Don't ask me why. I probably couldn't tell you if I wanted to.

I had been given an opportunity in New Orleans. It wasn't a tough assignment, and would only take a couple of days to complete, so I decided to drive there. Okay, now, that doesn't sound like a problem except that I work in Chicago.

Let me try to explain. I am employed by a large airline based in Great Britain as an Aerospace Engineer. Because I am not married, I got the task to liaise with Boeing, based in Chicago.

Having not been to the States before, when the opportunity to attend an International Aerospace Engineering conference came up in New Orleans, I jumped at it!

So why drive there when I could fly in a couple of hours? Well, it seemed a good idea at the time, a way to see the country that I may never get the chance to see otherwise. I had checked the map and saw that a single route, Route Fifty-Five, would take me directly there. What I didn't consider was the vastness of the United States of America!

To put it into perspective, Lands End to John O' Groats, the furthest distance one can drive on mainland Britain, is approximately eight hundred miles. Chicago to New Orleans, via Route Fifty-Five, is pushing a thousand!

So, anyway, I had driven to St. Louis, some five and a half hours, where I took a break and refuelled. Myself, as well as the car.

A couple of hours later, and I was beginning to wish that I had booked a hotel along the way. I had left at six this morning, and I still had some five hundred miles to go.

I reached for my water bottle. Damn, it was empty!

Oh well, no problem. I had just passed a sign that a town was coming up. I would pull in and restock.

Sure enough, a few minutes later and I took the intersection signposted, Steele.

Within minutes I was driving slowly along the main street of a town that looked like so many others I had seen in movies. Even down to the big, white, SUV with the word, Sheriff emblazoned along the side. I was half expecting Arnold Schwarzenegger to jump out of it!

I was so distracted that I almost didn't see the woman in the road. Fortunately, I was only travelling about twenty miles per hour, and I hit the brake hard, stopping just in front of her.

She seemed upset and remained still, staring down at the bonnet.

I got out.

“Are you okay?” I asked, as gently as I could.

She whispered something unintelligible.

“Madam? Are you all right?”

“Leave me alone!” she responded.

“I almost ran over you...”

“Please, leave me alone!” she repeated, turned and hurried away to the side-walk.

I didn't follow her, didn't want to upset her any further, so I returned to my car and drove on until I saw a mini-mart.

Grabbing four bottles of sparkling water from a shelf, I headed for the counter.

“Howdy!” the grey-haired man behind it smiled. “That'll be five dollars, please. Anything else I can help you with?”

“Hello,” I replied as I handed him a note. “Yes, I could do with a strong, black coffee. I just almost ran someone down.”

He frowned.

“You did? What did he look like?”

“Oh, it wasn't a he, it was a woman. Probably about your age. Very sad looking.”

“Hmm,” he rubbed his chin. “Did you speak to her?”

I nodded.

“I asked if she was okay, but she just told me to leave her alone and ran off.”

“Red dress?” he asked, smiling again.

“Yes, do you know her?”

“Oh, sure. That's Ruby. We all know her. She's a little... Lacking, shall we say?”

“I thought she looked rather unhappy. That must be why.”

The smile faded from his lips.

“She wasn't always sad. When she was young, she was beautiful. Her folks were religious fanatics, though. She never really had her own life. They kept her a prisoner, almost. Watched her all the time and woe betide any boy who went near her.”

I was fascinated now!

“So she lost her mind?”

“Well no, not because of that. I don't know how true it is, but there was a story...”

“Go on,” I urged.

The store-keeper smiled and stood up straight.

“You're really interested in this, aren't you? I can tell you're not from around these parts.”

I laughed.

“You can tell? No, I'm English. Yes, I love it. It's like stepping into a movie.”

He stretched out his hand.

“Hank.”

I shook it vigorously.

“Charlie.”

“Listen, go and sit outside under the veranda. I'll tell you about her over a coffee.”

I didn't need telling twice. The sun was shining brightly and a few minutes relaxation was just what I needed.

Shortly after, Hank placed a steaming cup on the table beside me and then sat down.

I took a sip. Okay, it wasn't the best coffee, not as strong as I would like, but it was welcome, nonetheless.

“So, what happened?” I was impatient for more.

“It's a sad tale, that's for sure. The kids, well, some not so much kids, laugh at her. Big old Ruby Red Dress, they call her. They say she's got no future nor made no past. They are so cruel.”

I took another sip. People can be cruel, that much was true. Although the story was so unpleasant, I had to know more. I waited for him to go on.

“Some folks say some farm-boy, probably from Tennessee, taught it all to her. You know, knocked her up. Then he just let her be. Apparently, her Daddy tried to hide it. No-one knows what became of the baby, whether it died or her father had it taken from her, but it broke poor Ruby. Since then, she spends her days wandering about the town, sometimes talking to herself. If anyone approaches her all she says is, 'Leave me alone'. Some have said that a tear appears and rolls down her face if they don't leave immediately.”

“But that is horrible!” I exclaimed. “Can't, well, more to the point, won't anyone help her?”

Hank smiled wistfully.

“Some have tried but she is lost. The harm she suffered back then has destroyed her mind.”

Another sip as I let this revelation sink in.

“So...” I began slowly. “Who looks after her?”

Hank shrugged his shoulders.

“No-one, I guess. Ruby seems to get by so long as no-one troubles her.”

The crossing bell on the nearby railroad began to ring, ding, ding, ding, ding. Soon, the sound of a train horn and the roar of locomotive engines as they hauled uncounted wagons loaded with unknown freight.

I stood up and offered my hand to Hank.

“Well, I had better get off. I still have a way to go.”

“Been nice talking to ya, young fellah!” Hank shook my hand. “If you're ever back this way, drop by.”

I promised I would, and I meant it.

As I drove back along the main road, I saw her again. At first, as I waited at the junction, I could hear a group of kids who were taunting someone. I wound the window down to hear better what was going on.

They were laughing and shouting;

“Big old Ruby red dress, big old Ruby red dress... hahaha...”

I shouted to them as I opened the car door.

“Hey! Stop it, you bullies!”

Seeing me coming towards them, they instantly ran away in different directions leaving Ruby alone on the side-walk.

“Ruby?”

She looked up and turned to me.

I saw the tear form and fall from her eye.

“Won't you leave me alone?” she whispered. “Please, just leave me alone...”