Secrets Past chp 16
Date: 6/28/98
From: barnster
As Barnabas, Jr. ran out into the night, he felt exhilarated. Freer, somehow, as if he were one
with the night.
Not really understanding why, he gave a whoop of joy.
"So, you heard my summons. Excellent," said a voice behind him.
Barnabas turned, and faced the stranger, his eyes glittering.
"What's happening to me?" he asked. "Everything's so strange."
The demon smiled. "You are finding your true self, young Barnabas. As I said you would.
Embrace the darkness, and avenge your mother's death."
"But my father insists that Julia, did all she could to save them," he replied.
Diabolos frowned his displeasure. "Do you really believe that he would tell you the truth? He has
lied to you before, and he will again. Your dreams have revealed his true self, and yours. You are
as he. Embrace the darkness, young Collins," he intoned again, almost hypnotically.
The boy stared at him a moment. The feral gleam in his eyes grew in intensity. He nodded his
head, and his grin revealed two fangs.
***
At the old house laboratory, Barnabas stared in horror at the slide under the microscope.
He raised his head, as Julia, placed a hand on his shoulder.
With anguish on his face, he implored, "How is this possible, Julia?"
"I don't know, but I have an idea, that it's hereditary."
"Hereditary?" he gasped in shock. "How? And why has it affected Barnabas now?"
"I don't know. All I know is that he has the same cell you did. And the only way this could effect
him as it has is by inheriting it from you. Which is entirely possible. He has the blood groups of
both human and vampire. For some reason, the vampire half, is more dominant than his human
half."
As the realisation sank in, he closed his eyes. "Oh my God!" he whispered. "Barnabas, you poor
boy! What have I done?" He opened his eyes, and turned to Julia, a haunted look on his face. "I
was afraid of this! I should have known I'd never be truly free of that curse! And now Barnabas
will face this nightmare, too," he paused as a thought came to him. "Sarah and Daniel!" he
gasped. "Will they_?"
Julia unable to speak could only nod her agreement.
Barnabas groaned inwardly. "Surely something can be done for them?" he insisted.
"I don't know," admitted Julia, reluctantly.
"But you must!" he implored. "There has to be something! I can't let him go through the agony
he'll face. I can't!"
***
"Barnabas, look at this," said Julia, as she lifted her head from the microscope.
Barnabas applied his eye to the apparatus, and stared at the slide underneath.
The blood sample was completely clear of the abnormal cell that they had found in Barnabas, Jr.
slide. Instead it showed the sell that could destroy it.
"Whose slide is this?" asked Barnabas, as he lifted his head up.
"Sarah's. Now look at this one," said Julia, removing the slide, and replacing it with another.
This slide was slightly different. The abnormal cell was evident, but so was the 'normal' cell. But
so far, they seemed to be dormant, almost co-existing.
"That one's Daniel's," informed Julia. "Yet he shows none of the signs, that Barnabas did."
"But why?"
"I don't know. Perhaps its because they're twins. But something tells me, this could be the answer
we're looking for."
"And maybe it's not!" hissed a voice from behind them, making them turn abruptly.
"Barnabas!" stammered his father, on seeing him. And felt a wave of guilt surge through him, as
he caught sight of the fangs.
'Forgive me, son," he thought desperately to himself. 'I'll find a way to end this! Somehow!'
The boy's eyes glittered menacingly, as he stared at his father.
"I'll never forgive you, for what you've done!" he hissed. "You, who are responsible for what I
am! I hate you! I hate you!"
"Barnabas, please!" he beseeched.
"Barnabas, listen to your father," Julia placated. "He can help you."
"I don't want his help!" he hissed, menacingly. With contempt he added, "He's not even my
father! He's my ancestor! Cursed as a vampire, by Angelique. Joshua should have destroyed him,
when he had the chance!"
"Don't you think I wish he had?" demanded Barnabas, in a pained voice, as he rose to his feet.
"Don't you think, I would have preferred death, to the life sentence I was condemned to? To
have to face the agonies as one of the living dead. To watch helplessly, as all those I loved died,
as victims of Angelique's curse? To be promised release, only to find myself, chained in a coffin?
Hate me all you want, Barnabas. But you can't hate me more than I hate myself."
"He's right, Barnabas," Julia added. "He knows more about this, than you possibly could. Let him
help you. Let us both help you."
"Like you helped my mother?" he said sarcastically.
"I did try to save her, Barnabas," replied Julia, patiently. "But her illness, was impossible to cure."
"I don't believe you, or him! Everything he ever told me, is based on a lie! So why should you tell
any different! You killed my mother, because you're in love with him, yourself!"
"That's not true!" shot back Julia, indignantly. "Your mother died from an abnormal virus. There
was nothing I could do at the time. You must believe that. Please, let us help you."
"My mother's dead, because of you! And you'll pay for it!" he hissed, before he vanished.
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