Reuversweerd at odd hours. It is all nonsense and bunk.”
“You said we are going to have a séance here tonight, how can you say it is all nonsense and bunk if you believe in seances?” Randal asked.
“Randal, some things are obvious nonsense and bunk, while others are actual events, the trick is to know the difference and act accordingly. That the baroness held her seances here almost every night to visit with the baron, I'm certain is true, but screams and people disappearing that is just poppycock the townsfolk made up to scare themselves out of their doldrums. You will see, we all will in time. Enough about this old place. Let's get to know each other a little better before nightfall. How about you start, Randal, what can you tell us about yourself?” Randal poured myself a second glass of wine, then nodded and began.
“You all know my name is Randal Carter, until recently I was a sergeant in the United States Army. I've been deployed and redeployed into the middle east and have seen more senseless death and destruction than a man should have to. When my time came up, I knew I wasn't ready to go back to the world. I wouldn't fit, not anymore. I'm not the person I once was. Any way I remembered my grandfather telling me he went for a walking tour after WWI before going home to Holland and I got the bright idea of going on one myself before returning to the United States. I'm hoping it gives me time to relax and consider where I am going to go from here and what I am going to do with my life.”
“So you're a soldier, but that can't be all you are.” Bridget said with a wink. The light was beginning to dim, and Heinrich lit the candles in the candelabra on the table providing a warm glow and sense of intimacy to the evening's milieu.
“What about you, Bridget?” Ozzie asked saving Randal from unwanted probing, he was grateful to have the attention taken off of him and placed squarely on Bridget.
“Nothing exciting about my life. I'm just a poor little rich girl taking a break from school to roam Europe for a while.”
“What are you studying in school?” Randal asked, leaning forward.
“Art, I've been studying at the Art Institute for the last two years. I'm taking time to find myself, artistically speaking, that is. Do I want to go the commercial route and make money using my skills to sell unneeded and unwanted products to the masses, or do I want to go my own way and create for art's sake alone?”
“Which way are you leaning?” Ozzie asked.
“I'm leaning towards enjoying myself until life forces me to grow up and be responsible.” She replied with an ingratiating smile.
“Now, that sounds like a plan to me.” Ozzie replied.
“What about you Ozzie?” Randal asked between bites of roast.
“I honestly don't know. I realize I will have to grow up and live a productive life at some point, but I'm not ready yet. I've been hoping something would catch my interest, like art has called to Bridget, but so far nothing has so I've spent the past year scrounging around doing whatever I had to to support my traveling make as far as I can. My father says I'm running away from adulthood, maybe I am. I know I can always work for my father when I'm ready to settle down, but seriously who wants to settle down? That's enough about me” Ozzie said with a smile, “How about you Heinrich, what is you story?”
“Ozzie, Bridget, and even you Randal, with all your military experience behind you, are all still only starting out in life. Your lives stand before you waiting for you to take the next step into your personal futures
“You said we are going to have a séance here tonight, how can you say it is all nonsense and bunk if you believe in seances?” Randal asked.
“Randal, some things are obvious nonsense and bunk, while others are actual events, the trick is to know the difference and act accordingly. That the baroness held her seances here almost every night to visit with the baron, I'm certain is true, but screams and people disappearing that is just poppycock the townsfolk made up to scare themselves out of their doldrums. You will see, we all will in time. Enough about this old place. Let's get to know each other a little better before nightfall. How about you start, Randal, what can you tell us about yourself?” Randal poured myself a second glass of wine, then nodded and began.
“You all know my name is Randal Carter, until recently I was a sergeant in the United States Army. I've been deployed and redeployed into the middle east and have seen more senseless death and destruction than a man should have to. When my time came up, I knew I wasn't ready to go back to the world. I wouldn't fit, not anymore. I'm not the person I once was. Any way I remembered my grandfather telling me he went for a walking tour after WWI before going home to Holland and I got the bright idea of going on one myself before returning to the United States. I'm hoping it gives me time to relax and consider where I am going to go from here and what I am going to do with my life.”
“So you're a soldier, but that can't be all you are.” Bridget said with a wink. The light was beginning to dim, and Heinrich lit the candles in the candelabra on the table providing a warm glow and sense of intimacy to the evening's milieu.
“What about you, Bridget?” Ozzie asked saving Randal from unwanted probing, he was grateful to have the attention taken off of him and placed squarely on Bridget.
“Nothing exciting about my life. I'm just a poor little rich girl taking a break from school to roam Europe for a while.”
“What are you studying in school?” Randal asked, leaning forward.
“Art, I've been studying at the Art Institute for the last two years. I'm taking time to find myself, artistically speaking, that is. Do I want to go the commercial route and make money using my skills to sell unneeded and unwanted products to the masses, or do I want to go my own way and create for art's sake alone?”
“Which way are you leaning?” Ozzie asked.
“I'm leaning towards enjoying myself until life forces me to grow up and be responsible.” She replied with an ingratiating smile.
“Now, that sounds like a plan to me.” Ozzie replied.
“What about you Ozzie?” Randal asked between bites of roast.
“I honestly don't know. I realize I will have to grow up and live a productive life at some point, but I'm not ready yet. I've been hoping something would catch my interest, like art has called to Bridget, but so far nothing has so I've spent the past year scrounging around doing whatever I had to to support my traveling make as far as I can. My father says I'm running away from adulthood, maybe I am. I know I can always work for my father when I'm ready to settle down, but seriously who wants to settle down? That's enough about me” Ozzie said with a smile, “How about you Heinrich, what is you story?”
“Ozzie, Bridget, and even you Randal, with all your military experience behind you, are all still only starting out in life. Your lives stand before you waiting for you to take the next step into your personal futures
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