Collinwood's darkest hour has come suddenly. Judah Zachary has caused the house to fall under quarantine as an ancient disease spreads throughout the great house, infecting those who live there. Two men have escaped contracting the malady and seek a way to rescue the rest from the evil warlock's clutches. In the remains of the Old Collinwood mansion they attempt to devise a way enter the barricaded house...
Quentin Collins paces about the drawing room of the Old House. His thoughts are heard aloud. "There has to be a way to get into Collinwood! All the times I had to slip in through a deserted wing! But the house was never surrounded by police. Now a strange woman gives us an empty wine bottle. She thinks we know what it means! If only she would just tell us! What could an empty wine bottle mean?" Suddenly the front door bursts open. Willie dashes into the drawing room short of breath and runs up to Quentin. "I know, Quentin! I know what the wine bottle means!" (Three dramatic notes sound.)
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(Three sets of two dramatic notes sound, the last one sustained and fading.) Quentin looks at Willie expectantly. Willie grabs the empty wine bottle from the table and holds it to Quentin and again declares, "I know what the wine bottle means!" Seeing that Willie was far too excited, Quentin then places his hands on Willie's shoulders and says, "Alright, alright, now just calm down! Get your breath, and then you can tell me all about it!" Willie paused a moment and tried to refrain from speaking, but he just couldn't. He had calmed a bit, so he tried again, "The wine cellah at Collinwood! Barnabas told me about it once... Behind one of the big wine racks theahs a secret tunnel! It comes out about 500 yods from the bottom of Widow's Hill!" Quentin stood stunned for a moment and slowly nodded, "Yes, I remember now, it was used back in 1852 by Charles Collins. It was part of the Underground Railroad to see escaped slaves from the South safely into Canada. Willie looked surprised and said, "I hud about that, but I thought they crossed ovah in New Yohk, Why would they come this fah outta the way?" Quentin said, "Sometimes they would get lost on the journey. Collinsport is also a main shipping route. Vigilantes would raid the slave traders' camps after they got new arrivals off the ships and takes the captives to safety. Anyway, do you know where the entrance is?" Willie nodded negatively, "No, I hud about it, but I ain't nevah been theah." Quentin grabbed his jacket and said, "Come on Willie, we're going to find that tunnel!" They rush quickly out the door. Camera fades on the closed door.
Barnabas Collins and Julia Hoffman still remain bound in the chairs in the East wing drawing room. He twists on his bonds trying desperately to loosen them. He turns to Julia and says, "Have your ropes loosened any, Julia?" Julia, looking completely worn out looks at him and replies, "No, my wrists are chafed and bleeding. I can't find the strength to struggle against them any longer." Barnabas sighed and said, "Mine don't seem to be any looser than when I began either." Julia looked into his face and said, "It's the advanced aging. You're growing weaker and weaker day by day. Why is it taking Desmond and Eliot so long to return with that journal?" Barnabas then muttered, "Eliot feared he may not be able to return due to the instability of the stairway. He promised to place the journal inside an old suit of armor in the secret passage from the drawing room to the West wing if he couldn't return. He said if I found it there immediately after his departure, I would know he was not able to return." Julia's head drooped as she sighed, "Judah found you before you had the opportunity to look." Barnabas then whispered, "Yes. I'm just grateful that Desmond and Eliot escaped before he arrived. If only I could get to that armor! I must know if he is able to return!" Julia looked at him and said, "You've come to really like him, haven't you Barnabas?" Barnabas looked at her and asked, "Why do you ask?" Julia smiled and said, "You indicated you're more concerned about whether he will be able to return than getting your hands on that journal. You've come so far from when I first met you, Barnabas. The old Barnabas would have only been concerned with getting what he wanted with no concern for who had to suffer for you to get it. I was frightened when Eliot revealed that he knew your secret. Now I see he meant you no harm. Perhaps we should have trusted him sooner. He's a very kind and caring man under that blustering exterior he projects. I too want to see him return, Barnabas." (Soft music tinkles out.)
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Quentin and Willie step cautiously through a rock strewn cavern dodging stones and boulders as they pass. They hold lanterns allowing them to see in the darkness. Both men jump as a sudden screech sounds and a bat flutters past them, frightened by their presence there. The ocean waves can be heard in the distance. Recovering from their momentary scare, they venture on. They see the skeletal remains of a man long dead leaning against the cave wall. "This poor chap wasn't so lucky." Quentin said pausing. Willie looks at the skeleton and shudders then follows Quentin onward. (Sharp stinging note sounds.) They stand looking at the path before them. The tunnel comes to an abrupt end. Willie then says, "Looks like theahs been a cave-in. We can't go no fahthah!" Quentin runs his hand through his hair and says, "We've come this far, I'm not going to stop now!" He sets the lantern down and takes his jacket off and tosses it aside. He then bends over and grasps at a large stone. He stops for a moment and says, "There's a lot of dirt here too, you'll need to run back to the Old House and get us a couple of shovels." Willie musses his hair and then says, "Shuah." He turns and raises his lantern and returns the way he came. Quentin turns again and lifts the large stone and rolls it out of the way.
Camera fades in on a pair of bound wrists struggling to loosen the ropes that bind them. Second camera reveals Barnabas as he struggles to free himself. Julia's head is slumped as she sleeps after exhausting herself in her own efforts. A click is heard and Barnabas looks up quickly. The door to the drawing room is slowly opening. Barnabas eyes widen in anticipation. Thoughts rushed through his head, "Is it Judah, come to taunt them further?" The door then quietly opens wide to reveal Selena as she quickly looks back over her shoulder making sure she hasn't been discovered. "Selena!" Barnabas whispers in shock. She quietly rushes over and tries to loosen the ropes. Her face registers frustration as her attempts are failing. Barnabas then whispers, "Selena, there is a letter opener in the desk drawer. Perhaps it will help." Selena runs over to the desk drawer and opens it. She rummages through it not finding it immediately. In frustration she pulls the drawer all the way out and dumps it on the floor. She then drops to her knees and spreads the contents until the letter opener is revealed. She grabs it quickly and rushes back over to Barnabas. She begins sawing at the ropes which binds him when slamming noise is heard. (Sharp dramatic tone) "I wondered how long it would take for you to come out of hiding, my dear!" Selena looked up and gasped. The slam jarred Julia awake, and Barnabas has a look of horror on his face. Trevor Halliburton stands in the doorway wielding the pistol. He cockily struts into the drawing room and says, "Get away from him! Now!" Selena hesitantly rises and he motions the pistol for her to move away. "I'd recognize the aroma of your perfume anywhere Selena! I sensed something in Halliburton as soon as I smelled it. I knew it was only a matter of time before you would try to affect a rescue, so I waited. You didn't disappoint me! Too bad I don't have enough rope to tie you up here with your dear old aging Barnabas! You'll have to come with me now." Halliburton motions the gun toward the door. Barnabas calls out, "If you do anything to harm her I will kill you!" Trevor made a tsking sound and said, "You would kill the lawyer. I would simply find another to inhabit. Save your empty threats Collins. You barely have the strength to get up. I'll be very surprised to even find you alive when I return." He then turns and goads Selena out with the pistol and closes the door. Barnabas desperately begins to struggle once again with his bonds. Julia looks at him sadly as sad music stings out.
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Camera focuses on the door atop the stairway through time in the East wing of Collinwood. It pulls in tightly until the lens blurs. Stokes and Desmond sit at a table in the bunkhouse in 1677. Desmond says, "How are we going to find Judah? We don't even know what he looks like in this time." Stokes looks at him and replies, "We shall know very soon. In a very short time, Laura Martin will reject Judah Zachary and will turn to Amadeus Collins. That will be the beginning of all the woes the Collins' through the centuries have endured." Desmond looks at him in surprise and says, "Are you sure of that?" Stokes nodded and replied, "Yes. It was all documented in Judah's journal from this time period." Desmond stands with a determined look on his face and says, "That's it! Don't you see? If we stop Amadeus from getting involved with her then all the heartache the family have faced won't happen!" Stokes looked at him with shock and said, "That is the one thing we must NOT do!" Desmond looks at him in amazement and says, "We have an opportunity to undo all the evil that man has brought on my family and you say we can't?" Stokes rose from his chair and paced the room and then declared, "The entire Collins family, from this point on, including yourself, will be the result of the union between Amadeus Collins and Miss Laura Martin. Remove her from the equation and you, and every Collins you have ever known will suddenly cease to exist. If you interfere in the natural course of events, you will be signing your own death warrant!" (Three dramatic notes sound.)
Barnabas Collins.
JONATHAN FRID
Julia Hoffman.
GRAYSON HALL
Eliot Stokes.
THAYER DAVID
Willie Loomis.
JOHN KARLEN
Quentin Collins.
DAVID SELBY
Desmond Collins.
JOHN KARLEN
Selena Parker.
KATE JACKSON
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
Had this been an actual episode, the air date would have been June 16, 1971