ACT II
Maggie sat up in a panic, and she turned toward Jeff.
"Jeff! Jeff!", Maggie shouted as she quickly placed her arms around him. Jeff struggled in confusion and shoved her away. His pillow gave way as he fell back against the bed. His breathing was heavier, but slower. Feeling like his chest was caving in, he groaned loudly in pain. Reaching around quickly, Maggie grabbed the glass of water on her bedside,
"Jeff, drink this, hurry. Hurry, Jeff, you've got to." Maggie pleaded. Jeff's eyes shifted toward her, wide with panic, although he seemed to recognize her now.
"M-Maggie? Maggie...help...I...I...Can't...". Maggie lifted Jeff into a sitting position and leaned his body forward, and her hand rubbed his back. "You're alright, Jeff, you're alright."
Trembling, Jeff's hands fought to grip the glass, but Maggie helped raise the glass to his lips. Some water spilled on his chin,but he sipped enough to alleviate his panic. Jeff fell back against the headboard, his body limp and feeling very heavy. His breathing slowed, but was very deep. Jeff's hands began rubbing his throat and neck as the pressure and pain began to subside.
Sobbing with her hands covering her mouth, Maggie turned away and stood up from her side of the bed, walking toward the corner of the room. "Oh God...Oh God, please. I can't live like this anymore...I can't!" She turned around and looked at him, and turned quickly back, whispering, "I can't...I can't."
Jeff began coughing, and Maggie came to his bedside. "Are you alright? Can you get up?" Jeff nodded as he coughed, and Maggie helped him stand to his feet. Holding onto his arm tightly, she walked him into the kitchen. She led him to a chair, and helped him sit. She poured a glass of wine and gave it to him. "Here, drink this, Jeff."
Still trembling, Jeff drank a sip from the glass, spilling a few drops on his shirt. Maggie poured herself a full glass and took a large drink, grimacing from the pain as it went down. She sighed deeply, looking down with her back turned towards him. "Jeff, what are you going to do about these nightmares? I can't...I don't want you going back and locking yourself in that room."
Jeff slowly stood to his feet, but his face was red with anger and distress. "Now, Maggie, I'm not going through this again with you. I have to paint them. This one is different! I know it has to mean something. I saw his hands! It's the only way I can figure out what's going on and how to stop him. He has to be alive! I know it! He's wanting me to go back!"
Maggie turned around quickly and faced Jeff, her hand raised to slap him in the face before he caught it. "No! No...no...If you think I'm going back..."
Jeff grabbed her arms, "Stop it! Just stop it, Maggie! We're only here because of you! I know he's out there somewhere! He can't know you're here! I'm here sacrificing my life to protect you! You think I like being stuck here in the middle of nowhere? I was on my way to New York on a grant before all this happened!"
Maggie retorted angrily, "Well, if I'm ruining your life, why don't you just leave?!". She threw her glass against the wall, and took the wedding ring from her hand and slammed it on the table. "This is no life! Why did you let him bring us here?"
Jeff pointed his arm toward the door. "He was the only one who would listen to us! Do you think I was going to just leave you alone for Barnabas to..."
"Don't! Don't say that name! I told you, don't ever say that name!" Maggie stared at him so firmly. "I want to leave, Jeff. I can't stay locked up in this house anymore, I'll go mad!"
Jeff reached to hold Maggie, but she pulled away. "Oh, Maggie, please, not again. Look, you gotta give me some time to get in touch with the docttor. He put himself out a lot to keep us here, and we can't just up and move away from here. Where could we go?"
Maggie shook her head. "Not 'we', Jeff. Me. Stay here if you want, but I have to leave." Jeff started to interrupt, but Maggie spoke first. "He is Dead! He's not out there! I'm leaving...tonight."
Jeff moved in front of her to stand in her way, but a knock on the door interrupted them.
(The beginning of Robert Cobert's music, "Meditations" plays)
Startled, they both turn towards the door. Maggie's eyes stayed fixed on the door as she whispered. "Jeff, who is that? No one is supposed to know we're here."
Jeff shook his head in bewilderment. "I...I don't know. Go upstairs, Maggie. I'll get my gun."
Maggie went by the staircase, but she only hid halfway around the partition, and her eyes stayed glued to the door. Jeff opened a faux book from the mantle, and pulled a pistol from inside it. He slowly pulled back the hammer, and raised it in the air as he stepped toward the door.
The sky was still pitch black with night, and clouds covered the moon. There was no electricity in the house, but Maggie and Jeff had learned to live by candlelight and fireplace. The banging of thunder echoed across the sky, and rattled the floorboards of the little white shanty they lived in.
Maggie knew that the doctor would give an announcement that he was there as he knocked, and she knew the sound of his station wagon as it pulled up. There was no vehicle sound, no voice, nothing. Maggie wondered, that by Jeff speaking "his" name, if "he" could have appeared?
Jeff quietly crept toward the door and peered through the peep hole. He saw the outline of a hooded figure, and the pitch sky made it impossible to identify a face. Lightning flashed, and the figure turned it's head toward the sky, and banged again on the door. Very slowly, Jeff's hand unlatched the chain, and he reached for the door knob. Maggie's hands gripped the wood of the partition as she braced herself to run for cover. With a quick turn of the knob and the grating of the hinges, the door flew open and the rain and wind howled through the house.
The force of wind and the splashing of rain in his eyes forced him to raise his arms for cover, and, before he knew it, his finger slipped and pulled the trigger.
(I do not own the rights to Dark Shadows. My fanfic is intended only for the enjoyment of the reader )
