Thomas Hewitt: End Of The Line

Let The Rain Come Down

She was told to sit again, this time in a chair in front of an old vanity mirror in what she assumed was Luda's room. She stared silently out the small window to see the sun was high in the sky. It was hard to believe just twenty four hours ago it had been a beacon of hope. Now, as the minutes ticked by and it continued it's ascent it felt as though the wooden walls were closing in around her. They were going to get their way whether she liked it or not. She could feel it in the ache of her bones that Thomas was right. She was too weak to run, she was trapped left to hope for whatever mercy these people would allow her. She felt betrayed by her own body, sickened by her weakness and how naive she'd been. Maybe if she hadn't stopped she'd be in Santa Fe right now. Then again, maybe that was the only reason she was alive. Whatever he had seen in her seemed to be the only reason she was still breathing. Though, as she stared out the window she wondered if maybe her best bet was to run and let them shoot her down. He had been kind thus far, but the thought of being forced to wed him, to be his wife? She closed her eyes and tried to settle the growing pit in her stomach as Luda hobbled into the room. Ronnie turned to face herself in the mirror and saw in the reflection she was holding another gown. A white one.

"I hope Tommy got that leg of yours cleaned up good," Luda started as she set the dress down and looked over Ronnie in the mirror, "you already ruined one of my dresses and I don't want you bloody'n your weddin' gown. Turn and face me girl."

Ronnie did as she was asked and let the woman check her knee, "Bless him, he tried. Boy just forgot to wrap it."

She shook her head as she contemplated what she would bandage the wound with. It didn't take her long to decide to rip some of the dress Ronnie had on and fashion it out of the old cloth.

She smiled to herself as she tied it, "Guess we won't have to worry about findin' you a garter after all."

Ronnie looked down her nose at the elderly woman. She wanted nothing more than to wring her neck each time she so casually reminded her of what they intended to do with her. It had to be survival instinct holding her back, because it wasn't like Ronnie to freeze. She took a deep breath and looked back at herself in the mirror. Luda glanced up and saw right through the girl's hardened expression. She could tell she was scared stiff and she did feel some sympathy for her. She stood up and gently rested one hand on her shoulder while the other played with a few strands of Ronnie's hair.

"You got them unruly curls just like Tommy does," she said, "your poor babies won't catch any luck with those genes."

Luda felt the girl tense and let out a chuckle as she started to gather Ronnie's curls into a bun, "Now, I know you're nervous and I wanna give you the benefit of the doubt that maybe you ain't done this before."

She took note as Ronnie's eyes cut sharply up to her through the reflection, "Then again, I don't know what exactly you girls get up to these days. But I can tell you this, Tommy has not. I'm not sure he's ever so much as thought about a girl until you showed up. So you'll have to be patient with him."

She patted Ronnie once she'd finished with her hair and waited for her to stand up. She looked over her with a pleased smile before she grabbed the white dress.

"But don't you worry, Tommy's a quick learner. It won't take him too long to figure everythin' out," she added, making Ronnie's stomach churn, "now go on and take that dirty thing off. This oughta fit you better anyway," Luda said.

The poor girl hesitantly began to lift up her dress as she gave Luda an unsure look.

"Don't pay me no mind, it's nothin' I ain't seen before," Luda reassured her, "I'm just as much a woman as you are where it counts."

She pulled the dress over her head and tossed it on the ground at Luda's feet. She refused to meet the woman's eyes as she held the gown out for Ronnie to step into. She slipped her arms into the sleeves and Luda began to lace up the back. Ronnie looked back to the mirror to watch. Under any other circumstance, she would have admitted the thing was lovely. Luda finished lacing the back of the dress and met Ronnie's gaze in the mirror. She smiled as she admired how well it fit the girl before she reached her hand up to take a few strands of her hair out of the bun. She placed them so that they'd frame her delicate features just right.