A small ficlet written at the request of the amazing fembot77.
Numb.
Cold.
Darkness.
It all washes over her as she lays there motionless, sweet relief to the agonizing fire that had encompassed her body mere seconds before.
She can feel her body succumbing to the darkness and she knows that this is it. She's going to die.
Her thoughts flash to her family, to how she was supposed to be with them at dinner, about the panic it will cause when she doesn't show and what will await them when they arrive home.
Regret tears at her ebbing heart. A single tear rolls down her cheek, a shuddering breath rasping from her lungs as she imagines what this will do to them.
Her daughter, so beautiful and strong and brave. So young; and to her husband, loving and gentle and kind.
God, her wonderful, loving family. How they don't deserve this.
If she could just go back in time and change it all. If she could have just gone to that restaurant…
She has to believe that they will have the strength to get through this, that they will be there for each other to lean on.
She prays that they won't let this destroy their lives, that they will be able to find happiness again.
And with her last breath she draws up the strength to whisper her love to the emptiness around her and she succumbs to the darkness.
Final moments of Johanna Becket in the alley.