Subj: Into the Light Part 1
Date: 7/28/99 11:30:56 AM Central Daylight Time
From: msann

Into the Light, Part 1

Evening of June 14, 1968

The drive to the mausoleum did nothing to alleviate the uneasiness I'd felt all evening. I was on the verge of completing one of the great dreams I'd had since my release into this world and yet my victory was a hollow one.

Vicki's returning memories from her trip to the past necessitated my attack on her. I felt as though it was the only way to preserve my fragile existence. Looking back, I wish I hadn't panicked. The emotional pain and guilt I had once felt after attacking people had faded into the back of my mind. Attacking Vicki had brought it back to the forefront of my mind with a force that had startled and terrified me. Perhaps my guilt was the motivation behind my decision to indulge Vicki in her wish to go to the mausoleum and investigate the possible presence of a secret room there. It was insane of me to allow such a thing, and yet, there I was in a car with Vicki heading for the mausoleum. I should have imposed my will on her and made her drive us to the docks so that we could have boarded our ship on schedule. But then again, with Victoria Winters, things never go along as planned. Along the way to the mausoleum, I began to second guess myself and I wished that I hadn't let things go as far as they had. Vicki insists that she really wants to check the secret room for her own piece of mind, so I resolve myself to sit back and wait to see what happens. The ride to the mausoleum was beginning to take a little longer than it should have to me. I asked Vicki if we were near the mausoleum. She said we were as I happened to notice a man standing near the edge of the road. Upon seeing the man whom Vicki declared was Peter Bradford in the road, she lost control of the car, slamming into a tree. I don't remember much after the car hit the tree. I only remember waking up and feeling "different." I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was, but that wasn't my first concern. I knew I had to check on Vicki--make sure she was alright. A strange man I had never seen before said that for the most part, she was fine. Somehow, I wasn't totally convinced by what he said, but he stood firm by what he said, so I had no choice but to believe him for the time being. That concern set aside, I turned my attention to the strange man before me.

The man, whose name was Dr. Eric Lang, had a look in his eye that immediately disturbed me. His eyes held the glint of brilliance and madness. The expression he wore told me that in all likelihood he knew more about me than I would care for him to. The curtains on the window prevented me from seeing outside, but I knew that a considerable amount of time must have passed and dawn would be coming soon. His next words gave me a little home. Lang told me that it was nearly 4:00. From the weakness I was experiencing in my body, I knew that I couldn't walk the distance to Collinwood or use my powers to get there. I simply didn't have the energy for it. Therefore, I asked Lang to call Collinwood and tell them to send a car for me.

Dr. Lang had other plans. He was insistent that I must remain at the hospital. He began giving me some sort of medical jargon-laced reasoning for staying there. I had no time for this. I moved to get my clothes out of the closet and leave on my own. It was then that Lang played his wild card.

Lang walked over to the patio doors of my room exclaiming, "It is 4:00, yes, but 4:00 in the afternoon!" as he pulled back the curtain and tore open the doors, letting bright sunlight coat the room.

The bright sunlight hurt my eyes terribly and I screamed in pain as a result. I quickly moved into a dark corner to protect myself. I asked Lang if he wanted me to die. My fear and Dr. Lang's boldness caused me to give up all pretense of hiding my "condition" as it seemed rather fruitless to continue with it. The possibility of something else having occurred had not occurred to me.

Surprisingly, Lang calmly asked me to step into the light, telling me that I had been "brave" and not to be afraid anymore. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I hadn't seen the light in so long or Lang's voice or a combination of both, but slowly and surely I overcame my fear and stepped hesitantly out onto the patio.

The joy I felt at finally being able to see the sun comforted me as I prepared myself to face the certain death that occurs whenever a vampire sees the light. I know that most people who know me--the real me--think that my one great wish was to find my Josette. While it is true that finding Josette was very important to me, seeing the sun again was always first. I had just given up hope that it was even possible, so I focused on the possible goal of finding my Josette.

Lang notices me staring at my hands. I tell him why, but Lang insists that the rapid aging and death usually caused by the sun will not happen because I am not as I was.

The possibility is nearly too good to be true for me. I ask again, just to make sure and Lang replies in the affirmative. I think of the failures of Julia Hoffman's experiments and immediately conclude that the same will happen here with Dr. Lang's cure. Lang denies this saying that he had done something to prevent me from changing back into the 200-year- old man (or something else). For the first time in nearly 200 years, I can safely stand in the sunlight.

My euphoria doesn't last long as thoughts of the one person who would destroy my happiness creep into my mind. Angelique's desire to see me permanently encased in my own living Hell would destroy my eternal happiness.

Lang noted my rambling and presses me to explain myself. I tell him Angelique was the one responsible for placing the curse on me. Oh how I wish I could run somewhere and hide from her evil eye watching over me. Dr. Lang insisted that his science would protect me from whatever Angelique may offer, but I was doubtful of that.

Even if my moment in the sunlight is going to be short, I resolve to live life to the fullest, beginning with marrying Vicki. Perhaps now we can have a more normal married life instead of one where Vicki would effectively be married to a cadaver for half of the day.

I choose that moment to tell Dr. Lang of my gratitude for what he has done. Despite the warning bells in the back of my mind, I vow to repay Dr. Lang's kindness in any way he might ask of me. Normally I wouldn't do such a thing, because of the potential problems and consequences of such an act, and yet there I was making such a promise to a man I barely knew. I only hope I do not regret my decision later.

Lang then asks me to lie back down. His words seem more to himself than to me as he speaks of the prospects of my beginning a new life. The dangerous glint I saw earlier returned to his eyes. In the back of my mind, doubts began to grow.

I stayed in bed as Lang had instructed, but I was too excited to sleep. All the possibilities I had with my newfound health status nearly caused me to leap from my bed and tell the world of my good fortune. However, the two orderlies Dr. Lang sent in to remove the curtains and the weakness I still felt in my body made me think otherwise.

About an hour later my thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Elizabeth and Roger had heard the news of the accident and were worried about how Vicki and I were doing. Well, at least Elizabeth was. Roger had a look on his face that suggest that he had been dragged there against his will and seemed to be a million miles away from the moment he entered.

Elizabeth, being the thoughtful person she is, had brought me some flowers to cheer me up. The thought of being able to behold flowers in the sunlight again nearly brought tears to my eyes, but fortunately I was able to stifle that impulse before I scared anyone with it.

Elizabeth quickly picked up on my good spirits and commented on it. Roger, however still seemed to be a million miles away, shut off in his own private world.

At this point, Dr. Lang choose to reappear to drop off my prescription. I quickly took the opportunity to introduce my cousins to the man who changed my life. Elizabeth happily greets him, but Roger gives Lang a cold stare that my father would have been proud of and refuses to even shake his hand. This behavior is strange from Roger. He will at least go through with the social amenities if not anything else. Something serious must be going on in his life that both Elizabeth and I are unaware of. I made a mental note to myself to ask about it later. Shortly after Lang leaves, Elizabeth admonishes Roger for his rude behavior, but he just shrugs it off and suddenly declares that he must leave. On his way out the door, he turns to me and says, "It is not this easy!"

Naturally I was confused about this statement. What is not "this easy?" Elizabeth and I stared at each other in confusion. Neither one of us had any idea of what Roger meant or understood his sudden change in behavior. As I considered the possibilities, a thought creeps into my mind that I don't want to consider--Angelique. However, nothing supernatural has occurred, so that thought is quickly dismissed for the time being.

Elizabeth and I chatted for a few more moments before she left to visit Vicki. I would have accompanied her, but at that point, Dr. Lang reappeared wishing to speak with me.

The purpose of Lang's visit this time is to discover more about his new patient's past. Even I must admit that had I been in Lang's shoes, I would have been curious as well. It's not too often that one runs across vampires in the modern world.

Because of my gratitude and the vow I had made earlier, I resolve to answer all of his questions freely and without reservation. Things go fairly well at first. Lang asks all the expected questions about how I came to be as I was when he came across me. During the course of his questions, however, Lang begins complaining of a headache. A few moments later the pain came again, only this time more intensely. Lang is oblivious to the probable cause of his pain, but I am not. All of this is the work of Angelique's witchcraft.

The events of the winter of 1795 may have occurred over 100 years ago, but they are still fresh in my mind. All of the tragedy and death caused by Angelique's vengeance nearly destroyed the Collins family. I will not put the 20th century Collinses through that experience if I can help it. I call for a nurse to come and help Lang, but for some reason his headache disappears again and he claims to be perfectly fine again. I warn Lang that he must stop his experiments. There is a chance that Angelique might spare him if he does. Lang, of course thinks the whole idea is insane, but I hope that somehow I can impress upon him the risks involved in fighting Angelique before it is too late.