Barnabas quickly moved into the fog and surveyed the situation. It was still early in the evening, so he had plenty of time to make a quick run by his former home, the old Collinwood house, and then, maybe venture forth into the nearby village of Collins Port. He knew, from the memories of his victim moments earlier, that the world had changed quite a bit. The once-small and remote village of Collins Port has changed from a sleepy, little holiday resort into a bristling small city, with almost triple the population from the last time he roamed the streets. The whole world had changed so much. Barnabas began to think back...
I974.. He had been cured of the curse of his vampirism by the efforts of his associate, Dr. Julia Hoffman. A normal life, with no more shadow of darkness hanging over him, Barnabas had assumed a role as an elder statesman at Collinwood. He had began a relationship with the lovely Victoria Winters, the reincarnation of his long-lost love, Jossette, and was, for the first time in over two hundred years, happy.
The ghost of Angelique had returned as well, but she had changed. The powers of love had even touched her darkened soul and she had reformed, giving Barnabas and Victoria her blessing. But the happiness was short lived. A drunken Roger Collins had accidentially opened a pathway to the past and he, along with his sister Elizabeth, her daughter Carolyn, Roger's son David and Dr. Hoffman had all been transported to the past.
Barnabas, along with his cousin Quentin and the witch Angelique, traveled to the past to save their family members and Angelique, using her magical abilities, removed the memories from each person, so all they had experienced was thought to be just dreams.
Barnabas went back to his happy life with Victoria and his family, but as always, it was short lived. He was soon visited by the ghost of his sister, Sarah, who revealed to him that things weren't right. There was a paradox in play with Barnabas being cured. It had caused an anomoly in time and space and that rift, that hole, needed to be fixed or the world, the future, might cease to exist. And the only way to fix it was to return things to their natural state.. to the way they were supposed to be. And the only to do that was that Barnabas must once again become that which he was... he must once again assume the mantle of a vampire.
Barnabas was, of course, unhappy at this revelation, but the magics of Angelique confirmed what his beloved Sarah had already told him... if the world was to survive, then Barnabas must die... again. Once he realized what must be done, Barnabas quickly made the arrangements to get it over with. He said goodbye to the different members of his family and to his beloved Victoria Winters. And then, with only the spirit of Angelique, Willie Loomis and Dr. Hoffman present, Barnabas returned to the family crypt where his coffin, his old friend, lay waiting, ready to receive him.
Angelique, with tears in her eyes, for she had truly changed and become a force for good, re-cast the spell and curse, this time in love and respect rather than the hatred and bitterness that had consumed her the first time. Tears filled her eyes as Barnabas fell to the ground in a trance-like state. He was aware of all, but unable to move or respond as Dr. Hoffman and Willie Loomis quickly put his body into his coffin, and then, as Barnabas had insisted, secured the lid with chains and locks. Barnabas was once more a vampire so the anomoly would correct itself. And Barnabas was locked away, so that the innocents would be safe as well.
Angelique, in one last moment of kindness, cast a spell on the family, so they would remember only that Barnabas had left to return to England, as he often had so many times in the past. And for Victoria Winters, the love of Barnabas Collins, Angelique cast a spell of forgetfulness, so that she would forget the love they had found and not suffer the heartbreak and pain of having lost Barnabas so soon after they had began to find happiness.
Only Angelique and Dr. Hoffman kept their full memories intact. And with a hug and tears flowing, Angelique also left shortly after this, to move on to the next phase in her undead, immortal life.
***
Barnabas felt a tear roll down his cheek as he remembered all of this.
"Ironic", he thought. "Even a vampire can cry."
Quickly composing himself, Barnabas walked towards the old house at Collinwood. After silently approaching the house, he realized that it was, indeed empty, but he noticed that it seemed that it had been freshly cleaned. It's almost as if someone had prepared it for immediate occupancy.
"Very strange", he thought. But Barnabas realized that although the night was still young, he still had much to do. With a quick bit of concentration, he quickly assumed the form of a large bat and headed towards the village of Collins Port.
As he entered the once quiet, but now quite busy, small city, he circled the area, doing a quick survey of the region before going into a darkened alley. He transformed back into his human form and ventured into the Blue Whale.
Yes, even after close to forty years, the Blue Whale was still the hot-spot establishment for Collins Port. Barnabas quickly found a small table in a darkened corner and ordered a glass of sherry.
"It's a good thing I had the foresight to place money into my pockets before being locked away so many years ago", Barnabas thought. As he sat there quietly, he quickly scanned the thoughts of the huge assortment of people that mingled and cavorted around him.
It was now the year of 2008. America was at war overseas. The ecomomy was on a down-swing. The Collins Family cannery was not in business anymore, having long ago been sold to a multi-national corporation.. a "General Mills". David Collins was now the head of the family and resided at Collinwood, along with his family. He was an executive with this "General Mills" company and had diversified and invested the Collins family fortunes all across the world, greatly expanding and building the family legacy.
"I always knew that David was a smart child", thought Barnabas. "It seems he's quite a smart adult as well."..
Barnabas continued to scan the crowd and quickly caught up on the news of the days, the local gossip, the happenings of the world of 2008.
"Amazing how much things have changed!", Barnabas thought. "But now, it's time to move on."
Barnabas glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly eleven o'clock.
"Much too late to visit Collinwood and let them know I've returned", he thought. So Barnabas paid his tab, stepped outside, and wandered off into the fog. He would go visit the family tomorrow night at dusk. But for now, he just wanted to wander and be lost in the memories of coming home.
***
The next evening as dusk approached, Barnabas rose from his coffin in the family crypt. Later tonight, he would move his casket from the crypt to the old house and his special room, but for tonight, there was much to do.
As he approached the front door to the big old house, Barnabas paused. He felt a bit aprehensive. Before, they had always accepted him without hesitation. But that was in the past. His history with David, was checkered at best. How much would the young man remember, if anything? Would he accept his "mysterious cousin" from England with open arms.. or would he be suspicious and demand that Barnabas leave. While Barnabas had mended fences with the family during his last time walking the world of the living, David had often been away at school and he was so young.. so stubborn.
And how much should he say to David and his family? Should he stick to the tried and true story about being the "son" of the other Barnabas Collins... or should he tell the truth.. that he was the original Barnabas Collins, destined to walk the earth as a creature of the night, dependent upon the blood of others to survive.
Barnabas decided to just play it by ear and instincts. Though he was sure that David would have some memories of those times when Barnabas first came to Collinwood in the late 60's, and was less than an ideal member of the family, he also was fairly sure that Roger and Elizabeth had spoken fondly of him on occasion after he last vanished. At least he hoped so.
And if nothing else, this would give him an opportunity to find out the fates of Elizabeth, Carolyn and his beloved Victoria. Barnabas had learned the previous night that Roger Collins had passed away in the mid-eighties, which saddened him. But there were no markers for Elizabeth Collins Stoddard in the family cementary, who would be very old now. And he suspected that Carolyn had gotten married and moved away, as had been her goal since she was a small child.
Barnabas quickly gathered his thoughts and approached the big door to the main entrance.
"It's time to pay my respects and rejoin my family", he thought as he knocked on the big door.
In just a few moments, the door swung open and a man-servant answered the door. It was an older Willie Loomis. His eyes grew wide as he opened the door and saw who was standing there.
"Yes, who is.... Barnabas!", Willie exclaimed.
"Hello WIllie", said Barnabas. And he felt his heart filling with joy as his former man-servant quickly moved forward and embraced the dark haired vampire.
"Barnabas... it's great to.. I'm sorry! But it's just.. oh wow!".
Willie was overcome with emotion and joy. And shock that he had actually reached out and hugged Barnabas.
Barnabas gave a small smile. "I'm glad to see you too, Willie. And now, will you please inform the family that... I'm home"...
TBC..
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