Subj: DS:Legends 14
Date: 3/5/02 3:37:50 PM Central Standard Time
From: Aesgaard

Benjamin Drew(david selby) washed up sore and tired after his fight with the ghost.He sauntered the walk of a dead man to the cabin of Amadeus Collins(john karlen)and nearly collapsed in the door.

"Ben !" Amadeus helped him to a chair. "Did my brother do this to you ?"

"No," Ben coughed. "But you almost had it right. There is a witch, but it's Clara....."

"You can't say that about the woman I'm to marry !"

"It's true !" Isaac (johnathan frid) charged in and dumped Clara's tools before his brother. The skull with Quentin's hankerchef was tied with Grace's ribbon. "Amadeus, brother, you say you know me then tell me to my face. Do you think I'm a killer ? Speak with your heart and not your mind !"

"Isaac," Amadeus stood in judgeship over his older brother. "You are my brother, and Clara is......"

".....in love with him !!" Ben finished the sentence. "She never cared for you. She used you to get to your brother. Now what do you think of that ?!"

"She's sent the horseman to kill Grace !" Isaac stood toe to toe with his brother. "How can you still care for her ?! I am your brother !!"

"Ben," Amadeus turned to Drew drinking his brandy by the fire. "Rest here, we'll cut down the shore and over take the carridge and the horseman !!"

"No !!" Ben reared up. "We'll save Grace. You get Clara to remove her curse!"

"A pact." They joined hands a second and split apart. His left arm still broken and supported by a hasty splint, Ben climbed the horse Isaac was leading and stormed off behind him as Amadeus rode his steed to Collinwood.

Five miles away, Valerie(lara parker) had second thoughts as she looked to August (david henesy). He was much like his father as he grew older. She started to think if she had been to hasty and grinned to Angelique(sarah smythe) sitting by her. The child stood staring at her doll as if waiting for her to talk. Her mother, Valerie Duval(kathryn leigh scott) was looking better and was much stronger as the color returned to her face. They silently appreciated the gentle rocking of the carridge for the minute as the coachman suddenly geared the horses to a full gallop. The four of them felt their ride turn to a wild tumble.

"Coachman," Grace stuck her head out. "What is the rush ?" She looked up. He didn't have a head !

Angelique screamed her head off as Valerie pulled her head in. A figure in black was racing alongside the other side and the seat was splattered in blood. The girl dropped her mother's head and clung to August as the horseman's wild rapier swung through the tiny corner window. Grace pulled the children to the opposite corner and protected them as the mad figure pulled in his sword. There was a mad crash as he landed on the back of the barrelling coach and tried to get inside.

Ben and Isaac already heard the screams as they pushed inland. They forced their mounts harder and more fiercer as they saw the black spectar clinging to the ride as some huge leech. They saw a body tumble out as it wrenched open the door, and then a head with long dark hair come rolling between their horse's.

"Grace !!!" Isaac's voice screamed out.

Grace pinned her son and Angelique under her body as the ghost entered. She kicked at it with all her might then heard another crash. She saw a strange hand open the other door as the unliving corpse became distracted and climbed to the roof.

Ben watched as Issac stood toe to toe with the creation of his would be sister-in-law. He pulled up alongside the left side as his controlled his horse with his broken arm as he pulled up first Angelique and then August. Isaac wrapped his hands around the sword arm of the ghost. The rocking carridge was speeding at fifty miles an hour under trees and low limbs. He gazed at the hollow body within the phantom's attire as one blow knocked the two of them off the back. Isaac held on then looked up as the spectar climbed up the back. The unholy beast held up his swordless hand as it's cursed rapier flew back to his its hand.

Taking Ben's horse and the children, Grace watched as Ben boarded and attempted to stop the madness. As she came to a stop, she watched the shaking carridge with her husband disappear around the turn.

From out of the woods, another black menace arrived. She recognized her sister's long blonde hair and a loaded crossbow.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.