It was a quiet drive. As quiet as it could be with the rain hammering against the already run down truck, threatening to both drown out everything else and highlight anything the two passengers dared to say. Despite the noise, Anna could swear the sound of her heart was echoing throughout the cramped cab. The whole situation was completely crazy and there was the ever present threat of being dismembered and left in a ditch, yet she found herself more focused on her new companion's odd appearance.
She stole glances at him every now and then, marvelling at the sheer size of him. She'd have been impressed if he didn't look so ridiculous; hunched next to her, his knees pushed near to his chest by the dashboard, the top of his head hitting the roof. It was like seeing a baby, cramped up in the womb before being born.
He seemed to take no notice of her, staring straight ahead, eyes focused on something beyond the wall of rain. He looked...nervous. She kept peeking at him, a habit she'd picked up with anyone she sat next to. She was always afraid they'd say something and she'd miss it, and even though he had yet to make any kind of sound, she was paranoid she'd miss it when he did.
Anna had to take care not to be distracted by him and possibly run out of the luck she'd had earlier when she'd almost turned both of them into mangled pancakes. A shiver involuntarily went up her spine at the thought. If she died before she could give her parents some grandkids, they'd kill her. She had to stifle a laugh.
After nearly ten minutes of silence, Anna decided to break the ice and try to get to know her passenger a little better. She didn't even know his name, which would certainly put a damper on any communication they hoped to have. "I haven't seen rain like this since my first year at college." she started, hoping to just get the awkward part over with.
"It was sometime before the school year ended and we were all excited about going on summer break. But I guess Mother Nature wasn't too keen about it. Granted it didn't rain near as bad as it is right now, but my roommate was making phone calls to her family like we weren't going to last the night." Anna let out a loud laugh, remembering the very real tears streaming down her then best friend's face.
The man to her right seemed to flinch at her laugh and she let out a quick sorry before deciding maybe they'd be better off in absolute silence. She hadn't meant to scare him, and she hoped she hadn't ruined any glimmer of hope she had at getting him to talk to her. Maybe she should just keep her mouth shut for awhile. Which was easier said than done, and by the time her silent friend pointed out a nearly invisible gravel road, she was itching to chew the fat.
The rocks and sediment popped and cracked under her tires as she drove down the neverending trail, a few creating a metallic ping as they struck the undercarriage of her Chevy. The road was insanely, almost impractically long and she thought maybe they'd driven straight into the Twilight Zone. However, before they could completely drive off into an alternate dimension, a large colonial house faded into view, the white fortress a stark contrast to the eery smokiness surrounding it. Despite the dirty, peeling paint and the withering wood that seemed to hold dark secrets in it's grain, it was magnificent to behold and demanded a certain respect when she laid her eyes upon it.
There only appeared to be one light on, despite the ever growing darkness consuming the old building. And on the porch, hidden behind a grey smokescreen of rain, stood a small hunched over figure with her hands on her hips. Anna pulled as close to the house as she could before putting the truck in park and looking over at her timid passenger. He seemed to hesitate for a minute, his eyes dancing briefly over to Anna before he apparently changed his mind and opened the door to get out, the thunderous roar of the rain erupting into the small space. Startled, Anna followed suit, throwing her arms over her head in a fruitless effort to stay dry. She followed the man up to the porch and looked up at the little old lady standing there. Her eyes looked Anna up and down, sizing her up, and for a moment Anna thought she wasn't going to let her out of the rain.
However, her gaze softened considerably and she motioned for Anna to join her on the porch. "Get on up here 'fore you catch your death, child!" she hollered over the rain. Anna gratefully rushed up the stairs, moving to stand beside the giant man. She felt him shy away from her slightly. Before she could apologize and scooch away, the older woman directed her hard eyes on her. "What brings you out to these parts? Thomas wasn't causing no trouble was he?"
Anna moved on the defense. "Oh no Ma'am nothing like that. I was just passing through on my way home from Dallas when I saw your boy walking out in the rain. I simply offered to bring him home, that's all." She wondered what kind of trouble the older woman could be referring to. Hopefully nothing too awful, like defacement of public property. Anna laughed internally at the thought. Thankfully the other woman didn't notice her distraction. Instead she seemed to be swept up in her own excitement.
"Such a nice girl taking my Tommy under your wing. Ain't often we get strangers through here, less so with them being as kind as you are darlin'. My name is Luda Mae, but you can call me Mama if you like." She cooed at Anna, leaving her a little uncomfortable from the praise. She didn't deserve a knighthood just because she brought a dude home out of the rain. The situation seemed a little odd all of a sudden and she felt herself itching to get back to her truck. The old lady must have noticed her unease. "Why don't you come inside for some warm tea and biscuits? My apple butter is to die for!" She said enthusiastically. Anna found herself torn between her need to be polite and her need to get the hell out of there. Despite her uncertainty, neither of her hosts seemed truly dangerous, so she simply smiled uneasily and allowed herself to be led inside.
The inside of the house was dimly lit by dusty yellowed lamps, as well as the occasional candle. It seemed like a decent fire hazard, given the sheer amount of newspapers and old magazines strewn all around. Anna was led by Luda Mae, with Thomas bringing up the back, from the foyer to the living room, where an older gentleman sat snoozing in a recliner. "Now you just make yourself right comfy and I'll go fetch us some grub." With that, the older woman scuttled off to the kitchen, and Anna was left alone with the masked man, the quiet snoring of the man in the chair just reaching her ears.
She sat nervously, looking around the unkempt living room. It looked like it hadn't been touched in awhile, and any sudden movement would make it all topple over and create a tornado of dust and mouse crap. Anna wasn't exactly a meticulous house keeper, but at least her walls were still their original color. She shuddered at the thought of roaches and other kinds of critters crawling around unseen around her. Instead of stewing on it, Anna turned to look at the large man standing off in the corner, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze. She'd called him...Thomas I think. He really struck her curiosity and she found herself wanting to know more about him.
"Thomas, right?" she called over to him. At the sound of his name, the behemoth glanced shakily up at her, before looking back down at the floor. He seemed to get fidgety all of a sudden, and Anna was left wondering if she'd scared him for some reason. "I didn't properly introduce myself earlier. My name's Juliana, but everyone calls me Anna. Do you like to be called Tommy or Thomas?" He seemed to perk up at the latter, and Anna smiled at the small victory of communication. She'd been around kids with mutism when she was younger and taking sign language classes with her parents, so she had a small inkling of how to connect with them. Was he mute, or just nervous? He might be sensitive about the subject, so she elected to ignore it for now. For now she'd just ask him some yes or no questions.
"So is Luda Mae your mom?" Thomas fumbled with his hands, but managed to give a shaky nod. It was like the more she talked to him, the more nervous she got. He'd seemed a lot more calm in the truck. For fear of upsetting him further, Anna shut her mouth and continued to look awkwardly around the room, taking note of how the house was like a piece of perfectly preserved history. There wasn't an ounce of new technology to be found anywhere. The feeling of being in a time capsule just added to the uneasy emptiness in her gut.
Luda Mae came bursting into the room with a tray of steaming tea and buttered biscuits. She looked frazzled and...damp, or perhaps just sweaty. She made her way over to Anna. "Here we are, sorry about the wait." Anna had stopped for food in Waco about an hour before, so she wasn't particularly hungry, but Anna couldn't refuse when the older woman offered her the little teacup and saucer. She did however, politely decline the biscuits, which still felt like pulling teeth. Once she felt the girl was settled and happy, Luda Mae sat in the nearby armchair and looked over at her enormous son. "Now Tommy don't be rude, come sit with our young guest." she scolded him, either unaware or unwilling to care how nervous the poor man seemed. Startled by his mother's reprimand, Tommy dutifully strode over to the couch and sat down, making the couch slide a bit. Anna was now sat between the two strangers, nervously sipping tea and wishing she'd just driven home. Luda Mae leaned forward in her chair to take a good look at Anna, which in turn made Anna scoot just a little bit closer to Thomas. He at least didn't make her feel like an ant under a magnifying glass.
"So, what are you called dear?" The old woman asked nicely, but there was a something dark, almost sinister in her tone. Anna made a split second decision to not tell her her full name. "A-Anna ma'am." Luda Mae repeated her name endearingly, which made the younger girl shiver. "Such an odd name for...well…" Luda Mae trailed off, perhaps rethinking the comment. Anna clenched her jaw, not having missed the ignorant undertone. Thankfully, the grey-haired woman changed the subject. "So are you from around here? I can recognize that twang anywhere." she said proudly. Anna tried her best to be a polite guest. "Fort Worth, born and raised ma'am." she answered. Everytime she spoke, she could feel the giant man beside her squirm and flinch. While normally Anna could talk till she was blue in the face, she found herself giving short, curt answers in an attempt to speed the process along.
"It's...getting late. I appreciate the tea and company, but I really gotta get back on the road" Anna said, standing from the couch and setting her cup down on the side table with a clink. Thomas just about shot up off the couch, seemingly startled by her sudden movement. Instinctually, Anna placed her hand on Thomas' arm in an attempt to comfort him. "Sorry about that big guy, I didn't mean to scare you." The giant man seemed to freeze at the contact, but his shaking ceased and he actually matched her gaze for a moment. He had such dark eyes. Anna thought her eyes were dark, but his seemed to lack any kind of pigment at all. It didn't last very long, and his eyes darted back to the ground as soon as Luda Mae stood slowly, and stiffly from her chair. "Yes perhaps it's for the best, wouldn't want ya to be out this late any how. You be careful now, ya hear?" Anna gave her a forced smile, turning back to Thomas and nodding her head to him in a quick goodbye, before making haste back to the front of the house. She all but ran back to her truck once she hit the front door. As quick as she could, she jumped in and slammed the door shut, not even bothering to buckle up. She jammed the key into the ignition and started the truck up.
Only, it didn't start. Her heart skipped a beat and she turned the key back and forth like a crazy person. "Shit! Come on baby, not now." she muttered before giving up and smacking her forehead against the steering wheel, staring helplessly at the floor. Her truck acted up all the time, and every once in awhile needed a jump, but she'd been driving all night with no problems. Something didn't feel right. She considered just locking the doors and sleeping in the truck for the night, but that was out of the question. With her mind made up, she took a deep breath and stepped back out into the pouring rain. As she made her way up to the porch with her head ducked, a crack of lightning suddenly lit up the entire sky, followed closely by the deafening sound of thunder. Anna jumped nearly out of her skin and looked up in surprise, only to stop in her tracks. Standing on the porch was Luda Mae, with her hands on her hips and a smug look on her face. She was standing there like she'd been expecting Anna to come back. It sent another chill up Anna's spine.
"Car troubles?" Luda Mae shouted.