CH 5: Sua Vir

"Barnabas, no!"

Thrusting himself in between Maggie and the vampire, Willie protectively backed the waitress against the wall before pleading, "Don't hurt 'er, Barnabas, she didn't mean it! Sh-she's jus' really scared like I said, so-"

"Get out of my way, you fool!" With a strenuous backhand to the face, Barnabas sent Willie sprawling down to the floor, Maggie crying out as the vampire lunged forward and seized her viciously by the throat.

"I will teach you to show me some respect!" he growled, a snarl escaping his lips as Maggie began to choke and cough.

Weakly rising from off the floor, Willie felt all his fears sift through the sieve of his cowardice upon spotting Maggie's plight, his eyes narrowing as he leapt forward and ripped Barnabas off her trembling form.

"Don't hurt 'er!" he pleaded, an unmistakable sheen of tears sparkling as he miserably shook his head. "I-I'm real sorry for doin' that, Barnabas, but you're makin' a big mistake – ya know you'll want 'er later, don'tcha? I-I mean, jus' look how beautiful she is…why wouldja wanna waste somethin' like that, uh?"

Barnabas, however, appeared to be completely unmoved by this speech. "Willie, how many times must I tell you to stay out of my affairs? Miss Evans has proven to me that she is unworthy of upholding Josette's memory, and for that she must die!"

"No! I-I-I mean, what if the locals find out?" Willie continued to press. "They're gonna be searchin' for Maggie 'til they find 'er, so what then?"

"They will never find her body" Barnabas assured him, his cold eyes fixating upon Maggie's tearful face before he gave her a wry smile. "You will help me see to that."

Willie moved to heatedly denounce this statement, but a sudden loud knocking caused him to hold his tongue, both he and Barnabas exchanging worried glances before the latter ordered, "Wait here…I will get rid of whomever is at the door. If either of you tries to make a sound, I promise that I will kill you both."

Swallowing, Willie nodded before backing away in order to let Barnabas through, his shoulders hunching over as he shut the door behind his master and bowed his head.

"You didn't have to do that for me."

Startled, Willie looked over his shoulder at Maggie's meek features, her hand still grasping at her throat as she took a small step forward. "I know what that monster's capable of, Willie, and you didn't have to do that…he could've killed you."

Remaining silent, Willie inwardly conceived that Maggie's life was worth more than ten of his own put together. If she died, she would be missed. But him?

He smiled bitterly. There would be no one to grieve over his passing, because no one cared enough to even give him a second glance. He knew he was just the gum on the bottom of someone's old sneakers, yet somehow he accepted this.

Finally coming to the realization that Willie wasn't going to answer her, Maggie approached him before turning him around so that they were forced to lock eyes. Interlacing her hand with his, she pressed her forehead against his chest before beginning to weep, her voice soft and garbled as she breathed a whispered "thank you" amidst the threads of his turtleneck.

Maggie's gratitude moved Willie, for he embraced her tightly and held her as if she were salvation, itself. She trembled in his arms akin to an orphaned cub, yet the moment he began to stroke her hair she seemed to calm down significantly. Willie was not accustomed to giving comfort, but Maggie somehow made him capable of doing so.

"C'mon now, don't cry" he urged softly. "I meant what I said earlier, alright? He ain't gonna getcha…n-not while I'm still around."

Lifting her tear-stained face so that she could meet with his gaze, Maggie gave him a bitter smile before returning, "Willie, you don't have to promise me that…your being here is enough. Whether I like it or not, you're my only anchor to the outside world, and my only ally in this twisted battle of good versus evil. All you really have to promise me is that you won't ever leave, because I…I need you."

Somehow Maggie's words brought Willie a sense of purpose, for never before in his life had he been told he was needed. It felt good to be appreciated, but if felt even better because it was Maggie telling him these things. More and more he'd been feeling differently while spending time with her, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She made him clumsier than usual, more on edge, and he found that he'd been spending an inappropriate amount of time studying the gentle beauty of her face. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, but he knew in his heart that she was Joe's… Correction: she was Barnabas'.

Closing his eyes in defeat, Willie gave a shiver as he heard the hollow sound of his master's approaching footsteps, his hand coming down on Maggie's shoulders as he urged, "W-when Barnabas gets here, pretend you're Josette, alright? Now I know it sounds crazy, b-but he won't kill ya if he thinks ya believe you're her, so…"

"No!" Maggie furiously interrupted. "I could never do that – I'd rather die than pretend to love that creature!"

Beginning to shake her by the shoulders, Willie hissed, "Well that's what will happen if ya don't do as I say, Maggie! If ya keep bein' so damn stubborn, you're gonna get yourself killed!"

Staring up at him through a wall of tears, Maggie nodded before miserably breaking away and walking toward the dustiest corner of the room. If she had to pretend to be Josette, she was going to do so as far away from Barnabas as possible.

When the cell door finally opened, she couldn't help but jump, her eyes glimmering briefly with terror as Barnabas entered the cell.

"That was Carolyn" he stiffly announced. "She said you and that girl were supposed to go swimming, so as far as you're concerned, Willie, you both broke up and she returned to wherever it was she came from. Is that clear?"

Willie's features hardened, yet he nodded before grumbling a soft affirmative. Now more than ever he longed to drive a stake into his master's cold and unfeeling heart, but it pained him since he knew he'd never be able to do it.

Just when he was about to ask Barnabas had Carolyn had met Marilyn, Maggie suddenly stepped past him with her hand extended, her voice sweet and almost dream-like as she greeted, "Barnabas, my love…you have returned to me."

"Josette?" Appearing to be pleasantly surprised, Barnabas took Maggie's offered hand before placing a kiss upon her warm skin, the ice in his eyes thawing out as he inquired, "Is it really you, my darling? Have you finally returned to me through this stubborn vessel of a girl?"

Maggie briefly flinched beneath his touch, but it was barely perceptible. "Yes, my love" she gently acknowledged, "I have come to you, and God willing, we shall never be apart again for as long as we both shall live."

Taking her disinclined form into his arms, Barnabas exclaimed, "Oh, my darling, you really have come to me…I knew our love was far too strong to keep us apart!" Now growing slightly stony-eyed, he ordered gruffly, "Willie, go upstairs and prepare Josette's room for her surprise…I believe she is finally ready to accept it."

With wide and astonished eyes, Willie slowly did as he was told, his curious gaze resting upon Maggie since he felt she had acted the part a little too well. Amidst his foolish pleas, had she actually turned into Josette?

Willie shuddered. If this were the case, God help him, because he knew he'd never be able to forgive himself…

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Holding open the door, Willie stepped back as Maggie entered Josette's room, his eyes following after her lissome form as Barnabas took her arm and steered her toward the bed. Upon the knit coverlet laid a gorgeous cream taffeta silk gown, the beads from the laced bodice glinting softly within the candlelight as Barnabas ushered her forward. "This, my love, is for you" he warmly revealed. "Ever since our wedding was ruined, I have vowed to give you a brand new one so we could start over. I want there to be absolutely no reminder of the past, so every little detail has been altered to allow us the chance to make our own memories."

Positively stunned, Maggie grasped at the gold necklace about her neck before shaking her head. Finding it hard to conceal her horror, she spluttered, "Oh, b-but my love, how can I possibly accept such an extraordinary gift? I am not worthy of this new chance after all I've done…"

"Nonsense!" Barnabas argued. "This very earth is unworthy of your presence, so for you to even put voice to such a thought is preposterous! If you love me as much as you claim, let us be united from this moment onward..."

Maggie's lips trembled as they curled upward in the attempts of a smile, but no sooner than that expression of mirth had formed she released a horrified "NO!", Barnabas seizing her by the arm as she turned in order to flee.

"You lied to me!" he growled, Maggie giving a sob as he twisted her arm behind her back. "I should kill you right now for desecrating the memory of my darling Josette!"

"Barnabas, no!" Willie pleaded, his heart pounding as he rushed over in order to tame his master's fury. "I-i-it ain't 'er fault, Barnabas, 'cause I'm the one who put 'er up to it. I-I thought ya'd hurt 'er, an' I couldn't letcha do that, so…"

"Silence!" When Willie fell mute, Barnabas coolly acknowledged, "I shall deal with you later, Willie, but for now Miss Evans must be taken back to her cell. When I have decided what her punishment shall be, I will call for her and you will bring her back here."

Willie gave his master a pained look. "Aw, but Barnabas, didn'tcha hear what I said? It ain't Maggie's fault, s-so ya should punish me, instead!"

"Oh, don't you worry, Willie" Barnabas coldly assured him. "I haven't forgotten your betrayal by a longshot."

Bowing his head, Willie took Maggie by the arm and began to lead her out of the room, both of their hearts bleeding with the onus of guilt they currently felt for one another.

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All was silent in Maggie's cell save for her shallow breathing. On the far wall lay the tallies made from some lipstick Barnabas had given her, yet she had long since given up on keeping track of the precise date.

Clutching her gold necklace more tightly, Maggie realized that every moment brought her one step closer toward her impending doom. Barnabas would not spare her this time, and Willie's tearful farewell had made her even more certain of the fact. She would die and it wouldn't even matter, for she knew that most of Collinsport was bound to believe she'd already perished.

But what about Pop? And Joe? Had they given up on her, too?

'Oh, what's the use?' Maggie wondered bitterly. 'There's no point in my thinking like this when I know they can't save me…'

Giving in to her immense sorrow, Maggie wept into her hands with the bitterness that'd been festering within her like a sore, her body barely even registering the soft touch on her arm until she heard a small, childlike voice.

"Hello!" it warmly greeted. "Why are you crying, pretty lady? You mustn't be sad…"

Startled, Maggie raised her tearful gaze before giving a start, her arms now coming out and grasping the girl's shoulders as she frantically inquired, "How did you get in here, little girl? The cell's completely locked, and so is the basement door!"

Appearing to be proud of herself, the girl returned, "Oh, there's a way, but you have to look very hard to find it. If you'd like I can tell you, but only if you promise to play with me."

Completely beside herself with joy, Maggie couldn't help but nod vigorously. "Oh yes, of course I'll play with you, little girl…what must we do?"

Beaming, the child returned, "I'll give you a riddle, and then you try and solve it. If you win, you'll learn my secret, but if you lose…" She suddenly appeared to be very sad. "Please don't lose, pretty lady – I don't want you to die."

"Die?" Trembling, Maggie felt a wave of nausea creep down her spine as she fully registered the girl's words. She had known that her death was coming all along, but now that someone had actually put voice to her thoughts, she was terribly disconcerted. Grasping the child by the arms, she urged, "Please tell me the riddle now, little girl, because I'm not sure how much time I have left!"

Finally seeming to understand the direness of the situation, the girl began, "One, two: away they flew. Three, four: by the door. Five, six: count the bricks. Seven, eight: The clue is 'grate'. Nine, ten..."

Suddenly, the little girl vanished.

"No!" Maggie exclaimed, now rushing forward into nothing but vacant air. "Oh, little girl, please don't leave me! I need to know the rest of the riddle...what comes after nine and ten?!"

After a few moments of absolute silence, Maggie came to the horrifying realization that the mysterious apparition would not be coming back – at least not for a long, long while.

Frowning, the waitress concentrated on the riddle that had miraculously managed to ingrain itself within her mind, her voice a hushed whisper full of contemplation as she breathed, "One, two: away they flew...three, four: by the door..." Pausing, Maggie headed over to the cell entrance, only to continue, "Five, six: count the bricks...seven, eight: the clue is 'grate'..."

Glancing over from the door to the opposite wall, she discovered a small and tarnished grate near the ceiling. Absolutely overjoyed by this finding, Maggie rushed over to the wall and began to frantically push and claw at the bricks with the hopes of discovering her escape.

Alas, this moment never came.

With a miserable whine, the poor woman then realized that she hadn't counted any of the bricks...perhaps she needed to count to five or six away from the grate?

With careful concentration, Maggie began to count down from the battered metal with gentle compressions of her fingers: one, two, three, four...five...six.

Gasping, the dark-haired beauty nearly shouted with joy the moment the sixth brick caved in, the cell wall almost magically opening in order to reveal a secret passageway for her large and wondering eyes to behold.

Hitching up the skirts to her black dress, Maggie eagerly entered the atramentous and musty tunnel, her gaze narrowing as she tried her best to squint through the dark due to the constant diminishing of light.

After several moments of walking, Maggie truly began to feel as if she had been going in circles. Just as she was about to panic, however, a wooden door at the end of the darkened hallway caught her immediate attention.

Rushing over to her means of freedom with a newfound purpose, Maggie stumbled to the door and wrenched it open with a frantic turn of the wrist.

With a whoosh of salty air, the outside of Collinsport's beach welcomed her with its calming tranquility, Maggie nearly sobbing for joy as she staggered out of the Old House and into the familiar white sands she had always played in as a child.

A child...

Clasping her hands to her bosom with glee, Maggie squealed with delight before taking off down along the expanse of the beach as fast as her long legs could carry her, her distracted mind fleeing from this to that, yet primarily focusing on what games she and Pop could play at a later date. Hopskotch, jump rope...no, riddles! Maggie could tell Pop the new riddle she had learned!

Excited over this new proposition, Maggie began to quicken her stride. As she did so she suddenly felt faint, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she tripped over a hill of sand and went barreling straight to the ground. Dazedly struggling to see, the poor girl face-planted into the sand as a deep blanket of darkness swirled across her eyes and held her within its compassionate embrace.

A/N: Yaay, just ONE more chapter to go! cheers This took me aaall of my choir tour to write, and don't worry, Susicar, I haven't forgotten "Join Me in Martinique" – I worked on that one, as well, and hopefully it'll be up soon. :) Oh, and "sua vir" means "her savior" in Latin -- I mainly did that because it's "prettier". :-P