Dark Shadows 1797
Chapter Ten: Blood
Ben hurried to the basement at the Old House. He knew he hadn't much time before Barnabas returned from the birthday celebration. He needed to get Willie Loomis back to his own room. Ben found the man bruised, bloodied, but seemingly polishing the casket with his sleeve. "What are ya doin' Willie?" he asked. Willie ranted in reply, "I'm cleaning it for Mr. Barnabas. It has to be perfect for him when he returns. It can't have any dirt, any smudges. He can't be disappointed. I must never disappoint him again!"
"I am glad to hear it Mr. Loomis," Barnabas' voice boomed out from the stairway. He descended the final steps and Willie started yammering in his direction. "Do you see? I cleaned it off for you. Are you pleased? Are you?" Ben stood by silently while Barnabas answered Willie. "Yes Willie I see. You have done a marvelous job." Willie beamed; he was so happy to get a positive response. Ben interjected, "Mr. Barnabas I was just taking him upstairs. I'm sorry it wasn't done sooner."
"That's all right Ben. As a matter of fact I have need of Mr. Loomis. You may go." Ben did as he was told but was very concerned. Barnabas had fed off Willie earlier that night as well as the night before; would he do it again? How much could a man take before he would die? But he didn't dare ask about it; he had to be satisfied with the superiority of his own situation. Ben had been Barnabas' loyal servant from before the curse; before the transformation. It was this history that apparently kept Ben safe; Barnabas had never bitten him.
"You need me?" Willie excitedly asked; "I am ready for you." He pulled his collar aside and exposed his neck which was still bleeding from the prior assault. "No Willie," Barnabas told him. "I will not feed from you again tonight. Go get me the blood I need." He outstretched his arm and pointed a long finger at the basement stairs. Willie shook his head, "no! You must take it from me! I must be obedient; I must please you!" Barnabas knew Willie's hysterics came from the discipline he had endured earlier that night; a punishment that clearly had the desired effect. But taking more blood this night would endanger Willie's life. And if he died that way he would rise again as a vampire. Barnabas was determined to never doom another to his own fate. So he only fed periodically from whichever unfortunate soul was his servant at that time.
"If you wish to prove your obedience, go do as I say," Barnabas told him sternly with sufficient warning in his voice. Willie looked dejected but did as instructed. Once he had left the basement Barnabas put his hands flat on the coffin and leaned over it to steady himself. He needed blood soon. It had taken all his strength, all his willpower, to not go up to Maggie Evans' room. If his hunger was not quickly satiated she would be in grave danger.
Maggie found herself in a deep sleep and in a dream world. At night she had climbed up a hill. At the top was a cliff overlooking a jagged, rocky crag in the shoreline. As she stood there a voice spoke to her, "Maggie, do not be afraid of me; I want us to be together for eternity." She turned towards the voice and saw it belonged to Barnabas Collins. He approached her from the darkness. "Why should I be afraid of you? Why do you say that? Why does your father act as if you are a danger to me?"
"He does not understand," Barnabas told her. "No one seems to understand. I have no wish to hurt you. But I must possess you, forever." Maggie felt a terror she'd never known and started backing away from him. "No stay away!" she cried. Barnabas stopped walking and implored her to do the same. "Do not move my love. Do not step back any further!" Maggie felt her foot slipping on the edge of the cliff; she was about to fall. And then she heard a door open.
"A door; how can there be a door up here?" she asked herself, on the verge of plunging into the abyss. She awoke with a start. It took a few moments to realize she was safely in her bed. Or was she? She had heard a door and the one to her room was clearly open; illuminated by the candle lite in the hallway beyond. And then she realized there was someone in her room.