Dream for the Dead (Completed/Editing)

50 - *Christmas Special* (Part One)

I'd been feeling extremely depressed since Mum had left, and panicky. How was she? Was she still alive? Was she getting help? I hoped so.
Analetta hadn't moved in yet, but she was due to on Christmas Eve. I saw her walking up the path, a mischievous grin on her face. Has she not tormented Carver enough? I thought, but then I imagined me and Seth being in her situation. No. No, she has not.
I shared her smile when Carver appeared at the top of the stairs, weeping manically into the banister. When his eyes fell upon me, his crying immediately ceased and he began to bound down the stairs.
"Finally, I've got you!" I tried to dive out of the way, but Analetta's voice stopped us both in our tracks.
"Hey!" She yelled. "You lay a finger on that girl, you're going straight to your own personal Hell. You don't want that, no?"
Carver grumbled, and his face turned tomato-red with anger.
"Letta." I spoke only when Carver has stormed away.
"Yes, mi dulce?"
I had a couple of questions to ask her. I decided on which question was best to ask first, and yet I still hesitated. "You've come to care for me, right?" She does use a term of endearment when speaking to me, I thought.
She chuckled lightly. "Why do you ask that?"
It didn't seem good that she avoided answering the first question, and I kicked myself on the inside. "Well..." I sighed. "Analetta, you said you would take care of Mum for me. I need to know how she is, where she is and if you moving here was to be closer to Mum."
She laughed and looked me up and down. "My child, that was if you were sent somewhere else, no? She's your responsibility now that she can be."
"But, if she's not here-" I paused, thinking. A small grin played on Analetta's dark lips. The words danced at the tip of my tongue, but I dared not say them.
"What are you thinking?" Amusement was evident in her voice.
Two scenarios were in mind, but I decided to go for the most likely one. "Is she still in town?"
Analetta let out a tiny chuckle. "No."
I narrowed my eyes at her, pouting slightly.
"It is Christmas, no? And I do owe you something. For all you've done for me."
I gasped. "Analetta..." I suppressed my smile, in case the second scenario wasn't correct either, to avoid further humiliation.
"Yes. It's my Christmas gift to you. I'll tell you where she is, and you can go visit her. Go and do whatever you please, in fact. Until New Year's Day. Then you'll be transported back here."
I couldn't stop myself from hugging her tightly. "Thank you, Letta!"
"Don't let anybody else know, however. That could create some chaos." She patted me lightly on the back, and I stopped hugging her.
"When can I go?"
She clicked her fingers. "Straight away!" She placed her hands lightly on both of my shoulders. "But, I can't expect you to do this alone. It may be quite tough for you."
"So, Seth...?"
"Yes."
I hugged her again. Not only would I have support, but Seth would be able to see places other than town. On the way to see Mum, we could stop off at other beautiful forests. I just hoped he didn't get too attached to other forests.
"Now, I'll write down where your Mother is."

"Seth!" I found him in my bedroom, kneeling beside my bed.
"What are you doing?" I knelt down next to him, and he smiled at me; love and adoration reflected in his eyes.
"Remembering that night. It was a horrible night, but..." He blushed and looked away. "I loved watching over you. Comforting you."
I glanced down at my promise ring.
He noticed, and breathed some sort of laugh. "Yep. The ring does have meaning. It wasn't an empty promise." He held my hand, running his thumb over the ring. "I had that night in mind when I was thinking about buying it. I'm pretty sure the shop assistant could see how much it meant."
Suddenly, my conversation with the shop assistant came to mind. How she'd said:
'If you were here when he was buying it, you'd think otherwise.'
I laughed in my realisation and delight, and Seth's face dropped.
In a worried tone, he murmured, "what?"
I bit my lip. "Oh, nothing. Just-" I sighed. "I love you."
He flashed me a goofy smile. The kind of smile only managed when the person wasn't thinking about how perfectly forced their smile was - the kind of smile only managed by somebody in love. "I love you, too."
He pressed his forehead to mine, and I almost forgot the important news.
"Oh, Seth."
"Yeah?"
"I have some really important, really really exciting news."
"Oh yeah?" His posture and expression proved he was ready to be very attentive.
"Well..." I paused for effect, grinning. "As a Christmas gift, Analetta is letting me go and see Mum - and whatever else - outside of town until New Year's Day! And-" I held on the 'a' for a few counts, "-you're coming with me!"
His smile wavered, and it was finally wiped from existence. "Tabs. I can't."
It felt like he'd punched me in the gut. "But, I need you with me. And we can see other pretty forests-"
"Tabitha, I can't." He sighed, burying his head into my mattress.
"Why not?" My voice shook, partly because I was angry but partly because I was upset and close to tears. How could he expect me to go see her alone? I had accompanied him when he was seeing his Father.
"Tabbi, it's not you. It's Kim and Mum. If they're stuck here forever, I should be, too. They can't see the world. So why should I?"
I raised my voice, and by the end I was shouting, "because I need you! Because I don't know what state Mum will be in. Because I went to see your Dad with you. Because you love me!" I lowered my voice until it was quieter than a whisper, "supposedly."
"Hey!" He jumped up, and then shook his head. "I can't go. I'm not going, and that's final."
"Fine." I also jumped up, making my way to the door. But not before turning back to snap, "Merry fucking Christmas."