MSR-EPH (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} my_sims_reality) wrote,@ 2005-11-01 10:30:00 |
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[STORY UPDATE] When Shadows Whisper, Prologue
When Shadows Whisper, Prologue
Story and characters © 2005-2007 Ephemera Transient, MSR-EPH.
"Are you sure Manisha and I can't persuade you to stay in Sherburne? The condo downtown is yours whenever you want it." Matt told Stewart as they hugged each other goodbye.
"Thanks Dad, but I can't let Desdemona's old house pass on to strangers," Stewart replied, fighting back the tears that were close to the surface. "This is my first big responsibility as a man, and I want to prove I'm up to the task." In spite of his outward bravado, he was going to miss his family --- and Sherburne as well. Up to this point, it was all the world he'd ever known.
"I understand." Matt said, gazing at Stewart with both affection and pride. "Just remember that we love you, son. Always will."
♥ ♥ ♥
The Smoogo sputtered down the lonely road; the engine's asthmatic wheezing a sharp contrast to the serenity of the neighborhood. As Stewart turned the corner, the car shuddered and exhaled great clouds of exhaust smoke --- almost as if it was preparing to give up the ghost. "Damn you, Smoogo! Not now!" Stewart cursed, slamming a fist down on the dashboard for emphasis. The car hiccupped but kept going, much to Stewart's relief. Just then, he looked up and saw the moss-covered walls of the de Goncourt mansion emerge against the backdrop of the brilliant October sky. The sight took his breath away; the mansion was not that large or imposing as far as mansions went, and it couldn't even be properly called an estate since the plot of land it sat on was too small for it to qualify. However, it had been his mother's legacy and it was where she had wished to be laid to rest. Now it was his, and he would do his best to take care of it and honor his mother's memory. He had made the decision four months ago, when the house and the trust Desdemona had set up for him, passed into his hands. From the first, he had instantly fallen in love with the moss-covered stone walls, the gargoyles standing guard just outside the massive, castle-style doors, and the gnarled, leafless trees with their blackened bark and limbs that reached up to scratch at the sky. And that was just from the pictures. But even apart from its obvious charm, there was something else --- something he couldn't explain and could feel deep in his bones --- that drew him to the house, almost as if it were calling to him.
It was going to be a monumental task trying to make the house habitable again; it had been shuttered and tenantless for the better part of twenty years, the last person to live there being Desdemona's father. Desdemona herself hadn't lived there, though she had visited the house from time to time while she was alive. With the help of her father's onetime housekeeper, Matilda Beren, and the money from the trust, Stewart intended to restore the interior to the former magnificence he had seen in pictures from an old family album. As for the exterior of the house, he had decided the moss would stay: it gave the mansion much of its character, character he wanted to preserve.
He had just parked the car, turned off the ignition, and stepped out onto the driveway, when a cacophony of whispers exploded into his head. They sounded so loud and so close that for a second he thought they had come from behind him. He could just make out snippets here and there, but nothing he could be certain about.
He whipped around, half expecting to see a crowd, even though he knew full well that Matilda Beren would not be arriving until the next morning and he was all alone. A growing darkness seemed to swiftly rise and gather in the corners of the lot, only to disappear just as fast. A dizziness swept over him for a few seconds before everything cleared and the afternoon was once more its cold, barren self. Stewart stood bemused for a few moments, trying to recover his wits. "Pull yourself together, man," he admonished himself. "You're just tired and not a little homesick. Don't let it get to you." Then he squared his shoulders, took his things out of the car, and made his way to the front door.
To be continued.
♥ Special thanks go out to (in alphabetical order)ariansims, beautysims1979, prncs_sims, and simuli. You guys know why. ;)
♥ Last but definitely not least, I want to thank all of the creative, talented, and wonderful folks on my Friends List. You guys are awesome!
Eph
♥ For those of you who are interested but who may not yet have come across it, please check out Simming Monthly Magazine. It's a great publication filled to the brim with fun and informative articles, links, and contests. The November issue (along with past issues), is now available for free download at this link. Make sure to take a gander at the Sneak Peek section. Thanks and huge hugs to both Bairy and Laydehawc from MTS2! ;)
|| Stewart's Family Tree || MSR Story List & FAQ ||
Edited post to update some links and make some minor revisions.
When Shadows Whisper, Prologue
Story and characters © 2005-2007 Ephemera Transient, MSR-EPH.
"Are you sure Manisha and I can't persuade you to stay in Sherburne? The condo downtown is yours whenever you want it." Matt told Stewart as they hugged each other goodbye.
"Thanks Dad, but I can't let Desdemona's old house pass on to strangers," Stewart replied, fighting back the tears that were close to the surface. "This is my first big responsibility as a man, and I want to prove I'm up to the task." In spite of his outward bravado, he was going to miss his family --- and Sherburne as well. Up to this point, it was all the world he'd ever known.
"I understand." Matt said, gazing at Stewart with both affection and pride. "Just remember that we love you, son. Always will."
The Smoogo sputtered down the lonely road; the engine's asthmatic wheezing a sharp contrast to the serenity of the neighborhood. As Stewart turned the corner, the car shuddered and exhaled great clouds of exhaust smoke --- almost as if it was preparing to give up the ghost. "Damn you, Smoogo! Not now!" Stewart cursed, slamming a fist down on the dashboard for emphasis. The car hiccupped but kept going, much to Stewart's relief. Just then, he looked up and saw the moss-covered walls of the de Goncourt mansion emerge against the backdrop of the brilliant October sky. The sight took his breath away; the mansion was not that large or imposing as far as mansions went, and it couldn't even be properly called an estate since the plot of land it sat on was too small for it to qualify. However, it had been his mother's legacy and it was where she had wished to be laid to rest. Now it was his, and he would do his best to take care of it and honor his mother's memory. He had made the decision four months ago, when the house and the trust Desdemona had set up for him, passed into his hands. From the first, he had instantly fallen in love with the moss-covered stone walls, the gargoyles standing guard just outside the massive, castle-style doors, and the gnarled, leafless trees with their blackened bark and limbs that reached up to scratch at the sky. And that was just from the pictures. But even apart from its obvious charm, there was something else --- something he couldn't explain and could feel deep in his bones --- that drew him to the house, almost as if it were calling to him.
It was going to be a monumental task trying to make the house habitable again; it had been shuttered and tenantless for the better part of twenty years, the last person to live there being Desdemona's father. Desdemona herself hadn't lived there, though she had visited the house from time to time while she was alive. With the help of her father's onetime housekeeper, Matilda Beren, and the money from the trust, Stewart intended to restore the interior to the former magnificence he had seen in pictures from an old family album. As for the exterior of the house, he had decided the moss would stay: it gave the mansion much of its character, character he wanted to preserve.
He had just parked the car, turned off the ignition, and stepped out onto the driveway, when a cacophony of whispers exploded into his head. They sounded so loud and so close that for a second he thought they had come from behind him. He could just make out snippets here and there, but nothing he could be certain about.
He whipped around, half expecting to see a crowd, even though he knew full well that Matilda Beren would not be arriving until the next morning and he was all alone. A growing darkness seemed to swiftly rise and gather in the corners of the lot, only to disappear just as fast. A dizziness swept over him for a few seconds before everything cleared and the afternoon was once more its cold, barren self. Stewart stood bemused for a few moments, trying to recover his wits. "Pull yourself together, man," he admonished himself. "You're just tired and not a little homesick. Don't let it get to you." Then he squared his shoulders, took his things out of the car, and made his way to the front door.
♥ Special thanks go out to (in alphabetical order)
ariansims, beautysims1979, prncs_sims, and simuli. You guys know why. ;)♥ Last but definitely not least, I want to thank all of the creative, talented, and wonderful folks on my Friends List. You guys are awesome!
Eph
♥ For those of you who are interested but who may not yet have come across it, please check out Simming Monthly Magazine. It's a great publication filled to the brim with fun and informative articles, links, and contests. The November issue (along with past issues), is now available for free download at this link. Make sure to take a gander at the Sneak Peek section. Thanks and huge hugs to both Bairy and Laydehawc from MTS2! ;)
|| Stewart's Family Tree || MSR Story List & FAQ ||
Edited post to update some links and make some minor revisions.
