Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 339) Be Fearful
With her final statement echoing loudly over and over in his head, Stephen leaves Klara’s shop and steps out into the blinding light of mid afternoon. He looks up and down the street unsure of where to go next. If the evil thing that killed his grandfather is lurking in the shadows, then how much of a chance does he have of making it home alive?
Klara said he will be back and even though he feels she knows more than she is revealing, he swears to himself that he will prove her wrong. He does not plan to see the fanatical old woman ever again! Looking back at her wooden door with its inlaid iron weave, he winces at his own thoughts for her doors and windows share the same adornment, much like the ones at the manor. He looks down at the bottom of the door and sees a dusting of a white grainy substance that crosses the threshold.
“Salt, I remember seeing salt in the basement.” He whispers to himself and this leads him to believe that if what she says is true, then she too must be fearful of something entering her own domain.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 338) This I Know
“Go as you wish, but farther than the manor, you must run Istvan!” Klara yells just as Stephen grabs hold of the handle of the shop door where he pauses and wonders if the creature from the woods is still out there, hiding and watching. “Yes Istvan, the answer to your questions, is yes!”
He cannot believe what the old woman just said for it seems that she is reading his mind. Klara appears just inside the dark curtains and looks up from the crooked hump that pushes her neck and head forward.
“First it was released from its chamber and roamed free in the house. Your great-uncle paid the price for that mistake.” She winks.
Stephen finds this news to be anything but worthy of a wink. In fact, it is terrifying. He knew from the funeral that things were not right, even Zsofia questioned his death.
“Yes, his greed opened the cell and out the demon jumped!” She says loudly as her hands begin to shake. “Then, just the other night, the door was left ajar and no one was watching. The wood and iron that bound it inside will repel it from entering as well. As long as you remain behind the iron, wood and salt of the earth, it cannot come in.” She hesitates as she closes her eyes. “Believe me. . . it wants in for it was offered safe haven there.” She says firmly. “You have questions,” Her voice quivers. “and you will be back to see me, this I know as fact dear boy, this I know.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 337) Deliberate
Klara stares up at Stephen again and her face is almost evil in appearance. Shadows cover over the deep crevice like wrinkles around her mouth and eyes and her face is sunken like a body in a crypt. This odd look sends shivers through Stephen’s body as he makes eye contact with her and then immediately looks away.
“You should collect your things and leave the manor behind. However, be sure to bring the key to the dwelling to me.” She insists as she pulls the cup and saucer to her. “Ah, but the leaves state you will not, they indicate you will stay. . . yes, yes.” She says in a whisper as she bobs her head up and down. “But you will wish you had not stayed.” She states in a very low deliberate tone.
“I think it’s time for me to go.” Stephen says abruptly.
He walks toward the dark curtains hanging across the doorway, pushing them aside with his hand as he maneuvers through the clutter sitting around the main room of the shop. Despite the narrow walking space, he very quickly he makes his way to the shop door.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 336) The Contrary
Stephen stands up quickly pushing his chair back with a loud scraping sound on the floor. Not only is Klara confusing him with her riddles, but he is not pleased with hearing he is cursed. It is not that he is dismissing what she is saying. No, much to the contrary he feels she is reading him perfectly. The things he has witnessed from a very early age have never left him and he feels he is the reason Tamas has been leaving the security of his own home. She is right, if he were to leave, there would be no reason for Zsofia and Tamas to be at the manor and around him.
“So you are telling me everything will be fine if I leave.” He questions as he rubs the back of his neck.
“Oh, if only this could be true.” Klara states as she looks down at her hands. “The demon is out, the door was unattended and the culprit has paid the price,” she states firmly and Stephen knows she is referring to Kate. “Whether you are here or there or nowhere, the beast will bring the final end to others, just as it has for centuries past.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 335) A Curse
“So? What was this all about?” Stephen says as he points to the teacup.
“What I have feared all these many years is true. You are gifted dear Istvan, but haunted by your visions.” She speaks quietly as if someone may overhear her. “You are placing others in danger and do not realize it. Your friend and her brother are in grave danger and something horrible is about to happen. You should leave this land before it takes you.” She leans her elbows on the table and tips her head down as if exhausted. “If you are not careful, they may carry the same fate as Kate.”
“What do you mean by that?” Stephen blurts out now very upset that she is stating Zsofia and Tamas may die. “What can they possibly have in common with Kate?” He questions as the old woman looks up at him.
“You dear boy. You.” She whispers as if her voice is far away. “Your family carries a curse unlike any other. The demon was summoned to a trap, now death is sure to come to all who dwell in the presence of the past.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 334) The Saucer
With her eyes closed, Klara directs Stephen in the next step, “Lift the cup and swirl the contents until the leaves stick to the side.” She waits for him to complete this. “Now, with the pinky of your right hand on the handle of the teacup and touching only the handle. . . turn it to the left four times and stop where you started.”
She sits very still and as soon as Stephen begins to turn the cup, she tips her head as she listens to the movement. She then begins to count.
“One, two, three, four, good, good.” She smiles still keeping her lids closed. “Now, quickly turn the cup upside-down on the saucer and take three long slow breaths.” Stephen follows her directions exactly. “Now lift the cup and set it on the table beside the saucer.”
Opening her eyes, Klara pulls herself up out of the chair and walks over to Stephen. Standing beside him, she leans over to view the cup and saucer. She is very quiet for several minutes as she stands next to him as if mesmerized. Finally, she returns to her chair and sits down but again, she is silent. Stephen is growing impatient.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 333) Begins To Hum
With her cane, Klara pushes the teacup and saucer toward Stephen being very careful not to spill the contents. Unsure if this is a good idea or not, Stephen slowly lifts the teacup to his lips. He can feel the warmth coming up from the liquid and the scent of cinnamon tickles at his nose as he takes the first sip. The flavor is actually good and he takes yet another drink.
“Drink it down but keep a small amount at the bottom with the tea leaves.” She smiles as she closes her eyes and begins to hum quietly.
With one final gulp, Stephen finishes the contents of the teacup exactly as the old woman directed. Standing up, she inspects the cup then takes her seat and folds her hands in front of her as if praying. Her lips are moving but Stephen cannot make out any of the words she is saying. To him it does not even sound like the native tongue.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 332) Wraithlike
Looking around, Stephen tries to see into the darkness but the veil it creates is thick and cryptic. His gaze circles back toward the woman and he realizes she is staring at him. Her piercing eyes encircled with deep ridges of skin seem wraithlike and aggressive as she simply sits there without movement or words. Her demeanor is troubling to Stephen and he begins to stand up.
“No!” She hisses at him in a dry whisper. “Sit down, drink the tea.”
“I’m not thirsty,” Stephen says as he once again begins to stand.
The old woman slams her crooked cane onto the table creating an ear shattering sound that nearly knocks Stephen backwards. Immediately he takes his seat.
“Drink the tea.” Her tone is low and she is gritting her teeth together as she speaks but Stephen does not move and she realizes he is frightened and trying to conceal it from her. “Istvan, to find the answers you seek, you must drink.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 331) Unending
The old woman pulls out a chair and takes a seat as she motions for Stephen to sit across from her. As soon as he lets the curtain drop, the room becomes much darker. He sets the teacup and saucer on the table so he can pull a chair out to sit down when Klara grabs at the tea set. She pulls both the cup and saucer into the middle of the table and spins the cup by the handle twice.
This windowless room is void of natural light and the only glow it has is from a small lantern hanging high above the center of the table. Its light is so weak it does not reach the outer sections of the small space, which gives off the appearance of a continuum of darkness around them. This unending abyss would not seem so threatening if the little woman would speak, but the hush is deafening to Stephen as he nervously takes his seat across from her.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 330) Come With Me
Shivering, Stephen steps away from the shop door and holds his arms to protect himself from the chill that seems to have taken over the room. Is she referring to the night Kate left? When he awoke, the door was ajar and no one was around. Zsofia had warned him that it was a rule not to ever leave the manor door open and unattended, but just last night, this did in fact happen.
“What are you talking about?” Stephen asks in a subdued way as if worried that someone might hear this conversation.
“Here,” she says as she pours hot water into the cup. “Carry this, do not drink it!” She says quickly as she stares at him. “Come with me.” She hands him the cup and saucer.
“Ma’am,” Stephen begins to protest.
“You call me Klara, this is all I am to you.” She states as she hobbles toward a curtained doorway.
Stephen follows her as they walk through deep purple, almost black velvety curtains to a room that has a small round table in the middle of it. Standing in the entrance, with the curtain held back by his hand, the room smells musty and old mixed with the scent of soap and spices. The dark furnishings of brown and deep reds overshadow any light that has found its way in from the drawn curtain where Stephen is standing.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 329) Escaped
Klara swirls the last bit of tea in the cup then quickly turns it upside-down onto a saucer. Holding up her hand she extends one, then two and finally three fingers. Gently removing the overturned cup, she leans in close to the leaves displayed on the saucer.
“I don’t understand, what. . . why are we having this conversation?” Stephen questions as he looks at the door hoping to end this meeting and go home where he belongs.
“Your heart is in the right place, Istvan. No worries, no worries.” She mumbles as she pulls a clean cup out of the cabinet. “Cup of tea?” She questions as she scoops loose leaves out of a jar dropping them in the cup.
“No, I’m fine.” He says as he steps toward the door to leave.
“It is not done with you.” She states quickly.
Stephen stops just as his hand touches the handle of the door. Did she say what he heard? Is she talking about the creature that taunted him in the woods? The one Tamas appears to call a friend. How would she know about that?
“How. . .” He starts to ask but is stopped by her next statement.
“It escaped, I knew it would, I saw it coming. The door, the door was left open.” The old woman whispers to herself and the low voice she uses seems otherworldly.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 328) Born Here
“You were born here, did you know that?” The little woman questions.
“No, I did not.” Stephen replies honestly.
“Your true birth name is Istvan, but it was changed when your family moved away.” She pauses slightly. “It is strange when hateful people pass.” She continues to look in the opposite direction. “You sometimes wonder if they could have changed before their visit here on earth ended, but you and I both know that is not possible. Hate feeds on hate, evil breads evil and gluttons feed themselves.” The old woman grumbles as she tips her head to the side to glance at Stephen. “You won’t miss her, for she never missed you.”
This statement freezes Stephen in place for he knows she is speaking about Kate. How would she be privy to her passing, has the news already traveled that fast around town? Does she too suspect he had something to do with her death? He knows he was not involved in the incident that took her life, yet he feels guilty just the same.
“No need to feel guilty, she got what she deserved.” With that statement, the old woman giggles which Stephen finds to be a rather cold way to speak of the dead yet, he cannot help but agree with her. “She struggled. . .” The old woman squints at him. “Yes, it all comes back in the end.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 327) Influence
“What is it you come for? Do you know?” The old woman riddles.
Stephen does not reply, not at first, for now he wonders why he has come here. Last night she told him he would be back and he wonders if he is simply acting under her influence, or if he does have a true agenda.
“You want answers that I can give.” She states in a frank manner as she walks over to the counter where a steamy cup of liquid is sitting.
Slurping at the edge of the cup, she takes several sips and then opens a small vial pouring its contents into the cup. She swirls it around with her finger then drinks the rest of it down in one gulp. Stephen stands silently watching as she goes through this odd ritual.
“What is it you seek today young man?” She asks without turning to look at him. “Perhaps your future, your past. . . or possibly both?”
The silence in the room that follows feels thick and awkward to Stephen. He looks at the door and in all honesty, feels he should leave without saying another word. He has no idea why he felt the need to come here. His encounter with her last night was strange to say the least, but now he wonders, what does he expect to gain from such an odd woman?
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 326) Pale Pink
In the cabinet, behind the glass, are trinkets of glass and wood that look to be very old and intricate. Stephen jiggles the handle only to find it locked and the items out of reach. Near the top are several small books bound in leather with lace ribbons sticking out between several pages.
In the back of the cabinet, stuck behind a folded handkerchief, sits a small picture in a silver frame of two women standing near a waterfall. Something about it seems familiar but he cannot quite place what it is. Bending down slightly to get a better look, he leans in close to the glass.
“I knew you would come, Istvan.” The old woman says in her crackly voice as she steps up very close to Stephen. “You have an inquisitive mind today, don’t you?” She continues.
Startled by her presence and the fact that she was able to sneak up on him, Stephen turns around quickly to look at her. The bent features of her stature shorten her in height and the cane in her hand looks more like a small branch from a tree than a sturdy support. A sly grin presses across her thin lips in a creased line of pale pink.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 325) Cascades
Not only does Stephen find it odd that the details of Klara’s shop match the look of the manor, but in glancing around at the adjoining buildings, her shop is the only one on the street adorned in such a way. He pushes the door open and steps inside the shadowy and heavily cluttered room. Sitting around on many old pieces of dark and hand painted furniture, are herbs and spices as well as candles and seeds for planting.
“Hello?” Stephen questions as he gently closes the heavy door behind him.
On the counter to his right is a white candle in a glass jar filled with what appears to be salt or sand. The sweet scent of gardenia fills the air with an undertone of moss and leaves, much like the forest smells after a gentle soaking rain. Red and orange scarves hang over two lamps that stand on either side near the back of the room. They produce a reddish-yellow glow that cascades across everything, tinting the items and skewing their natural color.
“Is anyone here? He asks again as he walks over to a tall cabinet.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 324) Titled Klara’s
Instead of walking the twisting path through the woods, Stephen makes his way down the overgrown driveway, that just today he realized even existed. He finds it takes him much longer to reach the main road but the trek is open and sunny. Woods line the unkempt road but the undergrowth and denseness of the trees is airy when compared to the forest on the other side of the manor.
Now that he has finally made it to the road, his motivation quickens the pace. Walking along the gravel edge, he makes his way up and down numerous low hills as well as bends to the right and left. Coming into view are the various rooftops and chimneys of the small village. With determination, he continues walking on the path that takes him directly to the small shop titled Klara’s.
Stepping up to the door, he glances at the dingy lace curtains that drape, in many layers, in a crisscross fashion just inside the large window. The trimming around the door is made of thick black iron and the familiar pattern of wood and iron fills the door and window frame.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 323) Clear The Air
Just now, as he was watching Zsofia, Stephen felt true pain in the way she looked at him. He knows he has to talk to her and explain the situation; that is if she will even speak to him after today. He wonders if she thinks he had something to do with Kate’s demise, and with that thought, he wonders if that is the opinion of the authorities as well.
“What if they think I did something to Kate?” Stephen mummers, “After all, Laszlo accused me of being crazy.” He pops two pills into his mouth and closes his eyes as he lets them slide down his throat. “What is that thing in the woods?”
Not wasting any more time, he grabs his duffel bag and goes up the staircase to the second floor and the large adjoined rooms of the south wing. This room would belong to the master of the house and he plans to call it his own. Pulling a towel and a bottle of shampoo from the bag, he proceeds to the washroom for a quick bath. He is filled with determination and knows what he must do. First, he must speak with the old woman about his history, which she seems to know so much about, and second, he must clear the air with Zsofia.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 322) Between Them
Stephen closes the door and engages the bolt then leaning with his back against it, he slides down where he sits on the floor for several minutes. He is not sure how he feels. Hearing of Kate’s death has not affected him in any way, which makes him think ill of himself, yet he cannot help it. She was horrible to him in so many ways.
Time after time she would play with his emotions and only recently, in the past year, has he learned to live without her. Most of all, at this moment, he has clarity. He finally realizes she was the one with the problem. She was simply an unkind thoughtless person with no regard in her negative treatment of others. Yes, he is glad she is gone; he has a sense of relief that she will not be a threat to him any longer. Yet, in the back of his mind, he feels guilt, for he wonders if somehow he willed it to happen.
As Stephen stands up, anger is the most powerful emotion at this moment, because Kate came between he and Zsofia’s newly formed friendship. Not only did she show up unexpected and unannounced, she destroyed a beautiful moment of understanding between them.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 321) Feeling Cold
“I believe we can handle this,” The officer says as he places his hand on Stephen’s chest making it clear he needs to stop where he is.
Tamas walks over to Zsofia who pulls him into a tight hug as she smiles and speaks into his ear. Then with forehead to forehead, they look into each other’s eyes as they talk quietly. With one final glance at Stephen, she takes Tamas by the hand and guides him over to the parked police car where they both get in and sit down. Her face did not reflect any particular feeling, not anger or fear, not even sadness as she made the quick eye contact, and this leaves Stephen feeling cold and alone.
“If we have further questions, we will be in touch.” The smaller man states as he glances up at the windows of the floors above them.
Both officers walk to the car where Zsofia and Tamas sit inside, waiting. After starting the vehicle and pulling forward, the brake lights flash off and on in random order as the driver maneuvers around weeds and plants that have nearly overgrown the driveway. This random growth of nature makes it unrecognizable as a road.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 320) Stops Him
Reaching out to her, the officer takes Zsofia’s hands in his and they engage in a conversation that Stephen cannot translate. Both are smiling and laughing and jealousy begins to build within Stephen to the point that he wants to step between them. He believes this to be the same type of awkwardness Zsofia must have felt upon Kate’s arrival. Not wanting to endure any more of this interaction, he turns to Tamas to tell him goodbye.
“You need to stay at your home, Tamas. Promise me you will not wander off again. Okay? No playing in the woods.” Stephen says in a low tone as Tamas nods his head that he understands. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Yes, I believe we all agree with that statement.” States the tall officer as he returns to the entryway.
With the shorter officer now conversing with Zsofia, Stephen knows he will not have a chance to speak with her and explain what happened mere hours ago between him and Kate. From what he can tell, the officer is explaining the situation involving Kate now, for Zsofia’s expression has changed as she covers her mouth in shock and glances over at Stephen.
He cannot tell if it is fear or pity in her eyes and she looks away before he can make a connection. Wanting a chance to talk to her, he steps forward in her direction. However, the officer nearest him stops him immediately.
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