Prompts used: Emotional Angst, Giving Permission to Die

The world around her turned white in an instant.

Then, it went black.

She hadn't felt it coming. The ground had shaken and there was a loud noise in the distance, but there wasn't any time to register that before there was a roar of sound and pain and everything around her was thrown through the air.

Afterwards, an eerie silence had settled over her surroundings. She was too scared to move. She didn't want the world to come down on her again.

A small whimper came from her side, and her heart stuttered in alarm.

She twisted, and in the dim light she saw her babies curled up next to her.

She had grabbed them, in that last second before the floor was torn from underneath them. Thankfully, they had been close, and she had thrown her arms around them to keep them safe.

Alan was closest to her, and she reached an arm out. He was only just close enough for her to lay a hand on him. He whimpered again at her touch, but didn't seem to wake up. His skin was cold.

He needed a blanket, but she had none to spare right now. She tried to move closer to him, but stopped with a cry of pain that shot through her body.

With her free hand, she reached down to her stomach, and withdrew it to find her hand caked in red.

No. This couldn't be happening. She wouldn't let this happen.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" She yelled out. "We need help!"

Tears started to brim in her eyes when only silence met her ears. She couldn't let her babies die here.

She kept her hand on Alan as she lifted her head. Gordon was curled up on the other side of his brother. If she hadn't known any better, it would have looked like the pair of them were just sleeping.

"Don't worry, my babies," she whispered across the small space. Her voice seemed so loud in the quiet. "I'll get you out of here."

She looked up at the debris that trapped them. It was once a cabin that they had thought they'd spend a lovely family holiday in. They had been having fun. They had been making memories. She didn't think that the memories would become nightmares.

She tried to shift some of the debris out of the way, but it was so heavy. She managed to pull some bits off her boys, but she couldn't free herself. She didn't have the strength.

Tears continued to fall down the sides of her face as a sob broke from her throat. She slumped in defeat after she failed to move the heavy beam on her waist.

"Help!" She called again. "Please, anyone!"

There was still nothing. She hesitantly lifted her head again to look down at her abdomen. Her chest was covered in blood.

She knew what was happening here. She couldn't stop it. She couldn't save herself.

Her boys were going to grow up without a mother.

That thought brought another sob out of her, but then she swallowed the tears down. She couldn't cry. She couldn't use this time to mourn. She had to save her babies, if it was the last thing she'd do.

"Help! We're down here!"

Her hand was back on Alan. She had managed to stretch just a little further to reach his chest, and her hand was placed above his heart, where she could feel it still beating.

"Mommy?"

She whipped her head to the side to find Gordon had lifted his head, and he was looking at her through half-lidded eyes.

"Hi, sweetie." She tried to smile in reassurance.

"What's happening," he mumbled as he went to glance around at their surroundings.

"Hey, Gordy. Look at me, okay?" She coaxed his gaze back to her. She didn't need him to see the destruction around them.

When his eyes met hers again, there were tears brimming.

"Are you bleeding, mommy?"

She had to hold back the sob. He sounded so worried.

"Only a little, baby," she lied. She turned her hand over on Alan's chest, so her palm was facing the sky. "Take my hand."

Gordon placed his hand in hers. He was just as cold as his brother.

She wrapped her fingers around his smaller ones, and squeezed with as much strength as she had.

"I'll get you out of here. You'll be safe. I promise."

Gordon nodded shakily, and then slowly placed his head back down as he grew tired. His hand soon grew slack in hers.

She stayed holding on.

She continued to cry for help. She yelled and screamed until her voice grew hoarse and yelled some more. She would not give up, not until her babies were saved.

She was unaware of how much time had passed, but she could feel herself slipping. She wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. She was growing so cold, so tired.

"Help…" She whispered, unable to speak louder anymore.

She blinked slowly. Her vision was growing dark.

Then, a light broke through the darkness.

She thought she was dreaming it. She didn't know if she should believe it was real.

But the light grew bigger and brighter, and she then realised there were sounds too. They were no longer in silence. They were no longer alone.

She whimpered when she felt Gordon's hand leave her own, but she watched him be lifted into arms that would save him, so she let him go.

Then Alan left her too. Her hand fell from his chest, his heart still beating strongly up to the moment she could no longer feel it.

She smiled as she watched them go. They were safe. She had made sure of that. They didn't need her any longer.

She could let go, give in to the voice that was calling her. She didn't have to resist. She could fall back into the arms that promised her peace and rest.

She didn't have to fight anymore.

She closed her eyes.

I'm so sorry for this one T.T