Dark Shadows 1797

Chapter One: Reckoning

1795

It took Angelique Bouchard a few moments to understand where she now stood. The last thing she had remembered was an icy hand clenching her throat. She remembered whose hand was choking her, and why. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, a deep voice addressed her. "I am very disappointed to see you here Angelique." Still unable to see clearly she nonetheless knew who spoke to her. "Master!" she cried out. "I thought I was your master," the voice replied. "But that would imply that you are my faithful servant. You are not." She could now make out the figure sitting across the room; the only light coming from torches that lined a path stretching from her position to his. The Dark Lord was a top his throne; his hooded robe concealing his face. It was understood amongst his minions that no one ever saw his face, and they were all grateful for that mercy. All the evils of the world, all the evils done in his name, made it a danger to even cast an eye on it.

"Master I am your faithful servant; always!" Angelique cried. She now knew real fear for the second time in a very short period. The first time, she had met her demise on earth. "Silence!" he bellowed. "My servants do my work woman; you do your own. And in the process you have created numerous avenging angels for my rival to use." Angelique thought about it; is that what she had done? "Do you deny it? Do not dare," he challenged her. She didn't want to contradict him, so she feigned ignorance.

"Master I was unaware of the result of my actions. I thought I was creating more servants for you."

"In what way?"

"I made a man into a vampire; could there be any more evil a creature?"

"He is not evil. He is your victim. All his actions now are due to self-preservation, not from doing my bidding. And all the others who died because of the curse you placed on him, they are all innocent victims."

"Not all my lord," Angelique searched her mind for an example that would help her cause. "Lt. Forbes was a bad man. He was killed by Barnabas because of his evil deeds."

"And thus no longer on earth to do my work," he stated. She had walked right into his trap.

Angelique knew she was in serious trouble. There was nothing left to do but beg. She fell to her knees and clasped her hands in front of her face. "Master I beg you; have mercy on a foolish woman. I was driven by hatred and thought I was doing what you'd want of me."

"You were driven by love. And if Barnabas Collins hadn't rejected you, you would have lived as his wife and been a good woman. That my dear is the most intolerable crime you have committed against me."

Angelique began to weep knowing she had only moments left. "You will receive no mercy from me," her master declared. And then, there was nothing but a funeral pyre in the place where she'd knelt.

1797

Although it was nighttime, there was a full moon glowing in the sky. Willie Loomis could clearly see the face of the person sitting next to him in the horse-drawn buggy. He had so many questions for the man, but was afraid to push his luck. And luck was surely on his side this night. The prior night, he had been locked in a dank prison cell that reeked of piss and other things he didn't want to recognize. Only two hours ago, the prison warden appeared at his cell door and told Willie he had a choice to make. He could serve out the remainder of his ten year term, or he could become an indentured servant to a very important man. Willie thought for sure he was dreaming but made the choice anyway. Once the night air hit his face, he knew he was awake and indeed that fortunate.

"What did you say your name was?" he now asked the man holding the reigns. "Ben Stokes," was the curt reply.

"Nice to meet you Ben, I'm Willie."

"I know who ya are."

"Oh that's right, you asked for me didn't you?"

"Not for you, no."

"I don't understand."

"I asked for the worst man they had locked up there. And they gave me you."

Willie couldn't help but smile. "If I'm so bad why would they let me out?"

"They didn't let ya out. They let you go work for my master. And work ya will, don't doubt that."

"Yeah sure; but it's still better than being in prison."

Ben paused and thought it wiser not to reply. Willie took his silence for affirmation.

"So tell me about your master, Ben. What sort of man is he?"

"A man not to be trifled with; just do as you're told and you'll be fine."

Willie shrugged. The master sounded like any other man of wealth and import. They all wanted everything done their way. Willie made a career out of robbing those men. They all had so much, and Willie thought it only fair that he got some of what they had. He felt certain he was entering into a situation that could be very lucrative for him indeed.

Ben Stokes sat silently the rest of the ride to Collinsport. He knew from the warden that Willie Loomis was an incurable thief. And he was a man that held no aversion to violence if it helped him get what he wanted. Ben also read the smug smile that resided on Willie's face and knew him to be an untrustworthy and overall unlikeable fellow. But none of that knowledge took away the guilt that resided in the pit of Ben's stomach. This part of his job was never easy. But like all things Ben did on a daily basis, he knew it had to be done. There was no choice anymore; not for anyone.