1968
It felt like an eternity since Gunther had driven on the California coast roads that looked as they could go on forever until he had reached what would look to most as a dead end. He halted the old truck on the edge of the road that seemed to just simply end in tall grass. He stepped into the grass revealing an old cracked road below he made his way over to an old metal gate that had been overgrown and thoroughly hidden by the grass. He rested his hand on it gently then turned away, he paused, then walked back to the truck. The door squealed as he opened it and stepped inside. The truck's engine rumbled as Gunter turned the key in the ignition and started off onto the grassy truck bounced on the worn road. It did not seem to bother him though, as he continued on.
He followed the curve of the road revealing a manor hidden in the trees. He pulled along the front of the estate and stopped the car. He hesitated before getting out. He never wanted to come back here but felt compelled to.
He grabbed a flashlight out of the glove box and stepped out. He looked up at the house. it had 3 floors denoted by a balcony that surrounded most of the length of the house. The white paint was chipped and the rose bushes that had seemed to once have been contained by a low metal fence had overtaken it and grown large but yet match the height of the first-floor windows. Massive pillars spanned the whole length of the building creating a southern Victorian style estate.
He approached the door pulling a key out of his pocket. He inserted the key into the old lock which looked as if no one had unlocked it for decades. The lock resisted but eventually budged with an ear raping creak as the door swung in. He entered the house flipping on the flashlight and gazed up at the elegant wooden structure of the main stairwell and marble floors. The house was fully furnished with sheets covering the main fixtures from dust which he lightly touched and brushed over as he made his way to the main stairwell. He looked back at down at the door for a moment and continued to walk up the stairs, firmly grasping the banister.
At the top of the flight were 2 large double doors with golden handles. He approached them and with one movement opened them and entered. The walls were lined with stocked bookshelves that went to the ceiling with a large sliding ladder to access them. There was an executive desk that was left uncovered, still with a lamp, papers and photographs on it as if someone had been sitting there moments before. Directly behind it, was a fireplace that had been once tasked with heating the enormous room sitting idle and unused for years.
To either side was a door that led out on the deck that overlooked the ocean. He walked over to the door and stepped out onto the deck and gazed upon the Pacific, its waves smashing against the rocky cliffside that the house was above. It had been ages since he had sailed upon the ocean's crisp blue waves. He looked out at a large black pole sticking out in the distance, going out of sight with every coming wave that passed over it. He tried not to stare at it for too long, just the sight of it made him feel uneasy. As if it were watching him, calling to him, haunting him.
He slowly went back inside walked behind the desk and sat in the leather chair behind it. He leaned forward to look a the framed photographs on the desk.
There were 2, one was a picture of a group of uniformed men standing on the hull of a U-boat with the officers standing on the railing of the conning tower and rest of the crew sitting and standing in varus places, one sitting on the forward deck gun his with a surprised face as if he was going to fall off with one man on each side of him alarmed grabbing him. He picked up the photo and smiled as he brushed the dust off and put it back.
The other was face down, he reached to pick it up but paused before he touched it. His hand shook as he touched it, tears were forming in his eyes as he turned it upright and forced himself to look at it. The photo was of him, a woman, and a little girl, who couldn't have been older than 3. with "Ich Liebe Dich für immer. Komm bald Nach haus" written on it in black ink.
"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry Erica, it should have been me!" he said as he put his head down and sobbed on the desk.
This is the story I will be focusing on for a while fnia Ch10 is a while away. and if you haven't read my fnia story I recommend you do. I'm not sure when but I will eventually rewrite it into 3rd person. that story was originally a bet that I lost so the first few chapters don't have much effort put into them (Ch1-5 and kinda 6)