Subj: The Letter, Part 27
Date: 10/27/01 10:31:53 AM Central Standard Time
From: R J Jamison

Barnabas, Julia and Taylor lulled by the examination of several months in New Bedford were quickly jolted through several years of Braden and Althia’s lives. Braden and Althia eventually quit New Bedford and journeyed north to join Theodore Collins in attempts to found a new shipping port, Collinsport. The success of the venture was astounding even to the two brothers. Many people immigrated to their town and the foundation of a powerful shipping and fishing empire were established. In the midst of the prosperity, Althia’s worries about Judah Zachary’s power and his final threat to the Collins Family at the trial were ever-present. The three observers watched her vigilance in magic as she supported her earlier spell and hoped to make it strong enough to last beyond her life. Dreams and nightmares had kept Judah Zachary on her mind while he faded from Braden’s. Judah had followed her to Collinsport and threatened her and all Collinses from beyond.

After five years of struggling to send him away, Althia stood alone in a clearing near the spot where her new home was being erected. She was large with child and contemplating the only way to protect her family. She had dismissed the idea before the nightmare of the previous evening had assured her of Judah Zachary’s continuing presence nearby. He was still wanting to exact revenge against those who had executed him.

The gray images of the nightmare flooded Althia’s mind. The dream cemented her decision to take a grave step to neutralize Judah’s threats. She stood again on the deck of the ship that was destined to sink and leave her stranded in the Carolinas. She stood alone but knew beneath in the bowels of the ship were hundreds of people, all her children. She could hear them call out to her. There was no wind and she stood at the bow of the ship watching a calm sea. But an aura of malevolence pricked at her skin. She heard laughter and knew it belonged to Zachary. Althia turned to see him stand below the largest sail. He held a large torch which seemed as large as himself. The torch blazed and the flames licked the sail. He laughed and watched, as Althia cried “No!” She tried to run toward him but was stopped. An invisible wall was between them. His laughter echoed as if they stood in a deep cavern rather than the openness of the ship’s deck. The flames loomed higher and higher. The sail was not yet engulfed but the threat imminent. “If I can’t stop you and exact revenge upon all Collins, I shall wait for the next generation!”

Pulling her mind away from the threatening dream, Althia began whispering the greatest spell she knew. She continued it over and over. It was repeated and with each repetition, the decibels of her voice increased until she was yelling and her throat ached. In her mind she envisioned herself protecting her children always. She would always be near them, always protect them even if it meant she would not enjoy eternal rest after this life. She wove a spell and demanded that her life force continue to permeate this space, be tied to this family and in some way, protect them.

The mist that was associated with Althia’s most powerful spells rose from the ground around her up into the sky. She fell to her knees. The child within her had signaled its desire for an early release. A possible side effect of the spell, Althia lamented. Althia made her way back to the construction site, where Braden hastily took her back to his brother’s nearby home. She labored for several hours before delivering a son, which they had previously agreed to name Jeremiah.

“Mr. Collins,” the newly arrived doctor looked with gravity at the tired husband. “The labor was not easy. The situation is very serious. ”

Braden pushed past the doctor into the humid and dark room where his wife lay. Next to her was the sleeping newborn, red and wrinkled. Althia’s face was pale; at the foot of the bed was a pile of blood-soaked cloths. “Althia, my love.” Braden kneeled next to the bed.

Althia smiled up at him with great effort. “A second son, my dearest. I am sorry I won’t give you more.”

“Althia!” Braden took her hand and held it to his lips.

She silenced him gently. “We’ve never lied to one another, we shall not start now. I know the doctor can not stop the bleeding.”

“What would you do?” Braden tossed aside past worries about divulging Althia’s secret.

Althia’s breath became labored and her voice a whisper. “The doctor asked me the same and he employed. . . what I suggested, . . . . it is beyond both our skills, my dearest.”

“I’m here with you, I am with you Althia.” Braden continued to caress her hand against his cheek.

“Braden,” Althia turned to gaze upon him one last time. “I’ll be with you, always, Braden, always.”

Braden’s long howl at watching Althia’s life force leave her body was heard throughout the new town of Collinsport.

Julia’s eyes opened. She found herself alone in darkness. There was nothing around her. “Oh God!” Julia spun to see black emptiness in every direction. This was so unfamiliar and different than the rest of the journey she had been taking. ‘Where am I?!” she screamed internally.

“Where I can speak with you privately.” A familiar voice whispered.

Julia turned toward the voice and saw Althia Collins emerge from the darkness. She took slow deliberate steps, the toe of her black shoes barely visible beneath the heavy and dark dress. Julia saw herself, younger, in uncomfortable, stifling clothes. Althia smiled sweetly “Now you know all that there is to know about us.”

“I am you?” Julia stepped closer to the apparition.

“You and I are a part of the same soul but yet distinct and different.”

“I don’t . . .understand what you are saying.”

“It is complex, it is not explainable in many ways. You and I are a part of something larger. We are pieces of one soul and I’ve been allowed to guide this soul’s destiny for far too long. You are the last and you succeeded in finally doing what I could not.”

“You mean destroying Judah Zachary.”

Althia nodded. “Yes, the family will always face problems, travails but nothing like that ever again. You succeeded in seeing to Judah’s destruction with the help of Miranda, bless her ignorant soul. I shall release you from my mission, Julia. You can be freer than Magda, Natalie, Louisa ever were—“

“Who is Louisa?” Julia did not know the name.

“Oh, Louisa, yes, you shall learn of her life another time. Louisa . . . When you return home, ask Elizabeth about her friend, Louisa. You shall get an exciting adventure story and a shocked look from once she realizes how much you resemble her, physically that is. Elizabeth has repressed the memory I am sure.”

“So this is it? I learn that my life has been planned for hundreds of years, I am to go home and. . . just go on?” Julia’s frustration was mounting. “I could never have had a decent life with anyone because you were there trying to ensure that I did this one thing, this one thing that nearly killed me more than once! I’ve loved a man because you did! I’ve stayed with him all the while he abused me, cared little—“

Althia placed a calming hand on Julia’s arm. “Dearest, do you not know the depth of my love for Braden and our children?” Julia reluctantly nodded to indicate she had felt it. “Then how can you not understand how I would’ve done anything to protect that.”

“Just how did Angelique come to be then? Miranda became this terrible thing that has been more of a threat than Zachary or at least, more constant.”

Althia reflected for several minutes before answering. “I suggested that Miranda learn how to protect herself. She feared Judah coming after her, as well she should have. The things she learned were not what I intended. In the end, her soul was corrupted. Perhaps it always was. Judah ensured that her life would end by emboldening the hatred in Trask. He was doing so much more than you or Barnabas ever knew, he was even behind Barnabas’s softening feelings toward her. He was behind her obsession with Barnabas. It amused him that she should want him in another life and he not want her again. He also did not want you or Barnabas to find one another. He and I have constantly battled over the last several hundred years. He delighted in using Braden, now Barnabas, to hurt me. The one thing I’ve had was my love for him and his for me. When he saw that he could play unkindly with that,” Althia’s eyes welled up with tears. “The times when Barnabas physically assaulted you . . . Barnabas’s declaration of love for Angelique was the last remnant of Judah’s evil spell. It was the last thing he could manage before being sent to his final reward. He wanted to crush my will and yours. He did not succeed with me but I fear he did with you.” Althia appraised Julia’s shattered interior resolve. Rather than strengthen her, the visions had only confused her further. She was despondent to see that her life had not been her own and her will manipulated so readily by others. Althia snapped her fingers.

Barnabas stood alone in the void with Althia. He looked about in confusion until his eyes finally settled on the face he knew so well.

“Where are we?”

“A safe place, my dear.” Althia moved closer to Barnabas. “You were always stubborn but you’ve taken it to extremes this time.”

Althia regarded him with confusion and sadness. “Angelique barely remembered her life as Miranda and she certainly did not remember Althia and Braden. I was able to manipulate her that much. Barnabas, your rejection of me was Judah’s desire. It was his most powerful tool against me, and in turn, Julia. He went to great extremes. Most of it would make little sense to a casual observer. He had a larger overall goal and used every small contrivance to interfere with your plans, possession, vampirism, I can’t even begin to explain his involvement in the Leviathan mess.” Althia turned a stern face to Barnabas. “If only you had just taken it! Taken it! Then so much of this would not have happened.”

“Taken what?” Barnabas was having trouble tying all the events of his life into a master plan involving Judah Zachary rather than Angelique.

“Julia’s blood, you idiot!” Althia began jabbing a pointed finger at his chest. “She offered it to you without fear, with compassion. She readily offered it to you. That would have destroyed Angelique’s curse, the instant your fangs broke her skin!”

Angelique’s voice filled the void. “I set a curse on you.. and you will never be able to love anyone, for whoever loves you will die. That is my curse and you shall live with it through all eternity.”

Althia turned her still angry glare on him. “Her curse wasn’t full proof, there was enough room in it for me to provide you a glimmer of hope, of a cure but the one thing that had to be obeyed was will and love. Julia loved you and offered herself, that would’ve changed everything, everything Barnabas! It was the only thing I could manage and you’ve almost destroyed everything she has felt for you, although it transcended her own life’s experience.”

“No!” Barnabas gasped loudly.

“Angelique is destroyed. Judah is destroyed. When you return to Collinsport, when you have the normal life you’ve always wanted, when you see Julia with the complete free will that will be hers for the first time in so long, I want you to remember this.” Althia placed one hand on his heart and another on his brow. Instantly Barnabas felt pain, confusion, loneliness, sadness, rejection, hope, fear, desire and hundreds of other unnamable feelings. “I know you are well acquainted with these feelings.”

“It is my life.” Barnabas struggled to contain the emotions that flooded his heart. It was so present, the feelings never left him long. The moments of joy and delight were so few.

“No, those are hers.” Althia stepped back. Before his eyes Barnabas again saw Julia in her room at Collinwood. She was angry with herself for loving him. She was desperately angry and distraught. Tears flowed from her eyes, her throat ached from stifled sobs. The scene quickly dissolved to Julia standing outside the Drawing Room at Collinwood and overhearing Barnabas declare his undying love for Angelique. “You are not the only person to have loved and lost and suffered. Stop acting as if you were.” Althia’s stern warning was followed with a snap of her fingers. Barnabas awoke from his slumber and saw his companions were still under its spell.

Althia returned to Julia and found her near tears. She had spent but a moment alone however her thoughts and feelings seemed to stretch on into eternity. She had heard but not seen Althia’s conversation with Barnabas. “If he’d not refused me that night?” She questioned.

Althia nodded. “His distrust of strong, willful women ran deep and his remembrance of that curse stopped his acceptance of your offer. ” The darkness began to fade and light infiltrated the void, first as little stars then larger sunbursts. “Braden was always susceptible to the most immature spells. Perhaps Barnabas has finally learned enough to ward them off and trust only what is real and true.”

Julia turned toward the light. “I want my own destiny.”

Althia began stepping back into the one area of remaining darkness. “I will be near you always Julia to protect you, but I will not interfere any longer. I‘ll come only when you summon me, only when you summon.”

Julia’s eyes opened again to see the peering faces of Barnabas and Taylor above her.

“She’s awake.” Barnabas heaved a sigh. “Here.” Barnabas helped remove the ties that still were around her wrists. “How do you feel?”

Julia still was unsure if she inhabited her own skin. Her eyes darted about the area, noting the tribal elders, Taylor and her friends in the distance. “How long?”

“A good ten minute sleep, Julia, a good ten minutes.” Quentin quipped.

“We saw all of that in ten minutes?” She asked in disbelief. It was too incredible.

“Did she speak to you?” Taylor asked.

Julia nodded. “She said that it was over, that my life is mine now. She has set me, us, free.”

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.