In Your Arms, I Died

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The darkness the trees casted over the autumn forest never caught Norma's eye before, she had never quite found an extensive beauty in it, but this time was different, now she feared this would be the last thing her eyes would ever gaze upon. The last thing she'd see before everything just vanished, even her mind. As she peered down to her chest, she saw a considerable amount of blood spewing from the wound. She screamed in agony as she tried to move, her organs burning at every flinch. As she reached for her phone it felt like a fire raging through her chest. The air rushed out of her lungs as she struggled to get a single breath in, it was almost like she was a hundred feet under water. She couldn't believe he had done this to her, inflicted this pain onto her, her own son, her baby. The one person who was always supposed to love her just as much as she loved him. She had watched the bullet shoot through the barrel as her screams, muffled by the echo of the gunshot through the trees, were her only protection. The pain was too much, too much to even cry. It was excruciating. In the moment, she just wanted to just grab her head and scream, scream at the top of her lungs like one of her famous usual tantrums, but she couldn't even lift her arms against the pain she felt, it singed all her bones, the bullet turning in its place in her skin. Just about gaining enough strength to pull her phone from the pocket of her coat she called the first person that was in her mind, the person she needed to see, Alex.

Painfully, she brought the phone to her ear as the familiar tone of the dial tone sounded. "Please pick up." She winced, throat burning at every syllable. She was about to toss her head back into the leaves, wait out the inevitable until she heard his voice, his warm, soothing voice that she needed, that she's always needed.

"Norma? Are you okay? Someone reported a gunshot that sounded like it was near the motel I came as quickly as I could, please don't tell me you were involved? I'm at the motel right now why aren't you I've been worried sick why do you hardly ever answer your phone?" He trailed on, for a man of very few words now had to be the time he couldn't shut up. Her heart almost broke, genuinely, at the thought of her condition, how she would have to tell him, have to hear his heart break even louder than hers.

"Alex..." She exhaled, struggling, hanging on word by word.

"Norma? What's the matter?" He replied, becoming panicked, his voice harsh.

"I'm in- in the woods. Norman he- my chest. Please come, just- just come, Alex. Please."

"What do you mean, Norma? Oh god... that gunshot... I-I'm coming okay? Stay where you are. Fuck. Tell me where about you are." She heard his breath quicken as he began to run, as fast as he could, nothing could stop him from getting to her.

"Just... Just go straigh-" she droned off as she closed her eyes, small breaths escaping from her mouth, softening at the edges. He looked at the phone to check it was still connected.

"Norma?" He said, his ribs feeling like they were puncturing his heart, sharp and deadly, his breath scorching his throat as he ran. "Norma!" He shouted into the phone, desperate for a reply. "Norma! Fuck!" He bellowed one last time, before slamming the phone shut and sprinting into the woods, searching for her.

It didn't take long for him to track her body, perks of being a sheriff and all. He noticed a body laying in the leaves within the strong veins of a tree. "Norma? Oh my god." He stuttered, taken aback by the sight, blood spilling from her chest, her usually beautifully lit up skin gone pale, tinged green. He collapsed to the floor, cradling her in his arms.

"Norma! Answer me, oh god, Norma please wake up come on!" He shook her body, rubbing a finger softly across her cheek, her lip. Slowly, her eyes edged open, a small smile forming on her mouth, all she could manage.

"Alex. You found me." She slurred, exhaling achingly, moving her hand to cup his face with difficulty.

"Of course I did, Norma." He mellowed, resting his face into her hand, a small tear forming into his eye, unwillingly dripping down his cheek. A small, weak chuckle came from her.

"I've... I've never seen you... seen you cry before."

"Well, you know, it's not cool for the sheriff to cry, might lose my well earned reputation." He smirked back, painfully. She did the same, best she could.

"Alex you know I... I'm not gonna, not gonna make it." She uttered, wiping the tear off his cheek. He brought his hand up to meet hers, pushing it onto him harder, slamming his eyes shut tightly, begging for the whole ordeal to be a dream, like all the other twenty thousand he's had of her, but none this unpleasant. None this surreal.

"You have to, Norma. You will okay, you will make it, just- just believe it okay?" He exclaimed, kissing the top of her head, attempting to bring her to her feet but failing as she painfully collapsed back into the leaves.

"Alex... It's just too late." She strained a smile, that beautiful smile he loved, the one that warmed his nights and just made everything feel just that little bit less shit. He looked up, exhaling deeply. Distraught. Disappointed with himself, how could he let this happen? She was all he wanted. All he cared for, and he let her get hurt. He could never forgive himself. Her looked into her weak eyes, foggy with pain, biting at his bottom lip halting himself from completely breaking down.

"But-" His voice cracked. "But I love you, Norma." He coughed out, sucking his lips in as he squeezed her hand weakening around his face.

"Ohh" She happily cooed "I love you too, Alex. I really. Really. Do. You're the only man who's ever done right by me." She replied, tears streaking down her face dotted with mud and a slight flicker of blood.

"Oh god, Norma." His throat burned, his words just about choked out. "Don't leave me." He cuddled her in, rubbing at her shoulder, this was beyond anything he'd ever felt before, just absolute pure pain, nothing physical could hurt more than this. He'd rather be tortured, torn limb from limb than watch her beautiful being drift off in his very arms.

"Please, Alex... just... promise me you will look after, Norman." She wrapped a weak hand around his, interlocking her fingers with his weakly. He looked down to her, shocked.

"But, Norman did this, Norma? Are you kidding me?" Alex cupped her face in his hands. "He's the reason you're dying Norma, and I can't do anything to fucking protect you, how can you want me to look after him, Norma?" He sobbed to her, utterly confused, but so in love. She drifted slightly, moistening her throat that went dry quicker than usual.

"Because he isn't going to think- going to think i'm dead, Alex. He's not okay. If you love me, Alex you'll protect him." She coughed, blood coming from her lungs, splurging onto his collar.

"I love you so much, Norma. I don't want to, but I'll do it." He cried, "Tell me this is just a dream, a nightmare."

She sighed brutally, licking her lips to life.

"I wish it was." she expelled until her eyes slowly began to come to a close. He shook his head lightly.

"No, no, no, Norma..." He watched her body go limp as her chest slowly began to stop rising and her breathing stopped. He softly planted his lips on hers, kissing her one last time.

He laid for a while, tears swooning down his face, an action he hadn't done in god knows how many years. Her fragile, lifeless body held in his arms, head rested just below his chin as he pulled her in tighter, hoping the tighter he held on, the longer she'd stay. But she was already gone. He fumbled with the gun in it's holster, thoughts swirling through his head.

'What is the point." Ran through, time and time again. 'The only thing that mattered to me, the only thing that made anything make sense in my life, is gone." Accompanied it. 'One pull of this and it'll be over.' Was the last of it, until one final thought entered his mind. 'Norman.' 

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ok i know this is really short, and probably boring, and probably shit but it gave me feels so I hope it gave you some too ;_; also I listened to all i want by kodaline whilst writing this which was the worst idea ever so forgive me xo 

chapter 4 of my normero story will hopefully be up later tonight or tomorrow! So thanks for being patient :))