Dark Shadows: Revenge of the Vampires

Chapter 18

1

Angelique, with Dracula by her side headed through the woods with Professor Stokes. When they were going in the opposite direction of the Great House, Dracula became puzzled. "I don't understand, why are we going in this direction, instead of heading back to the mansion we arrived here from?"

Before Angelique had the opportunity to answer him, the professor said, "There are two time portals here in Collinsport, Count. The one in Quentin's room was discovered first. However, when Barnabas and Chief Ironside went back to 1795 the first time, they were dropped in the woods, not the Great House. Angelique discovered them leaving that timeline by way of the portal in the woods."

Angelique said, "We have less chance of running into anyone if we use the time portal in the woods, Vlad. We could be discovered entering the Great House. Discovery is much greater there than the portal we are going to use."

Dracula accepted her explanation without further questioning. Yet, there was something that still puzzled the vampire. "If Ramon killed Barnabas before he became a vampire, and most of us have forgotten that he existed, then why do you remember, Angelique? Why wasn't the information wiped from Professor Stokes's diary?"

"Very good question, Count," the professor said, as they continued their journey through the woods. "It doesn't make sense to me either. If he was murdered before all the other events happened, than how could I have recorded it in a diary?"

"I can't answer that," Angelique said. "I only know I would have remembered him because I met him in Martinique before Ramon killed him. It doesn't explain why I remember everything that has happened over the years. Nor does it explain why the professor's diary still has all the information recorded. You would think that the events involving Barnabas would have been wiped from the timeline, but it seems not all of it has been."

"Let's just be glad it hasn't," the professor said. "I suggest we head to the portal and go back and save Barnabas. Otherwise, your war with the vampires is not the only thing that has become a concern. Everyone who Barnabas has saved in the past here in Collinwood is now dead. Nicholas Blair is the owner of the Great House, which is another reason we suggested the time portal in the woods made more sense."

"Who is Nicholas Blair?" Dracula asked.

"He is a warlock. I was under his control until you freed me from him and the master, when you decided to take me back to Romania from San Francisco."

"Ah yes, San Francisco. That is the city you said Morgan and Miranda were killed; that I went there and joined forces with Barnabas Collins to help him defeat Andrew and his army," Dracula said. "However, Andrew is still head of the Vampire Council."

"Only because Ramon change the timeline when he went back and killed Barnabas Collins."

"You have proven to me that there is a way to travel without using a car, train, or airplane," Dracula said, "but we are in the same time as we were in Transylvania."

"Count, I assure you time travel does exist, and we will prove it to you very shortly," the professor assured him.

They traveled along in silence after that, with each one lost in their thoughts. Dracula trusted Angelique, but he couldn't help but wonder how time travel could be possible. If it were, would it be possible for him to go back to his own time, which he much preferred to what society had become today? It was a much simpler life in the time period he originally lived. He doubted, even if it was possible, that he could convince Angelique to go back. She obviously enjoyed many of the inventions that came about in this century. She told him she loved only him. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if Barnabas Collins, whoever he was, was the real reason he wouldn't be able to return to his own century. Angelique said she met him in Martinique, and had once loved him. Did she still? Dracula couldn't help but wonder. Should he really be helping to change the timeline so that he would live again? He couldn't lose Angelique now, not to Barnabas Collins.

The count could hear the roar of what he figured was the ocean. Maine bordered on the Atlantic, at least he believed it did. They must be getting closer to the time portal. It was only a matter of time whether the professor and his Angelique would actually prove time travel did exist. Despite his misgivings about helping return Barnabas Collins to life, he knew he would do it. He would do it because it was what Angelique wanted.

Stokes and Angelique stopped in front of a thick set of brush and trees. "We are here," Angelique said.

"This is the portal?" Dracula asked.

"Yes, Vlad. It is right in front of us. All we have to do is step into it. Remember, you must think of Collinwood in 1795. Also, keep this time portal in mind as well. Otherwise, you could arrive in Quentin's room in the Great House. Do you understand?"

"I do. There is one thing that concerns me. If we are going to be in 1795 for any length of time, I must have somewhere to rest."

"There is a secret room in the mausoleum in Eagle Hill Cemetery. It is completely sealed. You will be able to rest there. We may have to find a coffin to place inside. We'll check when we arrive." Angelique took a step toward the portal. She looked back to see Dracula and Elliott standing there. "Well, gentlemen, shall we?"

"One last thing," Dracula said, "won't Barnabas Collins think I am a fictional character?"

Elliott Stokes chuckled. "No, Count. Since the novel by Bram Stoker wasn't publish until 1897, Barnabas will not have heard of you at all."

"Then we shall enter your time portal." Dracula stepped forward with Angelique and disappeared inside the portal. The professor followed them in. When they stepped out, they were in the woods in Collinsport. The vampire would have thought they had not gone anywhere if it weren't for the much thicker woods than they had just traveled through. He looked around. He was beginning to believe in time travel. Only a period of a previous time could have produced a more dense woods. "I am surprised everyone doesn't know about time travel."

"It is a good thing they do not, Count. It would mean the end of the world. If everyone was traveling into the past changing the timeline, it was surely destroy the earth as we know it."

"Who else knows about it?" the vampire asked.

"Besides us, Barnabas does, at least the Barnabas in the present. Julia Hoffman, Willie Loomis, Chief Ironside from San Francisco and his policewoman, as well as Quentin Collins. He married Eve Whitfield. He now goes by the name of Sam Dwyer. Johnny Ramano also knows, but he would never cross over into another century. Oh, and the youngster, David Collins, who was tricked into going back to 1897 by the ghost of Quentin Collins. That's about it." Stokes smiled. He didn't think he left anyone else out.

"That alone is dangerous," Dracula said. "That is far too many people. Shouldn't they be eliminated?"

"Not one of them would reveal the time portal, Vlad," Angelique explained. "They all know how serious the consequences could be."

"But what about the boy? Children can't be trusted to keep a secret."

"This boy can," Elliott said. "He was the one that warned us that Ramon and Tristan were in Collinwood, looking for the time portal. And before you ask, he was not the one who told them about the portal."

"Someone had to," Dracula said.

"It was Willie Loomis. But he tricked Tristan into thinking about dinosaurs. That is why you have no memory of him. He must have been sent to the time of dinosaurs and been eaten by one. He has been wiped from history. I would imagine anyone he turned is now living a very normal life," the professor said. "It is too bad he didn't put the same suggestion in Ramon's mind. We would not be here right now."

Angelique looked up into the sky. She could see that they were near dawn. They had to get Dracula into the hidden room in the mausoleum. "We will have to go to the Old House later."

Dracula looked up into the sky. He knew exactly why. They were running out of darkness. He needed to get into a coffin before daylight. Dracula didn't argue; he simply followed her to Eagle Hill Cemetery. As they walked through the cemetery, the vampire noticed the numerous graves that held members of the Collins family of the past. The family must have been very large according to the number of them buried. Then he spotted the mausoleum. The Collins name ran across the building. This was obviously where Angelique was leading him.

When they arrived, he watched her open the creaky iron door into the interior. There were three coffins with markers on the wall. Two of them listed Naomi and Joshua Collins. The third was blank. No name indicated who would be buried there. There was no date of death on either Naomi or Joshua Collins's head stones. "Who are these people?"

"Naomi and Joshua Collins are Barnabas's parents," Angelique explained. She walked over to Naomi's head stone, reached up, and pulled the ring in the lion's nose that was above. The wall open up into the secret room.

Dracula watched in fascination. "And just exactly what do they use this room for?"

Elliott Stokes was amused, and he was having trouble hiding it. Dracula was aware of all of this until Ramon came back in time and killed Barnabas. "During the Revolutionary War, it was used to hide weapons, and an occasional soldier the British were looking for. In this time, after Barnabas became a vampire, he used it for his daytime rest. This is the room in which he was imprisoned for 200 years until Willie Loomis freed him unknowingly while looking for the family jewels, rumored to be hidden in this room."

"I see," was all Dracula said.

Angelique took his arm and led him into the secret room. Inside was a coffin. She didn't understand why it was there. Barnabas was not a vampire at this point in time. There wasn't any reason for one to be kept in there. She and Dracula walked over to it. He seemed hesitant. "Vlad, you must get in before you go into the sleep of the dead. Otherwise, you are going to be sleeping on the floor. I am concerned you will burn up even from the little light that will come into this room before we close the door."

Dracula opened the coffin, fully expecting to find a body resting inside. Instead, what he found was an empty coffin. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small bag and sprinkled just a bit of the dirt from his homeland into the coffin. He got inside. "I will see you at dusk, my love."

Angelique smiled at him and said, "I love you, Vlad." She lowered the lid as Dracula fell into the sleep of the dead.

"We have a problem, Angelique," the professor said.

"You are referring to the clothes we are wearing?"

They left the secret room. Elliott reached up and pulled the ring. The door to the secret room closed. "That is not our only problem, but it is the most pressing at the moment."

"You are forgetting, Professor, I have a room in the Old House. There are plenty of clothes there for me. Ben Stokes, your ancestor, will certainly have clothes that will fit you."

"I don't doubt that, since he is said to look exactly like me."

They left the mausoleum and began walking toward the Old House. "The problem is not clothing as I see it. The problem is finding an explanation for you."

The wind whistled around them, blowing the leaves on the trees. Neither of them thought to bring warmer clothing, and at this time of the year in Collinsport, the wind came off the ocean, making the it cold and nippy.

Drawing the collar of his suit coat up to ward off the wind, Elliott walked at Angelique's side. "I have a suggestion," he said. "If I could take Ben's place, I might be able to convince Barnabas the danger he is in."

"Excellent idea, Professor! I will find Ben, use a bit of witchcraft on him and he will stay out of sight until we have accomplished what we came here to do." Elliott stopped his forward motion. When Angelique noticed, she too stopped. "Is there something wrong?"

"We can't force him. He must agree to help us. It is the only way."

"But, I can make him cooperate." She didn't understand Elliott. She knew Ben Stokes far better than he did, and forcing him was the only way to get his cooperation."

Elliott shook his head. "Don't fall back into your old ways, Angelique. You will never convince Barnabas that you are here to help him. We must gain his trust, and we can do that by gaining Ben's trust. He will, in turn, help us to help Barnabas understand what will happen to him if he doesn't trust us."

"Or we can simply have Vlad take control of Barnabas by biting and leaving his venom in him."

"This is exactly the way you did things when you lived through this century. How did that work out? No, I insist we do things differently. Trust is the only way we can prevent Barnabas's death."

Angelique had always been so use to using deceit and witchcraft to get her way, it was very difficult not to fall back into it. She knew the professor was right. They had to win Barnabas's trust and they had no idea how much time they had, since they didn't know exactly when Ramon would show up. She worried how she would ever gain Barnabas's trust knowing what she had done to him in this century. Angelique pursued him, put a spell on his fiancé to fall in love with Jeremiah; she was responsible for the death of his mother, his sister, and worst of all the one woman Barnabas had truly loved.

She realized now that she was just as much to blame as he was for that night in Martinique. She wanted him, and she went after him. She knew he was going to marry Josette and she should never have interfered with them. Now that she was with Vlad, she realized how terribly she treated Barnabas, and the horror she inflicted upon him and his family.

"Alright, Elliott, we will do things your way, but if it doesn't work, like it or not, we may have to revert to doing things the old way. I don't want to anymore than you do, but we have to stop Ramon from killing Barnabas. Now, I suggest I go to the Old House. I will sneak in and get changed. As soon as I can find Ben, I will bring him to you. Go back to Eagle Hill Cemetery. I will meet you there as soon as possible."

Elliott nodded and left her to carry out her instructions. Angelique continued on to the Old House. She wished she had thought to go into the Old House in present time. She could have found clothes of the period in the attic. Instead, she was now taking a chance that she would be caught in the clothes of the 21st century. It was a mistake on her part to be in such a hurry. After all, they could have left a year from now and still arrived at this time in history.

The witch continued through the woods. By now, she wasn't just cold, she was freezing. The weather in November was extremely cold already. Another blunder on her part. They should have brought overcoats to ward off the wind coming off the ocean. She couldn't worry about that now. Angelique had a job to do. She owed it to Barnabas to stop Ramon after everything she did to him and his family in the past. She couldn't change what she did, well, actually she could, but it was too late for that. Barnabas wanted to spend the rest of his life with Julia Hoffman. She felt an obligation to see that he was able.

Angelique had a thought. What of Julia Hoffman? If she never met Barnabas, than Ramon wouldn't have any reason to abduct her. Then again, he would remember how much Julia meant to Barnabas, and might figured Dracula would still come after him. Since Tristan would be wiped from the time line, Ramon wouldn't remember Dracula was supposed to be murdered by Tristan. He would probably still hold Julia Hoffman as leverage. Then again, how could he know her memory wouldn't be wiped as well. If that were the case, why would Dracula save Julia Hoffman in the first place. Oh! Time Travel! It could drive one insane just thinking about it!

Angelique would just have to assume he still abducted her, possibly thinking she was Angelique's friend. Ramon was trying to wrestle control of the Vampire Council, not from Morgan and Miranda, as they were killed in San Francisco in the current time line now, but from Andrew and his son, Peter Adell. He couldn't possibly think Dracula would align himself with Andrew. Then again, up until Dracula joined forces in San Francisco with Chief Robert Ironside, the Vampire Council considered Dracula one of them. The more Angelique thought about it, the crazier it got.

Right now, she had to stop thinking about how Ramon changed the timeline, and get to the Old House. She continued through the woods. She heard rustling of the brush in front of her. "Who's there?"

Ben Stokes stepped into the path. "It is I, Miss Angelique." He looked at her, shocked at the clothes she was wearing. He only saw these type of clothes on Victoria Winters, Sarah's new governess. What was Angelique doing dressed in this manner?

The witch knew exactly why Ben was staring at her. She also knew he hated her, and if she had to admit it, with very good reason. Getting him to trust her was going to be a chore. "Ben, you need to listen to me. I know what I have done in the past, but I am not the same Angelique you have been dealing with." From the look on his face, she could tell he didn't believe a word she said. How could she blame him? "I know you don't believe me, and I will have to win your trust. The reason I am dressed like this is because I am Angelique from the 21st Century. As you already know, witches are eternal. I have traveled back in time to save Barnabas. Do you believe in vampires, Ben?"

"I have heard they do exist. I have never met one. Since there are witches, I have to believe vampires are possible as well."

"Good, at least I won't have to convince you they exist. In this time, I did terrible things. Things I am now ashamed of. I could change all of that now, but I won't. You see, in this time, I turned the vampire bat on Barnabas, and he became a vampire. I was responsible for Sarah's death, as well as Josette and Naomi Collins."

"My God! How could you ever ask me to trust you? If you did that, than why would you not change it now?" Ben started to turn away.

"Please don't go, Ben."

"You will have to stop me." He continued to walk away.

"No, I won't stop you. I need your help. I will not use witchcraft on you while I am here. I must win your trust. You must truly believe I am here to prevent Barnabas's death."

Ben turned back to look at her. "You don't make any sense. All you have to do is not turn him into a vampire."

"I won't even get the chance. Ramon, a vampire from the 21st century is trying to take control of the Vampire Council. He is up against Barnabas and Dracula, another vampire. He discovered time travel, and came back to this time and murdered Barnabas before he became a vampire."

"You lie! I just left Barnabas. He is very much alive."

"That is because I came back before Ramon killed Barnabas. It was the only way I can prevent him from doing so. Traveling with me are Dracula and," she smiled, "and a man who is related to you, Ben. His name is Professor Elliott Stokes. He is your exact double."

"If they came back with you, then where are they?" Ben wondered just exactly what kind of trickery Angelique was up to now. She wanted Barnabas. This had to be another ploy to achieve that end.

Dracula is in the secret room in the mausoleum, sleeping. Vampires, as you know cannot come out in the daytime. Elliott Stokes is there, waiting for me to bring him clothing suitable for this time period."

Ben shook his head. "I don't believe you."

"I know you don't, and I don't blame you. That is why I won't stop you if you choose not to help us."

"You mean you will just let me walk away right now?"

"Yes, Ben. That is exactly what I will do."

Stokes just stood there. He couldn't trust Angelique. Why was he still standing there? She was a witch, trying to interfere with Mister Barnabas and Miss Josette. Would she really allow him to walk away? He didn't believe it. But, what if part of what she was saying was true? What if Mister Barnabas was in danger? He couldn't turn his back on him. He was the only one in Collinsport he could completely trust. He was good to him. Mister Barnabas was teaching him to read, and he stood between him and Mister Joshua Collins, who treated him poorly. He didn't trust Angelique, but he couldn't take the chance if Mister Barnabas was actually in trouble.

Angelique could see she was making some headway. Ben was hesitating. She decided she had to take advantage of it. "Listen, Ben. I need you to bring me some clothes. I can't be seen in these." Using her hands she swept them at the 21st century clothing she had on.

Ben stared at her for a moment. Finally, he said. "I'll get you the clothes, but you have to take me to meet these people. If they can convince me they are from the future, and that Mister Barnabas is truly in trouble, I will help. Understand one thing. I don't trust you."

"Fair enough, Ben. I can accept that. Elliot Stokes will need proper clothing as well. Since he is an exact double of you, if the clothing will fit you, it will fit Elliott. We will meet you in Eagle Hill Cemetery." Angelique turned and left Ben.

Stokes watched her go. He started his trip back to what was called the Old House in present day Collinsport. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake. Angelique was capable of much treachery. He would have to be careful. This just might be a new method of that treachery.

2

In the Present . . .

Julia Hoffman sat in her prison cell in Ramon's castle. She couldn't understand what she was doing here. And where exactly was here? The man who abducted her drugged her. She woke up in the cell she was now in. But why? She didn't know him. What did he want with her?

Julia stood up and walked over to the bars. The silence was driving her crazy. It appeared she was the only one being kept here. There was a door directly across from her cell, but it was closed. Was there someone on the other side of the door? Or was she completely alone. There wasn't any windows in the wall of the cell, so she couldn't look out to get an idea of where she was.

"Guard! Guard! Is there anyone there?" Julia shouted.

The door opened, and a man walked in. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what is going on? What am I doing here? Who's holding me here?" The guard said nothing. "Don't just stand there answer me!"

"He can't. He was instructed to tell you nothing," said the voice behind the guard. Julia tried to look beyond the guard to see who just walked in.

"Return to your post," the man said. It was obvious to Julia, this was the man in charge. The guard left the room.

Julia studied the man. He was rather handsome, but Julia suspected he was not healthy. His color was terrible. He was a pasty white. "Who are you, and what am I doing here?"

He smiled. Looking directly into Julia's eyes, she could feel the pull, the attempt at control. She looked away from him. Could it be? No, it was her imagination. She had yet to meet one. Just because he was pale didn't mean . . .

"Why don't you look me in the eye, Doctor Hoffman?" the stranger asked.

"Because I choose not to."

He laughed. "I almost believe you know what I am."

With that remark, Julia was now certain of her previous thought. "You're a vampire, aren't you?"

"Very good, Doctor. You, of course, are correct."

Julia walked over to the bars of her cell. She wasn't about to show any fear to the vampire . . . her first encounter with one. "I have been working on a cure for vampirism. Is that why I am here?"

Ramon laughed. He walked over and sat down in a broken down chair across from the cells. "Heavens no. I have no desire to give up the life of a vampire. I love it. Why in the world would I want to give up immortality, physical strength beyond any living human, speed, and the ability to disappear and reappear, not to mention turning into a bat and fly?"

"Never to see the light of day, sleeping in a coffin and feeding on humans to survive?" Julia pointed out.

The vampire pushed the chair back, forcing it back on two legs. "Did it ever occur to you that I don't care about seeing daylight, or sleeping in a coffin? Drinking blood is one of the best things about being a vampire. You should know that. You have been living with a vampire for some time. Barnabas Collins."

Confused, Julia frowned. "I don't know what you are talking about. I don't know a vampire by the name of Barnabas Collins."

"Oh, but you do, or rather you did. You see, I found out about the time portal from Willie Loomis."

"Willie Loomis, who is that? Time portal? You must be mad."

Smiling, Ramon stood up. "Mad? No, Doctor, I am not mad. Barnabas Collins lived in the 1700's. You met him in the present timeline. You were looking to find that cure you were talking about. Collins protected the very rich Collins family in Collinsport."

"What are you talking about? The Collins family hasn't lived in Collinsport for two centuries. The original Barnabas Collins was murdered. His family sold the property at that time."

"Well, that isn't the way it always was. Collins survived to live into this century, but he befriended Count Dracula. The two of them were becoming a major obstacle to controlling the Vampire Council, so I used the time portal to go back and kill Barnabas Collins. Hence, the reason you don't remember him, as he no longer exist in this timeline. I understand Nicholas Blair owns Collinwood, or as it has been renamed Blairwood." A grin spread across his face.

"You truly are mad if you think Dracula exists. If you are trying to impress me with that particular vampire, you should know he is fictional."

"Hardly, Doctor. You better hope he exists because he is your only chance of surviving. That is why you are here. He is going to try to rescue you. You see, you and Barnabas were an item. Dracula will feel an obligation to try to save you."

"If what you say is true, that you went back in time and killed Barnabas Collins; you would have changed the timeline, that is if time travel even is possible. Dracula, if he exists, wouldn't never have met him either. So, your little narrative is ridiculous."

Ramon dropped his chair with a thud. He stood up, his eyes turning black. He walked slowly over to the bars. The anger on his face had Julia backing away from him. His fangs elongated and he looked at Julia. "Ridiculous, Doctor? You have no memory of Barnabas Collins, because I am the one that killed him by traveling back in time. I don't know how I know, but I just do. Dracula will come for you, and we will be ready for him. I am going to destroy him with the help of Andrew's army of vampires. You don't remember him, but your Barnabas Collins and Count Dracula originally killed him in San Francisco. Due to Collins's death, he is back in charge. That was an unforeseen and unfortunate setback, but once Dracula is out of the picture, I will deal with Andrew. Right now, I need him to help defeat Dracula."

Julia tried reaching into her memory. Was Ramon telling her the truth? Did time travel really exist? It was something she always believed in, but now that she was faced with the real possibility it did, she didn't want to believe it. Everything he said could make sense if he did go back in time and kill Barnabas Collins. She put her hands to her head. Why couldn't she force herself to remember?

Ramon stepped away from the cell. "I'll have what I want, Doctor. Nothing can stop me." The vampire left the room.

Julia stared after him. Barnabas Collins. Did she really find and study a real vampire? Even if it was true, Julia could not believe she would fall in love with a vampire. Where would the future be in that? She would eventually grow old, but he would remain the same age in appearance. Besides, whoever this vampire, Ramon was, she couldn't trust anything he told her, or could she?

3

Angelique decided to wait until Ben returned, rather than go back to the mausoleum. It took some time, but return, he did.

Ben Stokes and Angelique walked through the woods in silence. Angelique could feel the hatred and mistrust he had for her. Knowing what she did at this time, there wasn't any other way he could possibly feel. Hopefully, meeting Elliott Stokes and Vlad would help him to start trusting her. She didn't believe that would ever happen. At the very least, it might convince him to help protect and save Barnabas from Ramon.

As they approached Eagle Hill Cemetery, they could hear thunder in the background. It wouldn't be long and the rain would start falling. With the cold temperature, the last thing they needed to do would be to get caught in the weather. Picking up their pace, they hurried through the graveyard and arrived at the mausoleum. The iron gates opened and Professor Elliott Stokes greeted them.

"You must be Ben Stokes. I am Professor Elliot Stokes, Ben. I am a descendant of yours. I never dreamed I would get a chance to meet you. I am in possession of your diary. I feel like I know you."

Ben stared at the professor. He couldn't believe his eyes. The man was an exact double of him. Despite his hair being shorter and slicked back, there wasn't any doubt the man was related to him. He even had his voice. If Ben cut his hair to match the professor's, they could be taken for twins, as they were about the same age. "My diary? How did you know I kept a diary?"

"I found the diary, or rather the Collins family found it and gave it to me, since I am your only living relative. I still have it in possession to this day."

Ben looked back at Angelique. "How do I know this isn't another one of your tricks?"

"I assure you, Ben, Angelique came back to this century to stop Ramon from killing Barnabas. I trust she has brought you up to date where we are from and why we are here."

Ben cringed as a loud bang of thunder sounded in the background. "It doesn't make sense. If you really are from the future, than why aren't there two of you? That is what all the books on time travel say."

"We thought the same thing," Elliott said, "until Barnabas traveled back to this period. There was only one of him, and he retained all the memories of what he did in this time period."

"Mister Barnabas couldn't possibly have done that. He would have been long dead in the time you claim to be from."

"You are right, Ben," Angelique said. She looked up as another crash of thunder sounded. "Let's go inside before it starts pouring rain." Ben opened the door. Elliott and Angelique followed him inside.

"If I am right, than everything you are telling me is a lie."

Angelique sat down on the coffin. "It would be correct if I had not turned Barnabas into a vampire. He lives into our century where he is still a vampire, although he has Julia, who is trying to find a cure for his vampirism."

The look on Ben's face was skeptical. Angelique had brought nothing but heartache and trouble since she arrived at Collinsport. She pretended to be loyal to Miss Josette, while attempting to steal her fiancé. If she was going to do all the terrible things she told him she had done to the Collins family, there wasn't anyway she could be trusted. He started to walk out, when Elliott stepped in front of him.

"It just so happens, I brought something with me to help prove we are telling you the truth." Stokes reached into his suit coat pocket and pulled out a very old journal . . . Ben Stokes diary. He handed it to Ben.

Ben looked at him and then back to his diary. "Where did you get this?"

"I brought it with me. While Angelique went looking for you, I checked it to see how bringing it back with me had affected it. I thought maybe everything that follows what has happened so far would be erased from it, but to my surprise, it has not been. It is all there. Everything that happened, or will happen is all in there, written in your hand. We are telling you the truth. We are here to protect Barnabas. When we meet him, he is not going to know either Count Dracula or me."

"Dracula, the vampire you said you brought with you. And just where is this vampire?" Ben said with a bit of sarcasm.

"I assume you know about the secret room?" Angelique said, knowing very well he did.

"Of course."

Angelique looked toward the room that was hidden beyond the wall. Ben stood there for a minute staring at Angelique. He couldn't bring himself to trust the witch. "If you are bluffing, I will know it in a minute."

"I assure you, we are not bluffing," Angelique told him. She asked the professor to stand guard. They didn't want anyone else discovering the secret room. Professor Stokes nodded and stepped over to the iron gate to keep watch.

Ben walked over, reached up and pulled the ring in the lion's nose. The door to the secret room opened. He immediately saw the coffin inside. If Angelique thought she could fool him with a coffin, she was sadly mistaken. He had every intention of looking inside. The witch followed him and immediately moved the block on the top stair to the side, pressed the button, and closed the door. Even with Elliott guarding the door, she didn't want to take the chance that someone would come along and discover the secret room.

Ben looked back to see the door closing. Alarmed, he wondered if the witch would kill him right there. No one would ever know it if she did. Only Barnabas knew about the room. He walked over to the coffin and stood there.

Angelique waited for a minute before becoming impatient. "Well, aren't you going to open it. That is why you came in here in the first place, isn't it?"

Stokes reached down and began lifting the lid to the coffin. It creaked every step of the way. To his amazement, a man was inside. He hadn't really expected to find anyone in the coffin. He really thought Angelique didn't believe he would actually open it. Ben stared at the man. He wore clothes that could be accepted in his century. Reaching inside, he touched the man's face. It was cold to the touch. Checking for a pulse, the man didn't have one. That was when he noticed the fangs that protruded at the bottom of his top lip. So vampires did exist after all.