Morning all, Thursday has arrived and I am feeling pumped. I attended a writing lecture yesterday and even though it wasn’t focus on a genre I write I still picked up a couple of things that made me think about the story I am currently plotting out in a different way. There were elements that I knew had to be tweaked and I had a glimmer of an idea of how to do them. All in all a good hour spent. It was one of the free lectures given by Author’s Publish. I’ve picked up a couple of them before and always enjoy them. But now it is back to the morning prompt. everyone ready? Fabulous, let’s go.
I like the thought of those caught on the periphery of a family disaster having to deal with some of the ways it ripples out. I think with this I will take the idea and play with it rather than the actual story start.
Thursday, February 23rd: I had not seen him since everything fell apart.
I had not seen him since everything fell apart. It was a bit like seeing a ghost. He stood there and I saw the look on his face, in his eyes. To him, I was the ghost. I nodded and he nodded back. Then each of us turned going in our separate directions.
After all what was there to say. My sister married his brother. The family companies were merged and they became the titular heads of the companies. They were each given equal status which worked until the parents decided retirement now looked like a good option. Decisions were made, angst flourished and cheating began.
Our respective siblings charted a path of mutual destruction each determined to take the other down. In their war, the company took several direct hits Steve and I fled the scene of the carnage, each finding our own way. I don’t know about him but I was pleased that at least by the time everything self-destructed the family names were removed and a joint corporation name was chosen. That was the name that was in the press. That was the name spoken of in horrified whispers and mocking tones. It was a small mercy that both of our family names were spared much of the indignity.
The two of us were pushed out because we were not the chose child, each for different reasons. When the chosen looked around for help we were both far away, getting on with our lives and watching the public carnage from afar. The last time I even saw Stephen was at a joint family Christmas party when everything had yet to go public and we were all trying to pretend it was normal even as people scrambled behind the scenes to shore up failing defenses. My sister and his brother were still consenting to be in the same room at the time, even though they both kept to opposite corners.
I left town, Stephen left town and two days later the news hit the press and the spectacle began.
‘Now we are both here at the same conference.’ As I saw him pick up his information packet and attach his name tag to his chest I knew he was not passing through, not staying at the hotel/conference center for something else.
‘Still it’s a big place,’ I thought. ‘There is no reason for me to run into him.’
On the whole I didn’t have a problem with Stephen. He seemed like a decent sort. It was just uncomfortable to be around him as though his presence brought up the specters of things best forgotten. Confident that there was little reason for me to have to associate with him, even if we did end up in the same conference sessions, I moved to my seat in the auditorium. Soon the welcoming speeches would begin and any details we might need to know that weren’t in the packet would be announced.
As soon as I was settled I slipped out my papers from the folder and began to peruse the schedule. There were several sessions I was looking forward to attending and I wanted to make sure the schedule permitted. I read through the pages and suddenly had the distinct impression I was being watched. I looked up, and caught Stephen staring at me from across the room.
Ten til Midnight 