Secrets Past chp 10
Date: 6/19/98
From: barnster
Barnabas faced his father, angrily. But made no attempt to apologise to Julia.
"I said, apologise!" fumed Barnabas, his blazing.
His son remained stubbornly silent, and continued to glare at him. Then, the image of a bat,
flashed across his mind and his expression changed, as though trying to remember something
long forgotten. And an almost predatory light, blazed in his eyes.
Barnabas saw the change of expression, on his son's face, and a terrifying second, thought his son
knew the truth about him. But the expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him
wondering if he had ever saw it at all.
When the lad still remained tight-lipped, he said, "Go to the study, and wait for me there."
For a moment he stood there, then he slowly turned to face Julia, and giving her a surly glance
left the drawing room.
When the boy had gone, Barnabas looked at Julia apologetically. "Julia," he began, but she shook
her head. "See to your son," she said quietly, turning to face the fire.
***
In the study, Barnabas stared at his son, angrily. "How *dare* you speak to Julia like that!" he
fumed.
Barnabas stared at his father, with fury in his eyes. "You're always taking her side!" he shot bank,
angrily.
"I'm not taking sides! Julia and I know more about this, that you do."
"Then why isn't she doing something about Sarah? If she knows what's wrong with her, why is
she so ill?" questioned the boy heatedly.
"Things of this nature can't be rushed! Julia needs time to research Sarah's illness. You can't
expect a cure out of thin air, Barnabas|!"
"It's been nearly a fortnight! Surely, she's found something in that time! If she's so sure, she can
help Sarah, why couldn't she with Lucas, or Mother?"
"A fortnight, isn't nearly long enough. And contrary to what you want to believe, she did all she
could to save them. There was nothing she could do."
"I heard her talking about it! There was plenty she could have done!"
"Barnabas, I have been through this with you, a thousand times! Julia was not responsible!"
fumed Barnabas, thoroughly outraged. "It was beyond Julia's control! By the time she found out
about the virus, it was too late!"
"Then what chance has Sarah, got? If she couldn't cure them, how can she hope to cure her?"
shot back the youth, equally angry.
Sighing deeply, Barnabas said, "I don't know," he admitted quietly. "But we have to have some
hope. Perhaps Julia is right, and finding the virus early enough, will be an answer. She's working
almost round the clock, to find the answers. There has got to be away of destroying it. Now I
want you to apologise to Julia."
Barnabas glared back, defiantly, but said nothing.
Noticing his son's look, he said, "I mean it, Barnabas. Apologise to Julia; or Sabre goes."
"You can't do that!" answered back the boy in astonishment.
But for once, Barnabas was determined to remain firm. "Julia is my friend, and I won't have you
talking to her that way. Now, either apologise, of Sabre goes. The choice is yours."
Again, he glared at his father, and again, the image of a bat flashed across his mind. His eyes
narrowed at the memory.
He stared at his father; his eyes again, blazing with a predatory gleam, then he silently left the
study.
Barnabas knew that he had won; Sabre meant too much to his son. When it had come to
disciplining the children, Maggie had always said he was a soft touch.
He had denied it, of course. If she had known the full truth about him, then, she wouldn't have
been so sure.
He remembered only too well, the tyranny of his own father. And the memory of his treatment of
Willie, inthe early months of his release, still brought a sense of guilt and shame.
With thoughts of Maggie, came an even deeper sense of shame. On hearing of the nature of her
illness, he had almost immediately blamed himself.
The memory of the night he had bitten her, crossed his mind. But Julia had been anger and
emphatic, in her assurance that this wasn't the case. Pointing out, that Lucas wouldn't have been
affected. But despite all that, he still wondered.
***
In his room, Barnabas, Jr. stared unseeingly into the flames.
Despite the turmoil of Sarah's illness, the dreams had continued. In fact, they had intensified.
And they served only to puzzle him all the more.
He had discovered a lot of things that weren't mentioned in the family history.
For one, Josette had loved Barnabas, *not* Jeremiah. And it was they who had planned to marry.
But the marriage had never taken place, because of one person. Angelique.
She was a witch, and wanted Barnabas for herself. She had done a lot of things, to make him love
her.
She had finally gotten what she wanted, and she and Barnabas had married.
But he found out, what she really was, and he had warned Josette to leave Collinwood, because
she was in danger from the witch. But he had told her who the witch was.
Now something horrible had happened.
The memory of the bat came to mind, and with it, the terrified shriek of pain.
He frowned, and shuddered.
Just what did all these dreams mean? He'd read and re-read all the family history, and nowhere
did it mention an Angelique Collins. Or that she was married to Barnabas, or a witch.
Why? Was that what he was meant to find out? And why did he have the nagging certainty, that
his father knew about it?
He went over to the bookcase, and removed his sketching pad.
Taking it over to the fire, he gazed at the three drawings he'd done. Angelique, and Barnabas:
Barnabas and Josette: and finally a drawing of his own mother and father.
The resemblance to of this picture to Barnabas and Josette, was uncanny. Only the clothes
showed they were from different centuries. He frowned, as he tried to find the connection. His
gaze returned to the flames, and his thoughts drifted back to his dream...
***
When Barnabas went back into the drawing room, Julia was still waiting for him.
He sighed wearily, and as he sank into his favourite chair, he asked, "Did he apologise to you?"
"Yes, rather grudgingly," admitted Julia. "He muttered something about Sabre, as he left the
room."
"I threatened to send to get rid of Sabre, if he didn't apologise," he informed her.
JULIA gave him a reproachful look. "Barnabas! That dog means everything to him. You
wouldn't really have sent him away, would you?"
"No," he said, looking away. "I don't know what to do anymore, Julia," he sighed. He's changing.
It seems I hardly know my own son. He's like some stranger. I've told him you did all you could
for Maggie and Lucas, but he is adamant in blaming you."
"Look at it from his point of view. As a doctor, he believes that I should be able to cure almost
anything. And in normal circumstances, that might be possible. But with Maggie's case, that was
impossible, and to him, I've failed him. But the whole nature of her illness, was a mystery. He
can't understand that, so he blames me. It's understandable really. I wish there had been
something I could have done. Maybe one day, he'll realise that, himself."
Barnabas rose to his feet, and came over to her. Placing his hands on her arms, he looked at her
almost pleadingly. "Julia, please don't blame yourself. You did everything you possibly could. If
anyone's to blame, it's likely to be me."
Her green eyes flashed angrily, and she shook his hands from her arms. "What you did, had
nothing to do with it, Barnabas! This virus, has nothing to do with what happened that night."
"How can you be so certain? She became ill soon after, I defeated Nicholas and Angelique."
"That doesn't make you responsible, Barnabas. You saw the slides, yourself. The virus, wasn't the
same as what I discovered in your bloodstream.
Daniel is proving to be a ray of hope. He still shows no sign of the virus. And Sarah has
improved slightly. The virus is still invading her system, but she's fighting it. That typical Collins
determination, is working overtime."
Barnabas' face brightened. "Is she really that better?" he asked hopefully.
Julia smiled. "She's still very ill, Barnabas, but there is hope."
***
()Angelique was furious. Against all of her threats, and warnings, Barnabas had warned Josette
of the danger she faced, if she remained at Collinwood.
Now, she would she would make him see what a foolish mistake that had been. She would show
him, that she wasn't to be made a fool of.
She faced him, her blue eyes flashing icy fire; "You are a foolish man, Barnabas! Do you think
that by sending her away, that you can prevent me from keeping you here? Oh, your Josette may
be safe; but no one else is!"
"What do you mean?" he asked, not at all sure, if he really wanted to know.
"I'll show you what I mean!" she said, as she hurried upstairs.
Barnabas watched her ascend the stairs. As soon as reached the top, he checked the duelling
pistols he had brought down earlier, and primed one of them. Then closing the lid, he carried
them into the drawing room. He looked around the room, before deciding on the chair near the
fire, as an ideal spot.
Again, he checked the pistols, his face grim. As he did so, Angelique silently returned, holding
something in her hands.
"Here is the way, I'll keep you here, Barnabas!" she intoned almost desperately. At the sound of
her voice, he looked up, and slowly turned to face her.
He felt panic well up in him, as he saw what was in her hands.
"What are you doing with Sarah's doll?" he demanded, as he went over to her.
Ignoring his question, she answered with one of her own. "Do you remember when Sarah was
very ill? She had a terrible pain, here in her shoulder?" as she finished speaking, she stuck the pin,
in the doll's shoulder.
Thoroughly frightened he shouted, "Stop it, Angelique!"
But she ignored him. Nothing would prevent her, from having her way. If this is what it took,
then so be it.
"And here, in her chest?" she asked, as she stuck another pin, in the chest of the doll.
"Give me that doll!" he demanded, angrily, and took a step nearer.
"Stay away from me!" she ordered icily. "This pin is aimed at her heart. If you come any closer..."
Desperate now, he said, "Please, Angelique. I'll do, I'll do anything you want me to do, but
please, remove those pins!" he begged. At that moment, he meant everything he said. Anything,
to save Sarah. But Angelique's next words, sent shivers down his spine, and turned his blood
cold.
"No! You see, I don't believe you, anymore!"
Once again, he tried to convince her, that this time, he was telling the truth. "I promise you, I
won't leave Collinwood."
Angelique was not to be convinced. "You would leave immediately, if you had no reason to stay
here! And I am making certain, that you have that reason!"
Anger began to replace his fear. "I'm telling you, Angelique, if you do anything to harm Sarah,
I'll...." he began but she cut him off.
"You'll do nothing!" she commanded, hotly. "As long as she is on the brink of death!"
"Brink of death!" he repeated, horrified.
"She will not die, unless you deceive me again. But she will come close. Very close!" as she
finished speaking, she turned her attention to the doll.
Barnabas stared at her. If she pushed that pin, then Sarah would.... He had to do something!
Slowly, he backed towards the chair, were he had placed the box containing the duelling pistols.
Once he had reached the chair, he spun around, opened the box, grabbed a pistol, and in one easy
movent, spun around, and fired.
Angelique gasped, and clutched her bloodied shoulder. "Oh, Barnabas, what have you done?" she
sobbed, as she slowly sank to her knees, dropping Sarah's doll, as she did so.
Instantly, Barnabas rushed over to it, and hastily removed the pins, while Angelique leaned
weakly against the pillar.
She gasped in pain, as he stood over her. He had won! How dare he! With the last of her
strength, she gasped, "You didn't do the job well enough, Barnabas! I am not dead, yet! And
while I can still breathe, I will have my revenge! I set a curse on you, Barnabas Collins! You
wanted your Josette so much; well you shall have her! But not in the way that you would have
chosen. You will never rest, Barnabas. And you will never be able to love anyone. For whoever
loves you, will die! That is my curse! And you will live with it, through all eternity!"
At last her strength failed, and she slowly sank to the floor.
Barnabas bent down, to see if she were truly dead. "Angelique?" When he received no answer, he
rose to his feet.
He had killed her! But was it that easy? Was he really free of her? Was he? And the curse?
As he headed out of the drawing room, he heard a crash, and he whirled around. He re-entered
the room.
The loud squeaking of a bat, filled the room. He watched it for a moment, and then a great sense
of horror filled him, as it winged it's way towards him.
"Get away from me!" he gasped, as he stepped slowly backwards.
"Get away from me!" he yelled again, waving his arm, in an effort to frighten it off.
"No!" he cried, as it followed him relentlessly. He had continued to back away, and now found
himself backed up against one of the pillars. There was nowhere else to go. He was trapped!
"Get away from me!" he yelled, terrified. He slid down the column, in a desperate attempt to
elude this winged pursuer. He realised his mistake too late, as the bat fastened onto his throat.
His terrified, and pain-filled screams, filled the house, as he felt its teeth tear into his flesh...... ()
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