Prologue

Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl who had the Death mark.

She was only sixteen years old and had so much life in her. She had a tan heart shaped face. She was tan from playing beach volleyball. She had big, bright, blue eyes that looked and felt like you were swimming in an ocean. She had straight blond hair that barely fell past her shoulders.

She was about five feet, seven inches tall. She was slim but not too skinny and not chubby. She was beautiful.

That was the issue.

My name is Death, and it's not because I was the only death out there, I didn't remember what my name was from my life before. I did know I was seventeen.

I didn't remember my family from before, or my friends. Basically I didn't want to remember before. I lived in the present and future. I didn't really live either. But it works.

Anyways, I was sent to kill her, Quinn. But staring at such a wondrous strange, I couldn't help but feel my heart thump. She was something I couldn't get out of my head. Mostly because she was on the list. THE LIST.

I didn't kill her. I couldn't take her life force. That's why it happened.

Chapter 1

The car sped up. Laynly pressed down on the gas pedal.
"Layn, slow down!" I yelled. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, almost like it did hours ago when Death had kissed me. Only that kiss was great.

Layn was scaring me.
"Quinn shut it!" She said, although her voice was calm her eyes were crazy. She swerved to the left.
"Layn, something bad is going to happen." But she ignored me. Her green eyes had tears in them. "Layn what's..." I looked at the road, we were in the opposite lane. I gasped.
"I'm sorry." I spun around in my seat to face Death.
"What?! Why?!" I asked.
"Who are you talking to?" Layn asked, at the same time Death was speaking.
"This is the Bosses work, because I didn't do it!" He looked so sad. Before I could say anything. A pain started in my legs. Everything slowed down and started to play in slow motion. The air bag flew out. My legs were crushed. Then I was numb and floating.

AT THE HOSPITAL!!!

Bright light consumed me. My eyes fluttered open.
"Oh baby." My mom was crying. I was standing next to her. "Live okay?" She had tears pouring out of her bright blue eyes. We had those in common. Though she had dark curls. I had my dads blond hair.


She was holding my hand. But my soul was disconnected.I looked over at my body. I was standing a foot away. My body was connected to a feeding tube. My legs looked limp.

"Come on spirit go into my body." I commanded myself. But I didn't move.
"Quinn." It was Death. I looked over at him. His dark hair seem tussled and ruined. His dark eyes were upset.
"What?" I asked.
"We need to go."
"No... I have to get into my body." I said turning to it.
"Marcy, she's gone." It was my dad's voice.
"No." She started to cry.
"Can't you feel it Mar, she isn't here anymore. It's just her body." My dad said.
"Matt, she can't be gone." My dad was holding her.
"She is..." He whispered.
"How wrong is it that I will out live my sixteen year old daughter? What is Zach going to say? His big sister is gone." She looked so broken.

Death grabbed my hand. I didn't want to go, but I did.
"Goodbye mom." I whispered in her ear. She straightened up.
"Did you hear that?" She asked my dad.
"What?" My mom smiled.
"She said goodbye..." Mom kissed my empty shell on the bed. "Goodbye." She whispered to my dead body.


*****************************************************************


As Death pulled me along, I took in the place, it was nothing like I had expected it to be. It didn't have skulls and dead bodies lying around.

It looked like the office where my dad worked. It had filing cabinets. Desks. People were sitting and working. It looked like everyone was alive. But they weren't. They were all deaths.

"Hello Death." A man's voice rang behind us. Death turned first.
"Hi, Roger." He said. The man-Roger-smiled.
"Is this Quinn." I nodded. "Follow me then." I walked behind him. "How is death so far Quinn?" He asked. I looked at him funny, he started to laugh.
"A pain." I answered. He stopped. His gray eyes bored into mine.
"Quinn, here is you office desk. Here is your list." He handed me a scroll. "Get to work." He turned and went into a room. Death stood behind me. His breathing was ragged.

The scroll in my hand started to burn. I opened it, and a long list fell at my feet and kept on going. Until it ended at Death's feet.
"That's the list of people who's life forces your suppose to take and bring here." He said. I nodded. I looked at the list more closely. I let the scroll fall from my hands. My heart stopped. If we had hearts?

I hand my hands through my hair. Tears filled my eyes.
"What?" Death asked coming over to hold me by my waist. I pointed to the list. He picked it up and looked at it. He still couldn't see it but it was engraved in my skull. Zach Vermont. My baby brother.

Chapter 2

I paced back and forth in front of the desk. Death sat in the seat. His eyes on the List. The List with my five year old baby brother on it. He was only FIVE!

My thoughts were jumbled. I had just died less than 24 hours ago. And my little Brother was suppose to follow?

I let out a huff of air.

Hadn't my parents been through enough? Why did the "Bosses" want to poke and prod at Marcy and Matt Vermont emotions?

"Quinn?" My glare dug into the desk. "Quinn?" I looked at Death, his facial features softened my boiling anger.
"What?" I tried so hard to be angry and sound harsh. But I couldn't.
"I-I'm lost at words. Maybe it's a malfunction in the system?" He asked.
"I have a gut wrenching feeling it's not, Death." My voice cracked.
"Quinn..." I cut him off.
"Let's get out of here." I said, walking towards the door. He caught my wrist.
"Quinn!" I turned. He put the scroll in my hand. "I can't." I looked into his dark eyes. Tear welded up inside me.
"Why?" I whispered.

I never got an answer, because he pushed me through the door.

****************************************************************

Death took me to a park near the "office". Was it weird that I worked at an office that had death kill other people because it was their time to go? I raised one of my eyebrows.

I felt like playing twenty question with Death. It sounded funny as I played it over and over again in my head. I started to laugh on the inside, of course. But shut it off and turned to look at Death. He was watching the trees sway back and forth.

"So... how long have you been a death?" I asked as casually as possible. He shook his head.
"I don't know." He answered.
"Is your name really Death?" I asked. This time an irritated face appeared. I let out a suppressed laugh.
"I don't know my real name, I can't remember." He said, his voice left chills rolling over my body.
"Oh... I'm sorry."
"It's fine, that's why I go by Death, and it's easier to remember." He smiled. Which left me feeling like Jell-O. My heart sped up in my chest. I smiled too.

It felt wrong to smile. Seeings how Zach was on the list. But I still did. Death had that power over me. He made me happy even in the saddest moments of my existence.

Which brings me to the kiss we had shared. It was warm. I couldn't believe I had felt it, because he was a death. But I did. It made my feel so speechless.

"Are you thinking about me?" He asked.
"Oh... you can read my mind?" I asked sarcastically. His smile turned into a grin.
"No." He answered. He leaned closer. "I wouldn't want to either." He whispered against my lips. I pulled way. A look of shock lit up across my face. "It's not why you think it is... I have you on my thoughts most of the days, I wouldn't want to hear your thoughts about it... It's complicated." He explained. But to shut him up. I grabbed the collar of his black shirt and pulled him closer to me.
"It's okay." I planted one on him. My lips crushed his at first, but them I slowly lessened the kiss.

After I had taken both of our breaths away, I pulled away. His face filled with excitement. But behind him, I saw something I wish I wouldn't have.

Zach playing on the playground at the park. A tear slid down my cheek. Releasing all of my emotions.

Chapter 3

"What am I suppose to tell him, Matt?" My mom asked. Her eyes were puffy and red. I gulped.

Why were Death and I eavesdropping? Well... let's just say I'm a very curious person.

"I don't know." Dad replied, his voice croaked out all of the words. Then out of the corner I see Zach's little body take off runny towards our parents.

"Mommy, why are you sad?" He plopped down in between them.
"I just feel..." She looked up at the gray sky, and seeing the clouds, look back at Zach, frowning. "Like the sky." Dad gave her a stern glare. He shook his head in silence.

Death put his arm around my shoulder, but I ignored it.
"When is Quinn coming home?" Zach asked. I almost forgot her was ten times the more curious then I was.
"Uh..." Mom put her head in her hands, unable to answer. I wanted so badly to comfort her.
"She's not coming home, Zach." She said in between sobs.
"Why?" He asked.
"She's have a sleepover in Heaven." Dad said. I looked at him, and frowned. That's the best thing you could come up with? I wanted to ask.
"Don't lie to me dad, she is right behind me." He said happily. Mom and dad looked at each other. I turned to gaze and Death and his dark eyes found mine just as fast. Mom's jaw dropped.

"You can see me?" I asked, really to anyone who was willing to listen.

Zach nodded.

I stared at him, taking in his dark curls and blue eyes. He was tiny for a five year old.

But he had the smartest five year old brain.

NO!I scream silently.

When I was alive I could only see Death because he had come to retrieve me. To take me away from my family. But had decided he couldn't because he... had fallen love with me.

But Zach was too small. He needed to grow. Experience things. He needed to fall in love and get married.

For crying out loud, he had just started kindergarten in fall, it had been only four months!

At least I was able to fall in love a couple of times.I mean there was James, Koy, and don't forget Nate. Last and hopefully the last Death.

But Zach was so young.

"Zach what did you say?" My father finally chocked out. And put his hand on Zach's back. Mom was still in statue form.
"I can see Quinn." Zach said simply. As if the math was addition instead of algebra.
"How?" My mom gasped out. The words left prickles of worry everywhere.
"Zach," I started. "Tel them you can't see him." I said.What if they put him in an mentally insane unit or put him in a hospital for being able to see his dead sister? I refused to be the cause of anything like that.

He nodded once.

"I thought I could... but I guess not." Death tugged on my arm.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Protecting my little brother." I looked from him to Zach who had taken off to the play ground again.
"We have to go back now." Death said.
"Okay, just one second."

I ran after Zach. But instead of stopping him, I sat down on the swing and looked at him play on the play ground.

"Zach," I said. "I love you, and I will come see you later at home, but Zach, mommy and daddy can't know okay?" I asked him. He wasn't paying attention to me. But at least I had said it.

As I thought about the words, I started to cry. I tried to bury my face in my hands, but I would never be invisible to Zach. I didn't want to be the one who brought him to work.

Where would Zach go if he died? Heaven or Work? A death or an Angel?

I had my bet on Angel. I wanted to be an Angel too. But I had to work. Lame huh?

As I sat on the swing I started to think about something other than Zach. What about my schooling? Or Laynly? I didn't even know if she had survived or not. What was I going to do? Could I save Zach? Was there a night school for deaths?

Ha ha, what would they teach you? How to kill? Oh that was what they taught. Death sat down in the swing next to me.

"Quinn, are you okay?" I turned to him.
"No." I replied. "Am I suppose to be okay? I'm dead, and now a death. My little brother is going to die, and I'm the one who has to take it. Is he going to be like me? I don't even know if Laynly is okay... Death... I don't know what is going on. It's all happening too fast." I started to cry, and he held me the entire time.

Rocking me back and forth telling me everything would work out for the best.

*****************************************************************

Laynly laid in the hospital bed. Her normally tan face paled. There was a huge cut along her jaw. She had bruises all over her face, and neck. I knew she was internally bruised too.

But she lived. I heard her parents out the door talking with the doctors. They said she was in an a coma. Probably wouldn't come out of it either. They would have the decision to cut the tube or to let her live.

I wanted her to live. Joshua Colman had just asked her to Prom. It was in a month and she was excited about it.

"Laynly?" I whispered into my best friends ear. "Hon, you have to wake up." I told her. I saw her eye lids twitch. "Layn, get up." I encouraged.

Death was out in the hallway. Watching me from the door, I felt his smile at my back.

"Girl... you need to get up." Her hand moved. "Josh asked you to Prom, trust me, I want you to go... to live, please?" Her eyes flew open.

"Quinn?" She yelled out. "Quinn, where are you?" She asked.
"Laynly!" Her mom smiled and hugged her.
"Where's Quinn?" She asked.
"Laynly, Quinn past away."
"Oh mom... I was... I was driving... I killed her." She whispered.
"No..." I said. Laynly, looked alarmed. She could hear me. "You didn't kill me it was my time." I said. But her hearing me had faded.

I could see from the look on her face. She was going to think she killed me no matter what.

"We have to go back." Death finally said. "I'm proud of you." He Put his arm around my shoulders.
"Thanks... how was I able to wake her?" I asked. He smiled.
"I guess your unique." He answered, still smiling.

*****************************************************************

Roger sat at my desk.

"Where have you been?" He asked, coldly.
"I was showing her the ropes." Death replied.
"No one was taken off either of your lists and we are now falling behind." Roger said, his voice sounded so harsh and scary.
"Excuse me for dying just hours ago." I said, getting up in his face and acting snotty. It's not really a good way to get on the Bosses good list.
"Well Quinn, I hope you can learn the 'ropes' on your own, Death you've been reassigned." Roger got up and left.

When I finally was able to breath again, I looked at Death, but Death was turning different colors. (Not literally)
"Reassigned?" I gasped, the words sound like acid coming off my lips. "I can barely handle the fact that I'm actually dead!" I screamed.

Everyone who was working, was now looking at us. I started to pace back and forth. Crap! I walked up to Roger's office door. This was not smart at all, but I wasn't about to let this jerk face win.

My fist banged on the door before Death could stop me. The door opened. Roger stood there and I 'accidentally' punched him thinking he was the door.

"Listen up, I just brought my best friend out of a coma and there is no WAY I'm going to let a jerk wad like you win, you either assign Death back to being my partner, or I will kill you." After that he just nodded his head, actually scared of me.

"Death, if you have to work with this... then please do so... I feel bad for you." He said, shutting the door. Everyone erupted in laughter.

Well hey, my first day was finally turning around. Or was it?

Impressum

Texte: Whitnee P
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 24.05.2012

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