Sometimes being the silent one pays off

Luda May placed the phone down listening to the sound of it clicking, her tired green eyes fluttered closed behind her half moon glasses as she leaned her upper body forward, placing her withered old chin in her hand as she allowed the heat of the sun to shine down on her face, while the electric fans gave her some form of a breeze. She was resting against the counter which held, in the infected meat that was at least two months old, not even good enough for a simple pot roast.

Her shop much like her baby boy Thomas was her pride and joy.

The shop was tiny it had the look that would be better off situated in an old cow boy film. The name of the shop was painted in big red letters, but now after years of dust and grit being tossed around thanks to bikers and passing travellers the paint had faded along with the name. A simple plastic sign was found pressing against the window of the shop door -

Come on in. We are OPEN!

It was something that you would find on any old shop door, but the thing with this sign was that the closed side was covered in dust, this shop was open all hours rain or shine, customers or no customers the shop, played a huge part in the Hewitt's family survival.

As Luda May felt her muscules relax she knew that she would soon be drifting off into a light slumber, and unlike other times were she fight back the urge to fall asleep, she allowed her body to go through the natural process of getting to that time when she would drift off into dream world. But of course a woman's work is never done, Luda was brought out of her silent slumber by the sound of the door bell ratteling loudly, followed by the hinges creaking singalling that someone had come into her shop, another mouthfull for her family.

Luda straight away stood herself up, she fixed her glasses that were travelling down her magpie like noes, and smoothed down her dress which had a apron tied around her waist, she had the look of being a simple house wife. And that is what Sheriff Hoyt wanted. He figured the more innocent she looked the more easy it would be to have customers, trust her enough to know that she would not lie to them.

Luda's narrowed green eyes looked towards a young girl, possibly around the same age as her sweet Tommy, her heart melted just like the day when she found him in the dumpster.

This girl was not going to be dinner.

"Well hello sweet heart."

Luda spoke in a tone that for once was not forced.

The young girl who had grabbed Luda's attention spun her head in her direction, saphire blue eyes locked with dark green ones, the young girl had mousey brown hair, along with chalk white flesh with a few freckles on her cheeks, making her look like the innocent child.

"Umm.. H.. H.. ell...o"

Luda's smile only grew more along her plum painted lips, the girl spoke like an angel, yes she would be spared.

"You ok sweet heart? You look like you have be-"

Luda was caught off guard, it was not that this sweet innocent girl had a gun or knife, or that her over protective boy friend barged in, it was because all of a sudden tears travelled rapidly down the girls face, her head had bowed down and her shoulders were shaking. Luda quickly moved around the counter as she went straight to the girl, her wrinkled hands gripped tightly onto the girls shoulders as she steered her like a horse with reins, towards a old tale and chair and forced her to sit down.

What shocked Luda was that the girl did not fight, in fact she almost seemed releaved when Luda made her sit down. Pulling out a tissue she began to gently dap the girls, tear stained face.

"Now tell me whats wrong."

The young girl lifted her head up as she starred at Luda Mae, there was a nasty scar along her cheek, it looked like the sort of wound that you would see after a knife attack, this caused many questions to spark within side of Luda's mind as she began to frown, what had happened to this young girl?

"M.. M.. y fri.. end... He.. He.. dumped me... som... som..e.. wh.. ere al.. al.. ong the ro.. ad."

Luda did not failt to notice that when this girl said 'Friend' she said it with spit, almost anger.

"Whats your name child?"

Luda asked as she made a mental note within side of her mind to make sure that she told, Sheriff about this so called friend so that he would be able to get what is coming to him.

"Susie. My name is Susie."

"Susie"

Luda whispered the girls name, as she flashed her a small smile.

"Well Susie, let me take you back to my home, we can get you cleaned up, and you can stay at my home, until you are fit enough to travel, or you can stay for as long as you want, it is up to you."

Susie looked at Luda and flashed her a smile, it was the first smile she had shown in weeks, maybe being the silent girl in the nieghbourhood where she grew up was not a bad thing after all.