Norman x Reader || SAUDADE

31-E-verafter

It all happened in a flash, all the yelling, the blood splattered around us. Mom's body collapsed to the ground with three large gashes across her abdominal area. The next thing I know, I heard a scream so loud and clear, and I felt myself dropped to my knees. That agonizing yell came out from my own throat. I'm surprised at the fact that I was able to scream out that way. Everything came in a blur, so hazy, reality caved into me in the cruelest way possible. 

"MOM!" I felt my legs dragged me out from my place to the place where Mom lied helplessly. 

Her blood is pooling out of her, just like the stray lonely tears that poured out of my eyes. As soon as my gaze locked with hers, I felt all the blur and haziness left my form completely, leaving me with only despair and fear. I fear. That's funny, it has never left my side ever since the day the three of them decided to tell me about the truth. And just back then, when Peter Ratri died, I'm convinced that it had left me for the first time in so long. Yet, I realized that it never really disappeared from me, instead it shrunk into a little ball, patiently waiting for a chance to gnaw its way out from the deepest place of my being. 

"Trying to act like a mother now won't make up for all the things you've done!" I heard the demon said not too far away from me whilst being dragged away by the imperial soldier. 

"Mom, mom, stay with us, please!" I felt myself trembling, not sure on what to do at that point. 

"We need to stop the bleeding, we can do this!" I immediately pulled out cloth and Anna helped me put some pressure on the wounds. 

What to do next? We-we can perform a surgery to cauterize the wound. No- we can't, no one is able to perform this kind of surgery except for Yugo and Lucas. Besides, we don't have any equipment, we can't even save Peter Ratri from that wound. I inspected the wounds and one of them pierced right through the place where her heart is. No, we have to at least do what we can to stop the bleeding, we can't let her die! 

"Is everyone okay, no one is hurt?" Mom's gentle voice cut through my train of thoughts. 

"We're all okay!" Emma held her hands. Norman was cautiously looking after each gash the demon had created. 

"Good, I'm sorry." She chuckled weakly. 

We're running out of time. 

"Mom, don't say that! We'll save you!" I shook my head as I felt my tears were getting even more unstoppable that it was hindering my sight, rupturing my focus and creating a little pool of sadness on the grass below. 

"N-Norman?" I managed to choke out after looking at his solemn expression. 

"No, no we can do something. Definitely, we can still stitch up the wounds, and-and-," I immediately shook my head refusing to accept Norman's verdict. 

"My sweet spoiled little girl. It's fine," she said breathlessly, "You did your best. None of this is anybody's fault." She smiled while gently stroking my cheeks in an attempt to wipe out the never-ending tears in my eyes. 

"No mom! We can still save you! Listen, please, anyone give me more towels or anything. 

Don't give up yet Mom!" I began to refuse any thoughts of giving up in a very uncontrollable manner. 

 "Even till my last moments, you're still that little crybaby." She smiled before nodding to Norman. 

"Take good care of her for me." She smiled. Norman immediately nodded and started pulling me away from Mom. 

"No- no, Mom, please! Let me go!" I tried to free myself away from Norman's grasp. 

I glared harshly at his faltering gaze, "We can't give up just yet! Let me go." I clenched my jaw at him.