6

The next morning, Charlie took me into town to get things settled with my mom. I was not surprised when he came in a regular white collared shirt and blue jeans and his old truckers hat. Not much happened, I just signed some papers agreeing to donate most of my mom's things to charities and other family. I kept her jewelry and some money that was in my bank account. Like I needed that anymore. I wanted to call Anton and tell him everything was settled, but Charlie wouldn't allow it. When we returned home, Luda Mae had eggs, some type of meat, and biscuits waiting for us on the table. She smiled and I smiled.

"Made it back just in time." she said with happiness in her tone. I just sat down at my usual spot and Thomas was not in the room. "Oh Tati, I noticed the large stain in your bedsheets. I know Thomas was in there, so I am washing the sheets now." Charlie looked up almost surprised and he looked at me lecherously.

"Whooo already getting some I see." he taunted and my eyes widened some and I looked away.

"Oh please. Nothing happened." I said and Charlie laughed putting some eggs in his mouth.

"Why didn't it? You're a nice piece of ass with a big ol' ass. I can imagine Thomas wouldn't even know what to do with it." he said and raised his hands up and moved them up and down as if holding something up. "Probably couldn't even hold it."

"Charlie! Hush that nonsense at this breakfast table." Luda Mae snapped saving me from the embarrassment I was starting to feel. Charlie scoffed.

"What I didn't say nothing." he said ripping at a biscuit, then looked at me. "Did I say something?"

Luda Mae looked in the direction of hall. "Thomas! Come get you some food now, baby!" I remembered Thomas spending the night with me. I woke up to an empty bed and I said nothing about it, only because I haven't really seen him much. The basement door opened and out he came. He was so monstrous. He came into the dining room and just sat down in the chair next to me. His face was yet again covered. I didn't understand why. When I was a child, my mom said Thomas had a cleft lip. He could never look me in the eyes because of it, but now he just stared at me with dead eyes and I just stared back at him.

"Thomas," Luda Mae said sharply, and Thomas looked at her innocently and she placed her hand on her hip. "I know you snuck into Tati's room last night. You left a mess in her bed and I won't tolerate it. Next time you clean up before you enter a lady's room." Thomas just nodded respectfully and then looked down at his plate. I was stunned at how different he was around his family. When I was done, I helped Luda Mae tidy up the kitchen and a few of the rooms. I was beginning to question how the day was going to go, until suddenly a loud screaming was heard from the hall. Out of instinct, I rushed into the hallway to see Thomas had a girl on the ground dragging her by her scalp down the hall toward the basement. My eyes widened as Charlie came in through the front door, dragging a man who was limp.

"Take em' downstairs, Tommy, get em ready!" he called out and in one quick motion, Thomas had the man over his other shoulder and was carrying both people toward the bathroom. My body was shaking and I was unsure of what I should do. The girl screamed bloody murder, as she had her hands in Thomas's hands trying to pry his hands free. I could only imagine how much pain she was in. She glanced at me and raised one hand to me.

"HELP ME PLEASE STOP HIM HEEEEELP!" Her screams faded once the door of the basement closed.

"Quite a big mouth on that one… I actually thought of keeping her." Charlie said laughing. "But hey lunch will be ready soon now." I just glanced at the ground unable to really respond. "Well shit girl don't lose yourself now." He just laughed and moved upstairs and I just swallowed and looked down trying to regain my mind. I am a part of this now. This was the only option. I turned and left outside not even bothering to answer Charlie. I moved out around the back of the house feeling tears fall down my face as I saw an old familiar tree still there. I paused and stood there staring at it.

Thomas would hide on the other side of it whenever I came around. I smiled and walked around the tree and finally saw him and I saw the deformity of his face up close and he jumped back so quickly. Now that Mom told me what it was he had, I was less curious and more comfortable around him. I smiled at him and he just stood there staring wide eyed at me. He was crying.

"Why are you crying?" I asked and he said nothing and just hid his face behind his hands and looked away. I stared at him thinking he was shy and so I gently placed my hands over his and slowly pulled them away. I had to use a bit of my strength because he was fighting me a bit, but he quickly gave up and looked at me. Bits of his hair covered his eyes and he just stared at me with wide eyes.

"You're beauuuutiful." I said and his eyes widened and he just stared at me sniffling some and I gently touched his face observing it and he tensed, so I removed my hands to not be offensive. He just looked at me as if really thinking and slowly, his lips formed into a small smile the best way that he could.

"Hehehe." Was his only response.

I found myself sitting beneath the tree now thinking of the memories Thomas and I shared. It wasn't hard to figure out that Charlie or Hoyt or whoever he was, had tainted his mind so far that he was gone. I was facing the barn and I saw Thomas dragging what I could only imagine was a body covered in some type of wrap and I just watched him go inside. He was an animal, a monster, and a killer. I was in a house of killers. I watched as he placed the bag off the body of what looked like a male torso and he impaled the body on what looked like a meat hook and my eyes widened as I looked away surprised I could even stare for so long. The doors of the barn closed behind him and I lifted my head up observing him.

"Thomas!" I called out to him and he stopped in his movements looking at me with almost innocence and curiosity. "Come." I waved him over. He stared at me almost nervous and shyly. He rubbed his fingers against his apron and I smiled some.

"You can touch my skin." I said. I couldn't believe I was trying to coax him over, but it seemed to work because his head snapped up and he began to walk over toward me with almost a energy in his step. I almost couldn't deny that my mind bounced right back to our youth and I saw the innocent and scarred boy who didn't want to be around anyone. He came over to me and just loomed over me and he simply blocked out the sun with his height and weight. He didn't seem to really know what to do, I could see it in his eyes. I gave a friendly smile.

"Sit with me." I said gently and he leaned back some almost caught off guard and I tilted my head some taken back at how much he seemed to be processing my request. Maybe he was not used to simple requests that had no cruel intent behind them. I raised my hand to him and he looked down at it before taking it in both his hands and slowly and awkwardly he began to sit down beside me yet there was distance between us and he just rubbed my hands some, his eyes fixated on my palm. I was unsure of what he thinking. Whatever it was, I felt he was enjoying my skin or the feel of it a little too well. I looked up at the leaves trying to think of something to say. "Remember when you use to hide here?"

Thomas looked up at me and I looked at him as he continued to rub my hand.

"You use to just stare at me while I talked about my day, and no matter what I asked you, you wouldn't say a word." I said and he looked down as if embarrassed and with my other hand I gently moved some strands of his hair off his face which made him jump but not pull away from me. He just stared at me with wide eyes and I just stared at his eyes now.

"And now we are here, together again." I said and now his eyes changed at that moment he seemed content and slowly his hand began to curl into my hand and I watched as he began to rub my arm with his other free hand.

"Together…again." he said and I felt that he had his own meaning behind his repeat of my statement. I looked down at our hands and saw how big he was. I swallowed some and looked at him. He was just staring at my skin as he rubbed it and I looked down before looking up at him.

"You seem to really like my skin." I said almost nervously and he just nodded and began to pull me closer to him and I slowly tensed feeling his body heat radiating off him.

"You…me…together… again." he said looking up at me his eyes now slowly showing a more darker intent and I was not sure of how to even respond to this. "Together…forever." My eyes widened as I felt his forehead begin to slowly nuzzle my neck. My head turned on instinct and he seemed to want this, because his face nuzzled into the crook of my neck. He groaned lowly and I already felt we were both on different pages.

"Thomas." I said softly, and immediately I felt his large arm wrap around my waist and he pulled me in to him and I gasped as I attempted to push away at him. "Thomas stop!" In seconds he suddenly pulled away and stood up and I saw the sadness in his eyes from rejection. I have seen it in him enough to know I had hurt his feelings. I parted my lips to say something, but he just turned and stormed off toward the house. He was fast for a large man. I raised my hand a bit to stop him, but now I sighed and just looked down feeling guilty and confused.

Author's notes

So I just got a mac book and I had to buy Microsoft word and so it is a little weird. I will try and make the pages longer because it seems the average I write is short now, but anyways enjoy, review and tell me your thoughts!