Subj: A Collinwood Carol-chapter 7
Date: 12/24/01 12:28:17 PM Central Standard Time
From: Julianka

Climbing the stairs seemed to be one of the hardest things Elizabeth had ever done in her life, knowing what would be waiting in her bedroom. She hadn't needed Leticia Faye's warning to know that the next spirit's visit would be traumatic. She could face the fact that she had destroyed her life, but the most cruel cut was what she had done to her love ones.

Opening her door she saw a woman in white, all in white. Like a bride, complete with a lacy veil. The woman turned toward her. Elizabeth suddenly recognized her.

"Josette." Elizabeth said with a sigh. David was always talking about Josette. He belived Josette was his friend. He said that she watched over him. If only Josette could help her!

"Yes, I am Josette. Come." Josette held her hand out to Elizabeth.

This time Elizabeth didn't plead or argue. She simply took Josette's hand and they were enveloped inside a pale gray mist.

"Where are we going?" Elizabeth asked.

"Here." Josette answered.

They had arrived at the Blue Whale.

"When are we?" Elizabeth asked. She had been to the past with the first spirit and to the present with the second. Could this be the future? She couldn't tell by her surroundings. Everything looked the same.

"We haven't traveled far. Only one year from where we began." Josette told her.

Elizabeth looked around the room, there were some changes. The god aweful juke box wasn't blaring, the people were dressed in somber tones-black, gray, navy blue, they weren't laughing and partying either. Across from the bar there was a table set up with sandwiches.

"What is happening here?" Elizabeth asked Josette.

Josette lead her through a group of people, as the crowd parted, she saw a coffin. Jostte informed her, "This is a wake."

"For who? Whose died?" Elizabeth clasped her hands in fear.

Then she saw who stood weeping by the coffin. Maggie Evans with Joe Haskell's arm around her. In the coffin Sam Evan lay hands crossed on his chest.

"Oh no! Poor Sam!" Elizabeth cried.

"He lost his sight." Josette commented. "Maggie tried to keep up his spirits, but an artist without his vision...well, he hadn't the will to go on."

Elizabeth watched as Maggie bend and kissed her father's cheek. Maggie turned and buried her face in Joe's shoulder weeping. He tried to lead her away, saying she should go home and rest. Maggie nodded, but first she picked up a white cane and took it to the corner stool of the bar. Gently she propped the cane by the stool. She stood for a moment looking at it, as a tears slipped unheeded down her face.

Elizabeth's heart broke for Maggie. "If only I could have done something. It would have been a simple matter to give them the money for the operation." She said her voice full of regret.

"Come, there is more you should see in this time." Josette took Elizabeth's unprotesting hand and ushered her away.

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Soon they were at Collinwood, in Vicki's room. Vicki was sitting at her vanity, head cradled on her arms crying heart brokenly. "Jeff...oh Jeff. Please come back to me." She sobbed.

"Oh, my sweet baby!" Elizabeth despaired.

"Perhaps she was ripe to fall in hopelessly in love." Josette speculated. "She needed someone to be connected to so badly. Since she never discovered her family and having lost Burke Devlin."

"It's all my fault! I should have told her! I only wanted to protect her! Instead I left her abandoned and lost! Oh god!"

Josette looked at her with pity and said, "Come. We must journey further forward."

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They were still at Collinwood when Elizabeth was able to take in her surroundings again. The great house had always been a quiet place, but now the silence seemed more profound. Elizabeth walked the cold, barren halls to the drawing room with Josette.

There she saw an old woman sitting alone by the fireplace, staring blankly into the flames. A white hair old woman.

"Who is that?"

"Look closer. Do you not know her?" Josette large, sad eyes fixed with sympathy on the lonely figure seated before them.

"It's me, isn't it?" Elizabeth said in shock. "Where is everyone? Why am I so alone?"

"Roger did as he planned. He left Collinwood, never to return taking David."

"How..how is he? Is he alive?"

Josette said, "Yes. Roger didn't rock the business world, but he did well enough to get by. David hated regular school though. He refused to go to college. He is a works at a gas station close to his home. He specializes in brake repair work. Neither he or Roger ever marries. Both have a drinking problem."

"And Carolyn? Where is she?" Elizabeth hoped that at least Carolyn's life worked out to be happy.

"Carolyn couldn't take the isolation of Collinwood. She moved to New York City. She became a song writer and lives comfortly."

"Did she marry?" Please let Josette tell her that Carolyn is happy, Elizabeth prayed. That her daughter has a loving husband and a house full of children.

"She did marry." Josette answered.

Elizabeth slumped with relief, but Josette wasn't through.

"She married Buzz Hackett. They had two children. Both boys. Buzz couldn't settle down though. He and both boys were killed in a drunk driving accident seven years ago. Buzz had a few to many one night after quarreling with Carolyn."

This news knocked Elizabeth to her knees in grief. Pounding the floor with her fists she screamed, "NO! NO! PLEASE!"

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.