Subj: DS: Future Imperfect 8
Date: 6/27/02 3:54:40 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Aesgaard

By time Amanda explained the crash, she added that Ally had been killed on impact. Not knowing the truth, William felt his spirit knocked out of his body as she was there to keep him from falling to the floor. She took his hand and pulled him closer to give emotional support as she felt his arms hold her back. She grinned privately to herself as his arms crossed her waist. His heart close to hers. His head on her shoulder.....

"I can't believe it....." His heart was breaking. "Ally ?.......... I don't think I could live without her............"

"No, don't say that." She gasped as she squeezed him closer. "I'm here." She caressed his chin close to hers. "I can help. I can move in and help take care of the girls." She exhaled deeply as her lips ran across his jaw and to his mouth. She kissed him passionately as her heart felt lighter than it had ever been.

"Amanda !" William pushed her back. "What are you doing ?!!"

"Trying.... to help you....feel better ?" She stammered as her eyes rounded in shock.

"Oh, god !!" He turned from her, wiped her lipstick off and turned from her. "I thought we went over this years ago. What about Scott ?"

"He doesn't know how to treat me." She mumbled.

"Ally tried to tell me you were acting funny." William started running several things through his mind. "Why are you doing this to
me ? I'm your cousin !!'

"But I love you !!!" Amanda's eyes began to fill with tears from the emotion in her heart. "None of my relationships worked because no one ever matched what you did to me !!!"

"Amanda,,,,," He tried to shrug her off. "My god, Ally, were you responsible for her ?"

"Please," She reached out for him. "Please, hold me again !! I need you so much !" She took his hands and tried to put them back where they were.

"Amanda," He was becoming upset as she was losing it. "You're my cousin, and I care about you, but I love Ally. She is the best thing in the world for me."

"No..." She refused to accept it.

"Please tell me the truth !" He implored her. "Are you the one who hurt Ally ?!"

"But you love me !!!" She was crying hysterically. "I did everything for you !!!" William sighed aggravatedly as he reached for the phone.

"Maybe someone else can tell me the truth...." He dialed the number for Collinwood as Amanda reached for her purse on his desk.

"No !" She slammed the reciever down as she heard a car pull up outside. David Collins' van squealed to a stop as he jumped out and headed for the door. Carolyn was helping Ally out of the car as he looked back to her. From somewhere, they heard a loud popping sound fill the neighborhood.

"Ally," David turned to her. "The door's locked. Where's your key ?"

"My purse." She mumbled under her medication. "What was that sound ?"

"My van's been backfiring." David answered.

"Ally, " Carolyn supported Ally with her broken arm as she tried to rush inside. "You should have stayed in the hospital. You're still under the sedatives."

There was another loud popping sound.

"That was no van backfiring." Ally fumbled with her key as David grabbed it and opened the door. Ally pushed ahead as she wobbled uneasily with her arm in a sling. "William ?"

"I'll check upstairs." Carolyn rushed up.

"I'll check his study." David jogged down the hall and turned to slide open the doors. Ally watched him jump back from something as she headed after him.

"Ally, don't look." He pushed her back, but as she looked over his shoulder she saw William sprawled across the floor. Screaming her head off, she dropped to the floor and pulled him close to her.

Lifeless, prostrate and unconscious, the back of his head and been blown out. Carolyn came down the hall.

"He's not.........." She screamed too. David had turned to the opposite wall and was crying into his fist as Ally lost it.

"Please wake up....." She kept repeating. "Please wake up......... please wake up.............oh,god..." She screamed out again at the top of her lungs.

Gritting his teeth and gaining his resolve, David stepped over William's legs and headed to the phone to call an ambulance. He hit something with his shoe as he looked down. Amanda was on the floor too with her Uncle Roger's pistol in her hands. The top of her head blown open too, her eyes were open and still staring with love to William's remains as one final teardrop crossed her face and fell to the floor. David checked her pulse as he choked back the emotions.

Ally screamed her heart out once more." No !!!!!!"

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.