Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 559) Amulet
Klara sticks her hands in her pockets as if trying to locate something and then begins to rummage through the bag of supplies she brought with her. After several minutes of searching, she pulls a clump of silver chains from a side pocket of the bag.
“Oh thank heavens.” Klara says as she holds her hand up to her chest then kisses it as if saying a prayer. “In my hand are silver amulets of the Turul, a holy bird of the upper world. I have one for each of you and you must wear them.” She gently works at untangling the clump of chains. “Wear this amulet and keep the flame of the candle alive. You should be safe, with the Turul around your neck hanging over your heart, and the flame of your candle burning brightly in your hand.” With that being said, they slip the chain around their own necks and Klara turns to Laszlo.
“The locket that you placed in your shirt pocket,” Klara says to him, “it is the only reason you and Tamas stayed safe while in hiding. Carved on the back is a Turul. That in itself is proof of the Turul’s power.” She says confidently. “The other aspect, the way you feel about that item, it too worked to repel the beast.” She says without elaborating further.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 558) Wrong Place
“What are you doing? Is this part of the ritual?” Stephen questions as Klara slides the candles over.
“No, it is not.” Klara replies with worry.
“What did the book say?” He questions.
“I have us in the wrong place.” She says nervously. “We must move to the spring fed stream below the manor.
“All of us?” Laszlo questions as he puts his arm around Tamas.
“Yes, all of us.” Klara replies quickly without looking anyone in the eye as if she is embarrassed due to her error.
“Why must we go there?” Stephen asks as he pulls two of the candles toward him.
He remembers the one and only time he ventured below the floorboards of the main level. He was looking for the power supply box and during his time of standing on the earthen floor, the sound of gurgling water created an eerie effect to the already mysterious place. This was his experience before he learned the secrets of the Guta dwelling here. The thought of going there now sends an icy chill through him.
“We have to go back to where it began.” The elderly woman replies. “I want each of you to carry one burning candle. They have been blessed and lit to serve as protection.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 557) Oh Dear
Stephen begins to think about Klara. He wonders what her childhood was like with his grandmother as her sister and if perhaps, she was once in love. She is well into the latter years of her life, yet he cannot help but think she and Laszlo would make a compatible couple.
“Nonsense.” Klara says without looking up as she continues to read the open page in the book.
She then glances quickly at Stephen as if she is answering the question that was going through his mind. Puzzled by this odd response but almost knowing she would say something, he glances at Laszlo and then smiles, but the old man simply looks back down at the table, acting as if he sees a smudge that needs to be buffed away by his finger.
“Oh dear.” Klara says under her breath.
“What is it?” Stephen questions as he looks out at the entryway to see if the demon is lurking.
Klara looks up at him but says nothing. After a moment of thought, she reaches over to the rope, and begins to pull it toward her as she wraps it into a ball. Next, she stands up, leans forward over the table, and pushes two candles forward, one toward Laszlo and one to Tamas.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 556) Captivated
“All she did was seal herself in a tomb of darkness, fear, and hate. I promise you, my sister is not at rest and she still has her hand in the dealings.” Klara smiles as she makes her way back to the table. “I am smarter than her and I have compassion for all of you. I will not let this curse do any further damage.”
“I actually believe you, Klara.” Zsofia says as she takes Stephen by the hand. “I’ve known you for years and you have always been good to me and if that were an act, then you mastered it and I am a fool.” She smiles at the old woman. “But I think you are sincere. Yes, I do believe in you.”
“You are a gifted beauty child and this man loves you,” she points to Stephen with her cane, “and I want you to live long happy lives together.” The old woman smiles without making eye contact with anyone.
Zsofia smiles and looks at Stephen who looks down in a shy manner, but a slight grin crosses his face. Laszlo, who has been quiet, clears his throat before speaking.
“What about you? Don’t you deserve the same?” Laszlo asks and this statement makes Klara laugh aloud.
“Oh kind sir, my time is over.” She shakes her head as she lets out another short laugh. “The weariness of life has bitten off any stamina I may have had to enjoy it. I am not concerned for myself and you should not worry for me either.”
With that said, Klara sits down and opens the small bound book. Slowly and methodically, she turns the pages being careful not to tear or crease the parchment and binding. The mystery behind what she is preparing to do has captivated the group as they sit quietly observing her every move.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 555) To Free You
“You are not buying in to this crazy story are you?” Stephen looks from Zsofia to Laszlo. “It all sounds great but just a few minutes ago you were ready to sacrifice me to the demon!”
“No, you misunderstood me. I am like you Istvan. Because of what has happened to us in the past, we live in darkness and find it difficult to communicate with others.” Klara says as she looks out at the uninviting entryway. “We don’t mean to, but we push people away and find it difficult to say what we really mean.” She looks down at her hands.
“I always confuse people so I choose not to deal with them. I am old, tired, and I want this over with. I need to undo the curse, to free you Istvan, to allow you to live your life. I need to send the demon back to the underworld without a grudge against either family. I taught my sister how to use the powers we were born with. She would have never developed them if I had not trained her. It is obvious, in order for me to finally be successful at something, I must do this, and I must end it.”
“Are you saying what I think you are saying?” Laszlo quickly questions. “She already killed herself and nothing changed, how will it help for you to repeat the process? How can you possibly think there will be a different outcome?”
“It will be a better outcome because I want this to be over and done with. Her distorted thought processes never took into account anyone other than herself. She did not care if this curse ran forever at destroying lives. All she was worried about was freeing herself, which in suicide, does not happen.” Klara stands up and slowly walks over to the window.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 554) Less Honorable
“Did you play a part in my grandfather’s demise?” Stephen questions as he holds his hand to his side.
“Absolutely not!” Klara responds with anger. “I never used my abilities in an evil way. I know right from wrong!” It is clear she took offense to Stephen’s suggestion.
“Then I do not understand.” Zsofia states in a calm manner. “That is exactly what you are doing now. You are trying to hurt Stephen.”
“I am not trying to hurt Istvan; I need his support for I am sacrificing myself to the Guta to end this.” Klara states quietly and now everyone, if they had not been before, is paying close attention to what she has to say.
“When your grandfather died by her hand, and that is how I see it, I then realized what such abilities could do if channeled in a negative way. Because of the way she used her skills, from an early age mind you,” she looks at Laszlo, “I knew I would never have children. Passing this on to another person, a person of a less honorable personality, frightened me.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 553) An Observer
Stephen is speechless as he sits across the table from Klara, staring as she calmly sits in the large chair. She is not looking at anyone for her focus is on the candles and the rope laying out straight in the center of the table. Looking back at this woman with her words circling around in his head, Stephen has no idea in how to respond. He is angry, furious and yet intrigued at the same time.
“I was always different. I could see things before they happened and I could hear truths where others heard lies.” She looks at Laszlo. “I met you shortly after you and my sister became close, before she met Istvan’s grandfather.” She looks over at Stephen.
“She used your grandfather, like Kate used you.” She nods her head as if finally understanding something. “Funny how things are passed down through the generations until someone is strong enough to put an end to it.”
Stephen watches Klara as she speaks, now seeing her in a slightly different light, yet feeling she is still up to no good. He puts his arm around Zsofia who turns and looks at him thoughtfully.
“Your grandmother was always the pretty one, the funny one everyone adored.” Klara laughs. “When we were younger, she was envious of my abilities. I kept them hidden for the most part, because I didn’t want to become an outcast, but she knew what I could do.” She smiles as she thinks back. “I wanted her attention so bad that I taught her everything and as you can tell, I ended up a recluse despite my efforts.” Klara laughs. “Funny that you feel you have control of your destiny, yet somehow things can get twisted and you find that all along, you are merely an observer.”
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 552) Intuitive
“What was the term you used earlier for yourself? You said you could be mistaken for an old witch, a babak. That’s it! You are nothing more than an old babak!” Stephen looks Klara straight in the eye and she does not look away.
“In fact, old hag, you remind me of my heartless grandmother who I know for a fact could see the Guta. She watched as it beat on my grandfather, because she kept looking at me with surprise. She didn’t expect me to see it or to see her blatant uncaring heartlessness toward him!” Stephen says as he glares at her and the room falls silent for several seconds.
“Well that is very intuitive of you, Istvan. . .” Klara says softly as she pauses and takes a moment to look around the table at each individual. “Very intuitive indeed for your grandmother was my sister.” She states in a very blunt manner as she looks directly at Stephen.
The response from Laszlo shows in his expression and it is nothing short of complete dismay. Clearly, he did not know about this connection to the old mysterious woman and her shocking news has taken him completely off guard. He stares at her as if he is seeing her for the first time.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 551) The Riddles
“Well I’ve known you for. . .” Laszlo pauses. “Well I, I can’t really remember the first time I met you. The shop you run, it’s been here for twenty, maybe thirty years?”
“You’ve known me much longer dear man.” She replies. “Although you have forgotten much of your past, haven’t you?” She looks directly at Laszlo as if expecting him to agree but he looks more confused than before.
“We can do without the riddles.” Stephen states harshly for he is tired of the tricks and passive aggressive statements. “What are you really trying to say? That you are a prankster, a liar and a thief?” His tone is sarcastic and demanding. “You hurt people for your own twisted pleasure. So please, do tell us, what is it Klara!” He slams his fist on the table then grabs his side as he tries to hide the pain he feels from his movements. “Just how long have you been toying with Laszlo and his family?”
The old woman looks at him but does not say a word and she shows no emotion. In fact, he recognizes this type of heartless expression for it is exactly the same look he recalls his grandmother had when she watched her husband, his grandfather, being bludgeoned to death. He feels so much hatred right now, for his grandmother, the current situation everyone is in and how untouched by it all that Klara seems to be, that he cannot hold back what he says next.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 550) An Outcast
“From as far back as I can remember I have been alone in this world. I never found love, riches, or happiness in any way. I lost my parents at an early age and at some point, of which I do not remember, I learned it was best to accept things as they are.” Klara states in a calm thoughtful tone.
Stephen, still working at gathering his senses, is resting with his forehead pressed down on the cold wooden table. However, with the last set of words leaving Klara’s lips, he looks up and stares at the old woman. He wants to hear what it is she is trying to convey for her story is much like his own.
“I often felt like an outcast but when the last member of my family passed on, something changed in me. I felt lighter and more accepting of who I actually was. I felt. . . free.” She says softly as she looks into the flickering white flame of the candle in front of her.
“I never knew you to be full of malice, so why now have you turned on everyone?” Laszlo questions as he once again takes his seat.
“How long do you think you’ve known me?” Klara asks as she laughs almost making a mockery of Laszlo’s words.
This odd response just causes everyone at the table to look at each other with questioning glances. It seems she is challenging Laszlo for an answer yet, there is no reason for her to do so.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 549) Waiting
“I resealed the room, we must continue.” He hears Klara say as her voice becomes clear and she steps into his view. “Did you think you could outrun it?” She asks as if scolding him. “No one can do that and you of anyone should know this.” She grumbles as she reaches down to touch him.
“No, Klara!” Zsofia states with anger as she holds her arms out to protect Stephen from the old woman. “Don’t you dare touch him!” She glares at Klara causing her to pause and then back away.
“Can you sit up boy?” Laszlo questions as he bends down to help.
“I think so.” Stephen replies as he tries to prop himself up, but the pain is too great.
“Here, let me help.” The old man says as he loops his arms under Stephen’s and helps him to a standing position.
Zsofia pulls a chair out from the table and assist her grandfather in getting Stephen seated. This position feels a little better to him but he is still in a great deal of pain. He does not recall everything that happened because it came on too fast. However, he believes the attack was by the hands of the Guta and this can only mean one thing. It is waiting for him or maybe anyone to make a move.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 548) Muffled
Faster and faster, Stephen is drifting away as if in a tunnel being pulled farther and deeper away as darkness swiftly closes in from all sides. It is now that he begins to feel the pain, a sharp cutting sting to his ribs, then to his thigh. He finds it difficult to breathe as he hears Zsofia’s voice frantically calling his name.
As if jolted by a strike of lightning, Stephen awakens in the dining room. He realizes he is lying on the floor, flickering candlelight reflecting off the ceiling makes his eyes water and then Zsofia’s face comes into view as she looks down at him. Pulling her hair to one side, she holds it back to keep it from falling in his face. He cannot hear anything except for a high-pitched ringing in his ears.
Looking up, Zsofia begins to wipe at the tears streaking down her cheeks as she realizes he is awake. She is talking to someone just out of his sight, but soon Laszlo comes up behind her with a worried look in his eyes as he kneels down beside his granddaughter.
“Stephen, oh Stephen, why did you do that?” Zsofia questions with nervousness in her voice as she gazes into his eyes but what he hears is muffled and unrecognizable.
“Wha. . . what happened?” Stephen finds enough strength to ask before a sharp pain begins to throb in his chest. “Ahh,” he winces as he tries to roll to his side but that too hurts just as much.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 547) Fading
“Take your seat, Istvan.” Klara says in a demanding voice. “I no longer wish to drag this out.” She watches as he defies her order. “Your role is simple and if you just sit and listen. . .” Before she can finish her statement, Stephen turns and looks at Zsofia.
“I will be back for you.” Stephen states before he bolts out the entrance of the dining room, quickly reaching the main doorway of the house.
“No! Istvan! No!” He hears Klara yelling as he pulls the latch to open the large and heavy entrance door.
Turning to look at the group, he realizes his vision is fading and everything begins to close in from all sides. In the dining room, Klara stands up and runs from the other side of the table to the doorway where she extends her arm to reach him. She dare not step over the line of salt and she is much too far away now to even touch him. He sees her outreached hand and the slow-motion type movements of everyone in the room as they stand to assist.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 546) Gushing Down
Stephen dumps three pills into his hand and swallows them without caring what the others think. What is it to them? He no longer cares about appearances for he believes this entire plot is being carefully coordinated by a very sick and demented individual or possibly by everyone in this room!
Thunder rattles at the windows with monstrous force as if trying to enter the room. The rain is heavy and loud as it runs off the rooftop four floors above and comes gushing down in torrents. Convinced that he is doomed to die either by the hand of Klara or the Guta itself, he decides to take his chances at running from the house.
In what he considers a rational assessment of the situation, and if the demon is truly once again captured in the manor as Klara has stated, then closing the door behind him after he flees, will be all that he needs to do. Once free, he will work to get Zsofia and her family out, and move back to the states leaving his history and ancestral manor behind. As far as he is concerned, Klara can die here in the most miserable way possible.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 545) Own Needs
“I have waited for this moment. I have waited and struggled for so long.” The old woman murmurs barely loud enough for anyone to hear her. “I cannot back out now.”
“So you did plan all of this?” Zsofia questions as she looks from Klara to her grandfather. “Were you in on this grandfather?”
Immediately Laszlo shakes his head no, as a surprised and hurt look comes over his face. He now turns his attention to Stephen, who is still standing by the doorway to the entry hall. Looking back at his granddaughter, Laszlo answers.
“Zsofia, how can you even assume such a thing? I would never work against you; never in my life would I hurt you or Tamas.” The old man hugs Tamas and begins to cry as he continues. “You both are my world and I’ve never put either of you second to my own needs.”
Laszlo then speaks to Zsofia in their Hungarian tongue and this causes Zsofia to begin to cry as well. Not understanding the conversation and growing frustrated as his nervousness and anger begin rising, Stephen takes the bottle of pills that he always conceals, out of his pocket.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 544) Beneficial
“I understand your emotions in this and I do apologize in the tactics I had to use, but as you can see, it all worked out perfectly, for you are here now. . . aren’t you.” Klara says this as she opens the small book sitting in front of her.
Stephen stands up, looks at the individuals sitting at the table, and then turns as he walks toward the entrance to the main entry hall. Just before he starts to place one foot over the double line of salt, the hideous laughter of the Guta echoes throughout the room and this stops Stephen instantly.
“Do not tempt it, Istvan. . . do not tempt it.” Klara says as she watches him.
Turning to look at the old woman he once trusted, he would much rather throw her out of the manor than to hear her speak again. He then realizes everyone is looking at him but most of all, he sees the fear in Zsofia’s eyes.
“I wish to banish the Guta from the manor and from our lives.” Klara says in a relaxed way. “You are fighting something that could prove to be beneficial.”
“Beneficial! Beneficial to whom? You?” Stephen yells at her.
The attempt by Stephen to flee and the distressing horrible laughter of the Guta that followed does not seem to affect Klara’s demeanor in any way. However, the words spoken by Stephen appear to cut through her, for she lowers her head and looks as if she is sobbing.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 543) No Better
“You are a manipulative old hag who uses others for your own pleasure.” Stephen states in a low growling voice.
Klara does not say a word in response. She simply sits at the table, calm and quiet as she listens to Stephen’s opinion. Laszlo looks from Stephen to Klara and then back at Stephen but he does not offer any additional statements but now he begins to tap his fingers together nervously.
“You and Laszlo have given me a lot of insight into who my grandmother really was.” Stephen pauses. “And I can tell, you Klara, you repulse me. You are no better than her, in fact, you are just like her.” He grits his teeth with this last statement. “I despise that you are here, I feel ignorant for befriending you, and I want you gone in any way possible. Hopefully pain will be involved!” He yells out of frustration as he pounds his fist down on the table once again.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 542) Get Started
“We must get started if we hope to take advantage of the three o’clock hour.” Klara holds her hand out to her side, palms up, and closes her eyes without saying another word.
Zsofia looks up at Stephen, and in the manner that she does it, he knows she wants him to take his seat next to her. Reluctantly, he does so and she slides over to be close to him. With her hand resting on his thigh, she lays her head on his shoulder and Stephen feels himself relax immediately. It is now that he recalls Klara stating she has a confession to make and as if on cue, she begins to speak.
“I am the one who lured Tamas here to the manor this last time.” Klara states as she opens her eyes and looks at Laszlo. “Just prior to that, I managed to trick the beast into coming here where I trapped it inside. All I had to do was find a way for this group to gather here, for this very reason, and Tamas was the key.”
“I knew it, you are not some simple visionary trying to help others, you are no better than the demon that is hunting us!” Stephen slams his fist on the table.
“Why would you do such a thing?” Zsofia asks in a frustrated tone, oddly enough, Laszlo is very quiet.
“I had to act as if Tamas was in danger. I knew it was the only way all of you would quickly come together.” The old woman grins as if this should have been the obvious deduction.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 541) Trickster
Stephen does not say a word for he knows Klara is right about him. He does not get close to anyone or allow anyone to see inside him, to see whom he truly is, and he never shares what his heart desires for he feels it will never happen. Why is he so easy to read? Is she simply a skilled trickster who can pick things up by his body movements or does she truly have the ability to read him, his thoughts, his desires, his fears?
Quietly he simply stands there, looking at her, wishing he could grab her from the chair and throw her out of the house. He feels manipulated and used and hates the thought of Zsofia’s family being caught up in this dramatic display.
“I want to leave.” Stephen says as he crosses his arms. “I doubt a band of sea salt will kill me if I cross it.” He starts for the doorway to the main entrance hall of the manor.
“It is not the salt you should fear, it is the demon that is waiting.” Klara says without haste and as a warning.
Stephen stops, for her statement can only mean one thing; she must know the Guta is near. As far as he can tell, she seems to be controlling it along with everything else that has happened. If he did not know any better, and who is he to say that he does not, he would think this old hag is his manipulative game-playing grandmother.
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Shadows Of Guta (Excerpt 540) Solitude
“I have a confession to make.” Klara states as she takes her seat. “But before I do this, please know you cannot leave this room without great harm coming to you.”
Stephen immediately stands up nearly knocking his chair over which causes Tamas, who is sitting next to him, to stand as well.
“You must hear me out, Istvan.” Klara says without looking up at him.
She is pulling a small notebook from her bag as she speaks. Her crooked posture and shaking hands show her age, which clearly reveals how exhausted she is. Klara opens the bag a little wider and retrieves two dark vials from it. Holding them up to the candle she inspects the liquid inside and smiles as she carefully places them on the table.
“Sit down, both of you.” Klara says as if she were a teacher speaking to unruly students, she looks up at Stephen and Tamas.
“It’s okay, Tamas.” Zsofia says to reassure him and he takes his seat between his grandfather and sister, but Stephen continues to stand.
“I am not your enemy, Istvan. I have told you this before.” The old woman says in a calm tone. “Everything you know and think about has been hidden in the shadows of Guta as it pushes you deeper into the depths of solitude. You push people away thinking you do not need them but what you are truly doing is protecting them from the darkness that follows you.”
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