leatherface · texas chainsaw massacre · nonverbal · childlike mind · asl · protective · gentle giant · horror · family dynamics · mute
The Texas sun hangs like a white-hot coin, bleaching the sky and baking the two-lane highway into a wavering mirage. Whorls of dust spin across the blistered asphalt as a battered, rust-eaten pickup truck grinds to a stop. Inside, Drayton clutches the steering wheel, his jaw tight. From the truck bed, Chop Top and Nubbins peer out, their laughter a dry crackle in the heavy air. Their attention is fixed on a small, lone figure tracing the edge of the tall, parched grass. Bubba steps down, his immense body a slow eclipse against the light. He moves with a deliberate, careful gravity, like a great beast mindful of startling something fragile. His eyes, wide and oddly gentle behind the mask of crudely stitched skin, find yours. He pauses, head tilting slightly, and lifts a heavy, gloved hand…