Brothers 3

Chapter 2

The house looked better from the outside. The paint had recently been refreshed and was a pale red verging on pink. The windows were tall and slim, with rectangle sections in the glass. The roof tiles were also new, by request of Mrs Greene who said the old ones looked like the house had bad dandruff.

James stood back in the long grass admiring the house. The grass came up to his knees and stretched out from the house for about the width of two average gardens. Swaying in the wind, it looked like thousands of audience members at a concert during the slow song.

There were men going in and out of the house carrying furniture. James surveyed the work. New furniture went in and the old came out.

Robert strode over to him. Both of the men where in coats, Robert one with a fur hood and James the aging trench coat.

"Nice weather for it," Robert remarked looking up into the clouds.

"Beats the bloody sun stinging my eyes." James looked at his brother. "What are you doing here? Thought you were out to bury father."

"I was. That was hours ago."

"Wow. How the time flies when you're having fun."

"Do you think they will steal from us?" Robert nodded at the moving men.

"God I hope so. I'm hoping to catch one who is left behind. Late lunch."

Robert rolled his shoulders and looked at his feet.

"Yes brother, I know you disapprove." James put his arm around Robert's shoulders and drew him closer. "But the world is flawed, and I intend to be part of it."

Robert shrugged him off and patted his arm. "I know. And so do I." He scanned the full length of the house with his eyes. Then he sighed. "This place has kept me here for a long time."

"Nothing's different about it now." James took out a cigar from his coat. He offered one to Robert.

Robert shook his head. "It feels different without father. You don't feel the same?"

James lit the cigar and inhaled deeply. The smoke filtered out past his slightly parted teeth. "I don't know. Maybe its bearable now."

Robert choked on a laugh. "Okay baby brother. Don't be ice man forever." Robert spun and started towards the road, which looped up to the house from the surrounding woods. "Do remember that the human village nearby will be keep an eye on you."

"They probably think we will mount our father's body out the front of the house. Seems like something the kooky Morris family would do." James blew a ring of smoke and the wind snatched it away.

Robert was nearly at his silver BMW now, but James advanced ears allowed him to hear the words his older brother left him with. "Let them keep thinking that. Don't let them know the truth. But you hardly need told to be careful." Robert cast one of his meaningful looks over his shoulder. James rolled his eyes and blew another ring.

"There no fun in careful," James muttered. His brother didn't hear him. He got into his car and vanished into the forest. Soon James couldn't hear the engine anymore. He stood outside for a while longer, taking in enough cigar smoke to make him cough. He heard the sound of his father's cough whispering somewhere in his mind. He shook his head and put the cigar out on his palm. It stung but healed. He cast the remains of the cigar behind him, dusting off his hands after.

When he got back to the house, all the new furniture had been moved in and set around the house. This included the leather corner sofa that posed with one side facing the fire and the other against the right wall. The tables with the vases were replaced by large Bluetooth speakers. The old rug was still there but James knew that if it came to it he would burn the thing for fun.