Serene Of The Sea

21. Distraction

Making sure to wake up early, I tried to dress like a model citizen. I could feel the tension of my task running underneath my skin as I pulled the rollers from my hair, setting it into a popular hairstyle I had seen worn by many women. I even made the effort to put make up on myself, cursing when I prodded myself in the eye with the mascara wand. I had to succeed, knowing I couldn't live with myself if people died because I hadn't spent one day with my own mother, as crazy and manipulative as she may be.

When I deemed myself presentable, I made my appearance in the living room. Dax once again had his head in the paper. Mum looked up from her cooking in the kitchen, "Good Morning Serena."
She actually looked excited. I let my cheeks pull up into a smile, even though on the inside I just wanted to climb into bed and shut out the world.

She lifted the pan, "I'm making scrambled egg," even her voice sounded chipper.
I took my spot at the breakfast bar, stomach grumbling in response to the smell of food, "Well I can only assume I like that," I let out a laugh, feeling tension inside, just wanting to be out of this house as soon as possible. Images of Sky raiding the armoury skittered across my mind. Would she wait until she was sure I was out? Was it happening right now? All Mum had to do was enter her room at the wrong time and it could all be over. That thought made me shiver unwillingly.

I ate the scrambled eggs, unable to taste anything as I barely chewed, glancing at the clock.
"You ok?" Dax asked, noting my flitting eyes.
My heart slammed, I must be acting strange. Damn it Serena! Pull yourself together! "Yes. Sorry. It's just, this party means a lot to me and I hope we can get everything done today," I scoffed in the last of the food and smiled at mum, "You ready?"

She laughed as she grabbed the bowl from me, chucking it into the sink, "Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time," She kissed Dax's forehead, "You heading to the office honey?"
Dax wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a kiss, stroking her cheek as he pulled away, "I'll be back for dinner. Have a good day."
Mum blushed as she looked at me. I always found it bizarre that people filled with such evil can also maintain ordinary emotion. It always seemed like it should be one or the other. Good or bad. But I was just beginning to realise that there was no such thing as good or bad, only perspective driven by the individuals ideals.

We left with Dax, getting into the elevator whilst he continued down the carpeted hallway. Suddenly finding myself all alone with the very woman who seemed hellbent on pulling the rug out from under me. Today she wore a beige dress with silhouettes of birds on the soft fabric. I found that odd considering our location.

We found no conversation as we made our way to the hub of the city. She just kept looking at me and smiling.
We entered into a sector I hadn't seen before, Dax really skimped out on the tour. Maybe they had just wanted to contain me in a certain area. We passed into a separate scraper, people lining the halls in a busy fashion. It was a mall setting. Still with a vintage 40s boutique air. Glass shop fronts passed us as we walked by. Bright logos sitting on boards above the displays. The tiled flooring reminded me of the corner shop back in Mullion. These were more clothing stores, rather than the practical setup from the square.

Again people hastily stepped out of the way as mum passed. I noticed flyers plastered over every free surface. They read,

Masquerade Ball
Serena's Birthday Celebration
Compulsory to all residents
Formal attire and masks required
16:30-00:30
Justice Hall

That's when I realised why it was so busy, I got glimpses of the masks within the bags as we passed close to people. I had managed in the space of a day to completely uproot the entire population. I noticed sour expressions glancing in my direction as we entered our first store, it's sign suggested that it was top of the range. None of the dresses had price tags. I guessed if you cared about the price, this wasn't the store for you. Mum began immediately leafing through the racks, picking out bright fabrics.