Dream for the Dead (Completed/Editing)

51 - *Christmas Special* (Part Two)

Elias was talking to Analetta when I entered the kitchen. Analetta was making up a plate of Spanish sweets, and Elias was watching.
"Oh; hello, Tabbi." Elias waved.
"Hey, Eli. What are you doing down here?"
"Learning." He pointed to the plate of sweets. "Analetta told me what you and Seth are doing. I'm jealous." He laughed, but it was clear that he was far from amused. "Anyway, Lionel-" (the name man we did jobs for) "-wants me to take over your jobs until you're back. Problem is, I have no idea how to cook or bake."
Cooking was my job. Seth's was weeding out Lionel's garden, and Elias' job was doing Lionel's shopping. We had no idea what jobs anybody else did for him, but I was quite happy with the job I had.
"I'll have quite a lot to do whilst you're away."
"Yeah, well, you can cross one of those jobs off." I felt the anger building up inside me again. So I didn't rant, I forced it to simmer down.
"Why?" Elias looked extremely confused, and I could even see that Analetta's ears had pricked up, as she began to work slower.
"Seth doesn't want to come with me. Long story short, Kim and Abigail can't come so he feels he shouldn't."
"Oh." Elias glanced at Analetta from the corner of his eye. "Well, if you want somebody to come-"
"No." Analetta stopped everything completely, and turned to join the conversation, smiling at us both.
"I gave Tabitha and Seth the ability to go out of town. It's up to those two to use or neglect that ability, and nobody else is being allowed."
"Why-"
"Elias!" Analetta bopped him on the head with the wooden spoon she held.
I smiled but forced it to fade quickly. "Anyway, I'm off."
"You have the address with you, yes?"
I nodded, producing the tiny, folded piece of paper from my pocket, waving it around.
"Enjoy yourself." Analetta turned back to her baking.
"Yeah." Elias smiled. "I hope everything's okay."

I stopped at the edge of town for a moment. I turned to look behind me, a tiny part of me clinging onto the small shred of hope that Seth would have changed his mind and followed me. I wasn't happy with the fact that I'd left on an argument; especially since it had ended with a very sarcastic season's greeting. I sighed deeply when he wasn't behind me, continuing to stare for a minute or two in case he magically appeared there. It wouldn't be shocking if he did, since we did live with a witch.
I finally turned back to the sign telling me I was leaving town, and then looked at my ring. I guess the ring didn't really have any meaning at all. Nervously, I took my first step out of town. Her magic had worked, and I took another slow step forwards. I was now officially outside town.

I walked for what felt like an eternity, every so often hopping into cars that appeared to be going the way I needed to. Esmerelda had written some directions, too, and it turned out that Mum was further away than I'd expected. I hid myself the whole way, not wanting anyone to stop me. At one point, I walked through a shopping mall. Christmas songs were playing loudly though the mall, and last minute shoppers were walking around joyfully, excited for the next day. Excited to be spending Christmas with their families. Their loved ones.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas..."
"What a perfect song to be playing." I muttered. "Though, I'm having myself a Christmas, I'm not so sure about a merry little one."
I became angry again when I thought about Seth, enjoying Christmas with the others back at the Manor, with me completely out of his mind. He'd left me to celebrate alone.
"Well." I stopped for a second, allowing myself a short rest. "If he can completely forget about me and not care at all how I am, and just enjoy Christmas, then I should be able to do the same."
But needles of pain still pierced my heart at the vision playing in my mind of Seth laughing and smiling with everyone, not caring about me whatsoever.
"Shops closing in half an hour. Everything half price!"
An announcement snapped me out of my thoughts, and I had an idea.
"I should get Mum a present."

For the next fifteen minutes I walked in and out of shops in the mall, inspecting everything there was to offer. I was allowing everybody to see me now, so that I didn't scare anybody by appearing out of nowhere once I'd found something to buy.
I lingered longer in one shop that the others, as the shop's contents suited Mum, and caught the attention of the shop assistant.
"Hello, Miss." He walked over to me. "Having trouble looking for a last minute gift?"
I nodded. "There's so much to choose from. I'm not sure what would be best."
We were in an crystal ornament shop, and Mum had always liked crystal.
"Tell me a bit about the person. I might be able to help." He smiled at me politely.
"Thanks. She's mostly happy and energetic. Her favourite colour is lilac, and her favourite animal is a panther. Hmm..." I thought for a second. "She likes to meditate, and she also favours simplicity."
The shop assistant nodded, then squinted and scanned the shelves of ornaments. "So...either something quite bright with connotations of positivity; something lilac; something significant to spirituality...or a panther. Definitely simple." He muttered. He walked to the other side of the shop, and as I turned to follow him with my eyes, I spotted another ornament. The base was light blue with a patch of grass-green crystal, and a crystal tree sprouted from the green patch. But the most perfect part was the array of pink and purple blobs, representing flowers. I carefully picked it up, carrying it over to the counter.
I heard the assistant call: "ah, this may do!" He turned around and stopped smiling when he saw the tree ornament.
"Oh, you already found something?"
I grinned and shook my head. "No, this is for somebody else."
"Oh, alright. Take a look at this, then." He walked over slowly, taking care so as not to drop the ornament.
"It's perfect." I was being truthful. It was also very simple, and I knew she'd love that: a lilac Buddha meditating on a grass-green base.
"You're lucky we have this, aren't you?" he laughed. "It ticks a lot of the boxes."

After I'd paid for the gifts, I exited the shop feeling fulfilled and a little more cheerful. That was until my eyes landed on him, however.