Old Town Road

The journey to my grandmother's town was approximately two hours from the city. The town was located at the outskirt of the city, the woods served as a covering for it, it was like it didn't want to be found. The dusty, dirty road seemed like a endless game. It was just going on and on and on. 

As we got closer, I saw a clearing, a big board stood prominently at the entrance with two wooden doors. Thick branches intertwined with raindrops decorated the doors. Dead leaves splattered all over the entrance. It was silent, terrifically silent. There were no movements, no voices, it was as if the town was dead. 

Suddenly the car jerked forward, throwing us into the air.

"What's happening mom?!" I shouted, my face flustered from the impact of the fall.

"They can't go further," She replied. 

"Who are the they?" I asked, confusion evident on my face. 

"The movers." She said. She opened her car door, signalling for me to stay in, I shook my head. She sauntered over to the truck behind us, with me behind her. I shivered as the cold air hit my face. Mom acted indifferent, even though it was really freezing, if I didn't know better, I could have sworn the chilly air had no effect on her. I wrapped my arms around myself tightly.

"Debby, I thought I told you to sit in the car," She said, just noticing me.

"Yea, well, I didn't agree. It's fine mom." 

She rolled her eyes and knocked on the car door. 

Sean wound down, sticking his head out of the car. "Mrs Rivers, you're here!"

"Of course I am," Mom rolled her eyes.

"I thought your car broke down, I was just about to come out and help you with it, is everything okay?" He asked politely. 

"Everything is fine, just get the boys to offload the boxes here, we won't be going in together."

"What? Why? Did we do anything wrong?"

"No, no, no. It's not you guys, infact, you did an amazing job. It's just the policy of this town, strangers aren't allowed. And by strangers, I mean, if you aren't born in this town or your parents aren't from here."

"Oh, you scared me there. It's fine, I'll get them to do that now. But how will you get these stuff inside?" He asked.

"Yes mom, how?" I asked, God knew I wasn't going to carry heavy boxes all by myself. What kind of town doesn't accept strangers? Everything about the town was really creepy, the direction signboard had no name on it, the doors looked like an abandoned village from centuries ago. The air around the town was different, it was something of the extraordinary, it was bone chilling. 

"We have movers too, they'll be here in-" Mom said, checking her wristwatch. "They'll be here in now." She completed. 

Almost immediately, the doors opened by itself. A black beat up truck came in view, the headlights of the car almost blinded me. The driver turned off the ignition when he came closer. 

Three grown men got out of the truck, they looked really scary with their frown-etched face. Just like the town, they probably didn't want to speak to any of us, which was fair. 

"Ella," The older man amongst them called out my mom's name. My mom ran forward when she recognised him. The man pulled her in for a tight hug, which would have left me out of breath from the force.

"Oh my God! Jonah! Look at you!" My mom yelled excitedly which was weird. What was weirdier was the fact that the gruff man smiled genuinely at her. He seemed to have missed her terribly.

"I missed you terribly," He said what I had thought.

Mom answered with a smile of her own and hugged him once more. 

"Uh...uhm," I cleared my throat.

"I'm so sorry. Debby, meet Jonah, my brother and your uncle."

"What?!" I yelled. This was news to me, mom never for once mentioned she had a brother. Even when grandma Sadie used to come visiting, she never spoke about it. It was like the only people that existed was her and my mom.

"Uh, uncle, you say," I scratched my scalp nervously. 

"And I'm guessing you're Deborah?" My so-called uncle asked. I nodded my head. He walked towards me and pulled me in for a long-lost family hug, squishing the life out of me. I coughed when he seemed like he wasn't letting go anytime soon.

Remember when I said that he smiled and it was weirder, scratch that, what was weirder was the fact that he was hugging me. 

"I'm so sorry, mama always talk about you, you're big now. You were so small when your mama brought you here, you were a mischievous little baby," He laughed. Anyone that knew me as a baby knew I was mischievous. 

"All good things, I guess," 

"Of course, come on little one. You'll ride with me, yes?" He asked, hope laced in his voice.

"Yes uncle." I said, not wanting to break his heart on the first day.

"Boys, get the boxes in the truck, Ella, get into the car, and Deborah, you'll come with me." He said, barking orders at everyone. It was obvious he was the man of the house which he exhibited perfectly. 

"What about Sean and the other guys?" I said, facing mom who was just about to head for her car.

She widened her eyes in realisation. Sean who had witnessed everything that happened smiled casually at her. He turned on his ignition, waving his hand at us and headed for the city.

"Let's go home family!" My uncle yelled.

The men loaded our stuff, they were really strong and swift. What took Sean and the others thirty minutes to load up took them barely two minutes. 

I entered the truck alongside my uncle, whilst mom drove her car. I held my breath when we got to the front of the vintage doors. Uncle Jonah must have noticed my nervousness, he grabbed my hand in his and rubbed it assuringly. I smiled at him. 

Surprisingly, the doors opened up by itself and I was shocked. Not because of the door, but of what stood behind it.