Subj: A Collinwood Carol -- 2
Date: 12/7/01 3:09:47 AM Central Standard Time
From: Julianka

Elizabeth awoke. Shivering with some kind of dreadful uneasiness. Just what was disturbing her? She wondered. Perhaps indigestion? Mrs. Johnson had favored them with other one of her New England Boiled dinners yet again this evening. Was it a bit of under cooked potato not sitting right on her stomach? No. That wasn't it. Elizabeth plumped the pillows and tried to calm her thoughts.

Was it what had happened this afternoon in the study? No, she had dismissed that as a bad daydream. After all she had woke up on the sofa. No, that had to be only an delusion brought on most likely from the stress of all this Christmas nonsense!

Goosebumps rippled over her skin. Her fears intensified unexplainably. She felt as if someone were in the room with her. Someone hiding, waiting for her to go to sleep before they attacked! She had to find out! Taking a deep breath, she tried to reason with herself.

"It's absurd! I'm perfectly safe and totally alone!" she said aloud feeling foolish, but still convinced she wasn't.

Elizabeth rose form her bed. It took all her will power to do so, but she forced herself. She searched behind the drapes, in the closet, around all the furniture and then turn to the bed.

"Look under the bed, you ninny!" She chided herself. "What do you think is lurking there other then a couple of dust bunnies?"

Her feet felt glued to the floor. She swallowed twice and worked her nerve up. Elizabeth dropped to knees beside the bed and flipped the dust ruffle up. There with her head lying on her slippers, she lay laughing with relief. Nothing! No one there!

Elizabeth smoothed down the dust ruffle and got back to her feet. When..

"BOO! HA! Got you!" crowed a man lying on her bed!

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.