CHAPTER SEVEN: Daylight and a Stranger
"So," Maggie asked Julia, "All those things Joe said were true?"
"Yes," Julia said, "Vampires do exist and Joe was the victim of one. However, it drove him insane. He really loved you Maggie. You must believe that. If it wasn't for the vampire who attacked him, you two could have been happy together."
"It doesn't really matter now, does it?" Maggie said sadly.
"You're right. Joe's condition is incurable, there is no way he could ever return to the way he was before. I'm so sorry, Maggie."
"It's alright. It helps a little to know that what happened to him wasn't my fault." Maggie paused, taking a deep breath, "What are we going to do now, Julia?"
"We must find Roxanne and drive a wooden stake through her heart. She will probably being in hiding by now, the sun has already risen. We've been talking all night. You should go to your room and get dressed. We have a long day of hunting ahead."
"What about David? I have a whole day of lessons to teach him." Maggie inquired.
"Make up some excuse to Mrs. Stoddard. This is a matter of life or death!" Julia said, "Now, I'll go up to the Old House and check on Barnabas. Meet me at Eagle Hill Cemetery in three hours. We must start looking for Roxanne's hiding place."
"Alright."
Bright sunshine hit the ground in irregular patterns under the vast canopy of trees in the forest surrounding the Collins estate. From beneath dark sunglasses, a pair of large eyes looked up at the sun. These eyes belonged to a stranger that was clad in a long black leather trench coat, a concealing hat and pair of gloves of the same material, and a thick scarf of black silk that was tied around the exposed part of the face in order to completely hide the identity of this person. The man (or woman, it was impossible to tell, so complete was the disguise) had just stepped out from a parked car and one of his shiny black boots was already on the dusty road. The car was charcoal gray with tinted windows and license plate that read 'New York'. He locked the door of the car and headed out into the woods, the boots crunching on an occasional leaf of the early autumn.
At the Old House, Barnabas was almost finished changing his garments from the previous day as he heard knocking at the door. Leaving his jacket and tie on the table, Barnabas went to answer it. He opened the door to Julia, remarking that he was just about to go to Collinwood to see her. They went into the drawing room and Julia sat down.
"Barnabas," she began, a little frightened and at the same time very brave, "There's something I have to tell you. This is not an easy thing to say." "I know what it is, Julia. Roxanne Drew is here, in Collinsport. I saw her last night at Collinwood." Barnabas tried his best to seem unemotional.
"You saw her! Oh Barnabas, don't you realize that you're in danger?" Julia was truly afraid now, "She's going to try and make you into what you were again! I'm sure of it. You must leave town at once. It's the only solution!"
"No, Julia. No matter where I go now, she will follow. I must stay."
"But, if you stay," Julia was pleading with him, "Roxanne will make you her victim. She may not do it right away, but there's no alternative. She will kill you!"
"Maybe I want her to kill me, or make me what I once was. Maybe death or undeath would be an escape from this life I'm living!"
"Noooo!" Julia shrieked, "You can't do this! I won't let you! You must let me help you, Barnabas. You're just hurt and depressed and not thinking straight. Do you really want it to happen again? Do you really want to be a drinker of human blood? Do you want to be the bringer of sorrow and torment and death to innocent people?!"
"Of course I don't want it again!" Barnabas broke down, "But she's calling me! Roxanne is here, she wants me to be with her! I can hear her voice every moment! I can see her face all the time! Last night I dreamed of Roxanne as she was in 1840. I came to her and drank her blood and took pleasure in it! Oh God, Julia! You must help me, I'm losing my mind, I'm losing control! I'll die if this goes on much longer."
"Barnabas!" Julia shouted the name as she rose from her chair and embraced him. He was crying on her shoulder. Julia gently stroked his dark brown hair, telling him that she would help him and everything would be all right.
Maggie Evans, wearing jeans, her auburn locks tucked in a woolen cap, noticed the figure dressed all in black as soon as she reached Eagle Hill. At once, she was afraid. There was no reason to be. It was bright daylight. This couldn't be a vampire. Wait, it could be a minion of the vampire. Fear shot through Maggie's chest as the black figure came closer.
"Where is Barnabas Collins?" the muffled, unreal voice of the stranger asked.
"I won't tell you anything." Maggie said, doing her best to be brave.
"Yes you will," the voice was softer, almost feminine now, "You're so tired Maggie."
"How did you know my name?!"
"You're so very, very tired. You didn't sleep at all last night. You want to sleep, don't you? Why don't you sleep, Maggie? Why don't you read your weary mind?"
Maggie was beginning to feel sick and tired. She struggled to keep awake, sure that something horrible would happen if she did sleep now. But, it was impossible, for within minutes, Maggie Evans was lost in a dream trance, totally helpless, sleeping while at the same time standing.
"Now, Maggie," the dark figure said as he removed his dark sunglasses, "You're going to tell me everything I need to know."
However, another voice rang out in the woods by Eagle Hill, interrupting the mysterious stranger.
"Stop!" yelled Julia Hoffman, "Leave her alone!"
The stranger turned to face Julia. He removed his leather hat and the black silk scarf that hid his face. Instantly, Julia knew who it was.
"So," Maggie asked Julia, "All those things Joe said were true?"
"Yes," Julia said, "Vampires do exist and Joe was the victim of one. However, it drove him insane. He really loved you Maggie. You must believe that. If it wasn't for the vampire who attacked him, you two could have been happy together."
"It doesn't really matter now, does it?" Maggie said sadly.
"You're right. Joe's condition is incurable, there is no way he could ever return to the way he was before. I'm so sorry, Maggie."
"It's alright. It helps a little to know that what happened to him wasn't my fault." Maggie paused, taking a deep breath, "What are we going to do now, Julia?"
"We must find Roxanne and drive a wooden stake through her heart. She will probably being in hiding by now, the sun has already risen. We've been talking all night. You should go to your room and get dressed. We have a long day of hunting ahead."
"What about David? I have a whole day of lessons to teach him." Maggie inquired.
"Make up some excuse to Mrs. Stoddard. This is a matter of life or death!" Julia said, "Now, I'll go up to the Old House and check on Barnabas. Meet me at Eagle Hill Cemetery in three hours. We must start looking for Roxanne's hiding place."
"Alright."
Bright sunshine hit the ground in irregular patterns under the vast canopy of trees in the forest surrounding the Collins estate. From beneath dark sunglasses, a pair of large eyes looked up at the sun. These eyes belonged to a stranger that was clad in a long black leather trench coat, a concealing hat and pair of gloves of the same material, and a thick scarf of black silk that was tied around the exposed part of the face in order to completely hide the identity of this person. The man (or woman, it was impossible to tell, so complete was the disguise) had just stepped out from a parked car and one of his shiny black boots was already on the dusty road. The car was charcoal gray with tinted windows and license plate that read 'New York'. He locked the door of the car and headed out into the woods, the boots crunching on an occasional leaf of the early autumn.
At the Old House, Barnabas was almost finished changing his garments from the previous day as he heard knocking at the door. Leaving his jacket and tie on the table, Barnabas went to answer it. He opened the door to Julia, remarking that he was just about to go to Collinwood to see her. They went into the drawing room and Julia sat down.
"Barnabas," she began, a little frightened and at the same time very brave, "There's something I have to tell you. This is not an easy thing to say." "I know what it is, Julia. Roxanne Drew is here, in Collinsport. I saw her last night at Collinwood." Barnabas tried his best to seem unemotional.
"You saw her! Oh Barnabas, don't you realize that you're in danger?" Julia was truly afraid now, "She's going to try and make you into what you were again! I'm sure of it. You must leave town at once. It's the only solution!"
"No, Julia. No matter where I go now, she will follow. I must stay."
"But, if you stay," Julia was pleading with him, "Roxanne will make you her victim. She may not do it right away, but there's no alternative. She will kill you!"
"Maybe I want her to kill me, or make me what I once was. Maybe death or undeath would be an escape from this life I'm living!"
"Noooo!" Julia shrieked, "You can't do this! I won't let you! You must let me help you, Barnabas. You're just hurt and depressed and not thinking straight. Do you really want it to happen again? Do you really want to be a drinker of human blood? Do you want to be the bringer of sorrow and torment and death to innocent people?!"
"Of course I don't want it again!" Barnabas broke down, "But she's calling me! Roxanne is here, she wants me to be with her! I can hear her voice every moment! I can see her face all the time! Last night I dreamed of Roxanne as she was in 1840. I came to her and drank her blood and took pleasure in it! Oh God, Julia! You must help me, I'm losing my mind, I'm losing control! I'll die if this goes on much longer."
"Barnabas!" Julia shouted the name as she rose from her chair and embraced him. He was crying on her shoulder. Julia gently stroked his dark brown hair, telling him that she would help him and everything would be all right.
Maggie Evans, wearing jeans, her auburn locks tucked in a woolen cap, noticed the figure dressed all in black as soon as she reached Eagle Hill. At once, she was afraid. There was no reason to be. It was bright daylight. This couldn't be a vampire. Wait, it could be a minion of the vampire. Fear shot through Maggie's chest as the black figure came closer.
"Where is Barnabas Collins?" the muffled, unreal voice of the stranger asked.
"I won't tell you anything." Maggie said, doing her best to be brave.
"Yes you will," the voice was softer, almost feminine now, "You're so tired Maggie."
"How did you know my name?!"
"You're so very, very tired. You didn't sleep at all last night. You want to sleep, don't you? Why don't you sleep, Maggie? Why don't you read your weary mind?"
Maggie was beginning to feel sick and tired. She struggled to keep awake, sure that something horrible would happen if she did sleep now. But, it was impossible, for within minutes, Maggie Evans was lost in a dream trance, totally helpless, sleeping while at the same time standing.
"Now, Maggie," the dark figure said as he removed his dark sunglasses, "You're going to tell me everything I need to know."
However, another voice rang out in the woods by Eagle Hill, interrupting the mysterious stranger.
"Stop!" yelled Julia Hoffman, "Leave her alone!"
The stranger turned to face Julia. He removed his leather hat and the black silk scarf that hid his face. Instantly, Julia knew who it was.