Subj: The Rainbow Bridge Pt.1
Date: 1/23/00 9:19:22 AM Central Standard Time
From: marcos1

There are as many universes as grains of sands on all the beaches on all the worlds in all the universes....

~~~

Someday, two lovers will walk across the rainbow bridge. The greatest love of all. Grunge and Darkling together at last. They will bring forth a new balance. A new and better world. The suffering of both people will end. (Page 455 of The Book)

~~~

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom named Lena. In the kingdom ruled a King named Pop Evans. He was a wise and good king. At least when he was not drinking. For Pop had a great weakness for wine. Pop had the three daughters, Maggie Evans, Angelique Bouchard and Julia Hoffman. Each of his daughters was named differently, because they had a
different mama. Pop had a great desire for the fairer sex. He would marry, tire of the lady, and then off with her head.
He would usually watch the execution with his new bride. His new lady would feel safe, thinking how her charms would never fail her, she would never cease to amuse Pop. Of course, this was not true.

The people in the kingdom of Lena were called the Grunge. They were a good hearted, kind people. But they lived in constant fear of people called the Darklings. The Darkling people lived underground in a network of caves and tunnels. They were a mixed group of supernatural beings. Vampires, werewolves, witches and warlocks, phoenix, were among their numbers. The Darklings were the hunters; the Grunge were their prey.

Once every hundred years, a bright and brilliant rainbow, would fall down on the kingdom of Lena. The light would be of all the colors imaginable, but the light would be much more, it would have a texture that made it possible to be walked on. The rainbow was a bridge, just like one composed of wood or metal. A bridge that flowed into the sky. However, if ordinary Darkling or Grunge tried to climb, they would not travel far, before the rainbow became only mere light, so they would fall to their death on the ground below. The only people that could climb without falling were the lovers.

The lovers had to be one Darkling--one Grunge. Both of royal blood. A prince of the darkness and a princess born of the earth--a Grunge.

~~~

Barnabas Collins walked among the people. With his heightened vampire senses, he could hear their hearts beating, smell their fear. He was at once their greatest fear and hope; a darkling prince that must chose among the three daughters of Pop, and find his bride. Together, they would climb the rainbow bridge and find the reward at its apex.

~~~

"Maggie," Pop shouted from the throne room, "has that creature arrived yet?"

"No, Pop," Maggie replied, shaking her head. "And I really wish that you would not call him a creature. After all, he is going to be your new son-in-law. Perhaps even my husband--"

"Maggie...darling Maggie," Pop said softly, "don't even think of such a thing. I really hope he chooses Hoffman. She is getting on in years and really needs a husband. Or even Angelique...such a wicked girl." He puffed on his pipe. "Yes, I would not miss either of them at all."

"Pop," Maggie said smiling, "don't be so mean. It's wrong for a father to love one child more than another." She pulled back her auburn hair and handed him a cup of coffee.

"But I am the king," Pop said, "nothing is wrong for me...nothing at all."

~~~

Upstairs in her room, Julia Hoffman was working on an experiment. She was trying to find an effective repellant to Darkling creatures. Young women in the village were constantly being attacked by hungry creatures from the darkness. She knew that must be a chemical compound that could protect them. She was pouring and mixing different herbal substances from the woods.

"So there you are," Angelique said laughing. "Working on one of your projects again." The beautiful blond stretched her arms over her head, her ample cleavage hanging loose in her night dress. "How can you even think of such things? Myself, I could not sleep thinking about that Darkling. I wonder will he be handsome? What is his name...Barnacle--"

"Barnabas," Julia replied, "Barnabas Collins. He is a vampire prince." She looked up from her test tubes. "Yes, I've heard that he is quite handsome. And very much a gentleman."

Angelique threw herself down on the bed. "Then he will choose me. I am much more beautiful than you, dear sister. And so much exciting than dumb sister Maggie pie. That silly doltish baby sister of ours."

"I doubt that he will choose me," Julia replied. "Vampires like younger women. But I would not rule Maggie out. She is beautiful--"

"And simple and stupid," Angelique interjected. "Dear Julia, at least you are bright in a bookish sort of way. But Maggie is just a daddies' girl, spoiled and useless." She stormed out of the room. She felt very angry, wondering if there was a chance that Barnabas might choose Maggie. If so, there was always the black arts. Years ago, when but a child, Angelique had fallen down a hole while chasing a baby rabbit. She had spent an entire night down in the Darkling world. She had learned so very much. So very much, indeed.

To be continued