The darkness hangs heavy over the great estate of Collinwood; for a centuries old vow of revenge is now being realized, as the one who uttered that vow in the year 1692, has transcended time and now holds the modern day Collins family prisoner in their own home. He has isolated the house through the introduction of a dreaded ancient plague which has spread throughout the great mansion and threatens to destroy each and everyone within its walls. In the East wing of the house, a mysterious stairway has carried two men backward through the centuries, and they now find themselves trapped, in the year 1677. It is fifteen years before the evil warlock, Judah Zachary was tried and convicted of the high crimes of witchcraft. In a separate servants quarters on the estate, they seek to find a way to avert the terrible tragedies they know will come...
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.)
(Place Commercials Here)
(Three sets of two dramatic notes sound, the last one sustained and fading.) "Yes, Desmond! Amadeus Collins will marry Laura Martin and they will have a son. His name will be Benjamin Collins. Desmond's face registered recognition of that name and said, "Joshua Collins' grandfather!" Stokes nodded, "Yes and the father of Theodore Collins. According to all the family histories I've read, the Collins business interests made there most significant gains under their guidance. No other significant expansions occurred until Jamison Collins diversified into the canning industry in the early to mid 1900's. You see, altering history would not only affect the Collins family alone, but also the entire economy of the region. Multiplied thousands have depended on what is starting here now. We dare not see the town become nothing more than a wasteland." Desmond paces about the room aimlessly and then asked, "So we just sit here and watch everything happen?" Stokes stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "There may yet be something that can be done, what it is, I don't know. We will need to watch very carefully. The opportune moment for us to act could very well slip by in a moment unnoticed. We must be vigilant!" Desmond replied, "Well, there's nothing we can do tonight. I'm going to get some sleep." Desmond lies on one of the bunks and says, "Good night, Professor." Stokes also said, Good night, Desmond."
Morning comes to Collins House. Brutus Collins sits in the front room having morning tea. Amadeus enters and says, "Good day to you, brother!" Brutus set the cup down and arose. "I didst not hear thee arrive last evening!" Amadeus poured tea for himself as well and said, "A late appointment I did have with Silas McGruder. Father hath decided to extend yet more mercy unto him." Brutus listened with anticipation and said, "Yet what offense hath he now committed?" Amadeus turned and said, "I could tell thee not, and thou still wouldst know." Brutus nodded and said, "Ah, he hath been long at drink again!" Amadeus replied, "Thou hast said." Brutus then picked up the tea cup again and said, "Thou shouldst know that in thy absence travelers have arrived." Amadeus looked questioningly at him and said, "Travelers?" Brutus nodded as he sipped his tea. "Indeed, travelers from the Old Country. One of them, a cousin!" Amadeus took a sip of his own tea and then said, "A cousin from the old country?" Brutus replied, "Darius, the son of our Uncle Jacob. He travelleth with a certain Eleazar Stokes. Around Boston way, they were accosted and robbed of all. They cometh unto us in the most odd attire. Perhaps they shall appear before we depart unto the village." Amadeus then asked, "They abideth not in the village?" Brutus answered saying, "Mother did insist they abide in the bunkhouse." There is a knock at the door. Brutus went to answer it. The door opens and Desmond and Stokes enter. Brutus then asks, "Thou sleepest well?" Stokes replied, "Indeed we did." Brutus then said, "Eleazar Stokes, Darius Collins, thou hast not yet met the acquaintance of mine brother, Amadeus Collins!" Stokes bowed slightly and said, "A pleasure!" Desmond mimicked Stokes bow and Amadeus replied, "The pleasure is mine. I wouldst abide with thee, but duty calleth. Art thou ready, Brutus?" Brutus finished the tea and replied, "Indeed, let us go!" He quickly turned back to Desmond and Stokes and said, "Mother hath gone to the hen house to fetch eggs. Enjoy thy repast! Good day to thee!" He then turned and followed Amadeus out. Stokes and Desmond exchange glances and sit down.
Laura Martin enters the front room of the Martin house. Her mother, Lydia sits in an old rocking chair knitting. She looks up as Laura enters and says, "Thou returnest late last evening, so, declare, what thinkest Judah of the cottage?" Laura's eyes fell as she recalled last evening's events. "He Taketh me unto the cottage, but his heart wast not in it. He looketh about the house and grounds, but no love for it showed on his face. He doeth it only because I asketh him." Lydia laid her knitting down and motioned Laura to come and sit beside her. Laura walked over and sat beside her mother and looked at her expectantly, knowing she was about to provide some great wisdom. Lydia tilted her head to one side and looked into her daughters face and said, "Judah hath not the heart of a woman. Men art not the same as we art. It mayest be found that after time passeth, he wilt grow to love it!" Laura's eyes then met her mother's and she said, "I think not. He looketh at the house, but all the while speaketh of Boston, New York, the Virginia colonies, the uncharted West! His body remaineth, but his heart hath fled Collinsport." Lydia looked at her with understanding and said, "It is the restless heart of youth! "In time, he shalt grow to have root in the land. His heart shalt stray less and less as time passeth." Laura's expression seemed to say she was not so sure. "He is not the same man I hath known from our youth. Last evening, I was shocked and appalled. We leaveth the house and at the woods edge standeth a deer feeding on the leaves. Judah withdraweth his pistol and shooteth the poor thing. He killeth it not for food! We mounted the wagon, and he leaveth it there to die. I am afraid, Mother. I am afraid I dost not understand what manner of man he hath become. Each day he becometh more and more a stranger." Lydia took her hands and said, "Perhaps thou art fearful of thy marriage. Many have the fear when the wedding draweth nigh." Laura stood and walked over to the window and looked out and said, "I cannot be certain, but I shalt wait. I shall see if this awful feeling passeth. (Music tinkles out.)
(Place Commercials Here)
Amadeus Collins entered the small shack that served as the office at the Collinsport shipyards. He looked somewhat perturbed as he sat down and pulled a ledger in front of him. Brutus looked up from his own work and said, "Thou art troubled?" Amadeus pushed the book away and looked at Brutus and said, "Two men did quarrel on the dock. I hath sent them home to ponder what they hath done." Brutus then said, "Thou hast stopped quarrels before. Never hath they affected thee so." Amadeus stood and paced about the room and said, "One of them I saw at the tavern this evening past. He escorted a woman from there. Before he arriveth, she hath been in tears. I gathereth that they hath been pledged to each other. They goeth to seek a house. It troubleth me greatly to punish such an one. But there is much work to be done, and now we be short of workers." Brutus frowned and said, "Yea, thou hast done what thou must. We need no brawling on the docks. What be his name? Amadeus turned and said, "He saith his name is Judah Zachary. " (Two dramatic notes) "Judah Zachary? Eleazar did ask about a certain Judah Zachary! He will be troubled to learn the man acteth unseemly." Amadeus returned to his seat and opened the ledger again. He stared at the figures and his mind wandered. Brutus noticed his distraction and said, "This is not like thee. There must be more to affect thee in this manner." Amadeus said, "I am concerned about how this shalt affect the girl. Her man shouldst not behave so." Brutus smiled and said, "She hath caught thine eye, hast she not?" Amadeus turned and looked incredulously at him and said, "Thou shouldst not speak of such things. It is not meet to desire that which belongeth to another!" Brutus replied, "Yea, it is not meet, but it be so, dear brother, she hath touched thine heart, and thy heart is inclined to her. I knowest thou shalt not defraud another, but if she should depart from him of her own, thou hast done no wrong." Amadeus looked at him curiously as music rises and camera fades.
Desmond Collins and Professor Stokes are in the bunkhouse on the estate. They sit at a long table which was apparently used by the work crew when all the workers still lived on the estate. "I wonder why they had so many people living here in this place." Desmond queried, "The shipyards are in town. It seems they would be closer to work there." Stokes then said, "Isaac indicated that the first work he engaged in was harvesting lumber. At one time, it was their only industry. They then used the resources to branch out into their other endeavors. While they still engage in it, it is no longer their prime industry. As more men joined them in the shipbuilding and fishing industries, they built homes of their own closer to town." Desmond replied, "That makes sense, though I guess I never realized we ever had so many workers living on the grounds. They never mentioned it in any of the family histories." Stokes nodded and replied, "Yes, I have delved into your family's history rather extensively myself. It wasn't until Benjamin Collins grew up that much of your history ever got recorded. By that time, this structure was likely dismantled and forgotten. To my knowledge, all we know of our host, is what little his son Amadeus recorded." Desmond rose from his chair and walked about. He then turned and said, "You know, we still don't know what we're doing here! We used the stairs to go to 1841, and instead, we end up here, where we can't do anything because it might unravel our whole history. So why are we here? What good does it do for us to be here?" Stokes leaned back in his chair and grinned. "The impatience of youth! Desmond, I am certain that someone had a reason for our presence here! We may not know at this moment precisely what it is. You should take the time to get to know your ancestors. Do you have any idea how much many people on the face of the earth in either of our times would give to have the opportunity you've been presented? Our first order of business will be to locate Judah Zachary. I suspect if we can prevent his ever becoming involved in the occult in the first place, he will become nothing more than just one more jilted lover in the annals of history. Without the supernatural powers at his disposal, like so many others, he will learn to live with it, and move on to find another to love (Dramatic music rolls.)
(Place Commercials Here)
Camera fades in blurred. As the image comes into focus, we see the door atop the staircase in the East wing of Collinwood. The image then switches to an underground cavern. Willie Loomis and Quentin Collins shovel away at the seemingly hopeless caved in passageway. Quentin stops and stands up straight thrusting the shovel into the dirt floor while he wipes the sweat from his brow. "It just seems to go on forever. How many hours or days have we been at this? We don't seem any closer to breaking through than we were when we started." He said with an air of total exhaustion. Willie also stopped shoveling and replied. "I don't know, Quentin. I forgot my watch. It's on the table beside my bed back in the basement of the Old House." Quentin sighed deeply and said, "I don't know how much longer I can keep it up before I fall over in total exhaustion." Willie runs his hand through his hair and says, "Yeah, the only thing keepin' me goin' is thinkin' bout that evil man in theah, and what he might be doin' to everybody. But we ain't gonna be no good to 'em if we kill ourselves down heah. Why dontcha sit down for a few minutes. If I don't get nowheah in the next thutty minutes, we can go back to the Old House an get some sleep." Quentin took a deep breath and said, "No, if we only go another 30 minutes I might as well help." Both men then begin shoveling away at the tunnel. One stroke, then two, then three. A forth stroke and then a rumble is heard. Dirt falls and dust flies up. Willie cries out, "We broke through, Quentin! We broke through!" Quentin turns to see Willie pointing at a small hole at about shoulder height. They both throw down their shovels and begin raking away at the hole until it is large enough to crawl through. Quentin grabs the lanterns and hands one to Willie and keeps the other for himself. Willie then hoists himself up and pushes the lantern into the hole then crawls through the hole himself. Quentin then follows. He pushes the lantern into the hole and hoists himself into the hole as dramatic music rolls and camera fades out.
Brutus Collins.
JONATHAN FRID
Amadeus Collins.
DAVID SELBY...
Desmond Collins.
JOHN KARLEN
Professor Stokes.
THAYER DAVID
Lydia Martin.
GRAYSON HALL
Laura Martin.
DIANA MILLAY
Quentin Collins.
DAVID SELBY
Willie Loomis.
JOHN KARLEN
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 17, 1971