Episode One
Victoria Winters' eyes met Barnabas' and she remembered. Peter Bradford, serving as her lawyer had come to her cell near the end of her stay in the 18th Century and between them they had reasoned out that the vampires who had left a trail of death during 1790 and 1991 were one and the same. That vampire was Barnabas Collins.
She recoiled instantly, gasping. Her face, filled moments before by tears of joy at her return and escape from the hangman's noose, was now covered with a look a sheer anxiety. It was a look not unlike the one that dropped into place over Barnabas' face as he came to the understanding that she knew everything.
'How?' he wondered, his mind racing. 'Father and Ben would never have told THAT secret. Could it have been the "connection" she had with Josette?'
Vicky forced herself to calm down, deliberately relaxing the look on her face. She wiped the tears from her eyes, taking the time to gather her thoughts. He hadn't asked for this, she knew. It was as much Angelique's doing as killing Jeremiah with the bullet Barnabas had removed from his gun. Or bringing Jeremiah back as a zombie to kill Josette. 'And framing me for her crimes,' she thought. 'She MUST have been involved in Sarah and Daniel's illness, too.' Those were all valid enough reasons for her to abandon her fear, but they were small compared to the knowledge that hit her suddenly, making her smile and hold out her hand to him. The knowledge that, despite what he had been turned into, she loved him anyway.
The worry that had blanketed Barnabas' aristocratic face faded, replaced in an instant by hope. He crossed the room without seeming to hurry and was at her side in moments.
She at last let completely go of Elizabeth's motherly embrace and turned to face him, her eyes first glancing over all her friends in the room. There was Elizabeth, whose eyes shone with joy. Roger, who seemed to be pleasantly surprised more than anything else. Vicky blinked. For a moment, where Maggie now stood, she could have sworn that she saw Angelique. She attributed the vision to the events of the past days catching up with her.
Slowly, she swung her legs over the side of the bed as yet another burst of thunder echoed from outside. Barnabas helped her to her feet, his gaze gentle. Vicky remembered seeing a similar expression when he had spent any time at all with Sarah.
"Cousin Elizabeth," Barnabas said, "may we have a moment?"
"Of course," she replied, still beaming. "I'll have Mrs. Johnson put something on the stove for you, Victoria."
"Thank--" Vicky coughed and rubbed her throat. She could still feel the scratchiness of the rope used to hang her. "Thank you."
Angelique, in charge of Maggie's body, glared at them as she, along with Roger and Doctor Hoffman, was herded out of the room by Elizabeth.
"You know," he stated.
She nodded slightly. "It was the night Angelique brought Jeremiah back, wasn't it?"
"She attacked me with a knife that night and was stabbed with it herself in the struggle," Barnabas replied, turning and walking toward the window. "It was then that she..." He took a deep breath. "You must be careful, Victoria. She has not done me the courtesy of staying dead. We held a second seance to bring you back, but Angelique took advantage of it to possess Julia Hoffman. Maggie Evans exorcised her just the other evening."
Vicky's memory flared and the vision she'd had just a minute before, of Angelique standing in Maggie's place, repeated itself several times. "Barnabas, I think she's in Maggie now." He spun hastily around to face her as she continued. "I looked at Maggie for a second when you came over by me and I saw Angelique instead. But then I blinked and it was Maggie again. I thought maybe I was just mixing the two years in my mind, but... Barnabas, how did you find out about Doctor Hoffman? What did Angelique do?"
"She killed someone. Someone who was about to hammer a stake through my heart. Willie found her standing over him with the knife in her hand, babbling in French. There was no way to arrange for him to be found that wouldn't have ended with Sheriff Patterson hunting me down. We buried him as Ben and I buried Angelique, on the grounds of the estate." He looked away, debating whether or not to tell her everything. "It was your friend, Joe Haskell." He paused. "We must find another exorcist," he said decisively.
Vicky closed her eyes at the news of Joe's death. "Carolyn really loved him," she sighed. "I know where we can find an exorcist," she stated, determination filling her voice. Angelique had hurt so many of Vicky's friends, had even framed her for witchcraft. This was simply the final straw. "Maggie and I were having lunch one afternoon and we started talking about her 'gifts.' She mentioned the priest who taught her about exorcisms. He's pastor at Saint Mike's."
The Drawing Room...
Roger handed his older sister a sherry as he sat down next to her on the couch. He sipped at his brandy and leaned over, whispering conspiratorially in her ear. "So, do you plan on finally telling her?"
"Too much has happened to the family lately," Elizabeth replied. "I will tell her when I am sure the troubles are over. It's wonderful to have her back, isn't it?"
** ** **
Ten Minutes Later...
Doctor Julia Hoffman sat at her desk, writing in her journal. After Michael Woodard had found it, she'd been sorely tempted to burn it. But the entries within were the only notes she had made on the method of Barnabas' treatment. Now that Victoria had returned, she was sure that he would want to restart the injections any evening now. A knock at the door disturbed her thoughts.
"Are you there, Julia?" Barnabas' voice came through the door.
'So soon?' she thought, her heart beginning to pound faster. "Come in," she replied.
The door opened and Barnabas stepped into the room. Julia looked up over her glasses at him. He glanced appraisingly about the room. "An excellent choice of rooms," he said. "Thank you," she replied. "Is something wrong with Miss Winters? Or would you like to begin the treatments again?"
"Tonight, Julia," he smiled at her, "I am here for something more urgent. During your exorcism, Angelique moved directly from you into Maggie Evans."
Startled, she got up out of her chair. "What can I do to help?"
"We will be contacting a priest to perform the exorcism, but I will need to administer an injection that will render her unconscious long enough for it to be performed."
"How did you--Did she kill anyone else?"
"Victoria looked directly at Miss Evans and saw Angelique instead."
"How do you expect to administer this injection? Surely she'll be on her guard against any attack."
"My dear Doctor Hoffman," Barnabas responded, a thin and dangerous smile crossing his face, "her own curse will be her undoing. Not even Angelique can see me in a mirror."
** ** **
Meanwhile, at The Blue Whale...
Sam Evans scrubbed diligently at the dried, caked-on mess that stained the bar, mumbling to himself as the thirty year-old banker who'd made the mess walked out the door. Wearing a blue dress shirt and black slacks, Sheriff George Patterson walked up to the bar from the entrance and sat down on the stool next to the one which had just been vacated. He smiled wryly at Sam.
"Evening, Sam. Somethin' wrong?"
"I've seen dogs with better table manners than that punk who calls himself a businessman." He sighed. "At least he leaves a good tip."
"He'd better since he inherited the Fourth Bank of Collinsport."
Sam chuckled. "What can I do for you tonight, George?"
"Seen Joe Haskell around lately? He came into my office the other day, saying that the real vampire who killed Daphne was still around and if we wouldn't do anything, he would. Haven't seen hide nor hair of 'im since. I'm startin' to get worried."
"Well, he's supposed to be by tomorrow morning to help me remodel my garage. Maggie says I'll end up having a heart attack if I try to do it alone. The way she 'sees' things, I'm not about to take my chances. When I see him, I'll tell him you were looking for him. Want anything to drink?"
"Coffee, black. There's a lot of paperwork waiting for me back home."
The Old House, Just Before Sunrise...
"Willie," Barnabas said just before climbing into his coffin, "this afternoon, an hour before sunset, I want you to go to Saint Michael the Archangel's on Sixth Avenue. There, you will tell Father Timothy that Maggie Evans has been possessed by the ghost of a witch named Angelique and that he should meet Miss Winters and myself here at 8:30 tonight to perform the exorcism."
"Yeah, sure Barnabas," Willie said, cringing at the memory of what had happened last time she had possessed someone. He'd never gotten along well with Joe Haskell, but she'd just killed him like he was nothing.
** ** **
Later That Afternoon...
Willie parked his truck in front of the rectory of Saint Michael the Archangel Church on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Amadeus Collins Street. He waited a heartbeat for a car to pass him by, then opened the door and stepped out onto the street. He walked around the front of the truck, stepped onto the sidewalk, walked up up to the front door and rang the doorbell. The ancient-looking parish housekeeper opened the door and motioned for him to come inside.
"Welcome to Ssssaint Michael'ssss," she lisped. "May I help you, ssssir?"
Trembling slightly, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his right sleeve before speaking. "I'm here to see Fa--Father Timothy about an exorcism," he said finally. He'd never much liked places like this even before Barnabas had bitten him. Now, he was nervewracked.
"Come into the waiting room," the wispy-haired woman replied.
Willie followed her down the hall into the waiting room, which had the appearance of a very old library, with shelves of books lining every wall. All of its furniture appeared to have been handcrafted in oak. He sat down on a plush chair and fidgeted while waiting for the priest to come out of his office. When the door opened after five minutes, Willie looked up sharply to see the robust, sixty year-old Father Tim walking towards him. The priest ran his hand through his white hair and walked over Willie.
"Welcome to Saint Michael's, my son. Mrs. Thomason tells me you're here about an exorcism. I believe I can help you." He extended his hand. "My name is Father Timothy Trask."
** ** **
Collinwood, Thirty Minutes After Sunset...
Barnabas stepped quietly, needle in hand, onto the carpeted hall of the second floor of Collinwood. The possessed Maggie Evans stood before the mirror, practicing her mannerisms. Carefully, he walked up behind her as she adjusted the collar of the blouse she was wearing. He plunged the needle into her as Julia had directed, then caught her as she passed out.
The Old House, 8:30 P.M....
Barnabas and Vicky sat in the study, waiting for the priest to arrive for the exorcism. They had both been shocked earlier when Willie had mentioned Father Tim's last name. But not nearly as shocked as even earlier when, despite the injection, Maggie had begun talking to them. She claimed that the serum had only knocked out Angelique, weakening her hold on the body enough to make only a minimum of effort necessary for regaining control of her own body. Maggie had also warned them that Angelique would be back in full force after the serum wore off. She'd also insisted they take precautions in case Angelique returned and tried to get her hands on something to use as a weapon. The method she chose was to have her hands tied with rosary beads, a task which fell to Vicky.
"Where IS he?" Maggie complained. The next instant, they heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. Moments later, Father Trask walked into the study.
"Thank GOD you got here!" Maggie exclaimed fervently. "Their knockout drug let me get back in control, but the witch is stirring. I can feel her. Hurry!"
Father Trask pulled a vial of holy water from his shirt pocket and began to perform the rite of exorcism. As the first drops of the sacred water touched Maggie's body, Angelique roared in pain inside her. The priest sweated profusely as the rite progressed, calling upon God to intercede and evict the dangerous spirit from the body it had taken on. Barnabas and Victoria added their own silent prayers and fervent hopes as the hours passed. Finally, they could all see Angelique's spirit being shot out of Maggie. She hovered above them, fuming and violently angry.
"I will return and you will suffer for your interference, Victoria Winters," she swore. With that, she disappeared.
** ** **
Somewhere In Florida, Four Weeks Later...
With curtains drawn closed and the room in total darkness, Angelique, in the body of her new host, sat in a pentagram in the middle of the room holding a clay voodoo figure in her left hand. "Return to Collinsport, Jeremiah Collins!" she cried out, casting her spell. "Whatever name you now bear, in whatever body you live, I call to you. Return, Jeremiah. Return!"
** ** **
Two Days Later At The Blue Whale...
A medium height, red-haired, mustached young man, looking bewildered in a blue business suit, walked through the door. Hesitantly, he walked up to the bar and sat down. Sam broke off a conversation with one of his regulars and walked over.
"Welcome to The Blue Whale," Sam said. "I'm Sam Evans, the owner. What can I get for you tonight, Mister...?"
"Burke Devlin. What do you recommend for someone who's thoroughly confused and needs a good meal to think things out?"
"First," Sam replied, "I'd recommend the baked haddock with slaw, tartar sauce and fries. To go with it, I'd say water if you need to relax. Then, head on over to the jukebox, drop in a quarter and pick H-11. That always soothes my nerves. Will you be needing a place to stay?" Burke nodded. "Then try The Miranda DuVal over on Williams Avenue. The owner's a friend of mine. If you tell him I sent you, he'll give you the discount rate."
"Thank you, Mister Evans. I appreciate it."
To Be Continued...
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