@Mister Thirteen
Leather.
Maddison ran her fingers over the smooth black interior of the vehicle’s rear seats. It smelled of clean leather. Subtle yet very distinct. Resting her head against the cold window, she watched the new city blur by. The schools, offices, parks, corner stores… All foreign to her. These weren’t the schools that she attended. These weren’t the parks that she played in. These streets were not ones that she ever walked. Her breath left a spot of fog on the dark, tinted window. She raised her arm, rubbing away the condensation with the sleeve of her sweater. Then she looked forward, up at the rearview mirror to see a pair of eyes trained on the road ahead.
The ride had been quiet. No music… No conversation. Just the quiet hum of the car. Though, she didn’t particularly mind it. She was not in any particular mood for small talk.
Even still, she couldn’t resist the small thoughts. Small thoughts the kept her attention off of the bigger things. Small thoughts like, why was the smell of leather so pervasive? The loose thread on the sleeve of her shirt. She closed her eyes, laying her head on the headrest. What would she be doing if she were back home? Homework, perhaps? Or watching her favorite television show… She winced mentally.
Home.
Could that place even be considered home anymore? Surely not. Could she even stomach to watch what used to be her favorite show anymore? It seemed a sort of omen now, to watch it without her mother. She tugged her hat down over her eyes. Langley, Virginia. It was the city of her birth… But she had no memory or the place. Could an unfamiliar place, filled with unfamiliar faces be a home? She was tired and her wary eyes showed it. Maddison was unsure when exactly it had happened but she had at some point drifted to a light sleep - on the cusp if consciousness.
“We’re here.”
She jumped slightly, opening her eyes. She shuffled in her seat at first, feeling a sort of anxiety rising in her. She was about to meet her father… She fumbled with her bag, gathering her items in her arms. The man that had driven her, wordlessly stepped out - his door shutting before he circled the car to open her door. She stepped a single foot out before she briefly froze, her gaze falling on the estate that they had pulled in front of. Cobbled pavement, with perfectly trimmed hedges, laid out before nothing short of a mansion. Behind them a gate pulled closed, as if automatic, with a metal clink. She glanced at the driver uncertainly, almost hesitant. Was she supposed to be here? But he gestured with a sweep of his arm, for her to step out. “Uh… Thank you.” She uttered quietly, squeezing her backpack tightly before stepping out of the vehicle fully.
The man unloaded her luggage from the trunk, silent as he had been the entire ride. Again, Maddison hesitated. “... Uhm, where is he?” She asked. Her voice trembled slightly, as did her hands. “...My dad?” She elaborated quietly. It was a foreign word to her. She seldom mentioned him… No one ever did. “Is he here?” The ride here brought about quite a bit of anxiety. What should she say to him? Should she hug him?
Upon arriving, more questions occured to her. Like, what did he do? This house - as large as it was... Did he have another family? She gulped.
Leather.
Maddison ran her fingers over the smooth black interior of the vehicle’s rear seats. It smelled of clean leather. Subtle yet very distinct. Resting her head against the cold window, she watched the new city blur by. The schools, offices, parks, corner stores… All foreign to her. These weren’t the schools that she attended. These weren’t the parks that she played in. These streets were not ones that she ever walked. Her breath left a spot of fog on the dark, tinted window. She raised her arm, rubbing away the condensation with the sleeve of her sweater. Then she looked forward, up at the rearview mirror to see a pair of eyes trained on the road ahead.
The ride had been quiet. No music… No conversation. Just the quiet hum of the car. Though, she didn’t particularly mind it. She was not in any particular mood for small talk.
Even still, she couldn’t resist the small thoughts. Small thoughts the kept her attention off of the bigger things. Small thoughts like, why was the smell of leather so pervasive? The loose thread on the sleeve of her shirt. She closed her eyes, laying her head on the headrest. What would she be doing if she were back home? Homework, perhaps? Or watching her favorite television show… She winced mentally.
Home.
Could that place even be considered home anymore? Surely not. Could she even stomach to watch what used to be her favorite show anymore? It seemed a sort of omen now, to watch it without her mother. She tugged her hat down over her eyes. Langley, Virginia. It was the city of her birth… But she had no memory or the place. Could an unfamiliar place, filled with unfamiliar faces be a home? She was tired and her wary eyes showed it. Maddison was unsure when exactly it had happened but she had at some point drifted to a light sleep - on the cusp if consciousness.
“We’re here.”
She jumped slightly, opening her eyes. She shuffled in her seat at first, feeling a sort of anxiety rising in her. She was about to meet her father… She fumbled with her bag, gathering her items in her arms. The man that had driven her, wordlessly stepped out - his door shutting before he circled the car to open her door. She stepped a single foot out before she briefly froze, her gaze falling on the estate that they had pulled in front of. Cobbled pavement, with perfectly trimmed hedges, laid out before nothing short of a mansion. Behind them a gate pulled closed, as if automatic, with a metal clink. She glanced at the driver uncertainly, almost hesitant. Was she supposed to be here? But he gestured with a sweep of his arm, for her to step out. “Uh… Thank you.” She uttered quietly, squeezing her backpack tightly before stepping out of the vehicle fully.
The man unloaded her luggage from the trunk, silent as he had been the entire ride. Again, Maddison hesitated. “... Uhm, where is he?” She asked. Her voice trembled slightly, as did her hands. “...My dad?” She elaborated quietly. It was a foreign word to her. She seldom mentioned him… No one ever did. “Is he here?” The ride here brought about quite a bit of anxiety. What should she say to him? Should she hug him?
Upon arriving, more questions occured to her. Like, what did he do? This house - as large as it was... Did he have another family? She gulped.
