It's been a while since I updated this.

Warning: This involves someone getting shot.

Chapter Four

Patrick wished he could forget that night. But no matter how hard he had tried, he couldn't.

Earl had come home drunk that night. It was no surprise to anyone. But this time he carried a gun with him. Julia was still at work.

"If anyone angers me, they'll answer ta this!" Earl exclaimed.

Patrick took Nora's hand and brought her to their room. Nora burst into tears. Patrick embraced her, stroking her hair.

"I-I w-w-want P-P-P-Pa-a-a back!" she wailed, much too loud.

Her older brother's face paled. What if Earl had heard that? He would never forgive Nora for that. Even if she was just a confused six-year-old. Earl wouldn't take pity on her. Patrick wondered if mercy he knew what it meant. Patrick continued to rub her back and whisper comforting thing to her.

The door banged open. Patrick shielded Nora from the man he hated most. Nora was trembling. Earl had the gun with him.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, GIRL?!" he screamed, "I AM YOUR P-P-PAAAA, YOU UNGRATEFUL, D*CK!"

"I-I-I'm-m-m s-sor-rry, sssir," Nora whispered.

"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU CALL MY LITTLE SISTER A STUPID D*CK! IF ANYONE WAS A D*CK IT WOULD BE YOU!" Patrick screamed back.

His mother dashed into the room. She was still wearing her washer woman's uniform. Julia gasped at the scene that laid before her.

"Patrick, you know not to cuss! And Earl, why on Earth do you have a gun?!" Julia questioned.

"Mam, he called Nora a d*ck!" explained Patrick.

Julia sighed. "I believe it. I don't know why I agreed to marry you! You slimy son of a…! You are a d*ck! I was a fool!" she turned to her children. Nora started to walk towards her, "We're leaving."

"You won't leave." Earl was shaking his head. "No. You won't. Because of this!"

Within seconds, Earl pointed the gun at Nora and shot. When the bullet hit her chest, she fell back. Patrick screamed and ran to his sister's side. Nora was whimpering. Julia joined Patrick at Nora's side. Earl had sprinted away.

"Mam, it hurts. It hurts…" Nora mumbled.

"I know, baby." Julia cradled her child. "I know."

They were all sobbing now.

She was supposed to live. Nora had so many adventures planned out for her. Why did she have to be the one on the ground, bleeding? This time Patrick hadn't protected her. It was his fault. All his fault. So many blissful memories came back to Patrick.

Nora started to gasp. She was looking at the ceiling. It seemed like she was seeing something that wasn't there.

"Pa?" Nora asked. She was silent for a moment. "I'll come with you. But I will miss Patty and Mam. I will see them again?" again she seemed to wait for some answer. "I will say goodbye."

"Nori…" Julia sighed.

"I wove you, Mam. I wove you, Patty." With that Nora was gone.

Patrick was only silent. Julia sobbed over Nora's body. But Patrick couldn't even move. Nora was gone. Nora was dead. His sweet baby sister was dead. Because of Earl. No. Because of himself. He should have taken the bullet for her. He should have protected her.

Nora was dead and it was all Patrick's fault.

I cried so hard while I wrote this. Not my best death scene, but I think it got the job done.

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Thanks for reading!