Dream for the Dead (Completed/Editing)

54 - *Christmas Special* (Part Five)

"There's...only...one...way." I panted after every word.
Seth pulled himself up from the ground, still breathing heavily. "What's that?"
"Look at her." I panted, "she's not going to believe us. She thinks all of this is a hallucination."
"Not real...not real...dead, dead, dead..." Mum muttered, rocking back and forth on the ground.
"What have I done to her, Seth?"
Seth looked at Mum. "The best thing you could've done. She wouldn't have left town, and the only other option was to fulfil the duties of being Saviour. That way, you would've never had any chance at all to put her mind at ease. She would've still lost you."
"But she wouldn't have ended up in a mental hospital." I joined Seth in looking at Mum.
"You don't know that. And we never will." He looked back at me. "But I don't understand what we have to do."
I shifted my eyes to meet Seth's. "Get her back to town. Let her kill herself there."

I took Seth and Mum to the forest, and asked Seth to go and buy Mum some new clothes and a wig that was as far from Mum's hair that he could get. I wasn't risking somebody from the hospital recognising her. I handed Seth some money, and waited with Mum. She sobbed and sobbed, continually muttering about how I wasn't real. It sort of reminded me of how Mary was when Carver had tormented her, and it made my stomach turn upside down when I realised that I was now no better than him. I was a part of the sick history of Goldstein Manor, and I was one of the monsters that would reside there forever, and I could never change that.
Seth was back sooner than I expected, and after he'd passed me the shopping bag, he immediately turned his back to us.
"Thanks, Seth."
I looked in the bag, and found punk-style clothing and a mint green wig.
"Seth, this isn't exactly what I meant."
He giggled. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. It's just so different from how your Mum usually dresses."
I rolled my eyes, smirking slightly. I helped Mum to get changed, and when I was done, she was hardly recognisable.
"Wow." I laughed slightly. "She's so different."
I pulled Mum to her feet, and Seth turned to look. He burst into a fit of laughter.
"She does not suit those at all!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Now come on. This is serious."
He stopped laughing with one long, drawn-out sigh. "Okay."

We managed to make our way back to the mansion with no trouble, giving a false explanation to people giving my sobbing Mother strange looks on the trains. We apologised and told them that her long-term boyfriend had dumped her in a really harsh way. Some people looked skeptical, but most just cocked their heads and looked away.
We were finally back on the outskirts of town, and I was desperate to get her back.
"Soon, Mum. You can be free of all your pain soon." I soothed her.
"You okay?" Seth asked me.
I nodded. "Mhm. A little upset and still feeling guilty, but it's the best we can do now. I just hope she doesn't turn out like Mary."
"She might not be that far gone." He reassured me, but I could hear that in his voice he wasn't 100% sure. Not even 50% sure.

"It's only Christmas Day. What are you doing back so early?" I heard Analetta speaking to Seth as I tried to pull Mum into the Manor.
"Ah..." She noticed Mum. "Why did you bring her back? You don't want her to be stuck here, no?" A mischievous grin danced on her lips. She knew.
I decided to explain anyway. "She's not going to have much of a life out there. I've brought her back in the hope that when she does...commit suicide...she'll believe me, and be back to her normal self."
"I see." Her smile wavered. "You have met Mary, no?"
I nodded quickly, looking at the ground. "But there's a chance she's not far gone enough, right?"
"Perhaps." She looked Mum up and down. "Use one of the older rooms. Try not to make much of a mess."
"I'm not the one killing her!" I snapped.

Seth helped me guide Mum to a room on the unused side of the mansion.
"I feel sick." I said.
Not knowing what to say, Seth leaned his arm over Mum to squeeze my shoulder. "It'll be over in no time."
We got to a suitable room, and sat Mum down on the floor.
"What do we give her? What's the least painful?" I looked at Seth for ideas.
"Well, I think we can agree that she's not slitting her throat. That's too damn painful."
"Yeah. Are there any guns in the house?"
Seth shook his head. "I don't think so."
I bit my lip. There were a few minutes of silence between Seth and I. The only noise was Mum's muttering.
"Maybe..." Seth began, but didn't elaborate.
"What?" I was worried about why he didn't continue his sentence.
"No, no. It's stupid. It'd never happen."
I looked at Mum, and realised how desperate I was to end her suffering.
"Tell me. Please. It might work."
Seth looked from me to Mum. "Alright. But please don't be angry." He didn't speak until he was sure I wouldn't get angry.
"I won't be angry."
"Okay. I was thinking that maybe...maybe we should do it. Snap her neck or something; make it quick and painless."