Finale: Part One:
Lord Barkis took in his surroundings – houses, cobbled streets, small thin alleyways, shops, street lamps. It was the same old street, just like the last time he had walked it. The night he had died.
He had charged after Victoria out of the Everglot's mansion, murder on his mind. He had stayed out of her sight, so she didn't see him. He was hoping she would walk in the woods and then he would've had his opportunity to take her by surprise and fulfil his desires. But no, she walked to the church. And the next thing he saw was her being handed over to the Van Dort boy. With his former lover by their side.
The screaming girl had run away as soon as he started walking. Looking around, he reminded himself of every house on this street. Two houses down on the left hand side was the Van Dort's mansion. He remembered it so clearly from the last time he was there. And he saw that cook peeking from behind the downstairs curtains. As soon as he had set his eyes on that window, the cook disappeared from sight. He smiled to himself, and slowly paced towards their door; feeling like each step was giving him more power.
He couldn't deny, it was going to be interesting. Seeing Emily alive again, as she used to be – young, beautiful, and flawless. But this time she wasn't going to be weak, feeble and easily persuaded. Not like she used to be when he won her silly little heart. Now, she was a woman, a wife and a mother. She had something to fight for. But she didn't scare him. He had taken her once before, he could easily do it again. He had no intention, he wanted the boy, but if push came to shove and she stood in his way. Well…did he need to explain himself?
He arrived a few metres away from their front door and looked around, surveying the streets a little more. Completely empty. Not a soul to be seen. Pity, he thought he was going to get a more 'unwelcoming' reception. It's not every day a living corpse rises to the living world.
Then he heard the front door open slowly.
"Barkis!"
He heard her calling to him. Not in her fluttering, feminine, dainty voice he was used to hearing before. No! This time, she was angry. Her voice was laced with poison, rage and a determination to see him dead. She sounded like a mother dog, barking against her enemy, warning him to stay away from her pups or she would bite.
He turned to face her as she walked out of the front door, beholding the wicked beauty that stood before him. He could see a change in her compared to when he last saw her alive. Her skin was just as creamy and flawless, but now her hair was longer, her cheeks were redder and her eyes darker. And she was holding a shotgun, whilst in her dressing gown.
Behind her, was Victor Van Dort. Barkis' stomach churned with anger as he clapped eyes on him. He looked the same as before – messy black hair, pale skin, defined features.
The cook and the driver walked behind them, with garden shovels grasped firmly in their dead hands. Emily walked down the stairs at the front of their house, leading the gang. Victor walked closely behind her, a crowbar in his hand and balanced on his shoulder, like he was ready to swing it. They stopped short of him, clutching their weapons with such determination. Silence reigned throughout the village, until Barkis chose the moment to speak. He placed his hands behind his back and tilted his head up, and said:
"What a touching sight. I'm glad I have a welcoming reception."
"You're not welcome here, at all" Miss Plum spat.
"Not after what you've done" Mayhew said.
"Oh, let it go. That was a long time ago. I was young and ambitious, and she…" Barkis eyed up Emily up and down with a sick desire in his eye. "She was easy." He smirked.
"Not her, you snake. You know who we mean" Mayhew added.
Barkis paused, pursing his lips together in sarcastic thought. He knew who they were talking about anyway, but he wanted to enjoy this as much as possible.
"Oh, the baby? Yes, I must say it wasn't the ideal choice, but I had to do something! I was bored! And you two were just so vulnerable, how could I resist? New parents. Old foes. Could you blame me?" he smirked, looking over to Victor.
"Besides, I had to get you back somehow. You made me like this. I had so many dreams to fulfil, so many aspirations and you took them away from me."
"You had it coming" Emily said.
Barkis looked over at her again, relishing the sight of her. He looked her up and down once more, taking in every feature and curve. He couldn't deny, she was ravishing. All that could've been his, but he chose to easier option. He preferred it, but looking at her now, he felt a small stab of regret. He met her eyes and smirked.
"Ah, Emily" he sighed. "Dear Miss Emily Hunter, the prettiest girl in the town…and the easiest heart to win. Out of all of my trophies, you were – by far – the easiest to win. Victoria Everglot did come close, what with the Runaway Groom helping me win her parents trust." Lord Barkis nodded towards Victor.
"But she fell at that last hurdle when she told me she was broke. No one could ever beat you, though, Emily. You were such a petty and innocent loved up girl, who always believed in her fairy tale ending with her knight in shining armour. How pathetic."
Emily raised her shotgun to her chest, keeping her eyes glued to him.
"Not anymore. Emily Hunter is dead. She died along time ago. My name is Van Dort, now. Mrs Emily Van Dort" she smiled, feeling her wedding ring on her left hand, and feeling Victor standing behind her. She could tell he was smiling proudly, judging by the way Lord Barkis was smirking with anger.
"Jealous?" she smiled at him.
"Less talk, more action. I came here for a reason, I won't leave empty handed."
"Too bad. You're not taking anything or anyone from us, I swear" Victor said, standing forward and bringing the crowbar down to his side.
"You've grown, Van Dort" Lord Barkis cocked his head. "I can't deny that. You're not the snivelling weed of a boy you used to be. What happened?"
"I got married" Victor smiled back. "But what happened to you, Barkis?" he said mockingly.
"You of all people should know that. It's your fault that I'm dead" Barkis spat back.
"It was an accident. You didn't know there was poison in that chalice. That poison was intended for me" Victor explained. Barkis paused, surprised.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Emily and I were to be married that night. That's why the living dead were running through the streets, they were preparing for our ceremony. When I disappeared from the Everglot's house, I found Emily where you had left her. Upon rising from the grave, we were married. But the bond of our marriage had already been broken by Emily's death, so it was never official…but my death would've created a new bond. The ceremony had to be conducted in the living world, and I was meant to drink that poison after our vows. But you and Victoria interrupted us and…you know the rest."
"How can I forget? I've had to live in purgatory and solitude for nearly two years!"
"Again, you had it coming" Emily said.
"But I did have some company this past year, I won't deny that. The screaming and crying was torture, but knowing your hearts were breaking each day he was gone was enough to uphold my happiness. Where is the delightful cherub now? I'm sure he'd love to see me again" Barkis asked.
"He is as far away from you as possible" Emily spat. Barkis chuckled under his breath.
"You mean, upstairs in your bedroom?"
Emily's face went pale.
"I can see your maid twitching at the curtains. She's obviously keen to see what's going on. And I remember your bedroom so well. The colour of the curtains, and the shape of the windows. Besides, where else would two loving parents put their baby child, except with them, hmm? He's with the maid in your bedroom."
"What if you're wrong? What if our maid is cleaning our room, and he's with the cooks instead in a different room?" Emily challenged Barkis.
"He's not. Your face has confirmed it. You've gone white as a ghost, and your hands are trembling, Emily. I know where he is. And I know you're scared."
Emily took a deep breath, trying to control her shaking hands as they held the shotgun. She knew any second now, he was going to make a move to snatch Christopher again. She wasn't going to allow it. She felt Victor standing close behind her. He shifted on his feet and stood forward, placing one reassuring hand on her shoulder and still holding the crowbar in the other.
"What do you want from us?" Victor said.
"You know what I want."
"I don't understand why, though. Why do you want him?"
Barkis stared back at him, almost dumbfounded.
"Are you genuinely asking that question?"
"Yes, I am."
Barkis was silent.
"Because I want to hurt you."
"You've already done that" Victor responded. "You did that the night you snatched Christopher. You've already hurt us, Barkis. You've had your revenge. We have suffered mightily these past months. You talk about the pain of losing your life, but until you have a child, you don't know the true meaning of pain. Losing a child and having to live with that heartache, every single day is a form of torture. We know.
You should be happy that we have suffered. That's what you wanted. But now he's home. And if you take him again from us, what then? We know where he'll be. We have contact with downstairs; we can easily hunt you down. Not only that, but Christopher has grown since you took him. He's not the new-born baby he used to be. He will grow in to a child and then in to a man, and then he will be strong enough to overpower you. And he will overpower you. Then what?
Our suffering is over. Our boy has come home, and even if you take him again tonight – which you won't – Emily and I will spend every waking moment, hunting you down. And it won't just be us. Mayhew and Miss Plum know what you've done, they'll tell the whole of the village downstairs. You've done nothing but confirm our suspicions and put yourself in the spotlight. And now we know you're responsible…you're not safe.
You're not safe from the living or from the dead. The only option you have is to leave. Now."
Barkis stared at Victor, thinking on his words. He did have a point. When he returned to the Land of the Dead, with or without the child, the cook and the driver would tell everyone. They'd form mobs with swords, weapons and flaming torches. He'd be tortured and they wouldn't give him any mercy. Even in death, he could still feel elements of pain and torture. He was slowly realising that his plan had not gone according to plan.
"Leave now, and never return" Emily added to Victor's speech. She was proud of her husband at that moment. Compared to the bumbling, nervous young man she first met, Victor was a man now. He had loved and lost the things most precious to him and that grief had made him stronger. Young Master Van Dort was now a thing of the past, and in his place stood Mr Van Dort – a proud, strong and determined man. Emily smiled a little at his glory.
"NO!" Barkis yelled.
Emily's attention shot back to him, her grip tightening on the gun. His eyes were blazing with fire, his teeth snarled like a ferocious hound and his hands fisted by his side. He took a step forward to them and instantly, Miss Plum and Mayhew took a step back.
"You won't be getting away that easily. Your words can't dissuade me. I want to see you suffer for the rest of time for what you've done to me."
"Impossible" Victor yelled back, raising the crowbar to his chest level.
"Oh, it's possible! I've taken your boy once, and I'll do it again. But this time, I won't be so kind. I will rip the life out of him and leave him to wander the lands of the dead, forever young and forever lost. He can't speak for help, he can't walk properly. He will never grow up. For the rest of time, he'll be crawling around in search for his Mummy and Daddy. You will never find him. And me? I'll keep hiding."
Barkis continued to step forward, slowly pacing towards Emily and Victor. Miss Plum and Mayhew were more terrified than they had let on; they continued to back away each time Barkis took another step. Victor and Emily remained still in their places. They were determined to see this through.
"No one will find me, and they never will. Your pain shall never cease, knowing your son's life was taken from him at my hands. Don't doubt my words Emily; you know I can kill anything when I set my mind to it."
By now, he was at the end of Emily's shotgun, his dead rotting chest brushing the tip, his eyes staring deeply in to hers. She knew he was being serious. He had no limits when it came to revenge.
"I know" she said. "But this time, I won't let you."
"And what will you do, Emily? Shoot me with your gun? You can't kill the dead."
Before she could respond, Barkis swept his arm under the shotgun. As it left Emily's grip, he grabbed the barrel with his right hand and yanked it down by his side. He swung it round in his hands and in a flash, the gun was firmly in both hands, pointing at Emily's chest, who stared wide-eyed and in horror. Victor took it upon himself to become her shield, and immediately stood in front of her. The crowbar now in both hands, holding it like a sword. Now it was useless. Barkis had the most powerful weapon they held. What now?
"I think you'll find it's my gun now." Barkis boasted. "Now step aside. I want that child."
"If you want to get to him, you're going to have go through us first" Victor warned.
"That can be arranged" Barkis sneered, cocking the gun and aiming for Victor's chest. He was going to enjoy this moment.
He took a nice deep breath, savouring the moment before the kill. He always enjoyed this part, and he had missed it. The adrenaline rushing through his body, the look on their faces as they took their last breath, the power he held in his hands. It was glorious. This moment was indescribable…until he heard another voice. It wasn't Emily's or Victors. And it wasn't the cooks or the drivers voice. In fact, it came from behind him. Keeping the gun focused on the couple, Barkis slowly cocked his head and turned around to see what threat stood behind him. His face dropped in horror.