3
Since he had come to Collinsport, Willie Loomis had been in and out of trouble with the law. Since Jason left him behind, he was trying to make his living driving a cab from the train station to the hotel and everywhere else people went to in this spooky little town. His current fare, however, didn't want to go to the hotel; she wanted to be driven out to Collinwood, the creepy old house on the hill overlooking town. Barely seen beyond the trees of the estate, it was altogether obscured at night when the dark sky melded with the tops of the trees. The ride was lonely and the road rarely traveled upon except by the others who lived along this seemingly forgotten back road. Isolated homes with faint signs of their inhabitants popped into view behind every curve and even a stray rabbit appeared in his headlights. Loomis leaned forward as he searched the right hand side of the road for the turn off to the abandoned estate. He suddenly saw the waving dirt road to the side of the road and then the huge stone entrance that led out on to it. The gates were inexplicably hanging open as he heard weeds hitting the underside of the cab. More rabbits scattered from his headlights as he nervously drove slowly up the deserted and unkempt gravel roads.
"Lady," he spoke out loud. "Are you sure you want to come up here? No one's lived here in years."
"This is Collinwood, right?" The voice of Victoria Winters came from the back seat.
"Yes."
"This is where I'm going." Victoria answered assuredly as she stared out nervously to the trees scraping across the cab. Their long branches were like the long wizened fingers of creatures trying to hold them back. The cab turned toward a clearing and began a sharp turn up a steep incline. She looked down and saw the edge of a huge incline rising up over the woods and the wall marking the edge. She felt as if she were the lawyer going to meet Count Dracula as the atmosphere became even more foreboding to her. On the other side, Collinwood reared up like a mighty presence. Huge and gothic as some deserted castle, it was bathed in complete black against the darkness of the cloudy night sky. The cab stopped within walking distance of the front veranda. She looked at the fare and pulled out a five-dollar bill to cover it and the tip.
"Are you sure someone's expecting you?" Loomis asked.
"Yes," Victoria insisted.
"Look, lady," Willie turned to her. "Back in 1967, a buddy and I came to Collinsport. He had claimed to be an old friend of the family here. He left me at the hotel, and came up here alone. I never saw him again."
"I don't believe in ghosts." Victoria grinned demurely.
"Suit yourself," Willie took the five and pressed down the flag on his dashboard. "You want me to wait for you?" He stared out the passenger window toward her leaning in to him.
"I'll use the phone if I need you." Victoria carried her suitcase as he pulled off and left her. If it had not been for the bicycle out front and cigarette butts, she might have thought the house was deserted. She gazed up the front of it, walked under the front portico and rapped at the door as it jarred open. She peeked in and saw a fire burning in a distant room as she calmly strolled inside and forced her eyes to pry the darkness. The whole place was completely dark except for the burning fire in the next room, but someone must have lit it.
"Hello?" She called inside. "Is anyone home?"
"Yes," A person popped up behind the door. Dressed in a black sweater and a dark green floor level skirt, her white face and long blonde hair appeared as if it were floating in the dark as some disembodied head. Forlornly unassuming, she was obviously very attractive, but apparently a bit careful about anyone she allowed to come traipsing in here unannounced. A slight hesitant scan over her guest, she gazed back to Victoria curiously and coldly.
"Hello," Victoria beamed a brief second. "I'm Victoria Winters. I'm looking for Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard."
Her benefactor stood quietly studying her as if she did not trust her.
"I have a letter." Victoria pulled out the envelope and handed it over to her. The short but somber presence took out the letter and began reading it as she wandered into the drawing room. The whole room was lit only by the fire in the fireplace as she regally and arrogantly gestured to Victoria to follow her. Carrying her cases further, the young ingénue was again gestured to sit as she looked around the dark room. Her blonde hostess sat down in a regal almost intimidating manner into a huge chair before the fire as if it were a throne.
"Oh my god," her blonde benefactor finally spoke. "I can't believe it. I have a sister."
"Sister?"
"Vicki, can I call you Vicki?" The blonde hostess of the house stroked her long waist length hair over her shoulder. "Our mother passed away sometime back..."
"How's that possible?" Vicki Winters asked. "I just got this letter last week."
"The family lawyer must have sent it on a pre-assigned date." The lovely but intimidating presence identified herself. "I'm Carolyn Stoddard, your half-sister. My god, I have a sister!" She still couldn't believe it.
"So do I." Vicki forced a smile as her heart sank. "Is there anyone else? Are you alone here?"
"I'm afraid so." Carolyn leaned over to a tray on the table with a teapot and platter of cookies. "Mother died sometime back in her sleep. Our Uncle Roger had a car accident sometime after Cousin Barnabas arrived and Cousin David, Uncle Roger's son, he left to live with his mother. He hasn't been to visit in over a year. And then once in a while, someone from the business comes and checks up on me, but that's only once or twice a month."
"And you stay here all by yourself?" Vicki was invited to share the cookies. "Where's this Cousin Barnabas?" She looked up with interest as she lightly nibbled into one.
"He returned to England." Carolyn spoke after a delayed silence. "I'm so sorry. This is not much a homecoming for you."
"No," Vicki sipped the tea Carolyn poured for her. "On the contrary, I finally know who I am. I found my family. That's all I really wanted."
"Vicki," Carolyn leaned over and looked into her face. "I hope we can be very good friends." As she grinned mysteriously in the flickering shadows cast by the fireplace, she appeared a lot more sinister than she did in the foyer!