Subj: A Return to the Shadows part 25
Date: 5/6/01 10:14:06 PM Central Daylight Time
From: KimD
Victoria went through her nightly routine of making sure David was in bed.
She went through the motions in a fog, hardly cognizant of what she was doing.
She felt both anxiety and anticipation. She knew that Barnabas would call to
her tonight. Her hands shook a little as she pulled the covers over David. She
hoped that David wouldn't notice. Instead, he rolled over. Vicki rose to leave
then she heard his voice in her mind, calling to her. His voice blocked out
all else. In the back of her mind she could hear David's voice asking her something,
but she was powerless to anything but Barnabas' command. She walked down the
hall toward the stairs to the first floor. She was at the top of the stairs
when she felt a hand on her arm, restraining her. She turned to find Quentin.
"Didn't you hear me?" he asked.
"No," she answered
"Where are you going?"
"Just outside." She turned to walk away, but he caught her by the arm again.
"Is something wrong? You seem different," he asked. She had been distracted
all day. Now she seemed evasive.
"I'm expected downstairs."
Vicki left him in the hall staring after her. He knew something was going on
that she was unwilling to talk about. He considered leaving her alone. He had
already tried talking to her. She would say something when she was ready wouldn't
she? He knew that something was going on tonight. He considered everything that
she could be doing until he found himself following her at a distance.
He followed her to the end of the hallway when he heard someone quietly, but
insistently calling his name. He turned to his left and found Helen standing
in the doorway of a darkened room. He followed her inside. "I want you to leave
Victoria alone tonight," Helen said.
"Why's that? Isn't she the reason you brought me here?"
"Yes, but I won't need you anymore. You don't need to stay here any longer."
"What if I chose to stay?" He could remember the first time he heard her voice.
He had been at his most recent home, in California. Her voice had called to
him to come here, to Collinwood, his family home. He had been reluctant to come,
but unable to resist her voice. All she asked him to do was to distract Victoria's
attention away from Barnabas. He was surprised at how much he enjoyed his time
with her. She had been open about so much of her life, but always seemed to
hold something back. He looked forward to finding out more. She challenged him
with her determination not to get involved with him. He thought all the barriers
between them had finally came down last night. That's when she started to act
different.
"You're free to do as you wish, but I wouldn't recommend staying."
"What do you have planned?"
"That's not your concern," she said and left the room. She had something different
planned for Vicki than for the rest of the family. Her destruction would take
longer, and would be cause by Barnabas. After tonight the Collins family would
be no more.
Quentin walked out into the corridor still interested in finding out where Vicki
was going, but he could find no sign of where she went. He would have to watch
her closley.