Rhett sat there on the cold, hard chair staring out into the dark rainy night. His hand clenched tightly onto a glass of brandy that was half full and beside it, a half empty brandy decanter. He thought of the days where he was full of life and energy.When everybody was full of life and energy!The days he still had his precious Bonnie and Scarlett. The two things he loved best. The two things he cherished and cared for more than life itself. And now they were gone--just like that. With a snap of a finger Bonnie was dead and half his world turned upside down. With another snap ofa finger Scarlett was gone and the other half turned upside down. Both of those loses had been his fault. He knew this, yet continued to feel sorry for himself. Continued to have self-pity and continued to think back on those days. All he did was look back, look back, look back, look back! He found he couldn't do anything but that during these past months--or was it years--maybe days--or hours. He did notknow, forall he remembered is telling Scarlett he was not in love with her and leaving that house in Atlanta which had so many memories engraved in those halls and rooms. His Bonnie had walked through those halls and been in those rooms. Scarlett had been there when they had built the house. They had shared their most intimate moments in that home and he walked away from it as if he didn't care--as if he didn't remember what had taken place there and had walked away as if hereally didn't love and carefor Scarlett. All of those things were wrong for he did care and he did remember, and he also cared for Scarlett as deeply as before. But he had been a fool and told her differently and told her he didn't care what she did. He had been the most stupid fool.
He sighed and thought, "It wasn't entirely my fault foreverything was it? I couldn't have stopped Bonniefrom riding." He sighed again and thought, "Yes I could have--Scarlettwas right, I was spoiling myBonnie too much onlyI realizeit much too late. Just as Scarlett realized that she lovedme. She realized it too late. And what could I have done that day. Scarlett always went to Ashley with everything, never to me. She tugged at my heart so many times and it just finally got tired of it. I got tired of waiting so I decided that I would leave. What else could I have done? You can't just forgive a person that easily after they've done you wrong for so many years. I certainly couldn't have forgiven her right then." He let go of the glass and slid the brandy decanter away and slammed his fists on the table and lowered his head in frustration, guilt, hurt, and depression. He lifted his head and frantically grabbed the brandy and glass and poured it and started drinking it. He poured and drank. Poured and drank. All he did these days was Looked back--got another drink--look back--get another drink. He stopped drinking for a moment setting the glass down and asked himself, "When will this stop? When will this torture end?"
He was truly tired and broken. Beaten down and depressed. He lye on the bed and closed his eyes for a moment then opened them not able to focus clearly on anything. Two questions stabbed at his mind like a knife. "When will this stop? When will this torture end?" More questions rang through his mind while those two remained to be the most troubling and distressing. He slowly closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
He was dreaming. Everything was foggy. He was walking along a path that was foggy and he didn't know where he was going. He walked more slowly looking around but nothing seemed familiar. He suddenly heard something that was near. It was a sound of talking. Then he saw two figures standing there in the fog and darkness about ten paces away. He squinted his eyes to try to see what was standing just a few steps away from him. He walked closer to the two figures and saw the two people standing just arms length from him. He stood there speachless and shocked.
"Bonnie? Mrs. Wilkes?" He managed to say after a long time of staring.
Melanie smiled her warm smile and nodded and he looked down at Bonnie who giggled and said, "Daddy! I've missed you."
Tears started forming in his eyes and he picked her up and kissed her on the cheek and said, "Oh Bonnie, I've missed you too baby. You'll always be my little girl. You'll always be daddy's little girl." Rhett said, his voice breaking.
He hugged her tightly not wanting to let her go and kissed her forehead and cheeks and put her down.
He looked up at Melanie and said, "But, you're--and she's--"
Melanie held up her hand to silence him and nodded and said, "Captain Butler, we have been sent to help you. We have been watching you closely for about a year now and we think it was about time we helped you. Haven't we Bonnie?"
Bonnie laughed and said, "Yep Daddy, we're going to get you all better. We're going to help you! You're going to get all beter I know it!" Bonnie repeated.
Rhett questioned them both asking, "What do you mean 'help me get better'?"
Melanie smiled and said, "Come with us now. We have a gift for you to use."
He looked confusingly toward her but follow her as she took Bonnie's hand and Bonnie took his hand.
Melanie stopped and so everyone stopped. He lookedin confusionas he saw standing before him two doors.
Melanie said, "Captain Butler," Melanie spoke softly but firmly. "These two doors lead to two entirely different places. This door," Melanie said pointing to the first door--"leads wherever you want to go. You can go anywhere you choose do anything you choose if you just go through the door. Choose your places wisely, for you only have a certain amount of time.That door," Melanie said pointing to the door on the right--"leads to your home, back to where you were and the end of all this." Melanie finished and said, "We will leave you to decidejust where to go inthat door or ifyou choose togo through the other door."
Suddenly Melanie and Bonnie disappeared and he looked at thetwodoors and started walking toone of the two doors.
/
I hope you like this story...I wasn't planning to startanother fanfic butthe story just popped out andI thought it may be agood story. We all know whichdoor he is going to take but just where he will go is the question. :)I hope thisis a good story. I know it maybe toomuch afantasy but I don't see those kind offanfics around anymore. Well, nextchapter will be up soon and same with'When this Cruel War is Over'.
-Katherine