Taeaura - TAE.Aura

Half-Cocked {WIP} Snippet / Synopsis

No, the title is not a sex-pun {but it could be}

TW: SA/Rape, Groping, Extreme Language, TCM-Canon-Typical Violence, Gore, Period-Typical Racism + Sexism {No slurs}

Here's a snippet of the fic I'm working on. This is essentially a draft so feedback is completely fine! I have no idea how this will go nor when it will be done, I do apologize. Reader is gender-neutral + race-neutral. {THIS IS NOT THE FULL THING; Will most likely be heavily altered once the final product is published} 🫀

____

Not much was left of that forgotten town. The funding was gone, as were the people. After the meat plant shut down, residents lost their purpose in Fuller. It was a shadow of the life previously flourishing there - something only the wildlife could frolic in; Which is exactly why you were here. Miguel, a childhood best friend of yours, wanted to enlist near Dallas. He’d brought you and some mutual friends along promising tickets to a music festival, which you had accepted on the means of exploring the state. It had seemed ideal then but the overwhelming heat of the Texas sun proved otherwise. As you leaned your head on the window; August, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, began to mumble - Something about “needing to fix the air conditioner.” He always was one to complain; Miguel often joked about his ‘particularness’, saying he was a primma-donna at times. Though, he wasn’t too annoying; Not today anyway. A sweet guy with a kind smile, a bit too kind at times. Theia, Miguel’s sister - and mutual friend of yours, had her hair entangled in the wind with her head out the back-passenger window; Flowing in deep curls and coils. 

Driving through the backroads wasn’t too entertaining, requesting a scenic route didn’t make it any better either. You fussed with the lace of your shoe - bending and untying, bending, untying, bending, untyi- 

“Hello, did you hear us?” 

You quickly turned your head, releasing the worn laces from your hands. You felt a small tap on your bicep - It was Edith. Edith was a classmate-turned-girlfriend of August’s, one of Miguel’s friends. She was nice, just a bit impatient, which had been amplified by the unforgivable heat. 

“We’re gonna stop at a gas station in about 3 miles, okay?” 

“Yeah..that’s fine. I needed a break anyway.” You said; Your legs had been feeling a bit numb from the lack of use. Sure would be nice to get your blood flowing. And Lord, did it do just that.

__

It had been hours since that drive; Since you’d made it to the community center; Since you’d felt safe. August was long gone; last you saw of him was his spotted blood-trail leading to the basement. The harsh screeching of that steel door sliding open, paired with the hiss of August’s nails as he dug them deep into the walls, attempting to prolong the inevitable torture. Edith; Dearest Edith. Her throat hoarse as she wailed, bleeding through the walls of the decaying house. Miguel, sweet Miguel. He was tied down the chair beside you, half-conscious. Dried blood painted his right temple, flowing down from the gash which plagued his hairline. His lips looked so mundane, as did his usually deep complexion. His head was tilted towards you, clouded eyes staring weakly. As your head lay defeatedly against the crest rail, the beaded eyes of a deer - long dead, glared. It scowled at the two of you from its head bust, nailed to the middle wall. Below it, two windows and a thin table dressed with picture frames and a cloth suffocated by years of dust and dirt. As you tried to think clearly, a pair of footsteps stuttered behind the walls. Strong and angered footsteps pounded the withered wooden floors, followed by frantic and unsteady ones. The sheriff - pseudo-sheriff - forced Theia into the dining room, her wails of protest filling the already claustrophobic atmosphere. As he threw her into the chair opposite of Miguel, another set of footsteps followed in. The ‘barbaric, chainsaw-wielding psycho,’ as Edith had called him, approached Theia. His swole hands took the rope from the sheriff’s aged ones, binding Theia’s wrists and ankles to the chair limbs. 

“There you go, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?” The sheriff taunted, his perverted eyes traveling down her form. “I tend to prefer blondes but, hell, I know a pretty thing when I see one.” 

The sheriff cupped Theia’s shoulders as he forced his lips upon her head. His lecherous movements didn’t go unnoticed by anyone; Especially not Miguel. Even in his weakened state, he spat at the sheriff, his eyes filled with contempt.

“Get the fuck off her, you fucking whore!” He screamed - The sheriff immediately turned to Miguel, his eyes filled with slight shock. That shock was quickly overturned by indignation. 

“Now who put you the fuck incharge?” He mockingly questioned as he walked over to Miguel, grabbing his hair and shoving his head into the table; “Last time I checked, this badge is the authority around here. I make the demands; I challenge the rules, not candy-ass hippie soy-boys like you.” The sheriff retorted as he let go of Miguel’s head, leaning his arms against the crest rail; “Get a grip on yourself, son; This shit don’t fly in out here, you got that?”

Miguel was now barely breathing, his eyes were glossed over and almost completely closed. 

It hurt so much to see him fade. The light which was once rampant within him had disappeared. He weakly opened his eyes, their lids fluttering under the warm lights. You thought maybe he had gained the strength for something. Just do something. But he couldn’t. His eyes inevitably shut again as he steadied his breathing. 

“Goddamn it..” You defeatedly whined. Your wrists struggled between the rope as it dug into your already stripped skin. 

The brutish butcher had been standing in the corner of the room; Observing. He didn’t seem enthusiastic or encouraging of the matter; Rather - dissociated. His hands grasped onto the strings of his apron, bending and untying, bending, untying; Just as you had earlier. It was an intricate silence between the five of you; The sheriff had already gone back to leeching off Theia, and you couldn’t bear to look. Soon enough, the elderly woman from the community center presented a covered pot amongst the few of you; Placing it down on the aged lace that blanketed the old wooden table. 

“Tommy, set the table for us, dear.” She said as she looked over towards Theia and the sheriff. “And you, give her some room! Don’t want to spoil dinner with your whirlwind of trouble.” 

The sheriff lightly scoffed, but left Theia to rest. He stood behind ‘his’ chair at the head of the table, opposite to you. He mumbled a soft “No need for bellyachin’..” before adjusting his back. 

As ‘Tommy’ returned with the plates, an elderly man appeared behind him. He approached the empty spot at the table and positioned his wheelchair accordingly; His expression often seemed dull and exhausted - That is until he saw a woman he fancied. His smug and slimy eyes would wander up and down as his body heat heightened. It was revolting. Luckily, he had no interest in Theia - he had voiced that many times. 

“Where’d you put that other one? The blonde.” He impatiently asked. The sheriff scoffed in reply, turning his head unamused. 

“In my room, that’s where. Ain’t none of your concern, now is it?”

“What? But you have that one right over there! You know I don’t like ‘em like that-” Monty protested, only to be cut off.

“Watch your mouths! I will not have any fighting at this table, do you understand me?” Luda Mae declared. She wasn’t one for unnecessary confrontation; Especially not over ‘ungodly’ topics such as these. 

Both of them rolled their eyes, parting ways as they sat back. Thomas was sitting beside Theia, though he seemed uncomfortable. He kept staring between you and Miguel, only looking away during conversation. You were terrified to say the least; How could you not be? Your friends, your only support system, murdered in front of you. And now you’re forced to eat with the perpetrators? Tears you didn’t recognize fell from your eyes - mixing with blood and dirt to create a streaky film over your cheeks and neck. You tried to control your breathing, attempting to draw as little attention to yourself as possible. Nothing could’ve prepared you for this. Nothing. You hopelessly looked around the room, gravitating towards Thomas. He was still staring at you. Though his body language portrayed his enervation; His muted blue eyes looked consistently curious, and crazed. The staring continued for some time until the sheriff - Hoyt, interrupted:

“Bow your heads - Let's give thanks for the bounty that's been given us.”

___

This is so ass I'm sorry lmao {Again, NOT THE FINISHED PRODUCT} :)

What would the dynamic in the family be if Thomas's first and potentially only child is a female? Will she have a hard time because of her circumstances, will she be regarded as more of an unwanted child because she was born a girl, and therefore, getting insults about being useless, or will she be handled with care?

This is a wonderful question!

How Thomas + The Hewitts Would React to a Daughter

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･.

Thomas:

Thomas never thought he'd have the privilege of having children, he was always focused on the job at hand. When that changed, however, Thomas was thrilled - Anxious, but thrilled. He didn't care if the child was male or female, they were his child, and he would love them as such.

Honestly, Thomas seems like such a girl-dad. Idk why, that's just how he reads to me.

In fact, he'd be more protective of a daughter than a son - Especially if she inherited some of his traits {such as his skin condition}. He'll love her to the ends of the Earth just as he would a son. I don't think Thomas would teach his children gender roles; He'd be more focused on their survival and fulfillment than some irrational societal performance. He never fit into society anyway, and he fit the gender roles just fine?

He'd rely on Luda Mae for a lot of parenting guidance: Doing her hair {by this I mean literally just taking care of it}, dressing her {as in finding clothes that suit her}, and discussions of puberty. He does NOT feel comfortable explaining that {not that he really could, anyway.}

What he will teach his child{ren} no matter the age or gender, is to be strong. Mentally strong more than anything. He wants his children to be able to survive, but not be forced to. He'd work himself to the bone if it meant his partner and {their} children could be comfortable, and safe.

He'd also sew his child{ren} stuffed animals, blankets, and some clothes - with guidance of his momma of course 🫀 He loves family very very much.

Luda Mae:

Gosh, Luda Mae would be in the seventh Heaven! She's wanted a daughter her whole life, having a granddaughter is even better. She'd offer to help with everything: Clothes, hair, babysitting, anything you could think of. And you know she'd be ever so protective of her granddaughter - Men will go nowhere near her without proving themselves fit {Thomas would hold the same view}.

Really wants to teach her how to cook, sew, bake, sing, and take care of the house - Traditionally feminine things, y'know? Luda grew up traditional, it'll most likely bleed into her granddaughter. She'll always call her "Sweetheart" - "Baby" - "Angel" - anything endearing and sweet, really. Very very affirmative of her granddaughter dearest 🫀

Luda will sing lullabies, read to her, probably invite her to tea with Kathryn/Tea Lady. She's a very comforting grandma :)

Now, I know we're having fun in la-la-land, but we gotta go back to TCM 2003 for a minute.

Luda Mae is a strong, independent, and direct woman. She will NOT tolerate ANY disrespect - Never. If her granddaughter acts out, consequences will be appointed.

Hoyt:

Now, I know what the immediate answer SEEMS to be: "Oh, Hoyt would hate that Thomas had a daughter instead of a son - He's a misogynist who hates all women!" And listen, I thought this too UNTIL I re-watched the TCM 2003 movie just to make sure. During one of the final scenes: 1:12:10 - 1:28:40, Hoyt can be seen peering over Henrietta and Luda Mae, looking down at the {unnamed} baby. He seems very affectionate {for Hoyt} - Smiling and cooing at her {Yes, the baby is confirmed female "She's mine"}

The truth is, I don't think Hoyt would mind it all too much. Would he have preferred a nephew? Yeah - But he loves his niece just the same. He'll teach her how to shoot, how to hunt, throw a punch, be strategic, and he'll definitely teach her a.."wide vocabulary."

He'd definitely be the type to say "this type of stuff ain't for women, young lady." For example:

"Now ___, I know you wanna get yer hands dirty like yer daddy and I, but this type of game isn't for little ladies like yourself."

Depending on how sassy Thomas' daughter is, Hoyt's tolerance for her will differ. If she's a foul-mouthed sassy sailor, Hoyt's patience will decreased as compared to an "innocent naive angel."

He's also..terrified, to say the least. He'll be wayyy more cautious about his remarks around Tommy's daughter - Afraid of how Thomas {and Luda Mae} will react.

Oh - and Hoyt will be one of the first to offer advice and protection for his niece, especially if she starts dating:

"He called you what? - Ugly? Hell, let's see this fella; See how 'ugly' he can get."

"Now ___, don't you be dating any soy-boys, make sure a man can take care of ya real nice, y'hear?"

He loves her, but he's not an affectionate {or kind} guy.

Henrietta:

God, she is so so so jealous - She's always wanted kids, but never had the opportunity to have some of her own. She'll definitely offer to babysit any chance she gets. She'd offer the same things as Luda Mae, just more often. Oh! And she'd be a wonderful..aunt? Second cousin? Idk what she would be in relation to Thomas' daughter, but she'd be wonderful at it! Always open to talk, and very very supportive.

{Uncle} Monty:

Would not care. At all. Leave him alone and he's all good 👍

"Stop staring at me with them bug eyes.."

"Girl, would you get me a beer?"

"Thomas! Get your daughter to stop taking my damn cane!"

"If you keep touching 'im {the dog}, he'll bite you."

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･.

Okay yay! Sorry for Henrietta and Monty's parts being short, I just don't see huge influence with the two of them - Plus Hen's basically Luda Mae 2.0, just less strict.

do you think Thomas Hewitt from 2003 watches wrestling?

Thomas is such an anomaly that I genuinely don't know. In canon time? Probably not. If he was born in a more modern-era? Yeah, maybe! I think he'd like how rowdy wrestling can get, how over-the-top it can be {to the average person}, and how..'similar' certain wrestlers are to Tommy {appearance wise} - He's a bit confused but also fascinated when he sees people {men in particular} who have similar builds to him, bonus points when they wear masks lol

hmm...

chat is this real

__

I'm so so sorry this took so long to get to 😭 my brain has been foggy lately

if u are ever scared of yapping about your blorbo or your life or your creative projects on the dash bc u are worried that no one wants to see it. know that I am holding your hand and supporting you. I want to see it. make that shitpost I need to read it posthaste

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･. TAE.Aura .･:*࿔ೃ.⋆❀°

Asks open | Posts: Texas Chainsaw Massacre {possibly more later on}

Masterlist 𓆣

{Shitposts Not Included} - Updated As Needed

Analyses and Headcanons - Thomas Hewitt

Thomas Hewitt Medical Analysis / Headcanons

Thomas Hewitt Medical Chart

Hewitt Family Psychology / Dynamic Analysis

Is Thomas Hewitt Neurodivergent?

Thomas Hewitt Emotional / Psyche Analysis

The Over-Simplification of Thomas Hewitt {His Waisted Potential}

Thomas Hewitt's Interests

Thomas {Hewitt}'s Voice

Surviving Thomas {Hewitt} + The Family | Life as a Hewitt Introduction {Ask}

"Leatherface's Best Friend is his Chainsaw"

Thomas {Hewitt}'s Issues With Personal Hygiene

Modern Thomas {Hewitt} AU Headcanons {Ask}

Thomas Hewitt x Caring Reader - How Thomas' Outcome Would Differ From the 2006/2003 Remakes {Ask}

Thomas Hewitt x Affectionate Reader | Headcanons {Ask}

Thomas Hewitt x Mid/Plus-Sized Reader

What Would a Realistic Wedding Look Like For Thomas {And His S/O} ?

Father!Thomas Hewitt With Two Kids *Under Ten* {Ask}

Father!Thomas Hewitt's Child Walking in on His..."Work" {Ask}

Father!Thomas Hewitt with a Son who Cries Easily {Ask}

Analyses and Headcanons - Multiple Characters {TCM}

General TCM 2003 / TCM:TB 2006 Analysis

Hewitt Family Tree

TCM {2003 / 2006} Men Reacting to a {Flying} Cockroach {Ask}

The {Hewitt} Family's Racism {Ask}

The {Hewitt} Family's Racism | Pt. 2 {Ask}

How the Hewitts Would React to Someone of Different Faith {Ask}

The Hewitts are Hypocritical Religious Cowards - Minor Character Study / Rant

Information on the Hewitt House {Ask}

Surviving Thomas {Hewitt} + The Family | Life as a Hewitt {Put this twice - Applies to both Thomas individually and the family}

How the Hewitts Would React to Thomas' Partner Being a Man {Ask}

How Thomas + The Hewitts Would React to a Daughter {Ask}

How The Hewitts Would React to Someone With Completely White Eyes {Ask}

Hewitt Height Chart

The Hewitt {Family}'s Reaction to a Modest Reader {Ask}

Photographs / Imagery

The Hewitt House

Thomas Hewitt's Room | Pt. 1

Thomas Hewitt's Room | Pt. 2

Baby Thomas

Writing

Half-Cocked {WIP} Snippet / Synopsis

Thinking About the End of TCM 2003

Thomas POV

Proprietorial - Thomas x Gender-Neutral Reader {Ask}

Thomas Hewitt x Meek/Emotional Reader {Ask}

Thomas Hewitt: Possessiveness, Desperation, and Jealousy

Thomas Hewitt x Possessive!Reader | Fem-presenting {Ask}

Give Me A Call, Hun | Reader Gets Hit on at the Community Center/Gas Station OneShot {Ask}

Reader Telling Thomas he has Beautiful Eyes {Ask}

You Have Beautiful Eyes | Pt.2 {Ask}

Lyrical Analyses

Ethel Cain: Punish Demo II - Thomas Hewitt

Ethel Cain Lyrics That Remind Me of TCM

Ethel Cain: Inbred - The Hewitt Family

Much love - 🫀

mj lenderman sooo hot

thought this said slenderman for a second and i started to say girl i know it

Serious question, because this might have changed the storyline of the tcm remakes. If Thomas ever had at least one friend, that ONE friend he managed to get from his upbringing. Possibly back from his childhood, too, let's just say that.

Would Thomas be possessive or a meek individual who would be desperate to keep them close. Like I'm talking about an extreme level of possessiveness that it would be considered sick. I think there's a word for that, I just don't know what it's called.

Because I can see Thomas becoming a stalker at one point and possibly following somebody close to him around if he needs to. Like a "threat" is close to his dear friend, and he's afraid that this person might take them away from him.

|Proprietorial|

GN!Reader x Thomas Hewitt 🫀

SUMMARY: You and Thomas have known each other since grade school. As the town of Fuller dies, so does your desire to stay. Feeling guilty, you decide to visit the Hewitts one last time..but Thomas gets possessive following your attempted departure..

_____

Thomas is and always has been desperate for connection. Genuine understanding - Not just acknowledgement. It's rare to be accepted when you're different - And it sure as hell doesn't get easier in a small, conservative town like Fuller. Luckily enough, he had found someone. Someone who didn't recoil in disgust - Someone who didn't laugh when he tried to speak. Someone his momma approved of.

That was back in grade school - Back when things in Fuller were "good." Though, were they ever really good?

When his momma told you about the slaughterhouse shutting down, you were nothing but empathetic. You even offered to help the family out with what little time and money you had. Luda Mae, being the prideful woman she was, declined your offer.

"Keep some for yourself, hun. Gotta do what it takes to survive out here...we'll figure out a way."

Everything got worse when you decided you couldn't stay.

--

One day, you stopped visiting Luda at the community center. No longer stopped by at the slaughterhouse to see Thomas. It was like you were never there.

You had to tell them you were leaving - It wouldn't be right to abandon them all on their own..especially not Thomas. So, you packed up a small basket and headed over to the Hewitt residence. That evening, when you'd knocked on the door, Monty answered.

"Whadd'ya want?"

"I'm here for Ms. Mae..Luda Mae; And Thomas - Are they home?"

He squinted his eyes and weakly scoffed before opening the door further, letting you walk through. He then directed you to the kitchen where Luda Mae was; She'd been preparing dinner just as you walked in.

Monty swiftly knocked on the doorframe, grabbing her attention. As she turned, she scoffed "Monty, for the last damn time, I-" She stopped. Her expression neutralized as she saw you.

"Oh, ____, there you are! Gosh, I haven't seen you in so long; Where've you been?" - "Tommy's been worried sick about you.."

There it was. You'd made Thomas worry..which is exactly why you dreaded coming over; You didn't want to be reminded of the guilty feeling festering inside your stomach.

"Is he alright?" You asked, and Luda nodded.

"Oh, he's just fine, dear. Why don't you go say hi? He's in that damn basement again.."

You agreed, but quickly remembered the basket you brought.

"What's that?" Asked Charlie, he had been watching from the opposing doorway..unbeknownst to you.

"Oh..gifts..for you."

"Me?"

"Well, the family, yes."

"That's so kind of you, dear. What for?" Asked Luda Mae, grabbing the basket from you and placing it on the kitchen table.

"Just..felt like bringing some joy to this dying town."

"That's very kind of ya - Now go see what Tommy's up to, he's missed you like crazy" Charlie said, unimpressed. He sniffled before taking a swig of his beer.

--

You'd known the Hewitt house's layout well; It's not like Thomas would invite you over after school some days...The basement was across from the front door, it'd be hard to miss unless the archway was blocked. As you approached the ominous door, you took back your hand from the handle. What if Thomas didn't want to see you? What if he'd grown resentful of you? You sighed, closed your eyes and went to open the door. To your surprise, a loud screeching sound interrupted you as the door opened seemingly by itself -Except, doors don't open by themselves.

Behind the doorway, a tall, familiarly built man stood before you. His half-mask..muzzle of sorts was tightly wrapped around his head, strangling his neck and chin. He must've heard you - or his family, talking.

"Hi Tommy; I'm so sorry, I know I've been absent - It's not you, I've just been so stressed and confused and-"

You were rambling. He never seemed to mind, especially when you called him "Tommy." He never liked when just anyone used that nickname, it was special. You were special - To him, at least.

"I need to talk to you about something." The way you said that caused him to tense a little. Talk about what? Was it his job? Did he disappoint you?

"Listen, Thomas" Oh no, you were being serious, weren't you? "I love you and your family so so much, and I'm so grateful to have known you for this long..but..I can't stay here."

..What?

"I can't afford to stay here any longer, Tommy. I don't know how you folks are staying - I..there's no jobs, no resources out here, no nothing. It's all gone! I can't live a life like that, how do you survive out here? I'd..I'd love to stay but it's not sustainable for me. I'm so sorry, Thomas."

You're leaving me. After all we've been through together, you're leaving. Just as uncle Charlie said you would..

"It's not anything you've done. I swear."

You can't leave. I won't let you leave - I have nothing. I'll prove to you how good I am - How good I can be, I swear. You can live with us on this farm, just like momma always dreamed of. You're not leaving me; Not after you've met momma, not after the countless times you've saved me from callous assholes out here. No - I couldn't..

"Thomas?"

He had been so lost in thought that he forgot to respond. His expression had dropped immensely - He had been so excited to see you again but now all that excitement was gone.

He'd lost Charlie once. Came close to losing everything, everyone. He would never let that happen again. Especially not when it came to losing you.

"Thomas.."

He had to keep you. Keep you here; In the basement; In the barn; Maybe in a spare bedroom - His bedroom. It didn't matter. You could would not leave.

As he stared you down, you felt an emptiness surround you - A dark, restless entity caging you in. Just as you thought he'd lose it, a voice pierced through from the archway:

"Thomas? Thomas, what on God's green Earth are you doing?"

It was Luda Mae. You didn't know if she'd heard your "conversation" but you were glad enough that she'd come through.

"Now, Tommy, I know you're upset, but let's just..leave ____ to breathe a minute. Okay?"

You mumbled a meek "Thank you" before wiping an unknown tear from your cheek. You'd never seen him like that - Most definitely not with you.

As your anxiety curtailed, you made your way to the living room to sit, holding your head in your hands. You hadn't noticed Monty sitting in the armchair beside the couch; Hell, you hadn't noticed the TV playing either. It was playing some..random news station - One of the few you could get out here.

"So you're leaving us, huh?" He spoke in a rough, gravelly voice.

"You heard that?" You sniffled.

"With the way you were talking, the whole damn house heard." Shit..had you been loud? It didn't seem like it in the moment..

"Don't worry about Thomas, he's an emotional crybaby, ain't he?"

You refused to answer. Seeing Thomas so distressed, so..frightened by the idea of you leaving, it fed your already aggravated guilt. So many hours in his room, so many repetitive school days spent together, drawing in the back of the class. The days when you two used to spend hours at the creek, collecting all sorts of treasures. He even picked a wildflower-bouquet for you - Granted, it was all dirty and withered, but it was enough to signify how much he cared about you. How grateful he was to have you here.

You were stripped of your thoughts as you heard Monty groan and yawn, falling asleep in his chair. The TV had become background noise for the both of you. On the table, two glasses filled with murky water and a note; Folded and slightly dirty. You wiped your eyes again and picked up the note, unfolding it.

Don't leave.

Please.

_____

Guys this is ass should I log off

Anyway, if I didn't cover everything you wanted, please let me know and I'll update it!

sorry guys I promise I'm working on posts just got lost with other things :)

I have a few posts planned {plus an ask I'm answering} feel free to send anything you wanna see; or don't, up to you

Thinking about the end of TCM 2003

Listening to Televangelism and thinking about the scene from 1:28:10 to 1:19:20 in the 2003 TCM. Man..I know it's supposed to be a victorious moment for Erin, which it absolutely is - But God I can just imagine how stressful it was for the family. Not only did Thomas just lose an arm, but Charlie dies too? Henrietta loses "her" baby?

I can just imagine Luda rushing over to Charlie's body, not fully processing that she just lost her son / brother - Family member nonetheless. Someone she'd already lost him once {the war as well as his 'Hoyt' persona} - Only to lose him again - eternally. And on top of that; Her only surviving son comes home mutilated?? AS WELL AS having to re-home?

Henrietta was evidently attached to that kid; How she got her was wrong, but she loved her nonetheless. Hen has no idea where she is, how she disappeared - Her stress is through the roof when paired with the other tragedies.

What hurts the most is that just before Charlie's death - Just before the baby is rescued - We see a true moment of humanity within the Hewitts. All of them leaning to see the baby - Charlie showing up instead of Hoyt; His calmer, more open and affectionate qualities showing just enough. Henrietta cooing over "her daughter" - All whilst Luda Mae watches over. AND THE BIGGEST THING: We're introduced through a window. Through Erin's perspective. Why is this important? Because we're watching through a barrier. This is something the family is doing behind closed doors. As soon as the truck driver knocks, their expressions change. 'Charlie' turns into 'Hoyt' {via his serious and pestered expression} - Henrietta gets nervous and shields the baby whilst reassuring her - And Luda Mae's kind and patient demeanor immediately replaced by a guarded and defensive shadow.

Where do they go from here? The strongest member of the family is severely injured and with half the resources he previously had - Will likely be bed-ridden for weeks. The second-strongest, protective figure who ALSO went and 'lured' their main food source is dead. The only ones left are semi-mobile and frail. What else is there? And to think Thomas STAYS?? He stays at the house?? {if we go by the deleted / extended scenes.} The entire family dynamic has to be changed now - Most likely with Luda Mae at the top.

"This family has endured through adversity and pain. We have endured; We have prevailed. We will never go hungry again." Just repeating in Luda's mind as she clutches his hat in despair. Thomas finally coming home only to find his father figure, his main support system - dead and gone.

Y'all I kid you not I have so much going through my mind about this scene

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

As Thomas' chainsaw collided with the car side, he noticed "SHERIFF" printed on the side doors. Hoyt wouldn't have given up his car - or left the keys in a vulnerable location. Did she steal it? She had to - Hoyt wasn't that clueless. But how? He would've seen it, wouldn't he?

Thomas continued his sluggish walk to the community center; He would've lost so much that day - Mentally preparing to be scolded about "letting Erin get away" - Hoyt would glare upwards at Thomas as he did.

"How the fuck could you let her go?! You see what you've done, Thomas? Now where the hell are we s'posed to go?"

But that scolding never came. Banshee wails and hoarse cries flooded the asphalt road, growing louder as Thomas drew near. A semi-truck was blocking the back road, but not enough to cover Thomas' vision. As he landed closer he saw three silhouettes: One scrawny, mid-height woman clutching her chest as she sobbed near the community center door. Another woman, this time much older, hunched over a figure in the road - the source of the wails. It was his mother.

Her already disheveled appearance deteriorated in the shivering rain - Watered-down and streaky red pigment stained her fingers, which bled onto the sheriff's hat encapsulated within her hands. Though Thomas couldn't make out the wails, he deciphered "Charlie" a few times. Thomas was so perplexed - Charlie what? As he peered down, all confusion was plagued by a sense of shared torment.

Charlie's "uniform" was always covered in blood - But it was never his. Not until today. It had been ironed that evening - Crisp and warm underneath his raincoat. Instead of a dusty blue, his raincoat bled crimson - and mahogany.

Thomas would've taken a scolding over losing Charlie any day. He would've much preferred if Erin had killed him instead. Seeing his mother in hysterics - pleading with God to bring him back. Suddenly, Charlie was overseas again - And Thomas was checking everyday to see if he'd come home. He'd point to Charlie's picture then to his chair in the dining room: "When is Charlie coming home?"

Instead of the expected yelling - The screaming-vomit erupting from Hoyt - Thomas was met with Hoyt's silence. Instead of his furious eyes burning invasively into Thomas' skull - Thomas was met with empty, soulless eyes lost within the asphalt and glazed over with a garnet hue.

"Come on, Tommy, ain't no different than the slaughterhouse. Meat's meat; Bone's bone. Get it done."

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

.🫀.

୨୧ i really cannot BELIEVE how little fanfic there is for this man… he’s SO fucking hot, get out of here… got some dating headcanons for him in the drafts, they should be done soon <3