Milo Moon: It Never Happened by Derek Haines Read Free Book Online Page B

to bed just after ten-thirty, and Milo took over.
    ‘Oh Michael!’ Claire said breathlessly. ‘Did they give you extra vitamins while you were in hospital?’
    Michael returned to the ARC Processing Centre for his check-up the next week. All was in order. He was surprised that his visit was so brief. Just a few questions from a nurse at reception about Michael, which he answered and he was finished. No mention of Milo at all.
    ‘Looks like we are stuck with each other then, Milo.’
    ‘Well, you could have told the nurse that there was a problem.’
    ‘Yes. But then what would’ve happened? We both would’ve been wiped and replaced with another life force.’
    ‘Well, if you don’t mind, I have no complaints. So long as you don’t mind me enjoying your, or is she our wife?’
    ‘I’m not sure. It’s only one body we have, so I suppose it’s okay. She is a pretty little thing though, isn’t she?’
    ‘Great minds think alike Michael.’
    ‘Oh dear Milo!’
    The days and weeks passed by, and Milo and Michael found a balance of work, life and passion as they shared a single body. Milo being the more passive and immature, except for his passion for Claire. Michael taking control of work and being very friendly, sociable and pleasantly polite. They both knew that there had been a mistake made, but as nothing had come of it, they were both happy to leave things be. They could both take advantage of sharing a formyon existence. Milo saw Cindy most days, so he felt he could ask for no more. He had seen the new Milo on two occasions. Seemed a nice enough fellow. Always dressed very smartly. He had never tried to recover his ‘Joe Your Friendly Neighbourhood Butcher’ calendar. There didn’t seem any need now that he had Claire.
    Claire was sleeping peacefully alongside Milo. He couldn’t sleep. Both he and Michael were searching their memories. Trying to find similarities and beginnings. The best either could do was to remember vague notions of memories that weren’t any more than a few months old. Milo couldn’t recall exactly when and how he got his cat. Michael couldn’t remember exactly when or how he and Claire had come to be together. Michael couldn’t remember not being in this formyon body. But Milo could. Milo could remember not being able to see behind himself. Michael couldn’t.
    They both fell asleep finally, as they tried in vain to find answers. This was hardly surprising, as they both had no idea of what questions to ask. They didn’t know that there were others, who did know what the questions were. When they made that discovery, it would be clearer why Milo and Michael were sharing their existence.
    Chapter 7 - Keeping Secrets
    A quarter or so of his ‘Joe Your Friendly Neighbourhood Butcher’ calendar was sticking out from the top of a garbage container in front of Milo’s old flat in Brown Street. He was stunned to see it so long after having become Michael. He looked at it a little closer. There was some writing on the bottom corner, just under the 30th of June.
    ‘ You can see, and be seen. Later. ‘E’. ’
    Milo re-read the note, but didn’t take the calendar from the container. It was clearly left for him to notice on his way to work. No one other than Milo would have recognised the calendar, so the message was definitely for him. He started walking away sensing that he and Michael shouldn’t stay. However he immediately started to process the message. It must refer to his third eye. That was logical. A monitor. Of what though? And ‘E’. Who or what was ‘E’? Milo was almost at the gates of his control centre when he suddenly understood. Smithe with an ‘E’! George Smithe. The question that suddenly became very obvious was whether George had realised his mistake, or had he intentionally made one? It gave both Milo and Michael food for thought for the day.
    ‘So, who is George then, Milo?’
    ‘He’s the semi-transparent man, who disturbed my breakfast and then had