Possession

Willie was speeding down the dark road that led up to the old house. The snow putting him in a trance as it lit up against the truck headlights and bounced off the windshield. His head was pounding with the Vampire's call. He knew he had made several mistakes tonight and the biggest of all of them was opening a part of himself up to Abigail.

Willie pulled the truck into the driveway slowly. He climbed out and walked up to the house, peering through the front window before entering. Barnabas was standing in the middle of the room, stroking the wolf on the top of his cane back and forth. Willie had gotten to know what kind of things It could do with that cane and it frightened him. He didn't want to take another beating tonight, the ache in his side was finally disappearing.

As Willie watched through the window Barnabas slowly turned and looked right at him, sending a jolt of panic straight through him. Willie stood back and slowly walked through the front doors and then shut them. Barnabas was still standing there, waiting for him in the middle of the great room.

"Willie…you are late."

"I-I'm sorry…I took her home like I said I would. She wanted to stop someplace first so I figured I would stop with her and then make sure she got home okay. That's all"

"Apparently Willie you enjoyed being out."

"W-What? No…I-I took her home. That's all"

It walked up to Willie and cornered him near the front doors.

"Knowing how much you like to be out Willie I shall accommodate you. I think perhaps now would be a good time for you to get ahead of some of your duties for tomorrow, and you will be able to stay out, like you wanted."

"B-Barnabas… what?…I-I…I just dropped her off. We only stopped for a short time."

It backed away from him and began to walk back into the great room. "Light fires in both the kitchen and in here Willie."

Willie was confused but he did as he was told, both fires were lit and were roaring. He returned to Barnabas who staring out the front window.

"Fires are lit Barnabas." Willie knew there was something coming but he didn't know what. He could feel it and the anticipation made him sick.

"We will need more wood Willie with both fires burning all night, and since you enjoyed being out so much you won't mind going out again."

Willie stood there processing what It just said.

"Y-You want me to go out and chop wood now? Barnabas…i-it's freezing out there!"

"I thought you liked being out…so GO…OUT!"

"But Barnabas…" The Vampire turned from the window and faced him.

"Barnabas … no…"

Its eyes turned black and It walked towards Willie, raising Its cane. "You had no problem going out and entertaining our guest when your duties were here! It is me you are beholden to Willie, not some little girl with a camera!" The Vampire's voice was menacing and full of rage. "I have left her alone Willie so that she can continue her work on this house, but it is entirely up to you if I continue to do so. Her life is in YOUR hands Willie. Should you neglect my needs again for her I will remove the temptation entirely!"

"No! NO! Barnabas please!"

"Now GO OUT!"

Christ! No… oh God what have I done. Willie didn't dare argue. He grabbed his coat and walked through the kitchen and out the back door. A gust of frozen air met his face and sent chills down his back and legs. The moon was hidden behind the clouds and snow was lightly falling. The sky had a pink hue to it as the snow clouds began to roll in.

Willie did as he was told, he sliced through the firewood through the night. The icy air whipping through his ears causing them to ache. Each strike of the axe was fueled by anger towards It and anger towards himself for allowing things to go too far with her. By allowing her to get close he put her in danger.

He continued to slice through the wood but as the night went on the temperatures were dropping. He needed to get out of the cold even if just for a moment. He dropped the axe to the ground and walked to the back door to warm up in the small entryway. He pulled the handle and the door wouldn't budge. Locked!? Shit. He walked back around the house to the front and grabbed the handles. No! Both entrances were locked.

He looked back at his truck and decided that he would climb in there. He was freezing and the truck would at least give him some shelter. He walked over and pulled up on the handle with no result. Bastard!

Willie slid down the side of the truck against the wheel. His hair was wet and almost frozen as the snow continued to fall, harder now that it had before. He looked down at his watch, 1:21am. He had been out there almost 5 hours now. It would be another 4 or 5 hours before IT had to retreat from the daylight. I won't make it that long.

Willie stood back up and returned to the back of the house, he would continue to do as he was told, but now he wished he wouldn't have stopped. It gave his muscles a chance to rest and stiffen up.

The snow was falling at a heavy and steady pace, his coat and pants were soaked and he no longer had the strength to continue. He sat down next to the stump that he had been using to split the wood and his body would not stop shivering. He thought about going to the doors and begging to be let in, but he wouldn't give IT the satisfaction. He would stay out there until IT let him in or until he froze to death.

As he sat there, the snow falling down around him, he thought about sitting with Abigail at the bar, about their embrace on the pier. He had forgotten how it felt to have someone hold him that way. He wished it wouldn't have happened. It was a feeling that he never missed until tonight. Willie stared into the woods as his thoughts began to get scattered. He saw the fog roll in and closed his eyes and let himself drop into the darkness.


Abigail watched as Willie ran back to his truck, worried that she might have upset him. Once he was out of view she turned and went into the building and walked up the stairs to her apartment. She was fishing around her purse for her keys and when she looked up she froze, dropping her purse and keys to the floor. There he was, sitting in front of her door, waiting for her.

"Is that the guy? Is that the guy you left me for?"

"Jesus Nick, what are you doing here?" Abigail was shocked and angry and nervous all at once. She never expected him to come out here and find her.

"You never answered my calls. What did you think I was going to do? Just let you go? Read the note and just give up? It never occurred to me that there was someone else. He's not even your type Abby. How long? How long have you been with him?"

"Nick, it's none of your business. You shouldn't have come here. I'm sorry about the note, I should have talked to you face to face, but it doesn't change anything. I can't be with you. I'm not in love with you." She thought maybe she should tell him that it was nothing like that and that he had it all wrong, that Willie was just a friend. But a part of her thought it would be easier to let him think that there was. Maybe he would just leave and accept it.

He stood up and stumbled back catching himself on the door, she realized he had been drinking and she suddenly felt sick. He was a tall man with dark hair that was cut short and always perfectly in place, it was one of the things she disliked about him, that and the fact that when he drank he became belligerent and aggressive.

"You left a fucking note Abby! After two years together I deserved better than that!" He was shouting at her now and she bent down and picked up her purse and keys and walked to her door.

"Stop shouting, God you'll wake the entire building" She opened her door and let him in.

"I saw you at the bar with him Abby. I can't believe you did this to me." He flopped down on the couch as Abby stood nervously by the door. He was at the bar? Shit! God I didn't even notice him. "We could still do it… we could still get married!"

"Nick, no. I'm sorry but I'm staying here, and you're right, you deserved better than a note."

He stood up, drunken eyes staring at her, and walked in front of her. He was too close for her liking and she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"You're staying here with HIM!" He shouted. "What is it he has that I don't huh? What?!" He pushed her hard up against the door. "I saw the little shit leave ya sitting there at the table, wiping his eyes as he left like some little girl! Was he cryin'?! He's not even real a man Abigail!"

"Nick…stop! You've been drinking… You need to go before you do something you'll regret. You need to go now!" She reached for the door knob and opened the door.

"Abigail you belong to me! You are mine!"

"I do NOT belong to you or anyone else. I'm not some possession to be owned. Get out Nick. Go back to Chicago. This is over. We are over. I'm sorry." She was surprised to hear how calm she was. Inside she was shaking.

He looked at her and she saw anger flash through his eyes and for a split second she thought he was going to hit her. His jaw clenched tight. "This is not over Abigail." He walked out and slammed the door behind him.

Abigail quickly locked the door and dropped to the floor. Her emotions took over and tears came flooding down her face.


Willie woke up on the floor in the great room. He was in front of the fire place and could feel the heat radiating from it. He sat up and looked down at his clothes. His jacket was off hanging over the mantel and his shoes and socks were sitting on the floor beside him. He was only wearing his t-shirt and pants and a blanket was draped over him. He pulled the blanket tight around him, still shivering, and tried to figure out how he got there. He looked out the front window and it was still dark. A sick feeling dropped into his stomach as he realized that It was still roaming the house somewhere. That must be how he got here. It must have brought him in, the thought confused him.

"Here, drink this." Barnabas walked into the great room from the kitchen, handing him a mug of hot water with one of the tea packets that Willie had in the kitchen.

Willie looked up at him, his eyes full of confusion.

"T-thanks…" Willie took the mug and wrapped his hands around it. He was cold.

"Barnab-"

"Stop talking Willie. Drink the tea. I am simply taking care of what belongs to me Willie. I do not need you dead. I need you obedient. I'm going upstairs. You may return to your room when you have finished warming up here. When you deliver Ms. Chilton her car tomorrow I expect you to return back here immediately. I am vulnerable here alone during the day."

Willie simply acknowledged by nodding his head and Barnabas' words repeated through his head. I am simply taking care of what belongs to me. Willie was Its possession, nothing more and nothing less. It was a hopeless feeling. Willie pulled the blanket around him and finished his tea trying not to think about Isabel, or Barnabas or Abigail…he tried not to think at all.