Riders - Missing (Chapter 3 - The second Visit) cont 3...

I am confused and worried, and this is not a good combination.  The reason I started my writing blog was to give myself a kick up the rear, stop procrastinating and to start doing something I have wanted to do for a very long time.  But today I have read an article in Writers and Artists on “when do you show your work in the revision process?”  The gist of the article is – don’t show your work to anyone else when they are likely to come up with a list of suggestions that you are already half considering.  Also, if their comments are going to make you say things like “yes, I thought that”, or “well this is only a rough draft”, or “I already know that needs changing”, don’t show them!  The article goes on to say that the reader you have given your work to, starts to wonder why you are asking their opinion when you already know it.  Now I am in a dilemma.  Do I continue on my route of posting my “rough draft” on my blog or not?

Having said that I have finished the last “rough draft” of Chapter 3 and posted it up for you all to read.  At this stage I am not sure if further Chapters will be posted yet?

The four continued there meal chatting about love and the never ending stream of young ladies in Khaos’s life.  TJ jokingly asking Khaos for advice on how to win the ladies and Khaos talked lovingly about his five children.  He confided in the fact that Kay, his eldest at sixteen, seemed to be continuously embarrassed about him and refused to let him take her to school.  His noisy, smoky motorbike was not acceptable transport for a popular girl.  The others still adored going on rides on the back of his motorbike, except of course Sasha who was still too young.  Thanatos laughed and told him that Sasha had him wrapped around her little finger, something Khaos did not deny.

After the hearty meal of oxtail stew, crusty rolls and apple crumble for pudding TJ offered to clear the dishes and load the dishwasher before going upstairs to his room to play on his Wii game.

Thanatos refilled their wine glasses and carried them through to the living room and sat down next to his wife with a deep sigh.

‘Now,’ cajoled Khaos. ‘we don’t have any eavesdropping ears, interfering wife stealing men or impressionable youngsters around, what is bothering you Thane?’

‘Yes, my sweet,’ said Melanie taking a sip from her wine. ‘I have noticed that you have not told me about your day today?  What is wrong?’

That was one of the strengths of their marriage is that they shared everything with each other.  Neither would be too tired after a day at work to share what had happened, who they had seen or any other matters that might have occurred.

Closing his eyes he slowly recaptured what had happened today in his head before looking at them and stating, ‘I was seen.’

‘You were seen?’ said Khaos a little puzzled.

‘Yes, I was at the hospital, standing next to the man’s bed in the ICU and I was seen,’ confirmed Thanatos.

Both Khaos and Melanie looked at him confused.  Why was this sighting bothering him so much, it was to be expected.

‘But, the man was dying,’ consoled Melanie. ‘He would have to see you.’

‘No,’ said Thanatos shaking his head. ‘Not the man, the girl!’

‘You just said that you were standing next to the man in the bed,’ puzzled Khaos. ‘Was there another bed nearby?’

‘No,’ replied Thanatos quietly. ‘The girl walked in and saw me.’

Khaos and Melanie looked at each other and both asked at the same time. ‘Was she on the list.’

‘No,’ said Thanatos. ‘That is the problem.’

‘Are you sure she saw you, Thane?’ hurried Khaos.  ‘Perhaps she was stressed and merely staring into space.’

‘She spoke to me,’ said Thanatos quietly again.

There was silence.  All three trying to formulate what had happened in their minds.

Khaos queried, ‘Did you check the list.’

‘Twice,’ answered Thanatos.

‘What did she say,’ asked Melanie taking her husbands hand into hers and rubbing gentle.

‘She asked what I was doing and if I knew her father,’ answered Thanatos.

‘Maybe the clerks have messed up again,’ said Khaos trying to find a solution.  ‘You are always saying that they are inept and I often get strange messages on my blackberry.’

‘The list is not the same as your blackberry, Khaos,’ confirmed Thanatos.  ‘The clerks do not have access to that.  The orders come direct from the top.  That is the one reason why I continue with the traditional way – no mix ups or mistakes.’

Biting his lip in thought he quickly got up, went into the kitchen to retrieve his coat that he had thrown over the kitchen chair.  He carried his coat into the living room, sat and pulled out the scroll.  Slowly opening it again he looked at the list, it had not changed.  Shaking his head for the others, he rolled it up again and replaced it into the inside pocket of his coat.

‘Still not on the list,’ he mumbled. ‘The date and time has also changed for the man.’

‘Changed?’ queried Mel.  ‘That doesn’t happen, does it?’

‘No.’  answered Thanatos slowly.  ‘This is the first.’

‘Are you sure?’ queried Khaos softly.

Thanatos’ eyes narrowed and he glared at his friend across the room.  His dark blue eyes turned black, his skin paler and his lips narrowed.  ‘I am not mistaken,’ he said through clenched teeth.

‘I’m sorry,’ rushed Khaos, ‘just trying to think of all possibilities.’

‘Perhaps she is Muse, like me,’ suggested Melanie quietly. ‘I have always been convinced there are many that have not been registered with the Brotherhood.’

‘No, she is not a Muse of any Other,’ said Thanatos.  ‘She does not have the aura.’

The three sat in thoughtful silence, trying to come up with a logical conclusion, but none was forthcoming.

‘Right,’ said Khaos suddenly downing his wine and standing up. ‘Let's go.’

‘Go where?’ asked Thanatos and Melanie together.

‘To the hospital,’ replied Khaos, ‘where else?’

‘I don’t see what going to the hospital is going to prove,’ said Thanatos wearily.

‘If ..’ Khaos stopped looking wearily at Thanatos, ‘when she sees us again we can ask her who she is. You game?’

‘Alright,’ said Thanatos slowly his stomach tightening into a nervous knot. ‘We can try that.  Oh, but I have put Mortis to rest.’

‘No problem,’ laughed Khaos. ‘We can take the bike.’

‘Hmm,’ mumbled Thanatos unenthusiastically, standing slowly and putting his untouched wine on the table.  He kissed his wife quickly and said, ‘we won’t be late.’

Melanie carried the wine glasses into the kitchen and watched the two men walk out to the bike.  In the shadows they looked like Laurel and Hardy, the best of friends but complete opposites.

The roar of the motor bike made her flinch and hope that Mr Smithers didn’t decide to pay another concerned visit.

Riders - Missing (Chapter 3 - The second Visit) cont 2..

I am not completely happy with this section, but feel I need to move on, as I don't want to come to a grinding halt.  So please bare with me and remember this is my rough draft.  I am sure, sorry I know, there will be plenty of changes to come.  You should see the notation coloumn on my main copy.
Mr Smithers had stepped inside the front room but TJ was still standing by the open front door.

‘Melanie,’ gushed the man dressed in formal trousers and jacket.  ‘That infernal motor biker seems to be back in the neighbourhood.  I just wanted to check that you and your son are alright?  You never know what these hoodlum types will do if they found a beautiful women alone.’

‘Hoodlum,’ roared Khaos angrily from the kitchen. “Who is he calling a hoodlum?”

Thanatos laughed.

‘Thank you for your concern, Mr Smithers,’ said Melanie sweetly.  ‘But I am not on my own.’

‘Jeff, please,’ said Mr Smithers.  ‘I realise you have your son and that he is growing up now, but he is hardly a match for one of those ruffian’s.’

‘Ruffian,’ gasped Khaos infuriated storming through to the front room before Thanatos could grab hold of his arm and hold him back.  “I’ll show him to be more respectful and not judge a biker by his bike!”

Watching the scene behind his mothers back, TJ snorted, trying very hard not to laugh.  Khaos was hell bent on reaching Mr Smithers and his dad had hold of his friend’s hoodie, almost strangling him in the process.  Thanatos gave a quick jerk pulling Khaos back enough for him to step in front and stand next to his wife thereby preventing Khaos from being able to manoeuvre around them to get to Mr Smithers.

‘Mr Smi … Jeff,’ continued Melanie smiling widely.  ‘I have a very good response unit should I experience any difficulties.  Thank you again for your concern, but you will excuse me as we were about to sit down for dinner.’

Mr Smithers smiled disappointedly. ‘Of course.  I..’  he suddenly shivered and looked around.  ‘Are you having problems with your heating?  It has suddenly become very cold in here?  I am a very good handyman and can fix the problem for you?’

‘No no, my heating is fine,’ sighed Melanie wanting the man to leave now.  ‘I am quite warm.  Perhaps you are coming down with a cold or something?’

‘Hmm,’ said Mr Smithers doubtfully, looking over his shoulder at TJ still standing at the door smiling broadly.  ‘Well, if you sure everything is ok?  Just remember, if you need anything, anything at all, just ask.’

‘Thank you Mr Smithers, you are awfully kind,’ replied Melanie now firmly escorting him to the door.  ‘Good night.’

Mr Smithers had barely time to say goodnight before the large wooden door was firmly closed behind him.  Gazing at the door for a few moments he pondered on how it was really sad that such a beautiful woman could let herself mourn for a man that had left her so long ago.  He must have hurt her badly because she was very reluctant to get into another relationship.  But maybe when her son was all grown up, maybe then she will start to feel lonely and that was when he would be there to help.  Nodding to himself, he turned and walked down the path and across the road to his house.

‘That…. that man is after your wife,’ stuttered Khaos staring at Thanatos who  had moved into the dining room and was now casually pouring three glasses of wine.

‘Obviously,’ said Thanatos smiling slightly.

‘Obviously?’ gasped Khaos sitting himself down at the large dinning room table.  ‘And this does not concern you?’

‘Why should it,’ said Thanatos placing the wine on the table and joining the rest of the family smiling at his wife.  ‘My wife is not interested in him.’

‘As simple as that?’ queried Khaos looking from husband to wife.

‘As simple as that,’ confirmed Melanie.

‘Well I repeat what I said earlier, Thane my friend,’ said Khaos.  ‘You are extremely lucky.  Not only is your wife the best Muse this side of the sun, she is a superb cook and loves you completely.’

Thanatos smiled and nodded in agreement, he was extremely lucky.  It was nineteen years ago when they met.  He had been searching desperately for Gaia after her mysterious disappearance.  For six months he had travelled from one end of the earth to the other, looking and listening for any signs of his closest and dearest friend.  Her explanation for her disappearance had not satisfied him as she would surely have confided in him prior to taking such drastic action.  There had been no sighting or signals until one afternoon after he had made a collection in Bwindi Forest he heard her song.  He had been drawn into the great forest, to an area where nobody ever came, even the local people who lived nearby did not enter, not for fear of wild creature or monster, but simply because no one ‘knew’ that it was there.  The majestic redwood trees held an air of pre-historic mystique, their branches extending a hundred meters upwards blocking out all the light.  The constant mist surrounding the forest made it invisible and confusing to the casual traveller.  He had wandered around for hours when the singing stopped as suddenly as it had started.  Confused and doubting himself he had wandered on, but no sound could be heard – not even the sound of the forest.   Many days passed with no further sounds or signs so defeated he made his way slowly out the deep forbidding forest.  Finding a country road near the edge of the forest he travelled along it for many miles until he found his way to a small village.  On nearing the closest cottage he had stopped and found himself staring at the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.  Melanie had been busy picking tomatoes from a small vegetable patch in front of the cottage and had looked up and seen him.  She had recognised him on sight and being concerned with his frail, dishevelled state had invited him in for dinner.  Not long after they had married and Thanatos Junior was born.  His connection with Gaia would always be present, but his love for his wife was infinite.