First Chapters

First ChaptersBy Roy Hayward
I like first chapters.  I have to confess that I have readmany more first chapters than I have last chapters.  Many many more. As an aspiring writer, I also write first chapters.  Again, I writemany more first chapters than last chapters.  This is because I often endup re-writing first chapters after I get to the last chapter, and because Ihave started more stories than I have finished.
A first chapter is just like the opening line, it needs tocapture the reader and make him or her want to read more, want to read thesecond chapter, and hopefully the last.
This is something to think about if you are writing. Recently, I wrote a first chapter.  Here it is, please tell me if itmakes you want to read more.
_____________
"What is she doing here?"  AskedBent."She is with me."  RepliedTravis evenly."Well, you can't go through withit."  Said Bent."I already have."  RepliedTravis."I'll find a way to stop you." Argued Bent."No, you won't."  Said Travis."Maybe I already have."  SaidBent, and then he laughed in a half crazed way that made me want to wipe thesmile off of his face.  The fact that he shared the same face as Travismade the feeling even stronger.  You never think about these kinds ofthings unless you meet twins who have led very different lives.  You neverrealize how much of what makes you look the way you look is not your features,but the person behind your features.  These two men presented an evengreater example of how true this really is.
Both men are know as Travis Bent.  In timetraveling circles, Travis is know, both as one of the greatest heroes, and mostnotorious criminals of all times.  I had been learning from him, and forseveral personal years been trying to capture him.  As my teacher, he hadfirst recruited me into the subculture of time travelers.  I had been aphysics student majoring in engineering when Travis had asked me to come meetsome people.After that night, that lasted several personalmonths, I was part of the society of time travelers.  
"Personal time" in this case, is atime traveler concept.  Every traveler carries some kind of time keepingdevice.  This device both facilitates time travel, and keeps track of theactual passage of time for the traveler.That first night that I met with Travis wasthe first time I traveled in time.  When I returned to that place in time,only seconds had passed.  Yet I had been traveling for months.  Thosemonths were personal months of time that passed for me, but not for non-timetravelers.
Keeping track of personal time passage is animportant thing for a traveler.  The traveler society wasn't a formal societylike the Girl Scouts or Free Masons.  It was more like aSorority/Fraternity relationships after graduation.  Time travelersrecognize each other, and lend a hand to keep each other's secrets. Except for the Travis I call Bent.
I use the surname Bent to provide somecontext.  Like many things, context is the only way to truly communicatewhen dealing with time travel.  There are basically two Travis Benttravelers.  Something has or will happen that is a kind of breakingpoint.  And the two versions, Travis and Bent, were the outcome.The way Travis explained it to me was that hehad fallen in love with a woman.  But he didn't bring her into thesociety.  Then while he was traveling, another traveler took her away. The details here are sketchy.  Something about the "truth"being largely a mater of perspective.  I know, it sounds like nonsense. Well, the Travis that we are trying to catch, killed the other travelerand the woman.  He claims it was an accident.
Killing other travelers is not tolerated. The classic prohibition of a man killing himself or progenitor in thepast, and thus create a paradox is a real and present danger.  So allkilling is forbidden of travelers and those around them.  
This makes Bent a wanted man.  Exceptthat there is also a Travis Bent that never met the woman.  It looks likeBent, changed the past of the woman so that they would never meet.  Hefigured that this would keep him from ever falling in love, and thus neverkilling the other traveler.
But something both expected and unexpectedhappened.  It didn't change his past, but it did spawn an alternateoutcome.  So at the point where Travis met the woman there emerge twotime-lines.  It is a time trap.  No one on this side of the trap cantravel farther back than that time.  As far as we know, no one frombefore, can travel into this side of the trap.
Travis recruited me to come up with a solutionto this problem.  And I did.  The solution requires both versions ofthe Travis Bents to travel back to before the trap at the same time.  Icall it a "merge" of time-selves. Unfortunately Bent has his own plan.  Heis convinced that the problem is the other Travis.  He believes that if oneof them is killed.  The timeline will heal itself.  Which is why heis holding a gun on my Travis at the current moment.  But he didn'timmediately shoot him.  
This means he has doubts about his plan. It means we have a chance to convince him.
Both Travises laughed.  It was kind ofun-nerving. 
"We have to go back." Continued Travis."How can you be sure?" Questioned Bent.  "You really have a lot of faith in this girl if youare going to risk everything.""The math works out, and we have bothtried our own ways long enough.  It's time." "Well I haven't really 'tried' my planyet."  Observed Bent, pressing the barrel of the gun into Travis'temple."Your plan is rather final." Replied Travis.  "Its time to try this.""I'm not ready."  ComplainedBent."It's time." "I don't want to.""It's time.""Do you have to keep on saying 'It'stime' in response to everything I say?""Yes."  Travis said, and with asmile.  "It's time."
Most time travelers where not physicists, theyare more hobby travelers.  And they specialize in an area of time. Some become so intertwined into their favorite time, that theyalmost never come back to their original time-line.  Other travelers aresight see'er  travelers.  They travel to famous times and collectsouvenirs.  Most of them stay out of trouble. But some times there areissues when they go back to the same time more than once or end up messing withtheir own time-line.   
They tell me this is uncomfortable enough thatpeople seldom make that mistake twice.  And they tell me our time keepingand traveling devices normally warn us if that is a danger.Travelers like Travis and me study time travelitself.  We travel short and long distances in time to see how it works. And there are some experiments that would normally take too long toconduct if you couldn't time travel.The results of these studies are difficult toshare or publish outside of the community of time travelers.Bent lowered his gun, and Travis brought themboth over to where I was sitting.  "How far back do we need togo?"  They both asked."Not far."  I answered. "I am calculating that if we just take both of you back to just before thetrap was created, that two things will happen.  First, you will merge backinto one person.  And two, that the trap will dissolve.""I have to merge with him?" Bent said indicating Travis."Don't make it sound like such asacrifice."  Travis replied.They both seemed to be getting a perverse kickout of talking to each other.  Or themselves."Lets get this over with."  I stoodbetween them and reached out and touched each one lightly on the elbow.  Asecond later, the timer hooked to my belt chimed and we entered the field.Time travel doesn't require a vehicle. There is no dust or debris to get in your eyes.  And it doesn't requireother shielding.  There is no radiation or other dangers.  Thedangers are all in the act itself.
A moment later we were there.  Or I guess'then' would be more appropriate.  And at first I didn't understand whathad happened. 
There was only one Travis Bent.  So thetheory had been proven.  Re-integration was possible.  It wasn'tfatal.  And we had traveled through the trap, so it should be gone.But there seemed to be a side effect. Travis looked at me.  He smiled for a second.  Then he looked at theother me.  This was not going to go well.
"We have to go farther back." I said."I'm not ready."  The other mereplied."Not this again."  SighedTravis."This is your fault ofcourse."  I told him.  The other me just hit his shoulder."The theory worked, but we didn't go backfar enough."  I told the other me.The other me was backing away from both ofus.  "I think this needs a bit more work.""More work?"  I asked. "Don't you remember the personal years of study that we have committed tothis already?""Of course I do."  The other mereplied tossing her hair.  "But there are other factors that we nowhave to calculate in.  And data to be analyzed and factored in."As she said this, the other me reached down toher belt, and touched a button on the timer.  Instantly the fieldenveloped her and she disappeared."We have to follow her."  Iinsisted to Travis.  "She has to listen to reason.""If there is one thing that both of usshould know by now, its that she will."  He replied. "Given enough time, she will."_____________
So there it is.  A very short story/firstchapter about time travel.  (one of my favorite topics.)  Besidesexploring time travel, I hope that you want to find out what happens next inthe story, and find out more about the people that you have met.  Does it? Please help a writer out and let me know.

Roy thank you so much for guest posting. It takes a lot of courage to put your work out there to be critiqued. I applaud your desire to be better and to learn and grow. It's those writers that are in it for the long term. So what say ya'll. Roy needs some advice so let's hear it.