Angelique's Revenge, Part 25
Date: 3/12/98
From: AngeliqueBouchard

While Nicholas charmed the Collins family, Angelique had plans of her own. She paid a visit to Laura's hotel room with full knowledge she was out and a baby-sitter was watching her daughter.

When Laura returned she found the baby-sitter in a trance. She instinctively moved toward her daughter's crib. She was gone and in her place was a letter.

Dear Laura,

If you want to see your daughter again come to the Old House. I will be preparing for a sacrifice to be made to my master. You decide whether it will be your daughter or yourself.

It was only signed with an "A". Laura felt an icy fear creep upon her and then a deep rage. She crumpled the letter in her fist. "I will kill you once and for all Angelique Bouchard!"

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The wedding between Nicholas and Vicki was planned to take place 7:00 that evening. After Nicholas left that afternoon, preparations were frantically made. Not many guests could be reached on such short notice, but close friends such as the Stokes, Jeb, Roxanne, and Daphne were present besides every member of the Collins family excluding Barnabas and Angelique. The house was strewn with pink flowers. Mrs. Johnson worked furiously to pack the dining room with champagne and hors d'oeuvres for a celebration afterwards.

The time was approaching for the ceremony to begin. Roxanne stood in the foyer staring at the portrait of the original Barnabas Collins. She felt a relentless clawing at her mind. The feeling that people were reaching out to her for help was making it hard to think of anything else.

"You look like someone with a lot on her mind," Jeb said.

"Ohh Jeb, I didn't know it was so obvious. I've just been a little confused by some strange impressions I've been getting since last night."

"Tell me about them," Jeb encouraged.

"Well, it's quite odd," Roxanne said feeling a bit uncertain. "I sense that people are calling out to me for help. Like they are trapped somewhere in this house." Roxanne hesitated before continuing. "The strangest part is... I feel it's Barnabas and Angelique."

Jeb raised his eyebrows, "Barnabas and Angelique?"

"I know it's impossible, Roxanne said. "Barnabas went on that business trip a few days ago and I just saw Angelique this morning."

Jeb thought for a moment. "I know it seems impossible. Maybe your feelings are not coming from Barnabas and Angelique, but it might have something to do with them."

"But do you really think there could be someone trapped in this house?" Roxanne asked.

"I don't know," Jeb confessed, "but I've always found that the best thing to do when I have any impressions is to immediately follow them. We have some time before the wedding starts. Let's look around. Where are your impressions the greatest?"

"The cellar," Roxanne said. "I feel like it's coming from under the house."

TO BE CONTINUED