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Chapter 4 - Returning To the Manor
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When Zak awoke half way through the night he felt like visiting the manor again and so he got dressed and stepped out into the cold night and walked the short walk to the manor. The night was crisp and the sky was clear bathing the small town in moonlight. Zak jumped the fence and pushed the doors to the manor wide open before stepping inside and pushing them swiftly closed.
He went up to the bedroom and walked down the hidden staircase to the basement and went back to his chair at the back of the office. He jumped and landed in the seat and picked up the black diary and began to read it. This time he could read the writing and it made complete sense. The thing he was reading was new to him but it felt like he was reading his life, if that makes any sense. The Soldier that Zak was reading about was about as forthcoming with information as the diary was likely to project a video of events. Zak figured that this soldier was only writing the diary out of habit and not to put down the events of that day and how he felt, merely a record of the days he had worked and where. Zak tossed the diary onto the table in front of him and picked up a red book read about a page before throwing it back onto the desk. "What to do" he said to himself putting his hands behind his head. Zak heard a click somewhere in the distance "Who has entered my home?" he said aloud smiling.
Sapphire stood in the massive entrance hall looking up at the large stained-glass windows "This place is beautiful" she whispered. Behind the staircase there was a set of double doors and so she went through them and then through the second set which lead into an enormous garden. Sapphire walked beneath the trees running her fingers through the leaves before sitting on an old fashioned bench and looking up at the stars. After a few minutes of looking at the night sky she suddenly remembered why she was there, to find Zak. Jumping to her feet she ran back into the house then into the hall; which was when the shadow descended upon her.
Zak was crouched upon the banister looking down at the shady entrance hall and saw Sapphire enter, he frowned and stepped off the edge landing silently behind her
"You know that you're not supposed to be here" said Zak making Sapphire scream and jump away from him.
"Don't do that!" she shouted
"Sorry" said Zak shrugging "I thought you might have noticed me land behind you"
"Well I didn't alright" she snapped, then her tone changed and became softer "You know that you're not supposed to be in here, Dannyl will do his nut it he finds out that we have both been in here you know how angry he gets when people mention this place"
"I don't understand him" said Zak walking towards the entrance "Why is he so protective over this place?"
"Well we will never find out hiding in here" said Sapphire holding open the door "What were you doing here anyway?" she asked. They both stepped through the doors and began to walk along the path
"I guess he knows" said Zak pointing to the square. A group of adults were walking over, fully armed.
"What the hell!" shouted Dannyl "Are you two stupid? You two could have been killed in there!" Dannyl was in his late forties and balding. "We just saw lights on" said Zak
"I do not want you ever to go near this place again!" he shouted "You hear me?" Sapphire and Zak nodded, Sapphire was looking down but Zak kept his gaze fixed on Dannyl. The adults turned and walked away.
"He does have a point" said Sapphire looking at the floor "Good night" she kissed his cheek and walked away. Zak waved his left hand above his head and the lights within the mansion dimmed and extinguished.
When Zak awoke his body was covered in cold sweat. When he got into the shower he noticed that his body was changing, more than a teenagers body should. His muscles were toned and larger, he had not trained for weeks. Not only that but he could not remember what he had done the night before, all he remembered was waking up to hear knocking then opening the front door, then suddenly darkness.
Zak grabbed the house phone, once out of the shower, and dialled the number of his physician. He paused the put the phone down noticing that it would sound quite stupid to phone him up and ask why he was getting more toned by sleeping. Zak returned to his room and lay down upon the bed looking out of his window at the reactor upon mount Nibel and remembered and advertisement he had seen saying that Shin-ra physicians will try and help you whatever the problem may be. Zak smiled Time to see if they were telling the truth he thought getting to his feet.