Subj: DS:Legends 7
Date: 2/20/02 4:42:02 PM Central Standard Time
From: Aesgaard

In the absence of adults, August Collins(david henesy) and Victoria Drew(kathy cody) vanish to the site where Collinwood was being built. The huge front pillars were in place and scaffolding lined the outside as the workers had departed for the night. The glass window openings seemed to stare back at them as the sockets of a skull as the stepped over left tools, ladders and rolled up wallpaper. The glass chandelier was up and covered in paper to protect it from the plaster dust and sawdust in the air. August kissed Victoria under the staircase as she playfully pushed him aside and rushed down in to the cellar hoping he would follow. Sensing the chase was on, August pursued after her as she giggled just out of arm's reach. Racing from him, she fled down a dark corridor deeper into the foundation as he finally caught her and pinned her to a wall. She felt his breath on her neck as she felt dampness on her fingers. As she caressed him, she smeared blood on him. It was all over the wall ! They looked up. A headless corpse was hanging in the rafters !!

"What sort of community are you running here ?" Amadeus argued with his brother. "You can't ignore the disappearance of a Magistrate. Where is he ?"

"I run my city the way I run my business." Isaac argued back. "One thing at a time."

"My brother should have arrived last night." Stokes argued. "Where is he ? What have you done to him ?"

"You're listening to the fairy tales of a child ?!" Isaac parlayed with a knife as he cut up an apple and ate the slices. "The road to Boston is long and treacherous. The redskins got him, maybe brigands."

"There are no known brigands." Amadeus argued. "The Indians are peaceful....."

"And I am no killer !" Isaac plunged the knife through the papers on the table as August charged inside.

"Father !" He cried out. "A body ! A headless body ! At Collinwood !!"

It was late that night as Virginia Drew (kate jackson) heard a horse racing around the cabin. She roused Ben (david selby) her husband to tend to the upstart. He woke hesitantly as he peered to the shadow and lifted his rifle. "Who are you ? What do you want ?" he called out.

"Ben ?" Virginia uttered as she covered her ears. Ben shot at the presence then rushed out the door to see if he had hit the upstart. It was deathly quiet as the moon vanished behind the clouds. From a long distance off, Ben heard thunder as he stepped further from the cabin. The thunder turned to a gallop; the shadows into a charging steed. It's rider didn't have a head. Only a cutlass that swung at his throat !

Ben saw the sword strike sparks on his rifle barrel as it passed. He dove first for his cabin then feared for the safety of his wife as he ran for Joshua's cabin. The horseman had turned and was charging on him. Ben grabbed the door of Joshua's cabin. He lurched it open, and dove to the floor !!

" FIRE !!" Joshua was inexplicably prepared with an inside barricade and eight riflemen with muskets and rifles as they fired upon the specter. A barrage of bullets sheared the air as the horseman reared his mount unaffected by the onslaught and turned for the middle of town.

Lionel Stockbridge(jerry lacy) and Seamus Malloy(frank schofield) were already inebriated as they heard the horse coming closer. They turned as the unidentified figure lashed out with a flash and vanished in the distance.

"Some people should not ride horses." Seamus mumbled as Lionel staggered and fell on him. "Get off me. I'm the one that had the seventeen pints.........." He hauled his partner up to stand. His drinking buddy had a deathly pallor and a shocked look. His frock was wet and warm as his skull tumbled to Seamus's feet.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.