Chapter 9
String of Sanity

.:Lara:.
'
Sixth of August 1975'

Rage and grief coursed through her veins faster than the speed of light. The rope that held her together throughout the battle was breaking apart, each little individual string snapping to the point that the rope was so close to snapping. The rope of sanity. Lara had enough of seeing people she knew and friends she had memories with dying, murdered at the hands of these cold-blooded killers. The death of her brother just blew it but the redhead knew she hasn't lost sanity yet and fallen completely into grief's urging arms.

Lara flew with aggressive movements as she fought every snake in sight and distance; each swing drawing blood darker than crimson. She didn't have mercy. The faces of pure fear didn't stop her from either detaching their heads from their miserable bodies or driving her blade into their chest. Every single snake had to pay for the price of her brother. The redhead wasn't going to let them win this war. The only time that she would slightly hesitate upon killing a snake is when that 'snake' was a villager bitten by a Fangpyre but too late to save – their minds corrupted by the venom.

The redhead's dark blue eyes narrowed down to slits when the next opponent in front of her was an Anacondrai; the same tribe that took Dawson's life away. Lara's body was immediately washed over with rage as she sprung onto the serpent, her katana trying to reach its mark in the snake's chest. To her littlest surprise, one of the best Serpentine tribe was dead. Lara didn't dwell too long on this fact as she felt another presence right behind her. Turning around with the speed of light, the redhead faced her new target. Her blood ran cold.

Standing in front of her was a woman, clearly nearly close to deteriorating to the venom of the Fangpyre's bite. The teeth puncture was evident on the lady's neck. But she wasn't just any lady. It was her mother. The resemblance was still clear at this stage of time – even with her green skin. They might not have the same hair and eye colour but Lara inherited every single one of her mother's facial features. From every curve of her ear to the sharp cheeks, chin and pointed brows.

The rage and grief that shallowed Lara quickly left as fear and sorrow took over. The woman -that looked like she was going to kill any second- that took care of her since the redhead was a baby was falling into the Fangpyre's venom faster than wild and dry grass catching on fire. Tear swelled in Lara's eyes as her mother leaped forward, her double daggers posed for kill. Instead of going in to attack, Lara stepped back and dodged her mother's attack.

"Mum, fight it!" Her voice tore through her throat as the redhead continued to dodge both daggers and occasionally using her sword to parry.

But she knew her skill was unmatched compared to her mother's whenever she's in the possession of double daggers. She had a way of getting the victim to pay attention to one dagger while the other would sneak up into the victim's chest. Lara made sure to look at both daggers and not at one. But during this dodge and chase game, the redhead could see her mother turning more and more into a snake. Her thick and curly brown hair was getting shorter, her skin turning into an amour of scales and her soft and loving hazel eyes turning yellow and beady.

A sharp pain flared up at the side of her left jawline and stumbling backwards, one hand remained on her katana while the other held her bleeding jawline. Her dark blue eyes found their way to her mum's daggers where fresh blood was dripping from. Lara knew she couldn't keep fighting like this. If she keeps dodging her mother's attack, she'll eventually die and someone else would kill her mum… But if she were to fight back and kill her mother- No. She stubbornly thought. I can't do this to my own mum…

But the woman in front of her suddenly stopped, as if she was trying to grasp onto the last strand of sanity she has left. The madness that just swam in her eyes was gone.

"L-Lara…" A wavering voice that sounded a lot like her mother –but weaker- came out as a whisper of shock and realisation.

"Mum?"

"Kill me."

Those two words felt like a rusted sword stabbing her through the chest and twisting to ensure the maximum pain.

"W-What?"

"Kill me before it's too-" But she never finished, instead, her mother leapt at her again, catching the redhead off guard and they both fell onto the ground. "Kill me!" Her mother's voice was no longer the same. It hissed and snarled as if she was a real snake. Fear found its way into Lara's chest and gripped her heart, clutching it in its vile hands. "Kill me before I become one of those dreadful monsters! Kill me!"

Those words sucked the breath out of Lara, leaving her speechless with tears clouding her vision. Each word that roared and snarled through her mother's mouth and slithery tongue sprayed spit at her. Her heart pounded faster than before.

"Do it now!"

"I-I can't mum-"

"Kill me Lara! Put me out of my misery you coward!" Sanity was slipping away from her mother, Lara could see it in those hazel eyes and it frightened her half to death to see a person so dear to her disappear right before her. She could see her mother was trying hard to fight it but they both knew it was a fight that was to lose. Those words were spoken with the last grasp, the last string of sanity she has.

"Mum, p-please!"

"Shut up! Do it! Kill meee!"

"I can't!" Lara yelled, tears brimming down her eyes. How could her mother ask her to do such a thing? How could Lara ever kill her?

"Kill me or I'll kill you. Do it!"

"I-"

"KILL ME!" But after that, her mother's eyes cleared as if she had definitely held onto the vanishing grasp of sanity. "Please Lara… Please my sweet daughter. I don't want to hurt you." Lara could feel her throat go dry and she closed her eyes as she tried to calm her pounding heart. "I don't want to become one of them."

Looking up, Lara could see tears falling down her mother's eyes. Never before has she seen this strong woman cry in front of her, this woman that would always put Lara's or Dawson's needs before her's.

"Please…"

Lara couldn't answer. Her body shook so much and her breaths became choppy. The redhead grasped the handle of her katana and driven it through her mother's chest.

I hope I didn't make any of you cry because I'm crying heaps T.T this scene here was inspired by James Dashner's The Death Cure, 3rd book to the Maze Runner series. In case if you didn't know, I'm a huge fan and Newt obviously being my favourite character so that explains why I'm crying so much T.T Plus this whole scene happened before Lara's encounter with Clouse. But massive thanks to: Bl0ndie, LightningDanino23, Kai4Ever, CarlyShi208, ElementzGirl7 and the guest!