Chapter 29
Perplexed, William and his father stood watching Barnabas and Maeve question the 'Powers-to-be', through Max. "What do you want us to do now?" they asked. Father and son thought it peculiar for two people to be able to ask the same question at the same time. It was as if they were one person, in two bodies. Then Willie remembered his experience with them during the 'game' months ago. 'Of course,' he thought, 'they are kindred spirits.'
Max smiled and then spoke but it was not her voice. This frightened William who grabbed his father's arm. Willie patted his son's hand trying to comfort him but also felt spooked.
"Your questions will be answered in due time," the voices echoed, as Max's head turned to each of them, looking into their faces. Looking at Maeve, the voices urged her to continue. "You've been at this the longest so you know what has to be done." Maeve agreed so she told them all to join hands.
William became perturbed at the suggestion and said, "Wait a minute. I'm not going to stay here any long and listen to this." He looked at Barnabas and screamed, "I don't know how you escaped those bullets but I promise you, I will kill you, vampire!" As William began to leave, he discovered he could not advance further than a few feet away from Barnabas. Neither man liked the idea that they were so close but Barnabas was beginning to understand. "Why can't I move?" William yelled.
"The 'Powers-to-be' want us to play the 'game'," Barnabas suggested. William gave his enemy a puzzled look, and then looked at Max.
Maeve explained the 'game' to William as Barnabas stood closer to Max. He looked into her eyes and noticed a light flashing at him. He recognized that light and worried about Max. "She's ok and present," the voices said to him quietly. "It's ok, father," Max's voice spoke to him. "They have my permission to finish this journey we are on. Please cooperate so we can finish this and move on." Barnabas smiled at his daughter and then noticed the presence had returned. "Are you ready, Mr. Collins?" the voices impassively asked.
Barnabas turned and looked at the others. William stood close to his father, angrily watching him. Barnabas walked up to William and said, "You wanted to understand why this happened to you. Here is your opportunity to know the truth." He could feel the lad relax in his presence but knew he remained on guard.
"Come," the voices ordered, "Barnabas, stand next to William, with his father on his other side. Maeve, stand next to Willie." Max walked up to Barnabas and took his hand. Barnabas grabbed William's hand, making the young man jump. William found he couldn't release the hand of the man he wanted dead. His father took his other hand and then held Maeve's hand. After Max took Maeve's hand, they heard, "The circle is complete. The blood destiny can be fulfilled!"
Scared, William shouted, "Why must I hold his hand? He'll kill me after what I tried to do to him." He looked into Max's eyes but received no response. So he looked at his father and noticed his eyes were closed. After looking around the circle, he noticed everyone had closed his or her eyes.
All of a sudden, the wind stopped blowing, the crickets fell silent and the ocean waves hitting the rocks below the cliffs were quiet. William could not hear a sound except for his breathing. Horrified and not knowing what else to do, he also closed his eyes.
Time seemed to stand still as they felt a spinning sensation. Feeling a chill, William wondered what was coming next. Then he heard the voices echoing in his mind. 'What do you want to know?' He recognized the voices as the same that spoke through Max.
William heard the words, 'This is your opportunity to know the truth,' which were spoken in his adversary voice. 'He is not your enemy,' the voices replied to William's thoughts.
Resisting no long, William asked, 'What happened to my father?' So William Loomis experienced the same spinning sensations and visions everyone witnessed while involved in the 'game'. Barnabas' tragic story flashed before everyone's eyes, new only to William. Although he knew what Barnabas was, he never knew why. This time the 'game' allowed William to 'be' Barnabas, making the same mistakes, feeling the same horrors, dreading the life he was destined to live. William even felt as though he was in the coffin for decades when the lid finally opened. Going through the same emotions Barnabas originally felt, he began to understand what happened to his father. No one knew how much time passed as William lived Barnabas' life. The visions ended when his father married his mother.
'What can be done to eliminate my disease?' William's mind asked realizing questions kept the 'game' moving. He wanted to know everything. This time he didn't see or hear anything. Instead, he felt a piercing pain in his wrist, realizing Barnabas had just bitten him. 'NO!' his thoughts screamed. 'How could you betray me?' he yelled. 'You have not been betrayed,' were the only words he heard as his vision blurred and almost fainted from the pain.
Barnabas watched his entire life lived again but as a third party. He knew William was experiencing it this time. His heart pounded faster when he heard William ask, 'What can be done to eliminate my disease?' Barnabas felt deep anguish and responsibility for all of the lad's pain and suffering. Then, unconsciously and automatically, he lifted William's hand and bit it.
The blood squirted down his throat, mixing and returning to William's veins. The same thing was happening as it did with Max. They were sharing liquids but this time Barnabas felt the 'virus' leave his body and enter William's body. 'NO' his thoughts rang through the collective consciousness.
Everyone knew what happened. Barnabas tried to break his hold of William's wrist without success. He also heard William scream out, 'How could you betray me?' knowing he meant the 'Powers-to-be'. The pain shared between William and Barnabas was stifling, almost causing both men to pass out. The only thing sustaining them were the others' energies flowing through their bodies. Time seemed motionless as they stood watching the horrors of the 'virus' traveling between both bodies. A mutation developed within the structure of the virus as it overtook the red and white blood cells of both men. They were transforming inside and they could not stop what was happening to them. The changes from within were permanent.
As they became aware of their environment, sounds could again be heard. The birds sang to the new morning and the heat of the sun shined on their skins. Everyone's eyes opened and looked around the circle. Max's head was down as everyone looked at her for guidance. As she lifted her head, the sparkle in her eyes no longer flickered. As she looked around, she said, "They are gone."
"Barnabas," Willie screamed, "The sun, it's shining on ya and William!" Everyone looked at them as the sun's rays touched their bodies and they were not affected. "Does this mean ya cured? The both of ya?" Willie asked excitedly. They all stared at Max again.
Maeve was the first to test their connection. She easily let go of Max's and Willie's hands and walked over to stand in front of Barnabas and William. She placed each of her hands on the chest of Barnabas and William.
"It's over, Barnabas, we have fulfilled our destiny." She looked at William. "You were our last link to make the blood destiny complete. You could not have been cured without Barnabas and he could not have been without you." She hugged William and whispered to him, "Could you ever forgive him?" Backing away from him, she looked into his eyes and wondered what the young man would do next.
"You mean my disease has been cured because," William glanced at Barnabas through new eyes, "he bit me? That's all that was necessary?"
Willie stepped forward and looked at his son. "I'm sorry, William, I couldn't tell ya about this."
Before Willie could say anymore, William hugged him and said in his ears, "I finally understand, dad, you don't have to worry about me anymore."
Maeve walked over to Barnabas and said, "Now we can live the rest of our lives as normal people do."
"You mean we'll grow old and die?" Barnabas eagerly asked.
"Yes, we are normal in every way. We can grow old, get sick, and die," Maeve smiled. She took his hands and placed them on top of her stomach. Then she placed her own hands on top of his. She smiled and added, "We can also make life since we are now starting where we left off." Barnabas looked down at his hands, then into her eyes and his eyebrows rose.