Subj: DS:Legends 11
Date: 2/27/02 11:38:27 AM Central Standard Time
From: Aesgaard

Angelique wandered past the Collinwood servants taking care of her dying mother. Once alone with her, she gazed down at the her coldly and distantly as her mother coughed and choked on the infection in her. Pale and cold, Valerie looked at her daughter and ran her fingers over the long hair over the child's ear.

"Moi chere'," she spoke kindly to her. "I think I may be dying. So I have arranged with my lawyer that you be adopted by the Collinses. You will be always taken care of by them."

"No, not by them." Angelique scowled. "I want to be adopted by Clara."

"It's not possible for a single woman to raise you alone."

"Then die and leave me alone !!!" Angelique hissed and ran out past a servant and a workman in the hall. Valerie coughed as her tears fell on her face. What was she going to ?"

"It's hard to believe that nasty little brat is our Angelique." A voice sounded in the hall. "Willie, did you seal up that message in the MacGruder House ?"

"Yeah," Willie answered. "Just before Sara opened Angelique's spell book, Quentin was going to rip down that wall in Rose Cottage. When he finds the bottle and our message, he'll give it to future Angelique and she'll be able to return us to the present." Willie sighed as he ran his fingers over his period costume. Julia slipped into Valerie's room with the medicine.

"I hope this works." Julia lifted the head of Angelique's mother and had her drink from the bottle. "I never had to make penicillin from scratch before."

She smiled at Valerie. "She looks a lot like Maggie, and even Josette."

"Now we know why Angelique hated Josette. Her mother and Josette look alike." Willie exhaled. "I can't believe I look like Amadeus."

"Willie," Julia looked up. "It's not that unlikely. You already discovered months ago that Desmond was your ancestor."

"What are you doing ?" Grace Collins entered the room.

"Um, uh, I was giving Mrs. Duval some medicine." Julia curtsied as the servant she was hired to be.

"You've done so." Grace appeared upset as she turned to Willie. "And you. Fetch some more water and get back to work."

"Yes ma'am." Willie and Julia exchanged a glance as they slipped back out. They headed down the steps of the structure they knew as the Old House. Willie grinned to see it being finished before his eyes, but Julia took notice of something else. An angry mob was dragging Isaac to the house. They were carrying rifles and torches and screaming "Witchcraft" as Isaac was dragged into the basement in chains. Willie followed as he was tossed into the cellar room where Barnabus would some day hold Maggie and where Adam once slept.

"So that's why a cell was built down here." Willie whispered to himself.

"But he's innocent !" Josh Harridge pounded the table as he and Benjamin Drew shared a bottle at a house near the docks.

"Of course, he is." Ben downed a pint. "But how did the magistrate's body get in Collinwood." Josh looked guilty.

"I panicked." He finally admitted. "He died at my front step. I hid his body at Collinwood. I never meant for it to be discovered, I just......needed to work up the resolve to bury him later !"

"You fool." Ben slapped him. "Then go tell Amadeus the truth. Clean up this mess you created !!!"

"Yes," Joshua felt less than a man as he pulled on his cape. "My mess, before it gets worse." He stepped out into the dark autumn air and headed down the street. His breath fogging before him, he began to hear the hoof beats of several horses, but only one sounded like thunder. He turned hesitantly as the familiar midnight black charger raced to him. It's headless rider laughed the most unearthly battle cry as he galloped straight at him.

"No !!!" Joshua felt the fear of God as he raced for the Amadeus's cabin. Screaming for help, he dived through an alley to escape his executioner. Lawyer Christopher Stockbridge exited from his home.He was glancing over the papers for Valerie to sign for the Collinses to adopt Angelique as Joshua running toward him. He looked scared to death.

"He's going to kill me !!" He grabbed the lawyer.

"Who ?" He smelled liquor on him. "Why don't you sleep it off ?!" A horse and rider jumped out of the alley. Just as Stockbridge looked up, he saw a flash of silver and a warm rush of blood over his chest. Joshua felt the spray hit him and caught his head as he dropped it. He turned from the snorting horse from Hades and its demonic rider and ran once more. He jumped on Amadeus's door. It was locked.

"All right, all right." The brother of Isaac Collins heard the screams and panicked pounded as he was preparing for trial. He lifted his lantern and turned up the light. The pounding stopped as he undid his locks.

"What do you want ?!" He snarled as he looked up. Lightning lit up the sky as the horseman's mount reared up with a roar of demonic laughter. From the saddle hung the head of Joshua Harridge !

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.