Chastening of the Witch, Part 8
Date: 4/3/98
From: AngeliqueBouchard

"Who are you?" Angelique demanded of the entity possessing her son.

"You know who I am," Judah replied moving towards Angelique with a menacing look. He wrapped his hands around her delicate throat and squeezed. Angelique grabbed her son's hands, but was not strong enough to unclamp them. "You do not know how often I have imagined feeling your bones crush under my fingertips."

"Unhand my wife!" Barnabas commanded, still hanging incapacitated in mid air.

"You are right Barnabas." Judah released Angelique. "All in good time. I want you both alive to witness the destruction of the Collins family. Then I will have the pleasure of killing your wife slowly." He walked back to his chair and assumed his kingly position. Judah waved "his" hand releasing Barnabas, who fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Barnabas looked to his wife for an explanation, "What is happening here Angelique?"

Angelique was still rubbing her neck as she bent down to help Barnabas. "His name is Judah Zachary. He is a spirit of someone I knew a long time ago."

"You are wrong Angelique," Judah said slyly. "I am not just a spirit any longer. Someone finally made my body whole and allowed me to live again. Now I am free to pay retribution on you and every member of the Collins' family."

Despite Judah's display of power a few moments earlier, Barnabas was not about to back down like a frightened child and permit this monster to tear apart his family. "I do not care who you are or what score you believe you must settle, I demand you release my son at once."

"Are you so sure he is your son?" Judah stared at Angelique and licked his lips.

Barnabas was not moved, "Besides the obvious resemblance between my son and myself, I do not believe any words that pass through your lips."

Judah seemed to enjoy toying with Barnabas. "Do you not think 'your' son looks a bit too much like you? Such as the effect a warlock could produce if he so desired?"

"Barnabas is my son's father. I know the very night he was conceived," Angelique said adamantly.

"I am sure you do, Angelique. I must say I enjoyed making you scream once again. Do you remember the night your supposed son was conceived Barnabas?"

"I will not play this game with you," Barnabas retorted.

"Let me recount that night for you then," Judah said. "I had been hunting for Angelique since I had returned to my body a few months earlier. When I finally discovered her to be in Martinique having an affair with a member of the Collins family, I delayed my plan to dispose of her. Instead I devised a brilliant scheme where I could have have my revenge and also create someone worthy enough to learn from me. "

Judah turned his stare to Angelique, "It was the night before the great Collins family was to return home. I cast a spell to cause the illusion that I was Barnabas Collins. I went to your quarters and told you how much I loved you and wanted to marry you. I said, 'Angelique, let us have a child. I want a son.' No doubt you were thoroughly confused when the true Barnabas Collins refused to marry a mere servant girl and returned home to Collinsport."

"That story does not prove a thing," Angelique said trying to sound confident despite the wave of fear that was washing over her. "You could have easily used your powers to find out what happened that night."

Angelique looked at Barnabas who had turned quite pale. "Barnabas?" Angelique said in a small voice. "Barnabas you do remember that night." Barnabas was unable to reply. He never went to Angelique and said anything of the sort. He was with Josette the night before he was supposed to leave. "Barnabas... please tell me he is lying," Angelique whispered.

Barnabas opened his mouth to speak, but was unable to utter a word. Angelique slowly raised her hand to her quivering lips. She looked back to the face of her son whose eyes gleamed with an evil so intense she could not bear to meet his gaze for more than a moment. Angelique turned and hurried from the room and went upstairs.

Barnabas never felt such a fierce hatred for anyone as he felt right at this moment. He took a few steps towards Judah. "I do not care if you fathered the boy whose body you now inhabit. He is my son and I will fight till the death to free him from you." Barnabas left the room to find his wife.

Judah started to laugh.

TO BE CONTINUED