying, if we don't have beautiful memories, how sad would that be?"

Quinn looked at him, unsure if he was sober or still drunk.

After a long silence, she said, "If that's the case, dying wouldn't be sad. It'd be a relief."

Alexander replied, "But I've heard that when people die, they think of beautiful things."

"Did a dead person tell you that?" Quinn shot back. Alexander chuckled and reached out his hand to her.

Quinn was confused but placed her hand in his.

He gripped her hand tightly and took a step back.

"You'll know if you try," he said.

Quinn's eyes widened. Before she could react, she felt a violent sense of weightlessness as Alexander pulled her down.

Her mind went blank. 'He's crazy!' she thought. 'He's actually brought me here to commit suicide!'

The wind roared past her ears, stinging her cheeks, and the scenery blurred.

Quinn had fallen off a cliff twice before; this was the third time. She knew this feeling too well.

Her mind was blank, unable to think.

Just before hitting the water, Alexander grabbed her waist, and they plunged into the sea together.

The icy water rushed at her, filling her mouth and nose. The salty water burned her chest and left her gasping for air.

She flailed in the water, but a hand gripped her waist. The more she struggled, the more she sank.

Quinn couldn't swim or hold her breath. The first few seconds in the water were the worst.

She inhaled water, coughed, and inhaled more water. Her lungs filled, making her cough more. After a while, she calmed down.

Quinn no longer felt pain. She was unusually calm, even opening her eyes to see the beautiful underwater scenery. She saw moonlight penetrating the water, colorful fish swimming by, and the surrounding azure water.

Quinn felt like she had merged with the ocean, floating weightlessly, unable to tell if she was sinking or rising.

Images flashed in her mind: the faces and smiles of Henry and Sophia from her childhood.

She saw them waving and walked towards them, Sophia's hand in hers, ready to reunite with her family.

This time, she finally grasped Sophia's hand, a happy smile on her lips.

Quinn thought sweetly, 'Has Sophia finally forgiven me?'

'Alexander was right. In the moments before death, you do think of beautiful memories.'