RedGage

This was originally posted on Gather on July 11, 2008.

It was her silent affirmations that kept her from going completely insane. This was the third time this week that she was making this drive, and each time seemed to get worse.

"You never used to wear makeup," the woman's voice continued in that never-ending litany. "I don't know why you wear it now."

Heidi bit back the comments that rose like bile in her throat. Instead, she reached to turn on the radio.

"Why do you always have to play with the radio when you're driving? You'll end up in a wreck that way, always playing with the radio." Was it just her imagination, or was the old woman's voice becoming more shrill?

Heidi sighed. "I like music. Most people do."

"Well, I don't know what that has to do with you always playing with the radio. You act like there's something wrong with you, always playing with the radio. Really, you should be paying attention to your driving. It's so foggy. You'll end up wrecking because you aren't watching the road like you should be..."

It certainly was foggy. That was about the only thing that her mother had gotten right during this whole drive. Heidi glanced down at the trip odometer-- just a few more miles more before she could end this ordeal.

"...and why are you driving at this hour anyways? It's too late to be out on a night like this..."

It was almost 10 o'clock. They should be there, waiting for her to arrive. Heidi had finally broken down and called them for help, even though the man made her terribly nervous for some reason. Maybe it was his strange and almost eerie habit of seeming to know too much about people. Or, maybe it was the sense that she got that he would happily take her back to his place-- wherever that may be.

"Watch out! There's a car!"

"It's in its own lane, Mom," Heidi responded, gripping the steering wheel more tightly as her nerves started to get the better of her. Things had been far too strange and stressful for her lately. Maybe tonight would finally put this all to rest. Maybe after this trip, she could go home and get a decent night's sleep.

Subtlety hadn't worked on her mother. She had already deposited her here twice this week, and the old woman kept coming back to her house to visit her-- awakening her at early hours and haranguing her for hours on end throughout the day.

Perhaps this trip would stop her mother's seemingly endless tirade against her entire method of living her life. Maybe now she could go back to actually living after these two weeks of daily criticism and scolding.

They were there now. Heidi pulled up through the open gates and made her way along the paved road toward the back of the property.

"Where are we going? I thought that you said you were taking me home. I want to go home, not--"

"I am taking you home." Heidi put the car into park and switched off the ignition but left the lights on. The other two cars were parked a little farther along the road.

"This isn't my home. I said that I want to go home," the old woman ranted. "This is a graveyard. Why are we here?"

"You are home. This is where you belong now," Heidi said as the others appeared out of the fog. "It's time for you to stay here."