text: Death rides a pale horse Ensio’s Place was crowded that night. He usually didn’t get a lot of business when the weather turned foul. Having his bar on the outskirts of town had some benefits but an abundance of customers on a stormy October night wasn’t one of them. Ensio stood behind the bar, three of his regulars sat nursing drinks and murmuring amongst themselves, and two couples were playing doubles on his old green top. Add in the three ranch hands eating their dinner and Coral Harper dropping quarters into the juke box and Ensio had a crowd. Now eleven people, twelve including himself, wasn’t exactly a rave but for Ensio’s Place it was a pretty good gathering. Especially on a night like tonight. Ensio had just finished cleaning the grill, he’d made last call for food and all those eating had been served. He glanced to the clock behind his right shoulder, 9:08 pm, and figured he’d give them another hour or so before closing down. After getting a head start on the nights cleaning Ensio glanced again at the clock. It still read 9:08 pm. “Huh?” Ensio remarked to no one, “The damn clocks busted.” One of the regulars snorted drunkenly “Bad omens.” He hiccuped. Coral Harper let out a deep sigh “Shut up Hank! All you do is talk of omens and drink. In the ten years I’ve known you, you have never once been right.” Hank looked down into his beer and shrugged refusing to rise to Corals bait. Funny thought Ensio, Hank was about the only man here who hadn’t risen for Coral once or twice. Coral was the closest thing this small town had to a hussy. She used the men here to fill the void left by an absent father and addict mother. Ensio’s PA would have said “She was rode hard and put away wet.” His dad had a way with words in Ensio’s mind. Coral had once been the jewel of the county but years of drinking and smoking her sorrows, not to mention screwing every thing that moved, had put a crust over the glow she use to have. Coral moved to the dance floor swaying her hips, narrowed by years of hard use, she tried to catch the eye of the only ranch hand she hadn’t ridden yet. Ensio rolled his eyes and moved to turn off the outside sign and saw the headlights of low slung, predatory muscle car pulling up to the bar. He sighed and left the signs lights on, as long as the newcomer didn’t want to eat, he didn’t mind padding his register. Ensio made his way back to the bar to await the customers arrival. The door swung open with a sodden bang and the stranger stepped inside. He was fairly tall, but extremely thin. He wore black cowboy style boots, black jeans and a black duster over a plain white t-shirt. His hair was long for a man in this part of the country and if it hadn’t been wet, Ensio was sure it would look unwashed. The stranger looked over every patron in the bar, gaze lingering on Coral, then made his over to sit on one of the well worn stools. Ensio struggled to find his voice, this strangers colorless eyes unnerved him. “Grills off but I can get you a drink friend.” He finally stammered. The stranger didn’t respond for almost a minute, just looked through Ensio, then finally he nodded. “That will be fine, mind if I smoke?” Ensio answered with a nod and spun to get the man a drink. The stranger drew a cigarette from his pack and placed it in his lips, Coral appeared beside him with her lighter already lit. “Hello stranger, you got a name?” She stared a little to intently and her desires were obvious but the man didn’t even seem to notice. He dipped his cigarette into the flame, took a long drag and spoke on the exhale “Thanatos.” Coral beamed, clearly ignoring the strangers disinterest, “Sounds exotic,” she twittered “Where’d you get a fancy name like that?” Thanatos ground his cigarette into the ashtray, immediately lit another and finally turned to look at Coral “I’ve always had it, it’s Greek.” With out looking he reached out and took the proffered beer front Ensio’s hand pressed it to his lips and drank it down quickly. “Afraid I’ve got to be going” he murmured. As he stood to leave Coral gripped his arm, “Leaving so quickly?” she asked batting her eyelashes at him. Thanatos hesitated for a brief moment, bent and softly kissed her cheek “Every body has a time to go.” He said softly as he turned to the door. Ensio followed him out and turned off the sign as he glanced out the window he saw the stranger climb into a Shelby Mustang and a shiver ran through him. The car was ash white and as Ensio heard Coral crash to the floor behind him he spoke aloud without thought “I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat upon it had the name Death.