Free Slash (Novella I) by Kevin Anthony Page A

travel this far for you can suggest tea.”
    “ This is a tea she needs. It’ll clear her mind, her heart and subdue the madness built up inside.”
    MT’s eyes wandered toward the cash register. “How much?”
    “ If it works, twenty-five dollars. I won’t charge you to leave here with a mad woman.”
    MT looked at her mother who mumbled to herself. “You won’t be like this for long, momma.”
    Tatu motioned at a burgundy couch placed in a longue space. “Now, just have a seat and we can get started.”
    MT led her mother over to the couch and they took their seats. Tatu vanished to the backroom and returned with dark box. The shop owner sat on the floor and set the box on a coffee table that was placed before the couch where MT and her mother sat. Tatu removed a teapot, jars of spices and a dirty mug from the box.
    Tatu sprinkled the spices into the mug. “Tell me about your mother.”
    “ My mother was always full of life and spent a lot of time studying odd books about the strangeness in our world. She was so deep into her studies that she would start to skip days or even miss out on my life. I guess after reading so much and being shut away, all the information sent her…mad.”
    Tatu smirked. “The woman studies and communicates with the madness. I am the same. Are you?”
    MT shrugged. “My mother always mentions sensing the madness, but I’ve never had.”
    Tatu narrowed her eyes at MT as she continued making the tea. “I figured that.”
    “ What does that mean?”
    “ MT, your mother isn’t the only one with a problem. There’s something different about you.”
    MT rubbed her hands together and lowered her head. “I can’t feel the sun or nearly anything. It’s been awhile.”
    Tatu laughed. “We’ll get to you next then.”
    MT’s eyes widened. “You’ll…fix me?”
    Tatu poured some red liquid from the tea kettle into the mug of spices. “I said we’ll get to you next.”
    Tatu pushed the mug toward their side of the table.
    “ Does it need to be heated,” MT asked.
    “ If it did, I would’ve.” Tatu hit the table with her knuckles. “Now, let her drink.”
    MT picked up the cup and faced her mother. “Momma, this is going to make you feel all better.”
    Fran shook her head. “No. I want cookies.”
    “ If you drink this we’ll have cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
    Fran snatched the cup and chugged down the tea. “Done.”
    MT looked over at Tatu. “Now, what?”
    Tatu returned a smile and nodded her head of curly red hair toward Fran.
    Fran reached out and placed her hands on MT’s cheek. “You’re still cold.”
    MT grabbed her mother’s hands and slowly lowered them. “Momma?”
    Tears flowed down Fran’s face. “I’m so sorry this has happened. All I wanted to do was fix you and let you live a normal life. My thoughts are clear and now so are my words, MT, let me go. You’re eighteen and have so much more life to live. I refuse to have you spend it all looking after me.” Fran looked over to Tatu. “Thank you, for allowing me to get this message to my daughter clearly.”
    “ I knew this is what you wanted the moment I looked into your eyes,” Tatu said.
    Fran returned her attention to MT. “Maria, you’ve done enough.”
    “ Momma-“
    Fran’s eyes fluttered until they remained closed and she dropped backward against the couch arm.
    MT rushed over and grabbed her mother’s shoulders. “Momma!”
    “ The woman is exhausted,” Tatu said. “It took a lot to clear a mind as cluttered as hers. MT, I will be honest and say your mother will live the entirety of her life as a mad woman. From what I’ve been told, she spent a lot of hours dabbling in the madness and has loss all since of reality. Her true self is buried deep inside, but will never regain control. I have to agree with the woman, you need to move on.”
    “ I can’t just give up on her,” MT said as she made her unconscious mother comfortable.
    “ Listen to your mother.