Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 439) Dazed
With the passing of night, the morning comes with the scent of rain and rumbles of thunder. Tree branches hang heavy with soaked leaves and puddles of water form in low areas of the road and yard. The constant tapping of rainwater leaking through a crack in the conservatory’s frame splatters droplets of water onto the side of Stephen’s face.
Still lying where he fell from the blows he took the night before, the dampness of the area stirs Stephen awake. He moans as he lifts his head and opens one eye. The lights are still on and with the grayness of the sky above, he believes it is still nighttime. Little does he know that he has been unconscious for nearly eleven hours and it is now a new day.
He feels a pain in his back as he rolls from his stomach to his side and finally onto his back. Looking up at the iron walkways above him, he feels dizzy and the room seems to want to spin as it slowly begins to move. Quickly, he closes his eyes to steady himself but even with eyes shut, he continues to feel movement and his stomach begins to gurgle.
“Ah, I’m going to be sick.” He says aloud as he pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers as another drop of water splashes on the wet floor next to his face.
A low rumble of thunder vibrates through the stone floor as Stephen begins to sit up. With his eyes closed, he slides over to the wall and leans his back against the cool stone. He is dazed and until just now, was not thinking of where he is or how he got here. Most of all, he has no idea about why he was lying on a wet floor.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 438) The Games
Now that Tamas finds himself trapped and locked away in the manor, he feels betrayed and used. Even though his mental state is that of a younger child, he knows and understands fear. He can tell when something is amiss but most of all, he knows the difference between good and evil. At this moment, he realizes just how malicious things can be.
Right now, here alone in a strange darkening room, he is fearful and angry. To make it even worse, he does not understand exactly what it is he is dealing with when it comes to the games and mental abuse of the Guta. However, he knows it hurt his grandfather terribly and he had to draw it away from his family, which was a very mature and tactical thought process.
With quietness creeping in, he stands from his huddled position and tries the door handle for what must be the tenth time. It remains firmly closed, there is no budging the door, not tonight anyway. Stepping over to the bed and its dusty coverlet, he lies down on his side and curls his body up tight in a ball. He misses his sister and is worried about his grandfather and he wonders if he will ever see either of them again.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 437) Presence
“Please have them be okay,” Zsofia mumbles just under her breath as she washes the dishes that have been sitting in the sink all afternoon. “Oh Tamas, what is going on with you?” She whispers as she walks down the hall and enters her grandfather’s room.
He looks so fragile to her and as soon as he finishes the small amount of broth he can eat, he falls fast asleep. Being extremely quiet, she walks across the room and pulls a chair up close to his bed where she sits down and touches his hand with hers.
Watching him sleep, she finds herself to be exhausted and gently lays her head down next to her grandfather’s hand. For a short while, she just lies there watching his face as he rests peacefully. She does not even realize it, but the rhythm of the ticking clock is lulling her to sleep.
The night air is cooler than it has been these past few evenings. The manor’s thick walls of stone are losing the heat they radiated throughout the day and the entire place grows quiet. Just inside the entrance to the conservatory, lying on the cold stone pathway face down, Stephen is not aware of the presence of the Guta.
Locked in a room on the second floor, Tamas sits with his knees pulled up and his arms holding them as he rocks back and forth. His eyes are red from crying and his clothes dirty from tramping through the woods to lure the Guta away from his grandfather, or so this is what he believed.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 436) Nightfall
“Now that is beautiful.” Stephen says to himself at how massive and perfectly designed this contained garden space is.
Whoever tends to the large outdoor garden on the east end of the manor must also be responsible for the upkeep of the conservatory. Looking again to his right he tries to see what, or whom, may be hiding there. Just as he leans up on the low wall for a better view, a sharp pain near his back bone, tremors throughout his body causing him to fall fast and hard against the stone floor.
In anguish, he tries to roll to one side so he can stand up but quickly all sounds muffle and he slowly drifts off to where his sleep takes him into darkness. His feeble attempt to stay alert is fading with his consciousness.
After allowing the nurse to go home for the night, Zsofia takes a few minutes to tidy things up and to feed her grandfather a cup of chicken broth. Worried about her brother, she feels staying busy will keep her mind off the matter, but even overworking does not help to put her active thoughts at rest.
Every few minutes she looks out the kitchen window hoping she will see Tamas and Stephen coming out of the woods. She knows Stephen stated he would not travel back after nightfall, but she cannot help herself.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 435) Rustling
Sliding the door open exposes Stephen to the scent of soil and the sweetness of blossoms. Coming from the far end of this contained environment is the relaxing sound of the waterfall as it splashes down into the large pool of water. The entire conservatory is extremely dark with only the light from the hall drizzling in from the doorway.
Sliding his hand along a low wall of stone, he bumps a knob and with a loud pop, several lights at the base of the trees shoot a glowing beam upward into the branches. To his right he hears a rustling noise, as if someone was hiding in the shrubbery, which startles him and he takes three steps back.
“Where is my damn flashlight?” He mumbles to himself because the last thing he wants to do is draw attention in his direction, yet he knows he needs to call out to see if Tamas is here.
“Hello?” He says in an average tone but no one answers. “Tamas, are you here?” He says a little louder just hoping and wishing the young man would reply.
Again, he hears what sounds like someone pushing through the ornamental clumps of plants. Looking around on the wall where the knob is that switched on the lamps at the base of the trees; he sees another one just below it. With a quick snapping movement, he pushes the knob and huge lights hanging high above click on casting a white radiance downward, which brightens the entire conservatory.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 434) Sentiment
Slowly, Stephen steps inside the dark entry hall of the manor, quietly pushing the main door shut, but because of the broken frame, the lock will not latch. He glances into the sitting area on his right before walking to his left where the large dining room table encompasses the space. Feeling confident that he is alone, at least in these few rooms, he walks toward the dimly lit hallway and debates on if he should check the conservatory before inspecting the rest of the manor.
Looking up and down the hall, he listens carefully for any sounds or movement. This house is so massive and the sturdy rock walls so thick, that he doubts he would be able to hear anyone if they were calling for help. More than anything, he hopes that no one is in need of crying out, just merely lost in the maze of rooms and halls.
The large double doors to the conservatory are directly in front of him and for some reason he feels he must check there first. As quietly as possible, Stephen begins to push on the doors to slide them open enough for him to pass through. Animosity and frustration start to fill him up inside as he prepares for anything that may come his way.
Rushing images of his parents flash in his mind disturbing his vision as he watches them laugh and run after him in a game of tag. He forgot about the fun moments they shared as a family for the heartbreak he still feels from the shock of losing them overshadows the good. Why this is flooding in right now, while he is looking for an innocent minded friend, confuses him. He has managed to block those memories for many years and vowed to himself that he would never release his emotions freely to anyone ever again. Yet, here he is, full of sentiment for Zsofia and her family.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 433) Red Sky
Listening to the sounds that encompass the area, Stephen tries to stay calm and keep a steady pace, but the memory of he and Tamas seeing the Guta here in the woods rushes into his thoughts. Turning to look back at the darkening trail that seems to close in behind him, he slowly scans the underbrush for any sign of the demon.
The key focus of his thoughts is of how frightened Tamas may possibly be and how frantic Klara had become when she began to sense something was wrong. Because of the visions in his mind, he pushes himself onward determined to put an end to this cruel and ongoing mental torture.
Now, with a red sky glowing above him, he approaches the manor just as the sun drops below the horizon. The stone blocks of the building look as if they soaked up the color of the sun, as they appear to be drenched in a deep burgundy aura. The magnificent building stands atop the hill in a dominant way and today, there is definitely something different about it.
“The door is open.” He says to himself as he steps up to the entrance.
The lock is broken and the wood around the frame splintered as if someone of great determination forced his or her way in. The entry hall inside is dark but the lower level hall that stretches along the west wing is steady in its amber glowing lights.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 432) Despondency
Leaning down, Stephen kisses Zsofia with gentle passion as anger begins to build inside him. He wonders why his existence is full of disappointment and tragedy and why now his life may end without accomplishing anything worthwhile. He feels as if a curse has been pounding down on him from birth controlling any beauty or happiness that comes to him by replacing it with despondency. Maybe this is why he feels that giving up is the best resolve. He will no longer suffer nor will those around him fall victim to the pain that consumes every hour of every day. He and Zsofia break from their kiss and she looks at him as if lost.
“I. . . I don’t know what to do.” She hesitates as a tear trickles down her cheek and Stephen gently brushes it away.
“I will find Tamas but we will stay at the manor tonight if he is there. Do not worry. . . but if I’m not back with him by midmorning, then. . .” Stephen says before Zsofia stops him with another kiss.
“Don’t say anything, you will be back, both you and Tamas will be back.” She says as she holds her fingers to his lips and looks into his eyes with intensity.
After one final hug, Stephen heads out for the woods before the sun sets. His goal is to be through the dark forest before he loses daylight, but with his first step into the maze of trees, he fears he may have started too late.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 431) Tears Begin
“Everything will turn out right, okay?” Stephen says as he stands close to Zsofia hoping she does not pick up on his fear.
“I hope you are right, Stephen.” She looks up at him as if trying to read his thoughts.
“No matter what happens today or tomorrow, I. . . I just want you to know I’ve never felt a connection to anyone like I do with you.” Stephen looks her in the eyes with sincerity, and without even so much of a nod, they understand each other.
“Please be careful. . . and please come back to me.” Zsofia states as tears begin to glisten in her eyes for it is at this moment she can no longer conceal the fear she feels for him.
Her statement strikes a common chord with Stephen for he realizes she too must be worried their relationship will end here, now, brutally cut off almost before it began. Zsofia steps forward, wrapping her arms around him as he pulls her into a tight embrace. By her stance and the way she is holding him, he realizes she is crying. Even though she is staying silent, he can tell by her breathing that she is fighting to hold it all in.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 430) Fate
With the sun now lowering itself near the horizon, Stephen does one final walk through the lower level of the house. He needs to make sure the Guta is not here lingering, and after speaking with Klara earlier, he knows what he must do. The beast wants him as payment for something his ancestors did and she made it sound as if this will be his destiny no matter where he goes. There will be no escape and running will only prolong the inevitable.
A weighty sadness has fallen over Stephen. What seems odd, even to him, is that he seems to have accepted his fate. His concern and need to protect Zsofia and her family outweighs his own personal safety and never before has he had such strength and courage. If his willingness to confront the monster is what it takes to keep the woman he is falling in love with from harm, then there is no question in what he must do. He knows his actions may very well lead to his death, yet again, he does not see that there is any other way to proceed.
In looking at Zsofia, he is sure she is unaware of the dangerous assignment he is about to undertake. To her, this must simply be another walk through the woods to search the manor, just as they did earlier in the day. He doubts she realizes the strength it takes for him to take these steps and how difficult it is for him to leave her for what may end up being, forever. In silence, she walks with him to the door where he stops to say goodbye.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 429) Comfort Zone
“What did she tell you?” Stephen asks as Zsofia pauses in her conversation with the nurse.
“She said Tamas kept repeating your name. He kept saying Stephen over and over as he moved around the room knocking things onto the floor and finally pushing her down before fleeing down the hallway.” The woman begins speaking again as Zsofia turns toward her to listen.
“She chased after him but something happened, she is not sure what, but somehow she was pushed to the floor hard enough to go unconscious.” Zsofia looks over at the area where they found her and then continues. “She said she could hear Tamas yelling and she is positive he was heading in the direction of the woods.
“The manor.” Stephen says, as he looks out the window at the thick grove of trees that tower overhead. “You stay here, with your grandfather, and help the nurse. I’ll go find Tamas.”
He has no idea why, but he feels empowered. Maybe it is because he knows Tamas needs help and cannot defend himself, or maybe it is because he no longer has concern for his own safety. Anger is flooding his veins and this rush of adrenaline is pushing him to step out of his well maintained comfort zone.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 428) Don’t Do That
In getting to know Tamas, Stephen agrees that this is not a reflection of his caring behavior and he would never harm a person, not intentionally anyway. In looking around the room again, he deduces to himself that if Tamas did anything, it was to save the nurse from a horrific attack and yes, he may have very well pushed her to protect her. Yet, how do you explain that to someone unable to see the demon as it moves around you?
After checking to make sure no harm has come to Laszlo. Stephen and Zsofia turn to go back into the hall when they see a bloody hand print on the door frame. Zsofia covers her mouth to keep from crying out for she fears it is from her brother’s hand.
“Don’t do that, don’t think bad things.” Stephen says quietly as he puts his arm around her. “Tamas is fine, okay? Tamas is fine. We just have to find him, and that is all. I haven’t checked upstairs yet.” Stephen starts to say.
“I did just before I came to grandfathers room. Tamas is not up there either.” Zsofia says softly.
Now that the nurse has had time to recover from the ordeal, she is sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of tea. She looks up as Stephen and Zsofia enter the room. Speaking in Hungarian, both women engage in conversation and Zsofia looks at Stephen with wide eyes.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 427) Disoriented
Making his way to the guest room at the end of the hall, Stephen finds the elderly man asleep and breathing normal, but Tamas is not here by his grandfather’s side. As he inspects the room more closely, he realizes there must have been a fight, for several books are sitting on the floor and the bookshelves are bare. In the corner, a tall overturned lamp is lying across a dark woven carpet and very quietly, Stephen stands it back up.
Zsofia joins him as she quietly enters the room to sit by her grandfather’s side. Holding his hand and talking to him, she does not receive a response and tears silently begin to roll down her cheeks. It has all started to catch up with her as this moment of silence allows her mind to replay the events of the day.
“How is the nurse?” Stephen questions as he stands next to the bed and puts his arm around Zsofia.
“She is very disoriented and not thinking rationally.” Zsofia replies.
“Why do you say that?” Stephen questions with doubt, for he knows how odd things can appear when not everything is visible, like an attack by the Guta.
“She said Tamas was acting out, breaking things, and she got the cut on her head after he pushed her down.” Zsofia chokes back tears. “Tamas would never do that.” She says as if the air she needs in order to speak words, will not come.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 426) Toppled
Finally, after walking what seemed to be twice as long to get to Zsofia’s house, they arrive winded and thirsty from the warmth of the day. They both had reservations about leaving in the first place, but since both Laszlo and Tamas were under the care of a nurse, it seemed like a few hours would be fine. However, as they enter the house, they realize something is indeed terribly wrong, just as Klara stated.
Sitting on the floor, with her back against the wall, is the nurse. A gash across her brow is bloody and her eyes glassy as she mumbles under her breath. Chairs are toppled and lying on the floor as if someone ran around the table purposely doing so. On the walls, pictures are crooked and displayed in a haphazard fashion when a mere two hours ago, everything was neatly in place.
“Oh no, are you alright?” Zsofia says as she rushes to the woman’s side. “What happened?” She asks the nurse and then she looks up at Stephen with concern.
“I. . . I was.” The nurse begins to speak but then stops.
Stephen quickly picks up on Zsofia’s demeanor and immediately walks down the hall to the adjacent rooms for any sign of Tamas or Laszlo. The entire house is very still, quiet does not explain the strange essence of the rooms as he peeks around the corners hoping not to find a corpse. So far there is no sign of anyone as Stephen heads directly to the last room.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 425) Focus
Stepping to the counter, Klara holds on to it and points out the door. The urgency in her tone is frightening and Zsofia looks at Stephen for answers, but he has no idea what happened to cause this sudden outburst.
“What is going on?” Zsofia questions as she and Stephen quickly exit the shop.
They can hear Klara chanting a phrase over and over as they close the door.
“What is she saying?” Stephen questions.
“I, I don’t know, she is not speaking Hungarian. It is not a language I have ever heard before.” Zsofia says with fear.
Feeling rushed and apprehensive, they hurry towards Zsofia’s house to check on her grandfather and Tamas. Slowing his pace, Zsofia gets a few steps ahead of Stephen, which gives him the opportunity to pull his pills from his pocket. He does not even try to hide them as he pops a couple into his mouth. Zsofia’s focus is so strong she does not notice what he is doing or that he has drifted so far behind.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 424) You Need To Go
Stephen nearly falls over from the abnormal strength this small woman possesses as he stops his movement by grabbing the edge of the counter. Klara’s face is wet from sweat and her eyes gray and lifeless. As she holds him there, she stares off without focusing on him. Pulling back, he breaks her grasp and her body jolts as if she has been shocked. Within seconds, she is normal and looks at him with confusion.
“What are you doing?” She questions in a manner that makes Stephen feel like a little boy in trouble.
“I. . . you were. . .” He does not know what to say and his voice is shaky from the frightening experience.
“It is time for you to go, Zsofia is here.” Klara says as she looks down at her hands as if exhausted.
Immediately the shop door opens flooding the room with bright light as Zsofia enters. She can tell by Stephen and Klara’s expressions that something has happened but she does not say a word. Still holding the door open, she stands still and quiet and looks from Stephen to Klara several times. She does not move from this position, nor does she attempt to shut the door.
“You need to go, and hurry, something is amiss!” The old woman says in a weakened state.
She moves about as she tries to pull the stool, along with herself, up closer to the counter and the candle that is still burning. Stephen reaches out to help her but she pushes him away with a slap to his hand.
“No! Something is wrong, something is horribly wrong!” She yells at Zsofia and then she pushes Stephen back from her once again.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 423) Wild Eyes
A gurgling giggle resonates behind Stephen and he quickly turns around but to his surprise, nothing is there. Looking back at Klara, her eyes still closed, she begins to shake violently in her chair and with a loud gasp, opens her eyes and mouth at the same time sucking in a breath of air.
This frightening motion causes Stephen to take two steps back in a defensive manner and then a loud, animal like scream, comes from the old woman. Looking up at the ceiling as if pleading for help she lets out one final breath and slumps down on the stool. Stephen has never observed anything this strange and now he fears she will fall from her position behind the counter. Being careful and quiet, he slowly walks toward her.
“Ma’am?” He says in a low tone. “Ma’am, are you alright?”
He approaches her, extending his hand to touch her when suddenly she reaches out and grabs his arm pulling him to her with incredible force!
“There is only one way to stop it!” She yells with wild eyes as she pulls him within inches of her face.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 422) Her Agenda
“Why is it after me?” Stephen questions not knowing if he truly wants to hear the answer.
“It was tricked by a member of your family and now that it is free, it seeks revenge.” The woman shivers as she looks toward the door to the shop. “It has started the process and will not stop until all of its desires are filled.”
Together in silence, they remain in the flickering light of the single candle. Stephen is confused and feels Klara’s comment has left him without an out or a way to stop what sounds like impending death. Rushing in his thoughts are the things he has witnessed, the many losses in his life, the wish for happiness and a future. As he looks back at Klara, he realizes her eyes are closed and she is humming, but the tune is barely audible.
“She beckoned for it to come to her.” Klara whispers. “Deceit and lust were her agenda.” Her voice is raspy and eerie as if coming from another realm of existence other than here and now. “The demon walks among us. . . it is laughing.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 421) You Have Grown
“Your night of drinking was very informative, you know the Guta far better than you think!” Klara smiles and the creases of her face darken in the flickering light.
“But what is a Guta?” Stephen asks honestly not understanding the full impact of its abilities.
Klara straightens in her chair and looks at him, reading him, searching his eyes for truths. Trying to stay strong and in control, Stephen does not look away as he studies her in return. Slowly she begins to lighten her gaze and a gentle grin forms across her lips.
“You have grown Istvan.” She says in a low tone as she reaches across the counter and pats the top of his hand with her fingers. “Even with the short time you have been here, you have strengthened.”
“You haven’t answered my question.” Stephen states as he slowly slips his hand out from under hers and she does not speak immediately.
“The Guta is feared for it is a true demon.” She folds her hands in her lap and looks up at the ceiling for a few seconds before continuing. “There is evil in this world and the Guta is a spawn of the purest form. It searches out prey to mistreat and abuse until it no longer wishes to play or no longer finds pleasure in it.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 420) Vengeance
“Vengeance is what it desires.” Klara says as she lights a candle and sits on a stool behind the counter. “It takes great satisfaction in knowing you can see it.” She scowls at the flame as if reading an appalling passage from a book.
“What exactly is this. . . this thing?” Stephen questions.
Even though he learned much from the men at the bar, but alcohol impaired men at best, he feels Klara has insight that others do not. Does he believe she is psychic? Yes, possibly, for she knows things about him that no other person could have possibly ever come to know. Besides that, she has an uncanny ability to answer questions he believes he is hiding in his mind.
To his surprise, the old woman laughs loudly at Stephen’s question as she looks to her side, much like you would expect of a person hearing a hilarious joke. Leaning forward she places her hand on her forehead and laughs again.
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