cursed (2022)

chapter twenty-four: mom

The car ride to the trailer park is quiet. It's not comfortable or uncomfortable, it's just in the middle. Steve is playing music in attempt to lighten the mood. I have my arms crossed and my head leaned back against the seat. I can see out of the corner of my eye that Lucas keeps looking at me. He looks like he wants to say something, but he just looks away.

When we get there, Steve puts the car in park.

"This better be fast, Mayfield."

"Twenty seconds," I promise as I grab my bag and make my way inside.

I don't see my mom around, so she's probably at work. I really wish I could've said bye to her. I walk over to the table and put the letter to my dad down first. The rest follow. Granny, my uncle, and last, mom. I stare at hers for a while and take a deep breath. I feel horrible. I start to regret everything. All the stupid fights, all the times I told her I hated her, the time I had her worried sick because I tried to run away. Mom is going to get a call on the way home tonight that her daughter is dead, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

I throw my backpack over my shoulder before catching a glimpse of the window. I do a double take and there she is. My mom is outside- I desperately want to hug her and explain everything. Explain why Billy died, explain why I'm about to die, but I can't. I can't worry her like that. She deserves the little peace of mind that she still has- for a few hours, anyway.

I rush outside not wanting to waste another second.

"Mom!" I call out.

"Hey, sweetie," she turns to me. "I thought you were with your friends today."

"Yeah, I was- I am." I correct myself. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Oh, Mr. Bradley let me off early, so I'm just catching up on some chores," she explains.

I nod, "Um, I...I left some letters inside. For you, and Granny, and Uncle Jack, and Dad. If you can find him."

"Letters? I...I don't understand." Mom shakes her head.

"Uh," I look up. "I just, um- with all the murders and everything, I...I know it's stupid, but I just started to think, "What if something happens to me?""

"Max, baby," she shakes her head. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

"I know! But if...if it did, I just," I pause for a beat. "There's so many things that I want to say, that I need to say, and...just promise that you'll give the letters out?"

Mom gives me a worried look, "Max, you're scaring me."

"I'm not trying to scare you,"

"Is something going on, Maxine?" she presses.

"No," I shake my head.

"Is it, baby?"

"No. No, you're right. I'm sure I'll be fine, I'm being silly." I stammer.

God, I wish I was being silly.

"Max, oh sweetie." she pulls me into a hug, and I start to cry.

I close my eyes. In a way, part of me feels complete for saying goodbye to her. I wish I had repaired our relationship when I had the chance. I wish I could've seen dad. I wish we could've gone to the bar one more time, or watched a horror movie on the pullout in his apartment while eating a bunch of junk like Dr Pepper and Pizza. At least I get to see mom one more time before everything ends, and that's enough for me.

"Shh, it's okay. Nothing is going to happen, baby, I promise." she rubs my back, still hugging me before randomly stopping. "Nothing you don't deserve."

I open my eyes again. It's dark. It looks like it's about to rain and there's blood on the clothes she was hanging. One thing I know for sure is that mom would never say that to me. It's not my mother, it's Vecna playing mind games with me.

My heart starts beating fast, and I try to loosen mom's grip, but she won't let go.

"Mom, let go of me," I panic. "Mom? Let go!"

All of a sudden, mom isn't the one hugging me anymore. I don't know when the vision started, so if mom was even hugging me in the first place is a mystery to me, but now it really isn't my mom at all.

Now I'm hugging Vecna.

"Maxine," he runs his hand through my ponytail as I hear the clock chime again. "You think some letters are going to make things right?"

The clock keeps chiming. I slowly lift my head up and look him in the eyes. His eyes are colorless- like someone who's blind. His face is terrifying. He doesn't have a nose, or any hair, ears, or anything. He's a monster, so what did I expect? There are moving vines all over his shoulders coated with white tiny spikes. I want to run, but I can't move because he has me in a hold, and I'm too scared to resist.

"You've broken everything," he says.

Flashes of July 4th flood back into my mind. He's doing this to me.

"Your time is almost at an end."

"Let go!" I scream.

I blink, the chiming stops, and I fall backwards onto the ground. I'm back. I was for sure that the vision was going to be the end of me. If this wasn't it, then the next one will definitely be my last.

I look around frantically. My mom isn't here. Was it even her I said goodbye to? Out of all of the times that he could've messed with me, he chooses the last good moment I wanted to have.

I don't know how long it's been, but I know I don't have much more time left. I have to read Billy his letter. I quickly get up and speed walk to the car, growing more tense with every step I take.

"Hey, that was longer than twenty seconds," Steve complains.

As if I don't already know that. As if I'm directing this stupid wizard to mess with me until he's ready to kill me. If he wants me dead so bad, he should stop taunting me and just kill me already. Get it over with.

I march right past Steve without saying anything, my eyes wet with tears.

"Hey, woah, woah. You alright?" he asks.

"I'm fine. Just drive." I demand before I get into the car.

"Did something happen?" Dustin presses.

I swallow hard, "Can we please just go?"