Secrets Past chp 17
Date: 6/30/98
From: barnster
When Barnabas, Jr. disappeared, Barnabas collapsed onto a stool, and sat with his head in his
hands, elbows resting on the worktop. Julia went over to him, and placing a hand on his slumped
shoulders, said soothingly, "Barnabas, I'm sure he didn't mean half of what he said."
"Please, Julia," he said in a cracked voice. "I think it would be best if you left. I want to be
alone."
"But Barnabas_"
"Julia, please!" he snapped, in a voice filled with anguish. "We'll talk tomorrow!"
She stared at his dejected form, and decided that for once, he wouldn't have the upper hand.
Turning him to face her, she stared into his eyes, shining with unshed tears. The hurt Barnabas'
words had brought him was etched on his face.
"Barnabas, please don't shut me out. Don't push me away. You don't have to face this alone.
We're in this together."
He stared at her, and seemed about to argue with her, but then slowly he nodded his head. When
he spoke, his voice trembled slightly. "As usual, you're the voice of reason." As he finished
speaking, he took her hand in his, and kissed it.
With a sigh, he said, "Well, at least now we know why Sabre was acting as he was. He's his
protector during the day."
"What do you propose we do?"
"The thing is, to find where he rests during the day. He can go to one of two places, his room
here, or the mausoleum. There's nothing we can do until dawn, anyway, so I suggest you go back
to Collinwood, and," he paused suddenly, his expression changing as if remembering something.
Almost to himself he muttered, "My mother's dead, because of you! And you'll pay for it!"
Seeing his change of expression, Julia asked, "Barnabas, what is it?" But he ignored her, his
frown deepening. "Nine o'clock. When the clock strikes nine, you will die!"
His eyes widened as realisation came to him. He turned to her, concern and, fear on his face.
"Julia, what time is it?" he demanded.
She looked at her watch. "Almost 8:30, why?"
"Then there's still time," he mumbled.
"Still time for what? Barnabas what's going on?"
He rose to his feet, a determined look on his face. Her stared at her seriously. "You'll be staying
here tonight, Julia."
She stared at him in shocked surprise. "I can't do that!" she gasped.
"One night away, is fine, but two will get people asking questions."
"If you leave here, you can forget about us getting married."
"I won't be blackmailed Barnabas!" shot back Julia, indignantly.
"I'm not blackmailing you. If you leave here, Barnabas will carry out his threat," said Barnabas
with complete sincerity.
"What are you talking about?"
"His last words, were a direct threat to you. "My mother's dead, because of you. And you'll pay
for it." There were almost the exact same words, I said to Nathan Forbes, the night, my mother
died," he explained quietly. "I told him, I'd kill him, at nine o'clock."
"Who was Nathan Forbes?"
"He was a Navy lieutenant, who was posted to work for my father. He found out, that my father
had hidden me in the tower room. He told my mother where I was. Unaware that she'd already
been there, and saw me in my coffin, I summoned my cousin Millicent, to the gazebo. She
followed Millicent out into the garden, and saw_me."
"Barnabas," said Julia sadly.
"If he hadn't told my mother were I was, she would never have killed herself. She would have
gone on, thinking I was dead, as I wanted her to," he added bitterly.
"And you believe, he'll do the same thing?"
"It's almost parallel. Come with me," he said taking her hand.
"Where?" she asked, she followed him up the cellar steps.
"To my Aunt Abigail's room."
***
As Sabre, and Barnabas, Jr. neared Maggie's and Lucas' graves, Sabre began to strain on his
leash, and bark wildly.
"Sabre, quiet!" hissed the boy.
But Sabre continued to bark furiously, and strain more urgently on his leash.
Then Barnabas stopped dead in his tracks, as two shadowy figures began to take shape, and a
voice said, "Baaad doggy!"
****
"I want you to wear this," said Barnabas, as he held up a small crucifix. "It was my Aunt
Abigail's. She believed herself to be a religious woman. Perhaps tonight, she will achieve her
goal. I want you to wear it."
Julia stared at the cross. "Barnabas, you can't be serious!"
"I'm deadly serious! Vampires make dangerous enemies, Julia. You ought to know that," he said
with meaning.
"But he's just a child, Barnabas!"
"Who happens to be a vampire. Wear it, Julia. If he comes back, it'll protect you. In the morning,
we'll find where he's resting."
"And then what will happen?"
He fastened his serious hazel eyes on her green ones. "I'll do what must be done, to end this
nightmare," he said meaningfully.
"Barnabas you can't!" gasped Julia shocked.
"I must Julia! I'm responsible for what he is! I won't condemn him to the life he'll lead, if I don't
destroy him!"
"He's your son, Barnabas! Could you really destroy him? Could you? Could you live with it, if
you did?"
He eyes blazed angrily. "I have no choice! I know what he'll go through, night after night! I
couldn't live with myself, knowing that I would be responsible, for anyone he might attack. My
mind's made up, Julia. I must destroy him."
***
"Lucas!" stammered Barnabas, Jr. as a small child, slowly took form.
The toddler smiled at his older brother. "Barnabasss!" he squealed in delight.
"Barnabas," said another voice, he loved so well.
"Mother!"
"Yes, Barnabas," said Maggie with a smile, as she appeared before her firstborn. "I have come to
right two wrongs. You must not blame Julia, for my death, Barnabas. She is telling you the truth.
Time ran out, before she could find the cure. And despite your dreams, your father is not
responsible for what has happened to you."
"You know about him?" he gasped. "You know what he is?"
"Yes, I know. He is a good man, Barnabas. You must not hate him. Let him help you. Let them
both help you. Return to the light, Barnabas. Do not follow the dark path, you are seeking."
"But he doesn't love you, anymore! He loves Julia!"
"I will never truly lose his love, Barnabas. It will live on, in his heart. Forgive him, Barnabas. He
does not deserve your hatred."
Slowly, Maggie and Lucas faded out of sight. But Barnabas still heard her say, "I love you son."
"I love you, too, Mother," he whispered, as he stared at the spot where she had stood.
***
When Julia made her way downstairs, the next day, Barnabas was talking to Willie. On seeing her
descend the stairs, he turned to Willie, and whispered in a conspiratorial tone, "I don't want Julia,
knowing anything about this, Willie."
"But, Barnabas_!"
"I mean it, Willie! No go and complete your task."
Willie turned away, but on seeing Julia, descended the stairs, he grinned, and said, "This seems to
be gettin' a habit," he said, before disappearing on his secret mission.
Barnabas gave Willie's disappearing back, a sharp look, but remained silent.
"You look exhausted," commented Julia. "Didn't you get any rest at all?" she asked, when she
joined him in the hall.
"No. Barnabas didn't come home last night. I went to his room, shortly before dawn, and waited
for him. Which means there's only one place he can be; the mausoleum."
"Barnabas, I know what you have in mind, and I say you're wrong. There must be some other
way."
"We've been through this, Julia. There is no other way."
"I can't believe you could even contemplate such a thing."
"I know more about this, than you possilby could, I've done some terrible things in the past, Julia.
Some things, I've regretted, and others I have not. And there's none I regret more, than this."
Daniel appeared carrying a Mighty Mouse' cage. From the expression on his face, there was
obviously something drastically wrong.
"He's dead!" he sobbed, when asked what was wrong. "Mighty Mouse is dead!"
A quick glance was all it took, for Barnabas to realise that the rat had been completely drained of
blood.
A glance in Julia's direction told her, that any further argument was useless.
***
While Julia comforted the distraught boy, Barnabas slipped out of the house, with a word of
warning to Willie, not to mention anything to Julia.
As the grey Mercedes sped away, Willie shook his head, and headed into the house.
***
When Barnabas entered the mausoleum, he reached into his coat pocket, and removed a pistol.
He sighed deeply, and reached up, to open the panel.
As the door swung slowly inwards, a low menacing growl, emitted from within.
***
"Where is he, Willie?" demanded Julia, angrily.
"I dunno, honest!" alibied Willie. "He didn't tell me, where he was goin'!"
Julia's green eyes flashed furiously. "Don't lie, Willie! He's gone to the mausoleum hasn't he?
Willie!"
"Is it true what he said about Junior? Is he a vampire?"
"Yes, Willie, it's true," sighed Julia. "That's why I have to stop him, before he does something
he'll regret for the rest of his life."
***
AS Barnabas stepped inside the secret room, a dark shadowy form, slipped out of nowhere, and
Barnabas gave a cry of pain, as Sabre buried his teeth into his leg.
Falling backwards, and lashed out at the dog, hitting him on the snout.
This served only to anger the crazed animal, all the more. It quickly released Barnabas' leg, and
sank its teeth into the fleshy part of his thumb.
Hissing in breath, and uttering several 18th century oaths, Barnabas levelled the pistol, and fired
at what he hoped was the dog's hind flank.
With a yelp, Sabre released his grip, and whimpering in pain, limped to a corner of the room,
once again, a family pet.
***
Julia, already driving above a save speed limit, pushed the car faster along the back roads. She
had to be in time to stop Barnabas! She had to!
***
After bandaging his injured thumb, with a handkerchief, Barnabas lifted the coffin lid.
And immediately felt a lump constricted his throat, as he saw his son, lying placidly, with his
hands across his chest.
A look of revulsion marred his face, as his sharp eyes caught sight of the blood at the corner of
the boy's mouth.
Digging deep into his pocket, he produced a stake and hammer.
Placing the stake over his son's heart. "Forgive me, son. I would have spared you this, if I
possibly could," he said, with ineffable sadness.
He stared at his son, a moment, then he raised the hammer...
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