"I'm sorry we have to come back here today," Martha says pulling up in front of The Talon. "I just have to run in these pies to Lana."
Audrey shivers at the thought of going back into the last place she ran into Lionel Luthor. Trying to be strong, she shakes off the fear. She doesn't want to let Lionel consume her life, and she especially doesn't want to appear weak in front of her new friend.
But, when she thinks of Lionel, it's not just him that fills the vision of her memory -- it's the specter of the gentleman.
Martha stops the truck a good distance from The Talon, which at first alarms Audrey.
"A little extra safety," Martha reassures her. "I'll only be a minute," Martha says, climbing out of the truck, balancing the apple pies, as she closes the door with her rear.
Audrey sits in the truck, watching the streetlights turn on as the sun quickly fades away. Her eyes follow all the strangers passing as they make their way down the street. How careless they all seem, strolling about in the night air, making her long for the days when she too, was able to walk about fancy free. She, who used to relish the warm sunlight on her face, spending her days capturing the golden hues of summer as they bound off the Earth, now finds her only comfort hidden away in the shadows, fearing just what might be revealed if she were to pretend darkness never fell on her.
Suddenly she feels cold, a shiver runs through her, chilling her to the bone. Fearful of what her intuition is saying, she whips her head around, holding her breath for what her eyes might reveal.
Chloe and Clark round the corner, heading down the street towards her. Surely he will recognize his parent's truck, and no doubt the intrepid Chloe will see her sitting in it. Refusing to be cornered into talking about things she cannot say, Audrey hops out of the truck, heading down the street away from them.
Fleeing from the one who seems persistent to steal her anonymity, Audrey pushes past a couple in the street, keeping her eyes fixed on the tenacious blonde unknowingly trailing her prize prey, the gap between them closing by the second.
Audrey's heart pounds as she sees the tenacious reporter chat with Clark, secretly fearing the words he may spill about her unconsciously. Driven like a rabid animal caught in a trap, she fights for her freedom, wanting to hide forever from the truth of her situation.
It is, perhaps, odd that the sight of a high school student would shake her, but anonymity is the one weapon she has against the onslaught of Lionel Luthor, and Chloe announced her intentions to rob Audrey of that weapon the first night she arrived in town.
She pounds up the street, trying to walk fast enough to get away, but not so fast that she draws attention to herself. The foot traffic on the sidewalk is unusually busy for a small town, so much so that she finds herself running into as many people as she dodges.
A black limo pulls up a few cars ahead of her, sticking Audrey's feet to the pavement. It stands out against the sea of trucks this town is famous for.
Audrey backs away, but realizes that direction will take her right back to Chloe. She turns left to duck into a shop, but the door won't give. An index card is taped to the door, "Back in 5 minutes." Audrey doesn't have five minutes.
She turns to her right to cross the street to The Talon. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a crisp suit exit the driver's seat of the limo. She stumbles in the gutter, the image of the Gentleman swarming her nerves.
She swings through the front door, discovering the one time of day when The Talon earns its keep. The customers, packed like cattle, don't like to give way to Audrey's shaking frame.
Audrey's eyes dart through the crowd, hoping to find the comforting face of Martha. The understanding the two now share feels safe, and she's certain that Martha will help her escape.
Pushing through the crowd, Audrey loses her way and gets turned around, unwittingly heading back towards the door. Clark pulls the door open, holding it for Chloe.
Audrey tries to disappear into the crowd, but the caffeine crowd is too jittery to allow someone to push them around, they push back.
Just over a tray of latte' passing in front of her, Audrey gets a quick glimpse of a starched black suit, sending her in yet another direction.
Martha carries empty pie tins out of the kitchen and immediately sees Audrey, recognizing instantly the panic on her face.
"Audrey!" Martha calls out, hoping to envelop the poor girl in a blanket of motherly protection.
Audrey hears her savior, turning to the sound, only to find herself pushed by the crowd full force into the glimpse of wool gabardine she saw slip by.
"Audrey?" a cool voice breathes warmly. "Audrey Peyton?" Lex says, steadying her on her feet with his hands on her small shoulders.
A cloud of emotions fill her world, swirling through her head like a tornado, obliterating every rational thought that once resided peacefully there. The time it takes for her to lift her head to see him is but a second, but feels like a lifetime passes.
Her eyes meet with his, hoping they can say all that her lips cannot. Her heart pounds in her chest, feeling as though it's finally able to beat again, her innermost being only alive when near him.
"I've been looking forward to meeting you," Lex says, his Luthor charm firing on all cylinders.
She cannot speak. She cannot move. Her heart that just learned to beat again, suddenly is shattered into bits. The tornado twisting in her head consumes her, rain clouds obscuring her view of the world, making everything go black, sending her crashing to the floor like a bolt of lightning.