Year: 1970 CE - The Night of Collinwood's Destruction

Gerard felt as though his spirit was positively ON FIRE with fury. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so angry.

It had been none other than he who had restored Tad and Carrie to life by teaching them how to possess David Collins and Hallie Stokes. It had been he who effected Daphne's ressurection by way of a ceremony he'd taught the children to perform.

Then he was to join them in a resurrected body of his own, and together they would make a new attempt at taking possession of Collinwood - the house that should have belonged to Judah more than a century ago.

Greedy, scheming, backstabbing Edith Collins had bought the Collins family more than a century of time to continue flourishing at Collinwood, but that was to end tonight. The time of the Collins family was up, and Gerard was here to carry out his curse upon Edith's descendants.

In place of the Collins family - he, Daphne, Tad, and Carrie were to flourish. They were to be the new family at Collinwood. The family of his own choosing.

However, that was not to be. For Tad and Carrie had betrayed him in agreeing to be exorcised by Quentin Collins. In so doing, they had shown ungratefulness for Gerard, his gifts, his friendship, and his promise of future rewards.

Daphne had betrayed him too. She'd simply allowed Quentin to do it, after he had ordered her to get rid of Quentin Collins for months.

It seemed that all along Daphne had more preferred that Tad and Carrie might die once more, and move on, and know peace. All the while, she'd been saying something else in Gerard's ear.

Yes, Gerard could see now that the new plan he'd been devising with Daphne ever since they remanifested at Collinwood was doomed to fail.

For one thing, Quentin Collins was so bloody persistent, and it was clear that he would never stop meddling until he had managed to thwart Gerard's purpose.

That meant that the first plan must be carried out as the only revenge he could have. First, Daphne and the children must die again...

"You have no right Gerard!" Daphne shouted defiantly, as she stretched out her arms to shield Tad and Carrie behind her. "No right to kill them again! You already killed them once! Isn't it enough?"

Gerard advanced on her and smiled his wicked smile. Then he touched her, summoning all the power of Judah Zachary as he did so.

Immediately, the life left her. She gasped out a final breath of air and collapsed. Tad and Carrie huddled together as Gerard swept his hand in front of them. Then they too fell.

Gerard took up the green flag and proceeded to the tower room window. It was time.

He would summon up a legion of the undead. Those who had once been the faithful comrades of Gerard Stiles at sea.

He threw open the window, held out the flag to the chill night air, and waved it three times with a furious zeal.

In the old Eagle Hill Cemetary, the mounds of earth became disturbed. Hands began to reach up from the ground, tearing through the earth as though reaching for something.

Gerard smiled an evil smile of triumph. He'd won! Collinwood was to be reduced to a mere shell of a house, which he would preserve against the forward march of time by way of his powers.

It was to be his haunt, and he, Daphne, and the children would haunt it - for all eternity!

END