Chapter 11
Vicki and Barnabas' bedroom
Vicki dreamed of darkness and spiraling down into an abyss of insanity. Then she felt it cold and slimy creeping into her body and around her consciousness to strangle her and whisper its cold heartless words of dying and meeting death. There it was the soft chant and then the feeling was gone and she found she was not going to die. She was exhausted but she was not going to die. She knew it had been later and she felt her body pulled against the warm embrace of her husband. He had whispered tender words of love and loving her and she for the first time in a very long time felt safe and loved. She knew morning had arrived she could feel the warmth of the sunlight on her face and she smiled, rolled over in the warm spot her husband had left upon his rising. She knew he realized she always rolled over on his side when he got up and he thought she was seeking the warmth he had left behind. So he always covered the spot to keep the warmth for her.
She suspected he was waiting for Julia to give him his shot, the one he needed for his blood disease. Which posed only a minor alarm for her. When their children were born she had to wonder if their children would suffer from the same problem as the father? She pushed that thought back and decided they would deal with that problem when the time came. Since she was not pregnant she did not wish to create problems when problems were not there to be addressed. Instead she wondered with Barnabas what her child would look like and if it would have her eye color or its father's eye color. She knew the child would be fortunate to claim Barnabas as his or her's father. Stretching like a lazy kitten she braced herself and threw back the blankets and made a dash for the bathroom.
Rushing to the toilet and turning on the hot water taps to the shower she waited while the room filled with steam. Taking a long hot shower, she washed her hair, dried it and then dressed in a warm sweater, and jeans. Today was a jean type of day and if Julia would allow her, she was going to go for another long walk along the beach, the sun had pretty well melted the ice from what she could see out of her window, so she knew the beach would only show ice plates in spots, she could easily walk around those. Hearing her stomach gurgle she laughed, "Really, hungry are you, well fine, lets go see what we can find in the kitchen. I am sure Cook has baked up some delicious muffins." She laughed and walked from her bedroom heading down the stairs.
Collinwood Drawing room
George walked into the drawing room and collapsed in the chair nearest the fire, his shift had finally ended and he was tired, he was so tired he was about to doze off in his chair, when he heard a soft voice speak in his left ear. "Daddy, get up and go up stairs and change and go to bed. The Office can let you sleep for a while." Penny had slipped down on her knees next to her father and looked into his one bleary eye. He smiled and cupped her cheek in his palm.
"Hello baby, I saw where they cancelled school today. There is suppose to be another system coming in later tonight and this one will be bringing snow. So I guess school will be out tomorrow too." He slid his body up and let his daughter sit on his lap to hug his neck. He smiled feeling her lay her head on his chest and pat his shoulder with her hand. "You know you used to do this when you were a little girl and now you are going to college and acting all grown up." He held her tightly in his arms.
"I always felt safe when I could smell your aftershave, and the scent that is you. It always represented security to me. I knew nothing bad could happen to me as long as I could hear your heartbeat and smell you Daddy. Now I am sorry that Vicki did not get to have that same feeling. I know she had to have nights that she wanted to be held by her mother or her dad and she was afraid and needed to be reassured her life was going to be okay because you were there." She sighed and smiled sadly.
George reflected on her words and spoke softly, "Well she has us now baby, you know for a squirt you sure have gotten pretty smart. What will I do when you come to me to tell me you won't need me anymore because your husband is going to take my place?" He pushed her back to look down into her thoughtful eyes.
"Daddy don't be stupid! No one can take your place. You will always be my hero." She curled into his hug and sighed, then pushed herself off his lap hearing the door to the foyer opening. Sliding to a standing position she stepped behind her father's chair and smiled watching her other sister step into the room. "Carolyn! Come lets pull Dad up and get him up the stairs, he just got home." Carolyn dressed in a pink snow suit with white fur around the hood threw the hood back and smiled.
"We did miss you last night Pop Patterson, so you just got home lets get you up to bed. I know mother is down at the caretaker's cottage making sure its been winterized and is secured enough that the pipes won't bust. I just got back from town and the ice on the roadways are almost cleared."
George pushed himself up to a standing position. Shifted his gun belt and collect his hat from the table. "But the weather man has been saying that more snow is coming in tonight and that there will be blizzard conditions coming with it. So, I guess I need to grab some sleep because I know I will be out in that mess tonight too. Oh have you checked on Vicki? How is she doing?" He shifted his feet and then sauntered towards the foyer and Carolyn.
"She is fine, she was about to take a walk on the beach, she seems to like her solitary confinement of late. It is almost like she is trying to hibernate from the world." Carolyn was sounding critical of Vicki. She flopped on the sofa and watched George turn and study her.
"Perhaps she needs her private time Carolyn, she had been through a great deal. Well I think I will go up, please tell Mrs. Johnson to let me sleep and unless we have an end of the world announcement I want to sleep until I wake up." He kissed Penny's forehead stepped over kissed Carolyn's forehead and turned to walk up the stairs, his shoulders slumped and his chin tucked. He would have liked to have seen Liz when he came in but he was so tired he could not wait up for her.
Caretaker's cottage
Liz checked the pipes and made sure they were wrapped with heat tape and the windows were sealed. Setting the thermostat on a savings temperature of forty-six, she stepped back and smiled. She was hoping for an early spring but the way things were going with the weather she doubted it was going to happen. Throwing on her coat, she buttoned it up and tightly tied on her scarf. She had to keep her mind occupied and focused. George had been out all night in this horrible weather and now she was sure he would be out tonight too if that snow came in and the weatherman was predicting up to twenty four inches of snow with high winds. Just the thought chilled her to the bone. Opening the door she turned to secure it when she felt a strong set of hands come down over her arms and a cloth with a nasty smell pressed to her nose. Try as she might she could not fight the sensation of the impending feeling of doom. Darkness was beginning to take over and she found her eyes closing and nothingness enveloping her.
Sorin scooped her up and carried her to his car, the trip back had been a little easier and he had planned to be back collecting the first two guests before the snowstorm hit. He had to put his plans for Julia Hoffman on hold for now. Lifting her he carried her to the panel truck and laid her in the back. Now all he needed was to get Carolyn alone and grab her. Sitting in his van he turned in his chair and covered Elizabeth up with a blanket and put a pillow under her head. Driving the van away from the cottage he drove to the base of widows hill and pulled up close to the secreted cave area. He would not have much time the tide was coming in and he did not want to get trapped. Exiting the vehicle he walked to the entrance he had used the night before and walked to the area he remembered was the lower level cellar area.
Collinwood Cellar
"I can get her down here ma douce, all you need to do is just ask." Gilda glided her sensual body around his rubbing up against him and massaging her hands over his shoulders and chest, coming around to stand in front of him and press her body up against his. She was very lovely but she was up to something. Sorin knew she had been busy in Logansport and Portland.
"If you think I am not going to report your activities to Vlad you can forget it Gilda, he is not happy with you and he wants you to report to him this night at Castle Lochia. You have brought unnecessary attention to us and if you jeopardize what he has set in motion, I am to punish you and you would not like what I would do." He pushed her back and walked to the stairs leading to the kitchen.
Gilda chewed her bottom lips she did not like being rejected and she definitely did not wish to be punished, she had been punished only one other time and it had been sadistically cruel and left her with a burning need and blood lust for a month. Rushing up behind him, she ran her arms around his shoulders and pressed into his back. Pressing her cheek against his back she spoke seductively soft. "Please Sorin do not let him punish me. I will do as he says and will not bring shame to him again. I promise. Please you must save me from the punishment."
He knew she was frightened and had brought this down on herself. He also knew that Vlad was not happy with her and had thought to send Renatta in her place. At least Renatta would obey him. "You have brought this upon your own head Gilda, I would suggest you go to him and throw yourself on his mercy and let the chips fall where they may. I know he has brought Renatta back from the old country and I am pretty sure he is planning on sending you home. He is very upset and if I try to intervene on your behalf I am just as sure he will be more angry with you because he will know that you tried to seduce me to your way of thinking."
He pulled away from her hold continued up the steps paused turned to look down at the petulant pout on her lips. "As soon as the sun sets my dear if I were you I would go to him. If he has to send me for you, it will not be pretty and you may get a reprieve from him, he is very upset with the witch right now. If that is the case he very well may be less angry with you. However, if you make him work to bring you back, I can assure you it will go harder on you in the long run." He opened the door to the kitchen hallway and stepped out. Hearing Mrs. Johnson in the kitchen, he walked on silent footfalls to the dining room. Cocking his head he listened and could hear her soft laughter floating down the hallway from the foyer.
Hallway between dining room and foyer
Closing his eyes he did a soft chant and directed it towards the sound of her voice. Stepping back into the shadows he waited. Carolyn had been talking on the phone completed her call and frowned, her eyes went blank and she turned, something was compelling her to walk to the dining room. Walking down the hallway, she felt strong hands grab her and a cloth come down over her mouth and nose. Raising her hands to try and pull the cloth away, Carolyn gave into the cloying darkness of unconsciousness. Sorin, dropped the chloroform cloth, sliding his arms under her legs, he lifted her and turned carrying her down into the cellar to the tunnel. He was glad to see that Gilda had gone and hoped she was going to do as he suggested.
Cave under Widow's Hill
Taking Carolyn to the panel truck he paused noting that there was someone standing outside the van looking around and at the truck. He was not prepared to deal with someone else. Laying Carolyn on the floor he pressed against the cave entrance and inched to the front of the cave, with stealth and incredible speed he slipped to press up against the opposite side of the van and inched his way around to come up behind the person trying to open the van door and look inside. They wore a heavy jacket with a hood so when he clamped his hand over their mouth and grabbed them he pressed in and put enough pressure on them to choke them into unconsciousness. He knew it was female he was shocked to discover it was Vicki that he now lifted to carry her back to the passenger side of the car.
"Damnit," He whispered softly. Turning he walked to the cave lifted Carolyn carried her to the back of the van and laid her next to her mother and covered her. Lifting Vicki he carried her to the passenger side of the van and laid her in the seat. "Now my dear Mrs. Collins what to do with you." Then he remembered that Elizabeth had been at the caretaker's cottage. Sliding in behind the wheel of the van, he started the vehicle and backed out and drove to the caretaker's cottage. Pulling into the area reserved for the occupants of the cottage, he got out of the vehicle and walked to the back retrieved the keys from Elizabeth's pocket and then went to open the door to the cottage. Going back to the cottage he opened the door, turning he went to retrieve Vicki, he carried her in and looked around for the bedroom.
Caretaker Cottage
Nudging the door open with the toe of his foot, he smiled seeing the bed. Carrying her to the bed, he gently laid her down and then covered her with the blanket. "You rest here my princess." He gently stroked her hair from her face and smiled looking at her appearing to be so peaceful and at rest. "Unfortunately, tonight you will learn what your part is in this play." Leaning down he placed a light kiss on her lips and smiled. "Just a stolen one my dear. I know to whom I owe my allegiance and as much as I would dearly love you in my life as my very own, you belong to my prince." Sorin turned leaving her in the bedroom; he set the heat up on the register to a comfortable sixty-eight degrees. Locking the cottage, Sorin hurried to the van. Once again he was on the road heading to M.D.I. and Castle Lochia.
Vicki opened her eyes and sat up with a start. Looking around the room she noted that it was twilight and hidden in shadows. The smell in the room was fresh so it was not an old house or disused area. Sliding her feet around to the floor she stood up and felt dizzy. The room felt warm almost too warm. Then she realized she still had on her overcoat. Sliding it off, she laid it on the bed and stood walking to the door that was outlined in the failing light. Seeing the light switch she turned on the light and opened the door and stepped out into an area that was very familiar to her. She was in the caretaker's cottage.
Walking to the door she peered out and saw that the snow was beginning to move in and this held some concerns for her. The nearest domicile to seek shelter in this now growing snow storm was Collinwood, she was further away from the old house and would not be able to get back before the full brunt of the storm was going to hit the coastal town. Going back to the bedroom, she gathered her coat slid it on, pulled up her hood, walked to the wall register reset the to the forty seven degrees she thought her mother usually had it set when the cottage was unoccupied and went to the door and out into the whipping snow and wind. Hugging the coat close to her face she could feel the bite of the cold and the chill of the snow with the wind's blowing it in her face.
Pathway to Collinwood
Sliding on her gloves she began her trudge towards Collinwood. Keeping her head down she watched her feet as she walked on the pathway. The wind had threatened to take her hood from her head, holding the hood in place, Vicki chanced an occasional glance up to make sure she had not deviated from the pathway to Collinwood. Each time she lifted her gaze she was inundated with a blast of cold wet snow hitting her in the face. So she lowered her face and pulled her hood tighter around her face. Feeling exhausted from fighting the wind and the snow she paused and took a moment to catch her breath. Noticing a shelter of tress and rocks ahead she pushed for that so she could stop and get her bearings. That is when the horrible realization hit her that she had gotten lost in the blinding snowstorm and she had no idea of where she was. Closing her eyes she held back her fear and tried to reason with herself.
"I just need to backtrack and find where I got off the trail." She heard her voice trying to convince herself that she was going to be ok. "Keep it together Vicki, you can do this."
"Miss Winters you should just stay here for a while, then I will help you get back to Barnabas." The sweet voice of Sarah spoke from behind her and Vicki turned looking at the dear sweet child that had been her charge in the past. She smiled at her and took her hand. "Here give me your hand and I will show you a warm place to stay for now. If you try to leave you will just get lost and you could die. Come with me." She took her hand and began to lead her away from the spot she had sought for protection to turn and look back and watched a large branch from over head bow and break under the heavy snow that was piling up on it. "See, the ice caused it to break and now the snow brought it down and if you would have still be sanding there you would have been hurt. I know a safe warm place you can wait until the snow passes and we can get you home."
Vicki felt her throat constrict with fear. "Yes, Sarah lead me away from here. I will go wherever you think I will be safe." The little girl smiled up at Vicki, her eyes a glow with the thrill of being able to help her. While she held Sarah's hand she did not feel the wind inhibiting her or the fall of the snow with the wind trying to blow the snow into her face. She could see the snow falling all around her and the wind blowing the snow past them. She felt none of it and Vicki who had been fighting so hard to trudge through the snow earlier was traveling the path they were taking fairly easily.
Rose Cottage
"See up there, that is Rose Cottage. You will be safe and warm there and out of the weather. I will go tell David where you are and then someone can come and rescue you. There is fire wood in the fireplace so you can build a fire." Vicki looked at the lovely house and smiled.
"It's lovely who lived there?" She continued with Sarah to trudge towards the lovely house. Taking in the elegance and old world style of the house.
"Oh I am sure that Judith lived there with Carl and Jamison at one time. It really is a pretty house. Callie had a doll house made just like Rose Cottage before she died." She sighed softly and walked to the front door and opened it leading Vicki inside. Closing the door with a wave of her hand she walked to the fireplace and waved her hand again and the fire sparked and the tenders caught forming a blaze. In no time the room was cheerful looking and warmer. Vicki felt secure enough to pull her coat off and sit in front of the fire. "Here, let me get you some blankets and a pillow and you can curl up in front of the fire until someone can come rescue you."
Sarah had disappeared and then reappeared holding a blanket, a down filled duvet and a down filled pillow. Walking to Vicki she smiled and dropped the items on the floor next to her. "You just rest here and stay nice and warm and I shall go tell David." She disappeared again leaving Vicki alone in the house. Vicki curled up in front of the fire and sighed.
Here she knew she was safe, "Hello my dear. You must be Victoria. Welcome to Rose Cottage, dear sweet Sarah said you would be coming and we promised her that we would watch over you and keep you safe." Vicki sat up and saw a woman dressed in mid 1800's dress. Her hair pulled up in stylish curls her face a younger version of her mother. "My name is Judith and this was my home when I was alive." She smiled and walked to a rocking chair and sat down and began to rock. "I promise you child nothing will harm a Collins in this house." She smiled and closed her eyes and began to hum softly.
Vicki thought she should be frightened but a part of her knew she was safe and as long as this spirit was here she would not have to worry or be afraid. "That is right dear you need to go to sleep and wait. Soon enough you will be where you need to be and we can begin the learning phase of your new life." Vicki felt her eyelashes flutter and then close and she slumped down and fell into a deep unnatural sleep. Judith stood up and turned and smiled. "Pansy dear time to come out and let us begin her education."
A lovely young blond woman appeared from the shadowsnext to Judith from the shadows. "Oi she is a pretty un ain't she! Well best be on wit it dovey! Now les see shall we begin wit the summin? Or do we just send 'er back and what ever 'appens 'appens?" Pansy had such a harsh cockney accent that Judith had to listen carefully to what she was saying and then she smiled.
"I say let go on and summon the ones that will need to guide her and give her the strength she will need to face what is about to happen."
Pansy was a little thing with a spunky personality and blond hair and she smiled widely her bright blue eyes glistening with the task she was about to perform. Smacking her hands together she began to pace the room and speak softly to the air. "Come on and move your arse you blighter she needs yer 'elp now! Come on and show ayer self now!" The room grew cold and a soft light began to form in the center of the room and pulsate growing larger and larger until it was a large wide hole and from the center of the hole a beautiful woman stepped through her eyes a bright blue and her skin almost as translucent as the light she had brought. Her face was delicately beautiful. Her hair long and blond flowing down her back. She turned and beckoned into the light and watched three more balls of light enter the room and begin to take form of three more extremely beautiful women.
They stood and peered down at the sleeping form of Vicki and smiled. "Is this she the vessel that will bare our gate keeper?" The three women were as beautiful as the first. The first to step forward was a fiery red head that floated around her body and almost gave the appearance of flames; her dress was wisps[ of translucent red material that covered the parts of her body to maintain her dignity.
The one next to her had hair as black as the earth that she must have been born, her hair long and flowing rippled when she walked and her dress and eyes were as green as any forest, she studied Vicki and turned to the one next to her whose hair was as blond that it was nearly white and her body was encased in white translucent gown that flowed around her near perfect form. They all three turned to the first that had appeared and smiled. She wore blue and her gown flowed like the rivers and oceans from which she must have been born.
"This is Victoria and she will bring forth the gate keeper. She must be educated and that is why we are here. So join me now sisters and let us begin. Are you ready Edana?" The redhead nodded, "And you Terra?" The black haired one nodded, she turned her gaze to the other, with white hair, "And you Aurua?" Aurua turned and bowed her head and spoke softly her words like a light gentle breeze upon the fields, "Yes, Nadia let it begin."