Chapter Four

Maggie lay on Josette's bed that afternoon trying to sleep; an impossible-to-realize goal considering the stress of her situation. But she must have drifted off, there was no other way to explain the voice that began speaking to her. "He was a good man," the voice told her. Maggie sat up in the bed and looked around the room. She could see no one.

"Who…who's there?" she cried anxiously.

"I am not really here," the voice replied. Maggie put her head in her hands; she was dreaming, or imagining, or was she finally losing her mind? There was no way a little girl could be speaking to her, but that was exactly what seemed to be happening.

"Where are you then?" Maggie asked.

"I am here, but you cannot see me," the voice replied.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Sarah."

"Hello Sarah," Maggie conversed with the entity despite her confusion and fear. "It's so nice to talk to you."

"He used to be so nice," Sarah repeated.

"Do you mean Barnabas?" Maggie inquired.

"Yes I love him," Sarah told her.

"Was he good to you?"

"Yes very good."

"Well I'm glad for you Sarah. He's not good to me."

"I know. I am sorry. But he is only that way because of the witch."

Maggie's heart started to race, was she about to find out what made Barnabas the creature he'd become? "The witch, Sarah?"

"She cursed him; killed my mother."

"Oh Sarah I'm so sorry! Sarah, did she also kill Josette?"

"Yes."

"And how did she curse Barnabas?"

"I do not know how but she made him like he is. He does not wish to be like that."

Maggie started to weep. For the first time she felt pity for Barnabas, her captor, her tormentor. But then she remembered how dire her own situation had become. "Sarah, he's going to kill me. Can you help me?"

"I will try."

Maggie's tears of pity turned to tears of hope. "Thank you Sarah, thank you!" she cried. There was no reply and Maggie knew Sarah had gone. But she'd left behind a small kernel of the possibility of a way out, and that was more than Maggie had in a long time.

That night…

When Barnabas emerged from his coffin, Willie was not in the basement. Barnabas' ire went up immediately; did the man not endure enough of a punishment the previous night? Did he want more? Barnabas paused before ascending the stairs; he had the feeling he wasn't alone. "Willie?" Was his servant somewhere in the basement, just out of sight?

"No Barnabas it is I."

Barnabas recognized the voice even before he whipped around to see its source.

"Sarah my darling sister!"

It was his darling sister, transparent and floating in front of his eyes.