Subj: The Oracle -- 1
Date: 6/6/99 3:22:24 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Jody
1973
Standing near the edge of Widow's hill, Nicole looked below the jagged edges of the rocks below. The day was crystal clear, the sky in fact shown to be a piercing blue sky. The clouds seem to be transformed into that of white cotton balls, almost so close you could touch them they in fact seemed so close. Nicole's eyes were full of tears and her heart was filled with sorrow. It has been two years since she had been adopted by Barnabas. Barnabas' face radiated with joy on this day. Both Barnabas and Julia were jubilant on this day. Legally Nicole was their first child together and heir. The arrival of Nicole to their household has proven to be a special addition to the household for all concerned. The old house radiated with music, Nicole had a reputation for being a spirited child with the gift of passion, and music. it was almost said she was so close to being an angel transformed in an earthly body.
The child was a favorite of the Collins family. Roger adored her, and envied Barnabas wishing that she in fact were his own child. In fact, Roger spoiled her so, that one would say she was almost like a daughter to him. In fact, the rest of the Collins family followed pretty much his suit. She was a favorite, she was a dear sweet child. David Collins continued to be in like with her, and she of course adored him, and the two were inseparable. David felt very protective where it concerned Nicole. Over the course of time, Nicole took lessons from Professor Stokes in the physic world (particularly I-Ching) and the supernatural, lessons from her father in the humanities i.e. Latin and the classics, and from her mother Julia often spent time with her assisting her in the hospital gaining an exposure to the sciences. However , Nicole and Julia were in conflict with what avocation she would pursue.
Nicole had no interest in becoming a doctor. She was more like Barnabas , a creature of passion and mostly emotional which would prove to be both a blessing and a detriment. Nicole loved to recite poetry, read and discuss the classics to whom would ever lend an listening ear. Throughout this however, she and Barnabas became very close. He felt a love for his beloved daughter, quite protective.. Julia also shared literary discussions with Nicole, and some of them were in fact very lengthily discussions with Nicole, and some of them were in fact very lengthy, for both child and mother were extremely bright. Julia by example had taught Nicole about the meaning of love, devotion and self sacrifice particularly when it came to the family. Julia stressed the importance to Nicole of husband and wife being devoted to each other, something Nicole should understand for one day when she has a family. The continuance of the Collins heritage with a sense of love was stressed a priority of the family in general. One without the other was taught to be in vain. And with that, Nicole lived her life with that on her mind on a daily basis. So, Nicole learned that and adapted that to her character but differed from Julia in several ways. Nicole was more like Barnabas and loved the humanities, arts and had very little interest in a career as a doctor. She was also less impressed with the conventionalities of careers of being a doctor, and wanted is she had a family to be at home with her children centering totally on the home environment, and the family.
This of course upset Julia who wanted Nicole to be a doctor. So the two of them were constantly at conflict on that one particular issue. Nicole, was more demure, and a reflective sort than Julia. Nicole even turned her her head in many respects at the medical community. Reluctantly, however, Nicole did spend time learning about medicine but with great reluctance. In fact, many times Julia had to remind Nicole about that. Nicole however was in awe about her parents, Nicole began to change in some respects. She would touch objects in the house and start to see and fell events that had been from the past. Nicole became knowledgeable on going back into time using I-Ching and Quentin's staircase. At first, all things were denied by Julia, but it was realized the child had gifts as a psychic and possible unmentioned supernatural dimensions (Barnabas and Julia had no idea what Nicole was able to do with this information, but she seemed to possess some supernatural ability, they just weren't sure of what). The child would go around and touch objects. She began to ask questions about coffins, Angelique, Nicholas Blair, Sarah Collins, Josette, and many other stories of, each stemming from from what-ever she touched or just by being in certain areas of the past coming to life. From this, Nicole learned about how her father Barnabas loved Josette, loathed Angelique, but also what had happened to her biological father, Dr. David Woodard. In the past few days, for some reason she also saw visions of Barnabas Collins as a subhuman creature and her father Dr. Woodard in 1967, together she saw her mother, with this creature only with Barnabas' face, but not the father she knew today. Then the horror for her intensified further as she saw Barnabas become a creature of some horrible nature, and that had taken Woodard's life.
Now it came to pass in 1973, Nicole revealed this and confronted both Julia and Barnabas at the Old House. Looking at Barnabas in state of horror, she just told them of the revelation that had come to her in a dream the prior night. Nicole turned with heartbreak into the face of Barnabas Collins, and ran out of the house to the edge of Widow's hill. There upon the top of Widow's hill, Nicole looked down the cliffs of the ocean and thinking of what she would do with this revelation...
to be continued.