Mom got desperate after dad stopped sending money home after he got hired at the rig. She used to be a stay at home mom, which was only at the insistence of my dad because in his mind his woman shouldn’t work. She needs to be at home 24 hours a day in case he forgets something.

I cursed him loudly for landing me in this stupid situation.

My Great Aunt heard me and her eyes flashed darkly. Her lips primed into a thin line and she spoke for the first time in two weeks. “Be thankful you have a family, Maggie.”

I was shocked, then mumbled an apology quickly in response.

She nodded calmly before returning her eyes to the tv. This is the first time I really took a look at her. Her fingers though knarled were connected to ham hock arms. She did have a fair amount of muscle under all of that fat. Even though her eyes were as always glued to the tv, they did dart often to the window and to me.

Matilda was always watching, even when I thought she wasn’t paying attention to me.

“I’m going to go to sleep, Aunt Matilda.”

She didn’t respond as I went up the stairs. At this point I didn’t expect her too, she was so strange.

The thunder clashed and the lightning lit up the room. I tossed and turned trying to find some semblance of sleep. My eyes flashed open when I realized that it was too quiet.

It was still raining outside. I could hear it pounding in turrets against my window, but it was another barely discernable sound that had bothered me. Something that wasn’t right.

Singing . . . ?

The melody was sweet and sad. It was so high pitched that I knew parts of it were in a range that was beyond my hearing. I wandered over to the window and pressed my ear against the glass to try to triangulate the position of the sound. Slowly as I waited. I could hear other sounds . . . . other voices that scattered before coming together.

It was oddly hypnotic in a way. I wasn’t thinking as I walked to the window. The light lit up three blobs dancing against my window. I couldn’t ignore the impulse I had to open the window. I unlocked it and was about to push it up.

“They are coming.” I turned. It was Great Aunt Matilda standing in the doorway brandishing a sawed off shotgun. She still had her lap blanket, but now it was wrapped around her shoulders. Matilda looked like a wise old man who was going to teach me kung fu. I had made the mistake of thinking she was bound to her chair. It was weird that she had not moved in front of me much up until now.

“What’s coming?”

I turned to the window I’d been about to open and realized that it was nailed shut.

“Great Aunt Matilda, what’s is this? What if there wa a fire or something? This is really unsafe.”

Matilda tucked the gun away and turned back.