Chapter 19

Time passed for the rest of the world except for the people in Collinwood. Father and daughter sat on the bed holding each other, unable to separate themselves. In their mind's eye, they saw only blackness and Max wondered what was next. They heard each other's thoughts.

'Max,' Barnabas called out.

'Yes, father?' Max replied.

'I am so sorry I wasn't part of your life.'

'Can we stop now, Barnabas?' Max felt mentally tired.

'I don't know. I have no control over this.' Barnabas wondered how much time elapsed since they connected. Time always stood still when he bonded this way with Maeve. 'Maeve, are you here with us?' Barnabas searched for Maeve's mind. He knew she was still sitting in the room with them, but unsure whether she was witnessing the events he was experiencing with Max.

'You've experienced this sort of thing before, with Maeve,' Max thought to Barnabas. 'It seems every time we ask a question, we have another experience.' Max started to think about that. If she asked a question, maybe something would happen again. Asking the question, 'What do you think the 'Powers-to-be' meant by Blood Destiny?' They were about to find out.

Before Barnabas could venture a guess, the spinning and blurry visions began as they were about to witness another event from someone's past. A huge building came into view and the sign in front read "Wyndcliff".

Julia was wearing a white lab jacket and standing over a microscope looking at a slide. As she quickly scribbled in a small journal, Julia kept repeating, "I must find out." For several minutes, she exchanged more slides, reexamined previous ones and took notes. Looking at a vial containing red liquid, Julia placed it into a centrifuge and started the machine. While looking in the microscope again, a bell went off and Julia removed the vial. Applying a drop of blood on a clean slide, she smeared and covered it with a thin sheet of clear plastic. Placing the new slide under the microscope, she studied the specimen repeatedly.

'It keeps coming up the same,' she thought perplexed. 'I see you floating around between those white blood cells. When are you going to attack the neighboring red cells?'

Tired and oblivious to the time, Julia placed her head on top of her journal and fell asleep. Only she didn't go to sleep. She was completely aware of her surroundings, feeling the journal under her head and her hands on the tabletop. Something was in the room with her but she was unable to open her eyes or lift her head. Slightly frightened, she tried to confront the intruder.

'Who's there?' She heard nothing but felt the presence come closer to her. 'What do you want?' Still no answer but she was now aware that the presence was next to her. She felt something touch her shoulder, which immediately calmed her. 'You, you aren't here to hurt me, I know that now. But what do you want?'

Barnabas and Max watched Julia resting at the lab table. They heard her thoughts and felt her nervousness. Although Julia was unaware of their presence and they were unable to communicate with her, the three had the same vision.

Julia felt herself drifting out of her body and moving towards the ceiling of the lab room. 'Is this what it feels like to die?' she wondered happily feeling free. A feeling of divine love overwhelmed her and she called out to the presence.

'Am I dead?'

'No, life and death is a continuance.'

'What is happening to me? Am I dreaming?'

'No, this is real. Look around.'

Julia looked around and saw her lab from a bird's eye view. As she observed the room and lab equipment, Julia focused on the lab table and gasped. There at the table she saw her body still and peaceful.

'Why am I here?'

'To learn and know.'

'What do I need to know?' Julia asked excitedly. As soon as the question came out of her mind, Julia found she was no longer at Wyndcliff but instead in an unknown location facing a whitish figure. Looking around to see if she can see her own body, Julia noticed pink sparkling lights all around her.

'What is this?'

'Your true essence,' was the answer.

'Why am I here?'

'To see this,' then before her, two blurry figures came into view. One looked like a female and the other Julia couldn't tell. The second figure stood in the shadows and the female walked forwards Julia. The light surrounding the female shined rainbow colors as she approached the surprised Julia.

'Who are you?' Julia asked the woman. A familiar feeling emanated from this presence and a face took form. It was the face of her mother, but it was not her mother!

'Barnabas, that's Maeve,' Max's thought screamed out so loud, they thought Julia would hear her.

'She is THE originator,' the voice assured Julia. 'She will help you when you need it the most and you can trust her with your life. She will care for you and when the time comes, for your child.'

Julia was stunned. Knowing what Julia was feeling, the voice explained, 'you have a destiny to fulfill and so does your husband and daughter. They will be taken care of and eventually meet.'

'But Barnabas is turning,' Julia paused unaware that the presence knew her thoughts.

'It's inevitable. It is his destiny as it is your destiny to have this child.'

'Who is this woman who will raise my child? I must know,' Julia demanded.

Voices echoed all around her:

'The originator of your blood line,
The protector of the offspring and
The kindred spirit to the sire.'

'You speak in riddles but I still need to know what will happen to my family,' Julia demanded.

'Your man's destiny will be a hard path to follow and it will have to be his choice when the time comes to confront his blood line.'

'Barnabas will meet our child?' Julia gasped. 'He will not be able to care for her.'

'They will meet much later. He will have no knowledge of her nor she of him until it is the right time.'

'How do I keep this secret? I'm bound to show evidentially. Is it right to keep father and daughter apart?'

'Your journal and notes will be stored in a safe place. No one will find them nor be able to read them until the right time approaches. The knowledge set forth by your own hands, in time, will be revealed to the ONE that must know about the blood destiny. In time, you will know what to do about your outer appearance.'

'May I see what my daughter will look like?' Julia asked because for some reason she felt this presence could do anything she asked. Without a word spoken, the invisible barrier lifted from her vision. Julia saw two figures watching her nearby. Barnabas and Max were aware that Julia could see them now. The sound of dogs howled as Barnabas felt his heart beat for the first time in a long time. Max felt her breathing intensify as her real mother walked towards her. Green eyes met brownish-green eyes. Julia reached out to touch her daughter. 'She's beautiful,' Julia thought before it all ended.

POP! CRACK! BANG!

Julia jumped off her stool, causing it to fall to the ground. Looking around, Julia saw she was back in her lab with her journal in her hand. 'Was that a dream,' she thought to herself. 'It felt so real. I must not forget what I heard and saw.'

After picking up the stool, Julia sat down to hurriedly transcript her experience. Standing next to the lab table, Max and Barnabas watched Julia. Barnabas tried to reach for her as Julia looked up and surveyed the room. Feeling as though someone was watching her, she called out.

"Barnabas, are you here? Can you hear me? I know you are not my Barnabas of today, but of the future. Please forgive me, my love, but I must do this to protect you and our child. I hope you will understand."

Feeling as though her experience was slipping away from her awareness, Julia continued to write feverishly. 'I must get this on paper, for my child and her father,' Julia thought. The scene started to fade.

All of a sudden, Barnabas started to feel a familiar urge sweep upon him at lightning speed. Wanting desperately to disconnect from Max, he pleaded with the 'Powers-to-be'.

'Please, you must let us go!' Barnabas became very anxious and tried to block his urge from his daughter. He tried to use his will against the 'Powers-to-be' to release their bond with each other. 'Max, let go, I command you,' Barnabas demanded.

'No Barnabas, it is time for us to meet our destiny . . . together,' Max responded.