Chapter 12: Don't Mention New York Taxis

Author's Note: YES! THE LONG-AWAITED NEXT CHAPTER! . Which has previously been delayed by the evils of college homework. Currently I am putting off doing some homework assignments because—seriously—who wants to do homework if there's something better? I have no free time most of the time even when I come on the computer, and since my boyfriend is not around at the moment to cry to about my migraine, I thought I might as well get started on this next part migraine or not. Not even my comic is being worked on right now, so please, everyone, don't feel neglected! I've been neglecting all my favorite things. ..; I didn't even get to read the books I borrowed from the library! wails Okay, but I'll shut up for now so you can get to the actual chapter!

So there I was hassling the lady at the desk yet again. It was the same woman from all the other days. I was beginning to wonder if the hotel was family-operated or… Well, actually, it was more than likely it was the only job she had, and she needed to come in each day to make enough to pay the bills. Considering any large cities were a good drive from here, she probably didn't have much of career selection to begin with. But I digress.

"I am really sorry that I keep talking to you in English, but I don't know Greek," I said to her.

"Fine, fine. Do not worry. I understand."

She waved as though it didn't matter.

"I was wondering; is there anything in the village I could see with my friend?"

I gestured towards Thanatos in the doorway.

The woman narrowed her eyes at him.

"That is not a friend. That is a demon."

I panicked.

"That's mean! He's just, uh, anemic! He dyes his hair that color! What are you saying?"

Great job, Amarante. Way to not be suspicious at all whatsoever. The woman went off in Greek, shaking her head. She didn't take her eyes off of him. Thanatos didn't seem to be paying attention to my conversation with her. I tried to direct the subject away from him.

"Uhm, so, as I was saying… The village, what's there?"

She was reluctant to let the topic go, but complied.

"Shops, grocery… Ah. There is a… How do you say…Carvel..Carnel?"

I squinted.

"Carousel?"

"No. Different. A festival. A carn--"

"Carnival!"

"Yes, that."

A carnival, eh? That would be interesting to show Thanatos in terms of modern human entertainment. I thanked her and moved to join him by the front door. He didn't say anything as I approached, nor did he when I stood beside him.

"I know what to do now," I said. "But you don't get to know. It's a surprise."

Thanatos turned and pushed the door open without much acknowledgement, and disappeared outside. I was left standing inside, blinking. He was acting weirder than usual. I paid it no mind. I was thinking more about transportation. It was one of those questions that always arise during a vacation in which you have no rental car. I couldn't afford a rental car, besides. It could be close enough by walking. Then again, maybe close was defined as 5 miles that I could handle, but maybe Thanatos couldn't. I didn't exactly want to walk 5 miles, either.

I mulled over this very boring question for a long time, never once sitting and doing nothing but gaping at the wall throughout. I could only come up the answers of, perhaps taking a local bus or calling a taxi. Both involved vehicles that my dreary god friend would not be excited about riding. The bus was probably cheaper, but less direct. I didn't know how many stops there were on the way to pick up the occasional goat herder or farmer. A taxi would cost me a pretty penny, but I wouldn't have to worry about sitting next to Grandma Aphrodite or whatever the hell people were named out here. My own full name confused me plenty. The other girls at my high school were named Megan or Katie or Sara. Rather than continue to be tangential by myself and never come to a solution, I sought to consult Thanatos for an answer.

He was under an olive tree, aloof… Alone… So clichéd… Rather like me being a Mary Sue. Or so some people might imply here and there, God help their poor souls. Cue the sad violins. In the next scene, I should probably run over to Thanatos and fling my arms around him and comfort him with big, sparkly eyes and a high-pitched voice. 'Oh, Thanatos, why are you looking so sad?! It wrings my heart with such pain to see you like this!'

Instead, I had half a mind to amble over and stomp on his foot. He was perfectly fine earlier when he left my hotel room. Even…Cheerful…If you could ever use that word to describe him. But his quiet emoness was getting us nowhere fast, so I did accost him to discover the reason and fix it up best as I could and get us on our way.

"Than, what's up?"

He appeared vexed.

"…Up? "

"I mean, what's wrong? You don't look very…Happy."

"I am never happy."

"You are so."

"I am not."

"You are, even if you won't admit to it. And that's beside the point!" I huffed. "I mean, what is bothering you? You are bothered, I can tell."

"Can you not see your own foolishness?" he replied icily.

I was taken aback.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Even the woman at the wooden table could see it," he moaned tragically.

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't tell me you were listening to that."

He frowned.

"I am a god. My hearing is perfect. She gave you fair warning. It is a warning that I have repeatedly given to you since we met in these woods. I am a Daimon. I am Death. I am no friend of yours."

Oh, God, here we go again, I thought. Somebody kill me—oh, wait. He could, maybe, if I angered him enough.

"Than, listen… I don't care. Can we go already?"

"You should care! My nature is to destroy! I may destroy you in the end…"

"I want to get going, please. But I don't know how to get to the village, exactly. It may be 5 miles from here, and I know you aren't really used to walking--"

"Amarante!"

"What?"

Thanatos brought his thumb and forefinger to his face and massaged his temples.

"I wish you would not make light of what I am trying to tell you…"

"I am not making light of this! I simply do not care. Or did you forget I kissed you last night?" I groaned.

"Yes, but…"

"Just… I've heard you the first hundred times, okay? I want to take you to my surprise!" I whined, jumping up and down like a child.

"Very well," he sighed. "What were you inquiring of me?"

"Transportation," I said. "It's too short a trip to call Xanthos or to fly. And it's too far for you to walk. I was thinking of taking the bus or a taxi. Some sort of car."

His eyes widened.

"No, I am not setting foot in one of those metal beasts," he declared.

"Than, you can't die. You're Death. Nothing's going to happen to you. It's perfectly safe."

He fell silent, thinking.

"Please, just trust me. I know what I'm talking about. Only professionally certified drivers can offer public transportation. These people are very good at what they do."

Okay, so maybe that was sort of a lie. There weren't very good bus and taxi drivers back home, and I absolutely had no idea what they were like in Greece. But this could convince him to agree! I didn't want to make the simple trip to the village carnival overly complicated.

He fidgeted with his hands, and then threw them up in a sign of resignation.

"All right! I submit. We will use the accursed things."

Yes! Victory!

"Okay, which do you prefer? A bus or a taxi?"

He shrugged.

"I know not the difference."

I tapped a finger to my lips.

"A bus has a bunch of people riding in it at once—strangers and well as ourselves. Taxis have only a driver, and us. Except taxis are more expensive for me, and I'm sort of running low on funds…"

I really hadn't expected to entertain someone else on this trip. I'd gone a lot farther around this country than I would have assumed at first. I probably would have stuck to eating at the hotel or living off snacks, and visiting museums and random temples. Those were practically free. The extra meals for him, someone who really didn't need food at all, sort of counted against my budget. Food wasn't cheap in Europe.

"I would rather not have to be around strangers," Thanatos confessed.

"Fair enough."

The next ten minutes were spent arranging for a taxi to meet us out front. The woman at the desk thought the walk wasn't so great as to need a taxi, and I agreed, but I told her that my friend wasn't in the best health for walking semi-long distances. After those five minutes, the taxi service sent a car right out. They had a driver who wasn't busy, so it took him five minutes to get from the nearby village to the hotel. He got out of the car to greet us, shook my hand, attempted to shake Than's (was unsuccessful of course, as Than just gave him an odd look…Or maybe that was a 'Death' glare, hahah, pun, funny…Yeah…), and then held the car door open for us. Thanatos, white as a sheet, would not go toward the car himself. I had to prod him in the right direction. Even then, he wouldn't get inside on his own.

"Than, watch, I'm getting in, and you have to follow me."

I bent, sitting down, and sliding over to the far window. I beckoned to him to come in.

The driver arched his brow in question. I floundered for an excuse.

"Motion-sickness," I said quickly, and beckoned to Thanatos again, more frantically this time.

He sat immediately, and stared straight forward towards the windshield. His eyes were wide, and his fists clenched tightly and bone-white in his lap. The driver slammed the door and walked around to the driver's side. Meanwhile, I reached across Than for the seatbelt to his left.

"Whatareyoudoing?" he asked in a quick blurb of words.

I so could not tell he was on edge. (Heavy sarcasm.)

"This strap here," I explained, "Is to hold you back against the seat and keep you from flying forward if we get crash; a safety belt."

With a snap, I buckled him in. His mouth flew open, and I cut him off.

"We aren't going to crash. It doesn't happen that often. This is just a precaution. I mean, look, there's no one on the road! The driver can't possible hit anything unless he's intoxicated. Which he isn't."

Thanatos stared down at his fists. I heard the roar of the ignition in the front. We pulled out from the hotel driveway onto the country road. Thanatos was nearly quaking with fear. To stop himself from doing so, he sat straight-backed and rigidly erect, eyes fixed on the road ahead, lips pressed firmly together. He was so cute; so focused! I strangled down the idea; surely I needed to stop associating Death with cuteness. I placed my hand over his. He was so tense he could not flinch even then.

"We'll be okay," I said.

He was too focused, even, to give me a reply. I was certain that after some minutes of driving without consequence, he would settle down. It took longer than expected.