Claimed by the dark

A loud clattering sound wakes me up from sleep. Panicked I climb out of the bed and run out of my bedroom, a quick glance at Mom's open bedroom door makes it clear that she is not inside. I mind racing with all sorts of scary thoughts as I hurry down the stairs. Did mom fall down again? Mom is standing, her hands trembling violently an expression of horror on her face as she looks down at the pieces of broken glass lying in a pool of water at her feet. " It's alright mom, It is just a glass of water, " I say soothingly to her, relieved that she is unharmed. I help her into a chair beside the breakfast table. "I....I just wanted some water " She says in a broken voice "I'll get it for you, " I say immediately getting her a glass of water She smiles weakly at me before draining the glass in a single gulp and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You want some more ?" She shakes her head in a silent no. I know Mom hates depending on others, even me. But since she is ill she will have to bear with me fussing over her. "You woke up early " She looks at me guiltily. "Not early enough, " I say picking up the broken glass pieces "Trust me I didn't mean to wake you up, Sweetie " I sigh " You should have " This is the problem with Mom...... She never wakes me up. She is the reason I have set my alarm to five Am in the morning. To be able to watch over her when she wakes up since she usually wakes up at that time. But today she woke up much earlier than that and as usual didn't bother waking me up. It makes me angry and at the same time scared for her. "Why do you do this Mom?" I say feeling tears of frustration stinging at the back of my eyes " Why don't you call to me, ever, when you need help ?" She remains quiet her eyes not mine "I couldn't sleep, Elene" She says in a low voice This is another thing of concern to me. Mom doesn't sleep much. She says she can't. Even if she does manage to, she has terrifying nightmares that wake her up. The dark bruise-like bags under her eyes is evidence of her lack of sleep. It hurts me to see her like this. The radiant beautiful women I was used to seeing has all but vanished in the past few months. Mom used to look younger than her age. A lot younger. When people saw us together it was a common mistake for them to take her to be my elder sister. It never failed to make her smile and me to frown. Talk about being overshadowed by your super-good looking mother. But now, She looks almost 20 years older than she is. Her cheeks have lost their rosy complexion they look sunken and hollow, her skin has lost its healthy glow and she looks unnaturally pale. She doesn't eat properly, tires very easily. Sometimes she has trouble even maintaining her balance while walking. The doctors say she is suffering from extreme anemia and severe Insomnia They have prescribed her pills but she has shown no sign of improving. In fact, Her health keeps deteriorating no matter what medicines she takes. "I'll make you some breakfast," I tell her, controlling my voice. It will make her feel guilty for no good reason to know that I'm worried about her "What do you feel like eating today ?" I ask opening the fridge door to find it almost empty except for a few leftovers and much fewer eggs. "I will make you an egg sandwich, " I say as brightly as I can, no need for her to know we are running low on food along with washing powder and other things that keep getting added to my To - buy list, which has become a pretty long one now. Mom can't go to a job like this , no matter how much she insists that she can manage I know better. My school is out for summer so I'm working for a few more hours at the local diner. But with all the things and the doctor's bills piling up we don't have much money. "You worry too much about me, Sweetie " Mom says softly as I hand her the sandwich. I shrug, hoping desperately that she wouldn't notice that I didn't get anything to eat for myself But of course, she notices. Mom had always been sharp. Sick or not. So I head into the kitchen and dig around to find some oats. There isn't much but it will do. When I get back, she is sitting in the same chair I have left her in but she is furiously rocking herself back and forth, repeating something over and over again so fast I can't make out the words . "Mom, Mom " I call out panicked. She stops rocking instantly, her face snaps towards me, her hazel colored eyes are wide and have a glazed look in them the kind that always makes me feel like she is somewhere far away though she is right in front of me . "Hillas," She says "We...we need to go to Hillas " Her breaths are coming at a rapidly fast rate as If she had been running and out of breath. "We need to go to Hillas, " She says again before she blinks the glazed look suddenly vanishing from her eyes and she slumps down into the chair more looking exhausted than before and a sheen of sweat covering her face. Of all the things I have mentioned this worries me the most. THE MOST. She suddenly stops while in the middle of something, that glazed look coming into her eyes, Her voice turning rough and when she speaks her voice doesn't seem like hers at all , her breathing turns heavy and rugged . When I told her doctor about this, he told me everything is alright with my mom and that I might be imagining things because of stress. No matter how many times I insist and tell him that this odd behavior has become more common lately he brushes it off. It's not just anemia or insomnia It is something else, I know that in my gut. I hope the doctors find out whatever it is soon and cure her before it is too late. Hillas is the small town where my mom was born , grew up , finished high school and met my father..... You see , They never married, but mom says she had never fallen in love with any man as much as she had loved him and he loved her too . They were lost in a happy bliss for a few years before things started heading south and they realized they weren't compatible with each other. Their separation was mutual with no hard feeling between them. Mom left Hillas not much later and she had no idea she was pregnant with me. I have never seen my father much less met him. Mom moved away because she didn't want to be stuck in the small town forever. She says that though the town had given her many happy memories, She can't imagine ever going back. So obviously, I didn't think she had meant it seriously when she spoke about going back to Hillas. But as the time passed her insistence as well as something close to desperation grew , Until I found myself in the driver's seat of my small old and Once red - Toyota hoping like crazy for it to to not break down on the way, after all, It's ancient ......Ancient enough to be the age of my great-great-great-grandfather. Thanks to google maps I know the way .It looks too long and not many of the roads that lead to Hillas look like they had seen traffic. I wasn't thrilled about going there, right for the beginning . I also know that such a long journey will exhaust mom but she kept insisting and I didn't have much heart to deny my sick mother what she wanted. Even if it meant driving to some some stupid town that seems to be miles away from civilization. We have reached the outskirts of the town when mom suddenly leaps from the seat , If not for the seat belt her head would have hit the windshield. Shocked I apply breaks jolting the car to a halt. "S..S-STOP, Stop Here! "Mom says with a wild urgency her shaky fingers fumbling with the Car's lock. "Mom is everything alright ?" But she has already freed herself from the seat belt, Opened the lock and is out of the car I climb out of the car quickly to catch up with her. She is moving too fast and her speed both surprises and shocks me . " Mom " I call out running behind her . She doesn't even look back at me as she heads towards what looks like an old , abandoned stone structure covered in thick waist high grass and trees. It might be an old factory or something for all I know. "Mom , Stop!" I yell as she moves past the giant wrought Iron rust covered gates.