Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 219) Bonding
The simple exchange of words between Stephen and Zsofia have brought them closer together, as if bonding two minds and hearts into a secure collaboration. Her tranquil manner is soothing to him and it takes away the nervousness and difficulty he normally has when dealing with people.
In most cases, Stephen’s interactions with others become awkward displays of quietness and insecurity, but with Zsofia, his worries are simply frivolous to him. He feels as if they could sit here at the table and talk for days. Even those silent pauses that find their way into most conversations offer a type of comfort to him.
Because of Zsofia’s connection with Stephen’s family, she has grown up with constant updates about him. It does bother her, just a little bit, that Stephen does not recall meeting her all those years ago. However, she realizes they were merely kids, and witnessing his grandfather’s death had to be very traumatizing, so she understands why he has a lapse in memory.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 218) Comfort
Stephen is not used to being around someone with a warm persona. His now ex-girlfriend Kate has a harsh, cold, and abrupt personality and would rather demean you than adore you. That type of relationship is all he has known for five years and as awkward as it feels to him, he is truly concerned about Zsofia. Something inside is pushing him to reach out and comfort her.
Turning and looking up at Stephen, tears form in her eyes and she wraps her arms around him resting her head on his chest. Slowly, he reaches up to hold her and they stand there in a gentle embrace. For several minutes, neither utters a word in the silence of the large dining room and to his surprise, this moment is not at all awkward.
“I’m sorry, Stephen, you have better things to do.” Zsofia says as she begins to pull away but Stephen continues to hold her as if sensing she needs this closeness and she relaxes in his arms.
“You have no reason to be sorry.” He replies. “I’m glad the man had a family like yours to confide in and spend time with. I just wonder what was really going on with him though.”
“I don’t think we will ever know.” She says as she looks up then smiles in a shy way as they release each other.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 217) Reactions
The tension Stephen feels is now showing on his face and Zsofia is looking at him with a questioning expression as she continues with her statement.
“Well, to shorten the story, by the time your great-uncle died, let’s just say he was ready.” She says in a soft voice and as she stands up, she seems to be on the verge of tears. “I should be going, grandfather and Tamas are probably wondering where I am.”
Stephen stands up as well, now concerned that she may think he was not interested in what she had to say. He walks around the corner of the table to stand next to her, but she is busy gathering their napkins and water bottles and does not notice. To him, Zsofia is such a kind gentle person and he hates that she may be feeling sad or upset now due to their conversation.
Reaching out, he barely touches her arm and she immediately stops what she is doing. Her story about his great-uncle upsets him but not because he is sad about the death of a man he never knew, but because she is so open with her feelings toward the members of his family. Yes, what she described causes many questions to flow through Stephens thoughts but he pushes it to the back of his mind for he is more concerned with Zsofia’s reactions.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 216) Last Days
“It was awful watching this strong, independent man lose sense of reality,” Zsofia looks away and hesitates but then continues, “it started out small, he complained of muscle pain, we thought maybe he was doing too much of the manual work himself and no matter how hard we tried, we could not get him to visit with a doctor.”
Stephen begins to feel pressure in his ears as he sits there listening to Zsofia’s account of his great-uncles last days. His skin feels prickly and he is on edge. Maybe it is because his back is to the door and he has a strong urge to turn around. Slowly and hopefully undetected by Zsofia, he glances behind him and looks up at the railings of the staircase. He feels his anxiety rising.
“The worst part was that he seemed so afraid.” Zsofia stops speaking and watches as Stephen turns back to look at her. “Is something wrong?” she questions.
“What?” He asks for he did not quite hear what she said.
“Are you okay? You act like you heard something.” She says as she covers the basket with the checkered cloth.
“Huh, no. I just. . . I don’t know what I was doing.” He laughs hoping this will keep her from asking more questions.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 215) Something
“If you don’t want to talk about it, that is okay. Unfortunately, I have not yet heard about what exactly happened to him. After the funeral, everyone was whispering about what a blessing it was that he finally passed away. So at first I thought he had some long drawn out illness or was such a horrible man they couldn’t wait until he died.” Stephen hopes his words do not offend her. “So when I heard he had a heart attack, I just assumed they were glad he was gone.”
“Oh that’s horrible but true.” She says. “I mean. . .” she pauses as if the words are difficult to say and Stephen does not interrupt the silence. “He was tormented, that is the only way to describe it.” She leans in looking Stephen in the eyes.
“By someone?” He asks.
“Or something.” She replies without losing her focus.
Stephen finds this to be an odd statement. What could she mean by “something?” He begins to wonder if Zsofia knows more about his great-uncles death than she leads on. Not in a malicious way but perhaps she too has witnessed strange happening’s here at the manor.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 214) A Crush
“Sounds like you had a crush on my uncle.” Stephen says in a joking manner as he smiles.
“Well if I was about forty years older, absolutely, I would have!” She laughs aloud then grows a bit serious. “The thing is, everything was fine until he had the electricians in to update the wiring here.” She looks around the room.
“So why did he do that? Was he planning to move in after all those years of letting it sit vacant?” Stephen asks.
“He never really said. Your grandfather was his older brother and I think for the first five or six years he stayed at the gatehouse because that is where he felt closest to him. Then one day about a year ago he decided to start working on the manor.” She stops as if she hears something.
“What’s wrong?” Stephen questions as he watches her.
“I’m just thinking of how horrible his last few months were.” She looks down as if she is about to cry.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 213) For His Age
“After your grandparents passing, your great-uncle moved into the gatehouse and was more or less the groundskeeper for the entire property. However, he did not do all the work himself. Most of the time he would contract out for each specific purpose, like me cleaning once a week.” She takes a sip of water. “His wife had passed away many years earlier so he was alone and usually kept to himself. I really liked him, he was calm and quiet and very kind. Since he and my grandfather were old friends, we invited him over often for dinner.”
“Well, that sounds pretty normal.” States Stephen as he looks up at the lights. “So was he ill or did he have health problems?”
“That is what makes this so odd. No, he was not ill at all. In fact, he was very healthy. He used to go hiking all the time and I do not mean a walk in the woods, he was the type to be gone for weeks on a mountain climbing expedition. He was very athletic for his age.” She breaks off a portion of her muffin into a bite size piece.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 212) Apprehensive
Stephen is shocked for he was not expecting this turn in the conversation. Here in this big house, and as much as he hates to admit it, spooky place, he is not keen on discussing the recent death of his family member. In addition, he knows when this conversation is over; Zsofia will be leaving him for the night. He replies to her with the facts he was given by the attendees at the funeral.
“I was told he died from a heart attack. Do you know something I should be aware of?” He tosses back to her.
“I only know what grandfather has told me, which is not much.” She replies without elaborating further on the subject and there is a period of silence between them, which Stephen finds odd.
“Okay, so tell me what you know.” He responds a bit coarse because Zsofia’s hesitation makes him even more interested in what she might have to say but more apprehensive as well.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 211) Abruptly
“It’s interesting that you are using some of my grandmother’s recipes as your baseline.” Stephen says as he bites into a slice of banana nut bread.
“By interesting, do you mean good or bad?” She questions.
“Oh, it is definitely good.” He says as he holds the piece of bread up to make his point more powerful. “I just do not remember much about her when my parents and I visited, except for eating fantastic food.” He looks up at the crystal lights above him. “So I find it interesting that you have kept that part of her alive, so to speak.”
Zsofia smiles at him for his interesting take on things and finds it refreshing and sentimental that he thinks of his grandmother in this way. As the room grows quiet, Stephen clears his throat and Zsofia asks a puzzling question.
“Do you know how your great-uncle died?” she questions rather abruptly.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 210) Recipes
“You saved the day.” Zsofia grins as she takes one of the bottles of water from Stephen as they both sit down. “Okay, these two are sour cream rolls and the yellow ones are lemon cheesecake buns, of which both happen to be my favorites.” She winks as she continues pointing out the differences. “The long ones are beer breadsticks, and then we have two blueberry and two strawberry muffins, and finally a small loaf of banana nut bread.”
“Sounds great, but we don’t plan on eating them all in one setting, do we?” Stephen questions knowing the answer is no, but he wants to tease her a bit.
“You know,” replies Zsofia very seriously, “we probably could, but I would be as big as this house if we over indulge and you wouldn’t be able to roll me out of here.”
They both laugh at this statement and then together reach for the lemon cheesecake buns and this starts another round of laughter between them. As they begin to nibble on the sweet food, Zsofia guides the conversation as she explains the process of starting her own business and the origin of her wonderful treats. Stephen finds it interesting that she has used many of his grandmother’s recipes for the starting point of some of her prize creations.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 209) Rats
“Come on in,” Zsofia says while placing two napkins down to use as plates. “Let’s have a bite to eat and then I will let you go about your business.”
“Alright.” He responds as he takes one last look at the staircase.
“Oh rats,” Zsofia says as she snaps her fingers. “I forgot to bring anything to drink.” She looks disappointed as she glances up at Stephen but as he approaches the room, he pulls two bottles of water from his pocket and shakes his head as he tries to hold back a smile.
“Lucky for us I grabbed water as I left the gatehouse.” He says quietly as he holds one of the bottles out to her.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 208) Alone Or Not
Together, Stephen and Zsofia approach the covered entrance and once at the door, Stephen turns the key in the lock. Pushing the door open wide, he steps back, allowing Zsofia to enter. Following close behind, he gently pushes the door shut then turns to look in the direction of the staircase wondering if they are alone or not. The images from his nightmare seep into his thoughts even though he is trying very hard to dismiss it completely.
“Stephen!” Zsofia says as if annoyed, he turns to look at her with a vague expression. “Did you not hear me?” she queries as she smiles at him with a questioning look. “I think I said your name about five times, you sure you shouldn’t just call it a day and go to bed?” She grins as she backs up to the wooden doors that lead to the dining room.
With her hips, she slides one of the doors into the inset crevasse of the wall exposing the large room to the light from the entryway. She then steps out of view from Stephen as she walks into the darkness and turns the light switch on. The room is now aglow and beautifully bright as Zsofia walks back to the table pulling the checkered cloth off the basket.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 207) Brave
“I do not believe I’ve ever been here when the lights were on. I guess since no one lived in the manor there was no reason for it.” She continues. “Even with the recent renovations to the wiring, I do not recall ever seeing anyone up here at night.”
“So you would come here at night?” Stephen questions as he watches her closely, thinking he will catch her in a lie.
“No,” she laughs, “but if the lights were on I would have noticed it from my house.” She points in the direction of the woods and even though they are faint, Stephen can see the lights of her house off in the distance. “You were thinking I was sneaking around up here at night, weren’t you?” She asks as she turns to face him. She places her free hand on her hip, which causes Stephen to stop moving forward.
“Well, that is how it sounded.” He confesses as he avoids looking at her, for he knows if he does, he will break into a smile.
“I can assure you, I’m not that brave.” She grins as Stephen steps around her to continue up the path.
“Ah, okay,” Stephen smiles for he cannot help but laugh at her honesty and the somewhat sarcastic manner she uses often.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 206) Lived In
“Wow, those smell great.” Stephen says about the baked goods as he looks up again to make sure he does not stray off the stone walkway.
“Well I should hope so,” Zsofia grins, “they are the best around for miles.” She states in a matter of fact way.
“Oh really? They are huh?” he jokes.
“Just look at that,” she exclaims as she looks up at the massive structure as it glows from inside. “The manor looks grand all lit up like that.”
She is right. Even though not every room is shining bright the place does have a very romantic and elegant aura to it. Glowing splashes of light from the windows reflect off the grass and surrounding shrubbery much like a spotlight to a person on stage.
“It is amazing how a little bit of light makes it look lived in.” Stephen says, agreeing with Zsofia’s statement as they continue to walk side by side.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 205) Serious
“I’m sorry, Stephen,” Zsofia says as she giggles, “but you are so serious. You need to relax and learn to let things happen without it being the end of the world.” Her smile seems to be contagious to him because he starts to grin as he releases his gentle hold.
“Okay, I see your point.” He smiles. “So what are you doing out here so late?”
“I brought you some muffins and breads, thought you might like a snack.” She says as she holds up a large basket covered with a red and white checkered cloth. “All the lights are on at the manor so I thought for sure you were there. So what have you been up to this evening?”
“Not much,” he says without much enthusiasm.
He then remembers his visit from her brother, Tamas, but he decides not to revisit the strange encounter, so he does not tell her about it. Together they start walking at a slow pace toward the manor. With the basket still in Zsofia’s hands, Stephen lifts the corner of the cloth to peek inside. He catches the strong scent of banana and blueberry.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 204) Surprises
Looking up at the night sky, Stephen finds the stars are brilliant and endless. He does not recall ever seeing them in this way before. He has always lived in the city where street lamps, car lights, and houses with floodlights dominate the night reducing the view that nighttime displays.
Just as he rounds a tight turn and still preoccupied by the thousands of stars overhead, he walks right into Zsofia as she is coming down the path in the opposite direction.
“Oh! You scared me!” she says as she stumbles backwards almost falling down.
“I am so sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He says as he rushes to grab hold of her arm before she falls. “What are you doing out here at this hour?” He questions in an annoyed yet concerned tone.
It is not that he is upset that she is here he just hates surprises especially when he is in deep thought and a little on edge. Holding her by the arm, he waits for an answer but she begins laughing instead.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 203) I’m Not
Slowly turning in the direction of the hallway, Stephen nervously runs his hand through his hair.
“Nah, I’m not staying here tonight.” Without hesitating one bit, he turns and walks back into the kitchen, which is extremely dark now that the sun has set. Looking out the window, he realizes he left all the lights on in the manor, for several of the windows are glowing brightly as are the lights hanging over the front entrance. It is actually quite an interesting sight to see. It looks awake and vibrant as if happily occupied, however he knows better.
“Wow, I wonder how many years it’s been since it has actually been lit up at night.” He says as he grabs two bottles of water off the counter and looks behind him at the dim lights of the sitting room. “I don’t need any more nightmares, so I might as well make myself useful.”
He stuffs an apple into his pocket, double checks that his flashlight is still working, and goes out the door to the long path that leads up the hill. Now that it is dark, he finds himself full of anticipation as he walks the twisting turning trail passing clumps of trees that periodically hide his destination from view.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 202) This Note
The more he skims the letter recognizing several words, the more Stephen realizes this is his grandmother’s suicide note or the beginnings of her spiral down in despair. She writes of love and happy times then begins to share hateful and fearful comments that only a depressed and somewhat angry person would dare put in writing for all to see. She is not specific to whom or what she is speaking about but he believes the very last line says, “Please know I always loved you.”
“But grandfather was already gone, he had already passed away.” Stephen says to himself. “She must have been so distraught over losing him that she felt compelled to take her own life and leave this note. But it’s odd that it would be addressing a dead man.”
He shakes his head as he folds the paper, on every crease and every line, exactly as he found it. Looking around one last time for any stray items, he places the letter on the top of the stack of photos and notes, and then gently closes the lid of the trunk. Turning toward the fireplace, he carries the boxy chest as he walks over and sets it on the left corner of the hearth. Stepping back to see how it looks, he smiles.
“Looks good,” he says to himself with a boyish grin as he admires his handy work.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 201) The Pain
Jumping up from the chair he fell asleep in, Stephen knocks the small trunk of pictures over scattering photographs and letters all around him on the floor and nearby end table. He has awakened in a panic from this appalling nightmare and it takes him nearly a full minute to realize he is actually physically fine and alone in the room. His hair is wet from sweat and his body feels cold and ridged as he looks at his surroundings with wild eyes.
The floor is a mess with photographs and paper strewn all around. Shaking, almost uncontrollably, Stephen pulls his bottle of pills out of his pocket, drops three into the palm of his hand, and throws his head back as he swallows them. He sets the bottle next to the small trunk as he bends down slowly and gathers the items, one at a time, placing them back in the trunk but not in the same order as they were before. The last item he picks up is a note, addressed to My Love. It is from his grandmother and the first line states she is sorry for all the pain she has caused.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 200) Thin Fiend
In Stephen’s disturbing dream, he looks back at the railing and realizes the thin fiend has moved closer and is oddly sitting, in a bent and crooked manner, atop the back of a tall plush chair. It is the size of a small man or child and is the most hideous creature Stephen has ever laid eyes on. It sneers and leans back and forth in a strange way as if its arms and legs are detached, yet somehow connected. With its focus on Stephen, it hisses in a long, crackly, and drawn out manner.
“I see you, Issstvaaan,” it says using the Hungarian version of his name.
It blinks its coal black, yet childlike eyes, as it seems to giggle at him. Now opening those devilish eyes wide, it continues to look at Stephen as if it finds him interesting or as if it is waiting to feel his fear. Watching and waiting there are no sounds to this dream as all the background noise ceases to be. Now this crumpled creature shows a sickening smirk of sharp yellow decayed teeth as if it finally got its wish. Without any warning or motion, it quickly lunges for Stephen!
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