CH 2: Taking the Blame
The clock tower chimed four consecutive times, yet what was relatively sweet to most ears was nothing short of excruciating to one man. With trembling hands, Willie continued to fuss over the candelabra as he willed his mind to think of anything but the time – of anything but her.
Crying out, Willie shook his burned hand before cradling it protectively against his chest, his eyes almost piercing as he glared down at the offending match. Why was it that everywhere he turned there was so much pain? So much agony?
Willie vaguely recalled feeling like his former life was Hell, but nothing could possibly compare to the present trauma he was forced to undergo. Barnabas had taken control and had plucked every last nerve of resistance in his body, so now he was forced to commit crimes far worse than petty theft. And his crimes…
Oh God, he was sorry! If Willie had known his life would take such an unexpected turn over his greed, he actually would have tried to straighten up and fly right. Nobody deserved such pain, not even him, a lowly ex-con. But Maggie…she deserved her fate even less! She just happened to be an innocent bystander that had gotten caught in the line of fire, and before Willie could've even thought to take the bullet, she was already figuratively slain. He knew that she was destined to die, and each agonizing stroke of the clock brought her one step closer to the inevitable fall.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Staring up at the clock on the mantle with wide, petrified blue-gray eyes, Willie felt as if all the bones in his body were dissolving and leaving behind nothing but a cowardly shell. He couldn't save her…he wanted too, but he couldn't. Every time Willie approached Barnabas' coffin and raised the lid, a gnawing force from deep within would cause him to drop his weapon and fall to his knees. What good was he to Maggie, to himself, if he couldn't even do away with the one blemish keeping them under lock and key?
Willie was well aware of the fact that Maggie was like a caged bird, yet he'd never had the courage to open her pen and let her fly free. And why was that? Because he was afraid he'd be killed? No…not completely. Willie knew that if Maggie were to escape that he would be all alone – with her he at least had a companion to share in his sorrows.
Whether Willie liked it or not, Maggie had woven her way through the threads of his heart and had inadvertently made him care. Without her presence, he knew he'd gradually unravel and fall through the cracks of despair and never see the light of day, again.
With trembling limbs, the servant opened the basement door and went plodding down the cement steps. The air was cold and dingy like it always was, only this time a sense of despair hung thickly above him like a gray cloud.
"Maggie?" Peering cautiously inside her cell, Willie winced when he rested his gaze upon her unbearably morose form. She sat at the edge of her cot with her head bowed, her hair and bridal veil masking the eyes that were inevitably shedding crystalline tears.
Oh, why did it have to be her? Why did she have to suffer for all of Barnabas' past sins and transgressions?
Carefully entering the cell, Willie shut the door behind him so softly that Maggie didn't even look up…or perhaps it was because she no longer had the resolve to care.
Holding his wrist, Willie cautiously ventured forward before asking, "Y-y-you alright, Maggie? Do ya need somethin'?"
"No."
Her tone was so bleak and final that Willie couldn't help but wince, his head bowing as he pressed, "Ya sure? I-I-I mean, this is your…your, um…"
"Last night to live?" Maggie bitterly supplied. "Why can't you just go ahead and say it? I know I'm going to die, so please just get it over with."
"Aw, Maggie, no" Willie lied, his eyes softening as he uneasily sank onto the cot alongside her. "If ya feel that way, why'dja agree ta marry Barnabas in the first place, uh?"
Grasping at the gold charm about her neck, Maggie lowered her gaze before giving a tired smile. Now unfastening the necklace, she held it up so that the charm glinted dully within the faded light, her heartbeat accelerating upon noting Willie's fascinated gaze.
Smiling encouragingly, she asked, "It's beautiful, isn't it? This is a solid gold charm that belonged to my great-great-great grandmother many years ago. By Evans' tradition, the next family member to bear a daughter presents this necklace to their child so that she may give it to her daughter, and then her daughter's daughter, and so on and so forth. If it were to be appraised, I'm quite positive that it'd rake in a small fortune." Moving slightly closer to Willie, Maggie added, "I'm completely willing to let you have it…just help me escape, and it's yours."
Willie gave her a desperate look, completely astonished that she had been able to see his weakness so well. Maggie's offer wasn't jewels, but gold was still a very precious commodity…
"No!"
Pushing Maggie's hand away, Willie shot up from the cot as if he'd been burned, his bottom lip quivering as he frantically shook his head. "No" he reiterated, "I-I can't…i-i-it's a family heirloom, a-an' I wouldn't feel right takin' it, no way."
"I don't care, Willie – it's just a necklace" Maggie forcefully insisted. Now grasping at his wrist, she added, "If it's punishment from Barnabas you're afraid of, you and I can just run away together…" Tugging more frantically at his arm, she urged, "Think of it, won't you? We'll be free…freer than free! We'll be safe!"
Safe… The word thudded hollowly within Willie's heart like a water drum, yet it was a concept that was still well out of his reach. He hadn't even known safety back in his days with Jason, so the tapestry of promises that Maggie was continually weaving failed to entice him. Barnabas would never let him go, and even if he did want to run away, he knew the invisible forces were so deeply rooted in his soul that he was trapped forever. He and Barnabas shared a blood bond that could never be broken…a fate that Willie knew to be far worse than the searing depths of Hell, itself.
With this thought raging within his mind, Willie shook his head before apologizing, "I-I'm real sorry Maggie, but I can't…I wanna help ya, honey, but Barnabas…"
"To hell with Barnabas!" Maggie viciously interrupted. "That…that thing may control your way of life, but he'll never control mine – I am Maggie Evans, and Maggie Evans I will remain until the very day I die!" As she voiced these fervid words, Maggie couldn't help but falter, the color immediately draining from her cheeks the moment she realized her doom could be far closer than she originally thought. Raising her despaired eyes up to Willie's face, Maggie felt her last stitch of hope unfurl and coil its way about her neck like a noose, her lips trembling as she conceded that she was destined to perish.
Casting aside all modesty, Maggie threw herself down upon the floor and clung to Willie's legs like a drowning civilian, tears rolling down her cheeks as she moaned, "Don't let me die, Willie…oh God, please don't let me die! I'll do anything you want, I promise!"
Willie recoiled at the unexpected invasion of personal space, for these days the slightest touch could put him on edge. A brush of an arm, the tap of a shoulder…it all could mean that Barnabas was there and ready to finish what he had started.
Squeezing his eyes tightly closed, Willie tried to drown out Maggie's pitiful weeping and moaning by chanting a prayer, but he knew it was all for naught. Willie didn't believe in God, and He didn't believe in him, either…that much was evident judging by the path that had been set before him.
When Maggie pressed her forehead against his thigh, Willie looked down at the defeated woman and felt as if he were drowning amidst his sins and transgressions. And not just recent ones, either – he felt a wave of sorrow tear through him so strongly that he was instantly reminded of his past sins in Chicago…New York…L.A…
Finally unable to bear the oppressive guilt, Willie tore away from Maggie's pleading embrace and went racing over to the door, his hands shaking as he handled the keys and placed them in the lock.
Still weeping, Maggie staggered up to her feet just as Willie escaped and bolted the door behind him, her tortured screams echoing in the servant's ears as he turned and forced himself to go back upstairs. If he had stayed a moment longer, he was sure he would have done something foolish…
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'Five o' clock…oh God, it's almost dusk!'
Forcing himself to look away from the clock on the mantle, Willie leaned against the column by the roll-top desk before biting his lip. He needed to stay focused…if Barnabas found him unprepared for the wedding, he'd be punished for sure! With this thought as his very convincing incentive, Willie turned toward the stairs just when a series of knocks sounded at the door.
Frightened and a little taken aback, Willie cautiously approached the entryway before opening one of the doors and peering out, his eyes widening upon spotting the familiar figure standing before him on the stoop. "M-Marilyn…?"
"Hi, Willie" she greeted sweetly, her gray eyes softening as she roved them across his face. "You look kinda different…it's almost as if you were…" completely drained. Shivering at this thought, Marilyn pushed back one of her silken brown curls before asking, "How ya been? I-I know it's been five years and all, but I woke up one morning and felt it in my gut that I had to see you…and maybe Jason, too?"
Willie's eyes flitted to the floor in discomfort. "J-J-Jason an' I don't talk much no more…he's changed."
"So have you" Marilyn softly observed, her hand reaching out and cupping his cheek so that he was forced to return her gaze. Stroking down to the curve of his chin, she thought she saw a momentary sense of panic blitz out across his irises, but it was gone before she could fully comprehend it.
Removing himself from her gentle touch, Willie warily backed away before mumbling, "Ya shouldn' a' come here…Chicago's where ya belong, so why don'tcha jus' go on back, uh?"
"Then…you don't want to see me?" Marilyn whispered, tears burning along her lashes as she bowed her head in hurt frustration. "Are you saying I asked all of God's creation to help me find you for nothing? That you didn't mean it when you told me you cared?"
Willie swallowed. Marilyn Doss had been his first love – or rather, as close to love as two people with their kind of relationship could ever get – and his only true confidant. Willie had inadvertently gotten involved with her during one of Jason's 'brilliant' heists, and it was his involvement that initially caused the plan to backfire.
The truth was, Willie hadn't been interested in anything Chicago had to offer. It was cold as the dickens and only proved to be good at freezing his limbs, including the ones he'd rather keep functioning. Marilyn had been his only anchor amidst his sea of hell, and before he and Jason returned to New York, he'd foolishly told her that he cared for her a great deal. It wasn't foolish because he actually didn't care, it was foolish because he did care, and that his caring could potentially get her killed by one Barnabas Collins.
Placing a hand against the doorframe to keep her from coming inside, Willie mumbled, "I'm sorry, Marilyn, butcha gotta go…m-my boss don't like it when people come 'round here uninvited, so ya'd better get a move on b-before he comes back."
"Can I at least see you tomorrow?" Marilyn pleaded.
Willing to agree to anything if it'd get her off the property, Willie bobbed his head in agreement before giving a soft "Yeah, sure."
With a warm smile, Marilyn placed both her hands on his cheeks before giving him a soft, tender kiss on the mouth, her eyes glimmering with affection as she pressed his hand and headed for her car.
Watching after her in bewilderment, Willie leaned against the doorframe before squeezing his eyes tightly closed. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed that his past always had a way of catching up with him…
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Lying on his bed, Willie gazed up at the cracked ceiling with wide and bleary eyes, his heart thudding wildly within his chest as he sensed that dusk had finally arrived.
Maggie…what would become of her? If everything went as planned, she would end up roaming the earth for all eternity, and with that damning imprisonment, she would be forced to…
Willie shivered. It was best not to think of such things.
Rising to his feet, the servant was only half-surprised when he heard the malevolent baritone beckoning to him from the other side of the door, his limbs flailing as he scrambled to let his master inside. With a hurried twist of the wrist, Willie flung the door open and stepped back in submission, his heart wrenching within his chest as he took note of the darkness in Barnabas' eyes.
"Have you made all the necessary preparations?"
Nodding, Willie moved to further elucidate when he noticed the vampire eyeing him strangely. "W-w-what's wrong, Barnabas?" he meekly demanded. "Why ya lookin' at me like that for, uh?"
"It seems that you have a delightful shade of rouge on your lips" Barnabas venomously returned. "A very interesting choice for a man of your stature…it seems far more befitting of a woman like Maggie Evans."
Willie felt a chill seep through him upon realizing his master's assumptions, his limbs beginning to tremble as he vigorously shook his head. "N-n-no, Barnabas, i-it ain't like that at all, 'cause ya see…"
"You betrayed me!"
"No! I-I didn't, I swear!" Willie pathetically drawled, his knees turning to gelatin upon noting Barnabas reaching for a candlestick on his bureau. With panic curling up his spine, the servant moved to run toward the corner of the room, but Barnabas was surprisingly much faster.
"I'll teach you to try and desecrate my Josette!" the vampire growled, a sick pleasure filling his black soul upon hearing Willie's agonized cries. Striking the servant in between the shoulder blades with the candlestick, Barnabas felt his fury returning tenfold at the thought of Willie trying to take what was rightfully his. With a heated snarl, he ground his heel into his servant's spine and listened with a sense of sadism to his pleas for help.
Moaning in pain, Willie began to crawl in agony toward the open door, yet was stopped short the moment Barnabas viciously kicked him in the stomach. With a growl, the vampire yanked Willie up by the collar and clocked him across the face, the servant falling in a graceless pirouette that caused him to strike his head against the bureau.
Groaning, Willie's eyes rolled back in his head as he dropped heavily to the floor, the room spinning about him as the darkness swirled across his eyes and granted him the rest he'd been so deprived of.
A/N: SOOOOOO sorry for the delay! I initially was going to abandon this fic, but recently got inspiration…imagine that? lol And I suppose the last part was a tad sadistic, but I felt that I haven't written a good ol'-fashioned Willie arse-whoppin' in a long time, so why not? lol Hope it was worth the wait! ;0)