The Lurker at the Threshold : A Horror Mystery Brandon Berntson (children's ebooks online .TXT) đ
- Author: Brandon Berntson
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âThere might not be a home if we donât find this thing. Are you keeping an eye out?â
âSure. Sure. So, whatâs the deal with you and Vera, huh? Donât you have the spark anymore?â
âThere is no spark.â
âNo spark? Whattaya mean? There has to be! How can you stay together for thirty-two years and not maintain a spark?â
âItâs faded,â Duke said. âThere mightâve been a spark at one time, but itâs gone.â
âBut there was a spark?â
âI canât remember, to be quite honest.â
âCanât you be serious for two seconds?â
âIâve never been more serious in my life.â
Newt Bardhoff grunted. He was trying to see the humor in the situation, but he was remiss. He didnât know why.
âLook, Newt,â Duke said. He stopped and looked at his partner. Newt stopped and looked back. âI appreciate what youâre going through and how you feel. And I think itâs great. I really do. Itâs magical. But you gotta get your head outta the clouds. Itâs dangerous. Weâre in the middle of something here, and we gotta get to the bottom of it. You understand what Iâm saying?â
âSure, Duke. Sure. Iâm sorry, huh? I guess I just wanted a little guidance, a little fatherly wisdom from a man whoâs been happily married for over thirty years. I respect that. I admire it. And I guess it passes the time. Plus, the fog is getting thick. And things are strange now. I get that, too. Are you going to poor Muncieâs funeral?â
âOf course. If we make it that far.â
The fog was rolling in. It was hard to see because of it. The trail of the hound through the city of Innsport had been futile. Duke and Newt had no idea where to go or what to do. They were tracking where theyâd tracked once before because theyâd never seen the thing, not clearly. Muncie had been on his usual beat, and that was the last anyone had seen him.
Things werenât normal. They wouldnât be normal for some time probably. But maybe Newt had a point. Maybe some light conversation was the thing they needed.
Duke looked at his partner again. âI was the same way. I wanted everything to work out, but the real world is still out there. Itâs not that itâs bad. You just have to realize that infatuation has to be replaced with something deeper. The touches arenât as frequent, the âI love yous.â But itâs still good. You get to know each otherâs faults and weaknesses. Thatâs not a bad thing. Itâs a good thing. And the challenges come. The battles. You see what youâre made of. You see what sheâs made of. You understand a depth of loyalty and devotion if youâre lucky, and you realize after a while that you couldnât have done it alone. Youâre in a good spot, Newt. You two have something special. Thatâs obvious. The honeymoon stage doesnât last that long for a lot of people. What do I know? Maybe youâre both nurturing it together. Iâm not gonna tell you how to run your relationship. Itâs different for everybody, but itâs special, what you have. And thatâs good.â
âDo you still love, Vera, Duke?â
âWith all my heart,â he said.
âBut itâs different?â
âIt has to be. Love is different for a lot of people. It has different meanings, definitions. Thatâs why people have such a hard time with it and break up so easily. Itâs because everyone has their own idea of what love should be. What love is. And thereâs only one kind. One kind that matters. One kind that stands the test of time.â
Newt looked at his partner for a long time. âWhat kind is that, Duke?â
âThe selfless kind. And both of you have to have it. It canât be one-sided. Otherwise, you have one person giving and the other one taking. It doesnât work that way. You both have to give. There are times when it wonât be possible for one of you to give. Things happen. Life gets you down. But thatâs when the other has to step up to the plate. Youâre not in a relationship to get something out of it for yourself. Youâre in it to serve the other. I donât mean submission or anything like that. Doing what you're told or bossing each other around. I mean, you know their needs, you provide what you can, emotional support, love, care, selflessness. Itâs never about you. Thatâs the trick. When you put the needs of your spouse before you, itâll come back on you in ways you never dreamed of. When youâre both in it to serve the other, you create a little thing called magic. But you both have to have the same approach. When youâre both doing it, itâs a beautiful thing, Newt. You make sure your kids see it, too. Because you have to lead by example. Then theyâll know what to look for when theyâre on the search themselves. Theyâll know what it takes. You teach by your actions. Thatâs how kids learn. You teach your wife the same thing. She teaches you. Together, you learn and grow, and your love goes into a place you never imagined, never thought existed. But youâre living. Youâre alive in ways you didnât think you could be. Youâll realize how dead you were without it before. Itâs a gift, Newt. Donât take it for granted.â
Newt stood staring at his partner for a long time. He had no idea what to say. He had no idea Duke was that kind of man, let alone, that kind of husband. He was in awe. His respect for him grew as he stood and listened.
âI never knew you were so philosophical,â Newt said. âSo deep, Duke.â
âIâm not. Anyone with half a brain can see
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