“I think that you know that yourself…”
[The woman’s voice was laced with completely unnerving sweetness. It didn’t sound warm, nor genuine. Just… sticky and uncomfortable. In fact, it was more like bile disguised as honey. Which made sense in a way. Brenda Triton was, by all means, not a spiteful woman. In fact, she was quite benevolent and -while she didn’t posses the ability to understand animals like her husband and son- cared very much for the humane treatment of said creatures. If one would have said that the woman smiling Luke was an impostor, they would have been frightfully correct and wrong at the same time.]
“You always want animals to live happy and safe in the house… and that’s fine if you pick up one or two…”
[Because even if the woman took slow, deliberate steps towards the boy to frighten him; there was a definite familiarity with her demeanor. Something that no mask and actor could ever hope to get away with. She was like herself, but not herself. Like a rusted silver coin that no longer shined but remained a silver coin in all regards.]
“But there will always be too many animals and very few people like you. So even if you fill the house with them… It still won’t be enough. Sometimes the animals are too hurt and will definitely never get better, no matter how hard you try. That is when…”
[Brenda had known Luke’s intent to keep the animal from the beginning. She had then the idea to give him an important lesson as well. A kind of lesson that, while it certainly could have been seen as needlessly cruel to teach him…if seen from the perspective that she was setting him up, it would make a lot of sense to know.]
“You sacrifice them before they die in pain. Make them feel reassured, at peace. Give them a proper farewell and let their last moments be filled with happiness.”
[It was at that moment that Brenda placed her left hand on her son’s shoulder and looked at him in the eye before flashing him a brief smile. As if she was actually trying to comfort him after saying something like that to the child.]
“Oh, but of course I’m not telling you to give healthy little Robert the coup de grâce now. Just know that if you want to keep him, you will have to see that he lives-and dies- happy. To know that every moment of his life is filled with joy, you must oversee every single part of it. Especially the end.”
[Her words sounded eerily sincere. The advice of someone determined to live by that philosophy of so-called mercy. After all, she loved her son above all else in the world. Wouldn’t it make sense to share her views -and wishes- with him?]
