Thunder cracked across the sky and rain pelted his head and shoulders. The wind blew sheets of rain against his back, the icy cold barely reaching the skin beneath his clothing. He knew of nothing before and would know of nothing after this moment. A hollow void had opened itself up inside of his soul and consumed all the life that had once been. There was nothing left for him.
Lifting his eyes to the sky, he blinked away the cold raindrops that fell into his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to look down. If he looked down, he would have to remember the tragic minutes of his life before this moment.
A crack of lightning shot across the sky and lit up the meadow around him. He saw everything clearly for a brief moment and in that moment his soul fluttered with despair.
It was over.
Nothing was left.
Never before had seconds meant everything. Seconds too late, seconds too slow. For a man who could move as fast as the wind, with senses keen to everything around him, those seconds cost him everything.
"Jacob…" came a whisper as soft as the wind that was whipping his hair. Her voice was haunting him, calling to him, though he knew she was gone, he had seen her life taken from her.
"Jacob…"
Fisting his hands in his hair, he fell to his knees. The ice from the wind was breaking through his pain, spilling it into his soul, forcing him to endure the agony of losing her.
"Nessie…."
"Jacob…."
Just as the torment of her voice caressed his ears, he felt a touch on his shoulder. Jerking upright, he opens his eyes. The rain was gone, and the sun is shining in through an open window. Focusing his gaze on the creature before him, he saw her skin shimmer and gleam under the suns rays.
"Nessie?" He finally choked out in a barely audible whisper.
"Who were you expecti…oomph…" She groans as he jumps out of bed and envelopes her in his signature bear hug. "Whoa Jake, you could just ask for a hug."
"It would have taken too long, Nessie. Every second is important."