Subj: On the Dark Side of Twilight Chapter 5
Date: 10/3/01 9:35:28 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Melissa

Anything but lonely,
Anything but empty rooms.
There's so much in life to share --
What's the sense when no one else is there?
Anything but lonely,
Anything but only me.
Quiet years in too much space:
That's the thing that's hard to face,
Anything But Lonely from the musical Aspects of Love by
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Vicki woke up Saturday morning much earlier than usual. She had a nightmare; it had been a long time since she had that nightmare. This one was a little different though.

It began as it always did, Vicki was getting ready for her wedding, Maggie was helping her with her dress. Mrs. Stoddard came into the room and told her how lovely she looked. They went to the stairs where Roger was waiting for her; he is going to give her away. Sarah's there, she's Vicki's flower girl. They all go down to the doors of the drawing room; it is filled with people. Burke is by the fireplace looking forward, he doesn't turn as Vicki walks toward him, the small quartet is playing Brahm's Piano Quartet in G Minor. When Vicki is at his side, he turns and she sees that it isn't Burke, but Barnabas. He told her how sorry he was, but that Burke was dead. She just can't believe it, she said that she would know it if he were dead. The front door opens and Burke is standing in the doorway, Vicki runs to him, they embrace, but then he collapses to the floor. This was when Vicki usually woke up, but this time it went on. After Burke collapsed Rosalie comes and comforts Vicki, she takes Vicki to her room. Barnabas follows close behind, swearing to her that he loves her, and always has. Rosalie tells Vicki not to listen to him, she caresses Vicki's cheek, with a look in a look in her eyes that seems to speak to Vicki, that told her things she never imagined. Barnabas takes Vicki into his arms and kisses her with such passion that it leaves her weak, his lips moved to her neck, and a sharp pain moves through her body. The Countess grabs Vicki and tells her that Barnabas lying about his feeling for her. Vicki looks at both of them. They are looking at each other with such hatred that it reminds Vicki of Angèlique.

When Vicki woke her eyes were still wet with tears, her hand went to her neck, she got up and went to the mirror, but nothing was there. She dressed she went downstairs to the drawing room. She shivered as she entered the room, she was glad that she brought a sweater with her. She went to the fireplace to start a fire; it was odd that Mrs. Johnson hadn't started on already. Vicki went to the window and looked out. Fog covered most of the sky from view. She still wasn't used to the weather in Collinsport, even though she had been here for almost four years now.

"Vicki, I didn't know it was you," Mrs. Johnson said.

"I woke up early, and I couldn't go back to sleep."

"Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes that would be nice, thank you," Vicki said. Perhaps it was the weather, but Vicki knew it was also because of the dream. When she first began to have the nightmares she had told them to Mrs. Stoddard, but when Mrs. Stoddard told Julia about them, Vicki stopped talking about them.

"Good morning Victoria," Rosalie said from the doorway. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all, it's not very nice out is it?"

"No it isn't."

"Did you sleep well?" Vicki asked.

"Yes I did, thank you. I hope you don't mind us here?" Rosalie said regretfully.

"No I don't mind at all," Vicki told her.

"Good. I hope we can become very good friends," the Countess said taking Vicki's hand in hers.

Mrs. Johnson came in with the tray that held the coffee.

The Countess smiled, "Good morning Countess," Mrs. Johnson said when she saw Rosalie on the divan.

"Can I pour you some coffee," Vicki asked as Mrs. Johnson retreated to the kitchen.

"Yes, I think I would like some," Rosalie said, Vicki poured to cups handing on to the Countess. "Is something wrong Victoria?" Vicki looked up surprised, "I'm sorry, but you seemed rather upset. I don't mean to pry."

"No it's all right, it's just that the dream I had last night. It kind of shook me up."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rosalie asked.

Vicki thought for a moment, and then began to tell the Countess about her dream. "I dreamt of my fiancé who was killed in a plane crash a year ago. I hadn't dreamt of him in a long time," Vicki said.

"Oh I am sorry. I know how it is. I was married once. Oh it seems like forever," Rosalie got up from the divan and stood by the fireplace, the firelight brought out highlight in her hair that made her seem otherworldly. "He was a solider, and was wounded during a battle, he became ill and died before I ever saw him again. I spent months locked in my rooms. I refused to see anyone. I had dreams that he was still alive and that it had been a case of mistaken identity. But I would always wake up and I would realize that it had all been a dream," her voice was soft and full of grief.

Mrs. Stoddard walked into the drawing room unnoticed by either woman. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Not at all," Rosalie said with no hint of the sadness that was in her voice moments ago.

"I hope you slept well," Liz said, sitting in a chair with a cup of coffee that she had poured for herself.

"Yes I had a very pleasant night."

"Good I hope Vicki has been as good company as I know she is," Liz said.

"Oh she has, I think she and I will become very good friends."

Victoria Winters - Monica Bellucci
Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard - Elizabeth Taylor
Roger Collins - Kevin Spacey
Sarah Collins - Kristen Alderson
Barnabas Collins - Rowan Atkinson
Burke Devlin - Chris Noth
Rosalie Karnstein - Sarah Brightman
Mrs. Johnson - Jackie Burroughs

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production