June 22, 1807
Angelique and I have met secretly for the first time since her marriage to Gabriel Collins. She reported little. There is no spoken word of Barnabas other than his return to England, and it is a subject that is closed as soon as it is opened. She mentioned, however, a little girl of one of the family servants that she has taken a fondness to. The little girl's name is Sarah Castle. Angelique assured me that Sarah knows many of the family secrets, and that she is quickly earning Sarah's trust. According to Sarah, Barnabas was confined to a secret room. She had overheard Joshua talking of a secret room where they stored a hidden cache of muskets and muzzles during the war, and that no one would find him there. Sarah saw Joshua writing a note after he discussed the room. As Joshua read aloud, Sarah remembered his words and wrote them down. She gave this note to Angelique in secret, but neither of us knew its interpretation. It read:
"The Madonnas rest high above, the lion's head watches the dove. And in the womb beneath the hill, a blazing light grows bright and still."
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… her marriage to Gabriel was the only means that we could safely enter into the Collins mansion to carry out our plans. The family should have been more discreet than to merely accept that a woman of Angelique's charm and beauty could be bestowed upon such a wastrel like Gabriel Collins. With every look that he gave, Angelique felt sick with disgust and resentment.
Angelique did mention that Joshua Collins, the mighty patriarch, was showing signs of disorientation. Age and the secrets that he held had taken their toll on him as of late, and doctors feared that he had very little time left. Angelique said that Joshua has named Gabriel's brother and daughter-in-law, Charles and Laura, as the sole heirs to the entire Collins family house and wealth.
This has caused much enmity between the two brothers, Charles and Gabriel, as Joshua was to divide the family property more equally between them. Angelique didn't have to admit to me that she had a part in that. I know her too well. No doubt she used a spell to influence Joshua's decision. She was playing a game with the family and causing them to hate each other. She was playing the game and enjoying herself.
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DECEMBER 18th, 1808
I have retreated to an abandoned house some distance from the road to Eagle Hill Cemetery. My attempts to uncover the meaning of Sarah's note have been in vain. My master is safe with me, and his body remains undisturbed.
Undisturbed. Why must he remain undisturbed? Why has he not returned?
How long is "soon"? When he sees my faithfulness and Angelique's he will be pleased. Perhaps then he will come back to us.
December 3, 1809
The news of Joshua Collins' death has quickly spread through the village. The appointment of Charles Collins as the family patriarch has been met with positive and negative comments. Some believe he is too involved in his art to carry on the responsibilities of the Collins Enterprises. Albeit, Gabriel is well-known as a worthless failure despite his best efforts. The only redeeming quality named of Gabriel is the beauty of his wife, Angelique.
January 26, 1810
Angelique has refused to meet me. She didn't even return a passing glance at the funeral services of Joshua Collins. I must have faith. Perhaps she thought it best not to return my glance as it might arouse suspicion. Had she discovered the answer to Sarah's riddle?
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I have had complete faith in my master's words. Nay, I have not opened the coffin to look inside except for the day that I placed the mask inside to preserve his body. Had I opened it to look and see if the power that Judah claimed the mask to have, he might have taken it as a sign of my disbelief in his powers. I must prove my devotion and trust in his words.
The flow of time runs differently in the netherworld, and Judah's time to return will be soon. Patience.
June 8, 1810
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….has betrayed us, Master! She whom you loved has fallen away and used you as a means to pursue her own desires! Angelique has blasphemed your name for her lover, Charles Collins!
I met her in the woods and she told me that she only wanted to live with Charles Collins and share the wealth of Collinwood! It was all a ploy! She used her magic that you taught her to force Joshua Collins to bequeath his fortune to Charles because she was having an immoral relationship with him outside of wedlock! She boldly proclaimed her rejection of you by saying the words, "Judah is dead, Titus! He is not coming back! I hate him! Let his soul burn forever! He left us first, and now I have left him. I refuse to go on living my life and loving a dead man. Neither should you, Titus. Charles is my life, and I am his mistress. I shall never see you here again. If you come near the house, I will know it. The day you ever come near me or speak to me again will be a day you shall suffer great consequences for disobeying me."
Her blasphemy is unforgivable, Master! In your name, I will find a way to punish her for her unfaithfulness!
September 12, 1810
My resolve is much stronger now. Word has been spreading this week of all the bad blood between Gabriel and Charles, and I knew that now was the time to act. Without doubt, Gabriel and Laura Collins have learned of the immoral relationship between Angelique and Charles, and this "respectable" family will soon fall apart.
Did I care? Nay; quite the opposite. My only thought is to make Angelique suffer most of all. Over the last week, I have devised a way to expose her witchcraft and for her to be appropriately punished and humiliated like Brother Dawson was. Reverend Harridge was not a man to waste time in exorcising what he deemed to be evil spirits. Using a spell, I would cause further division to an already-crumbling family.
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…did it tonight. I set fire to the cannery while Gabriel was inside. I knew that whether he died or not made little difference with my plans. Of course little damage was actually done to the cannery, but just enough to arouse suspicion of witchcraft. How did I do this? I used a brass pentagram similar to Brother Dawson's to cast the spell so that flames would appear suddenly inside Gabriel's quarters, thereby leaving no traceable evidence of vandalism.
I knew how superstitious the people of Collinsport were, and there was no question that such an enigma would be blamed on black magic.
I have written an anonymous letter to Reverend Harridge concerning the incident. I had it delivered to him before the incident.
In it, I told him that I was a pious soul who suspected that Angelique Collins meant to destroy her husband, Gabriel, so that she may live in immorality with his brother Charles. I also added that I knew of her many years ago and was sure that she was trained by Lucifer himself to practice witchcraft.
How could I prove this? With the use of a spell that I had learned from a wise Indian in Barbados, I was able to make the brass pentagram vanish and reappear inside Angelique's and Gabriel's room. There would be no question as to whom it belonged to. I had planted the suggestion and opportunity for Reverend Harridge to destroy a witch, and he would not be satisfied until he had what he wanted.
Gabriel would find the charm, and he would no doubt surrender it to the reverend to avoid firebrands and scandal. The plan was in motion, and Angelique would soon suffer and die as a witch and as the traitor she was.
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…as I wished! The Reverend Harridge publicly accused Angelique of being in league with Lucifer, and she firmly renounced his claims. Now, Harridge is dead by my own spell. Using his handkerchief as a medium, I molded a doll in his likeness so that I could end his life quickly. I wrapped the handkerchief around the doll's neck, and pulled as tightly…
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October 14, 1810
Strack was the first to arrive at Collinwood and confront Gabriel and Laura concerning Angelique's witchcraft.
I am certain that Strack had no trouble convincing them to rid the house of the witch. Perhaps even threatening them that if they did not, he would return with an angry crowd that would be convinced that they were harboring a witch. The people of Collinsport would forever be turned against them.
I am not a vain fellow, but I was quite amused by my insight to bring about this turn of events. Angelique would die, and so would begin my vengeance for Judah Zachary.
Unaware of my presence, I watched far away from the woods as Angelique marched so solemnly to the tree where she would be hanged for witchcraft. Through my looking glass, I noticed the pendant Judah gave her as a token of his love was missing from her neck. Without doubt she had cast it aside or given it to someone.
Charles and Gabriel stood on opposite sides of Reverend Strack as he delivered his over-zealous sermon. The winds through the trees carried the sweet sound of Strack's final words: "Let the devil take his own!"
I watched her die instantly. The servants of Strack pushed her with great haste, and Angelique's neck was broken. With my mind's eye and ears, I could see and hear her screaming as she descended into the depths of eternity with the arms of Judah open and waiting to receive her. I am more than certain that Judah is very pleased with me.
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In the wake of Angelique's death, Charles Collins has disappeared. Gabriel spread word around town that he went to England to live out his days with his cousin, Barnabas. It seems as if the Collinses tell everyone that whomever dies goes to England to live happily ever after. Much like a parent tells his child a story when their house pet…
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(…writing weak and unsteady…)
…to take me. I haven't much time left. My hands ache as I write, and my body shivers with cold while my head burns with fever. I must summon all of my strength for my final act of devotion to you, Judah. Tonight, while Collinwood sleeps, I shall deliver you to them. Soon, they will see you resurrect in all of your glory. I regret that I will not be able to see it myself, as I have waited to so many years.
November 1,1810
It is now early morning, perhaps one or two hours after midnight. With only Gabriel and Laura there, I knew that I had to act quickly.
I arrived near the house by my own carriage, and then I carried the coffin containing my master's precious body deep within the grounds of Collinwood. Beneath the bushes of the east wing, I began to dig.
I covered the dirt with light brush and leaves so as not to arouse suspicion. I stumbled down the hill, and I unhitched the horses and set them free. I will no longer need them.
Tonight shall be my last spell. On this night of Samhain, I shall surrender my life force to Judah's body. As Judah taught me well in the relations between numbers and black magic, I am using them as a means to bring him back at another time.
Perhaps death proved to be too formidable a foe. If it will help my master to conquer it and live again, I gladly surrender my life. There will be no mistake this time. Judah Zachary will rise again.
Every nineteen years, the full moon shines on the night of Samhain, opening wide the doors to where the spirits of the dead roam, the last being seven years ago this night. The number nine is the number of power for those who are gifted in the occult, and it gives them powers and control beyond their otherwise normal thresholds.
From this very night when the ninth cycle of a full moon shines upon the eve of Samhain, Judah Zachary shall enter through that door with more power than he ever had upon the earth. With his powers, he shall unleash all of his vengeance upon this earth like never before, beginning with the House of Collins. The night shall be Samhain, 1974.
I only hope that Judah sees fit to allow me to sit at his table once again in his new Paradise. How I miss those days of being by his side.
To you who may be reading this, make way the preparation for the master to come. Bless his name when he returns, sing his praises, weep not for those who shall perish.
I feel myself getting weaker, so I must stop here. It will take all that I have left to perform the spell.
I, Titus Clark, the beloved disciple of Judah Zachary…(writing illegible)…receive my soul.