An unusual event has occurred at Collinwood. Persuaded by the mysterious woman in white, Willie Loomis has reconstructed the original Quentin Collins creation of a supernatural stairway which can be used to transcend time and carry those who tread upon its steps to another century. Barnabas Collins, Julia Hoffman, and Professor Stokes used such a stairway a few months earlier to make their way back to present day Collinwood from the year 1841. This night, the stairway will be completed. The three plan to use this stairway to retrieve the lost journal of the warlock, Judah Zachary, who himself, has managed to arrive in the present, to wreak destruction on all those who live in the great house...
Willie Loomis stands the last step tread against the wall and then pushes the saw horses away to one corner. He then grabs a broom and sweeps the sawdust in a pile and sweeps it over to the corner to collect later. Just as he finishes, Barnabas, Julia, and Stokes enter the room. "Incredible!" declares Stokes looking at the structure. "A staircase rising up to a solid wall!" he continues. "Hey Barnabas, Julia, Hi Professah. I got one last boad an it's done." Barnabas walked to the bottom of the steps examining Willie's handiwork. "A fine job, Willie!" he says warmly. Willie takes the last tread and pushes it in place. Taking the hammer and nails, he secures it in place with two nails in each of the 3 stringers. One final hammer blow drives the last nail securely home. The moment the last nail was securely seated, a door appeared at the top of the stairs. Willie jumped in shock at it's appearance. The rest of them exchanged looks of equal surprise. Suddenly, Willie stood up with his eyes wide and declared, "Somebody's comin'!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth, the rest of them heard the distinct sound of footfalls on wooden steps. Willie descended the stairs and stood at the bottom looking up at the doorway. Each footstep grows progressively louder. The sound of a doorknob being turned is heard. All watch as the knob slowly turns. The door opens and against a background of brightly flashing lights stands the darkened silhouette of a man. His face is indistinguishable. All stare wide eyed at the phenomenon as three dramatic notes sound.
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All four watch as the silhouetted figure steps out of the doorway. Willie's mouth gapes at the sight. Julia smiles and rushes up the stairs and greets the visitor with an embrace. "Oh Desmond, It's so wonderful to see you! How is Leticia?" Desmond Collins smiles and replies, "Leticia is fine. What unusual clothes you're all wearing! Is this the style of 20th century apparel?" Julia says, "Oh yes, and they are so much more comfortable than the clothing from your time." She walks down the stairs followed by Desmond. Barnabas then speaks, "Willie Loomis, I'd like you to meet Desmond Collins, a cousin from 1841." Willie stands frozen looking at the man and then manages to speak, "That's him! That's the voice I hud in my dream. The one that was talking about buildin' an havin to go to town to get moah supplies!" Desmond looked at Barnabas and asked, "What is he talking about?" Barnabas then replied, "Willie dreamed he heard someone a few weeks ago. Just before we began reconstructing the stairway through time." Desmond stopped in his tracks and turned to Willie and asked, "Were you visited by a strange woman dressed in white that told you to build this staircase?" Willie's eyes grew wide and he looked at Barnabas, then at Julia, then back at Desmond and said, "Yeah, but how did you know that?" Desmond replied, "Because I got the same instructions; from a woman in a white robe, and her face was hidden by a white hood over her head." Barnabas looked shocked and then said, "Come; let's go to the drawing room. I'm interested in hearing the whole story, Desmond!
Desmond Collins sits on the sofa in the East wing drawing room telling the story of how he came to be there, "Leticia and I had just returned from our honeymoon. Quentin swore he would never darken the door of Collinwood ever again. He said misery was all he'd ever known there, so he asked Leticia and me to oversee it until Tad reached the age of 21. It was our first night back and Leticia got one of her flashes of second sight. She didn't know what was wrong, but she said, "They're in terrible danger. We've gotta help them, Desmond!" I asked her what she was talking about, and she didn't know. She just had an awful feeling of danger. That's when the woman appeared. She told me I just had to rebuild the staircase, because you, Julia and Stokes were in trouble. I finished up last night, and I started to come up the stairs, but she appeared again and told me it wasn't time yet." Barnabas listened intently and slowly nodded and said, "Because the staircase was not yet complete here!" Desmond looked at Barnabas strangely and said, "The first staircase didn't require someone in both time periods to build it. Why did this one?" Stokes then spoke up and said, "It would seem our mutual friend was attempting to hurry the construction. She felt having two people building at the same time would speed the process. I didn't know what she meant at the time, but she actually predicted your arrival." Desmond looked at Stokes and said, "Predicted my arrival? How is that possible?" Julia then spoke, "We held a séance to try to reach the spirit of a man here that Judah had influenced..." Desmond's eyes grew wide as he interrupted, "JUDAH?" Barnabas then spoke saying, "I'm afraid so, Desmond. Somehow, Judah managed to survive after the death of Gerard Stiles. He somehow must have learned that the three of us were from this time and managed to follow us here. He is again trying to destroy the family as he did in your time." Desmond rose from the sofa and paced about and then turned suddenly, "Do you know who he has possessed here?" Julia then said, "Yes, The husband of the heiress apparent of Collinwood." Desmond then said, "He sure is consistent, Driven by greed. What do you plan to do?" Stokes then said, "Our plan was to return to your time and secure the journal of Judah Zachary. In our time it has vanished without a trace. We believe that the secret to his final destruction is to be found in that journal." (Music twinkles out.)
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Ambling dramatic music plays as the scene opens on the gazebo outside Collinwood. Trevor Halliburton looks at his watch and then scans the woods to see if he could see anyone coming. He hears a twig snap and the rustling of fallen leaves being treaded upon. Adam appeared at the edge of the clearing. He carried two cages. One was square with a large rat inside. The other was domed and contained a small parakeet. His arm has a shopping bag on it. "Good, you're right on time. You're sure nobody saw you?" Trevor asked. Adam replied, "No. I was careful. I don't understand though. Why do you need a rat and a bird?" Trevor grinned and said, "You don't need to know that right now. I have my reasons. These creatures will be the key to the destruction of Collinwood." Adam looked puzzled at that reply, wondering just how a rat and a bird could destroy the great house. Trevor looked back at the house and then said, "Everyone is having nightmares. They don't even realize it, but their worst nightmare is about to begin." Adam paused, weighing the words he wanted to say, he then began, "Judah..." Trevor turned with a sinister look and said, "Don't ask! I'm warning you only once, Adam. Now, you should get away from here before you're spotted." Adam looked at the house longingly, wishing he could be near Carolyn. Realizing the futility, he hung his head and slowly disappeared the way he came."
Desmond stood in front of the fireplace in the East wing drawing room. He looked greatly puzzled. He turns to Barnabas and says, "I've been meaning to ask you, Barnabas. Your face, you look older, a lot older. Have you been ill?" Barnabas' eyes dropped. He knew it was only a matter of time before that question would be asked. He was surprised it hadn't come up earlier. He turned to Desmond and said, "It is Judah's revenge on me. He has placed an aging curse on me. He holds me responsible for his defeat in freeing Quentin from the charge of witchcraft and the death of Gerard. We were also hoping that the journal might reveal a way to lift the curse." Desmond looked at Barnabas, then at the others, and said, "Then I'll just go back and ask Judge Vail to let me borrow it." He turned and left the room hurriedly. Julia turned to Barnabas and said, 'It was so good seeing him again. I'm glad he and Leticia found happiness." Barnabas nodded, and replied, "Yes. At least they have escaped Judah's cruelty. Now if only we too can be rid of..." The double doors burst open and Desmond stood there with a look of horror. "What's the matter, Desmond?" He slowly reentered the room with a dazed look on his face. He looked at each of them and said, "The door! It's gone! " Looks of horror cross each face as three dramatic notes sound.
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Eerie music plays in the background as Trevor leans over the table in the abandoned West wing room. He pours the contents of two bottles into a third one. He caps the bottle and lightly shakes it. Then he removes the cap and removes a medicine dropper from the shopping bag. He slowly and carefully draws some of the liquid into the dropper. He then takes the dropper over to the rat cage and squeezes it into the cage. He then brings the bird cage over and sets it beside the rat cage and grins. "Now we let nature take its course." He sneers. He blows out candle and leaves the room. The camera focuses on the cages. (Three sets of three rapid dramatic notes sound followed by one sustained note that reaches a climactic end.)
Barnabas Collins.
JONATHAN FRID
Julia Hoffman.
GRAYSON HALL
Professor Stokes.
THAYER DAVID
Willie Loomis.
JOHN KARLEN
Desmond Collins.
JOHN KARLEN
Adam.
ROBERT RODAN
Trevor Halliburton/Judah Zachary.
KEITH PRENTICE
Written and Directed by RUSS WILLIAMS
Story Developed and Created by ART WALLACE
Produced By PETER MINER
Associate Producer GEORGE DiCENZO
Fashions courtesy of ORBACH'S
Music composed by ROBERT COBERT
Scenic Design SY TOMASHOFF
Music Supervisor SYBIL WEINBERGER
Costume Design MOSTOLLER
Make up VINCENT LOSCALZO
Associate Producer KEN McEWEN
Assistant to the producer HARRIET ROHR
Unit Manager PATRICK PLEVEN
Technical Director J.J. LUPATKIN
Lighting Director MEL HANDELSMAN
Audio FRANK BAILEY HENRY PLIMACK
Sound Effects ED BLAINEY
Video RUDY PICCIRILLO ROSS SKIPPER
Series created by DAN CURTIS Executive Producer