Howling winds rolled along the Maine coastline like an invisible river plowing around the sharp rocks and cliffs. The powerful current of air lifted sand and debris up like confetti. Barnabas dusted off the airborne sand from the lapel of his black peacoat, squinted and focused on his destination just a few yards away: the former seaside Collins family cottage named Seaview. Victoria's hide out.
The night sky was dark and filled with stars. The moon with its face half hidden hung high like a bright yellow grape guiding Barnabas towards the front entrance of Seaview. He turned the door knob and pushed the swollen door open into the house.
The Collins family cottage was not your ordinary seaside house. It was massive in size with Windows going all along the sides, a perfect place to spend summers. It was also a place Victoria was fond of in her time as Governess to a young Davis Collins. Which lead Elizabeth to leave it to Vicki in her Will.
Inside, the house had been completely remodeled. It was more modern and cold now. But still hand a wink to the family that once spent their warm summer holidays there.
Barnabas carefully looked around the remodeled rooms. The house was completely dark. He could see photos on the walls and on small side tables; Collins family memories. Elizabeth on the beach one summer day with a baby Carolyn, Carolyn and her uncle Roger playing on the Seaview lawn with a family pet. These were times that were gone.
As he continued to walk through the house he heard a noise from a side room. It had to be Victoria!
Barnabas carefully walked down the hall preparing himself for the fight of his life to protect the family from whatever Victoria had planned. He placed his ear up to the door of the room and listened. There was someone inside. He could feel the beating of their heart. He could feel the heat from their body burn through the door like a wild fire raging through a dry forest.
With the reflexes of a jaguar he pushed the door in and saw Victoria standing at the other end of a large empty room flanked by 6 large windows, three on either side of her, that faced the view of the gorgeous Atlantic sea. The room was new to the cottage, it seemed as if it had been created or added on in recent years as an observatory room. It was a cold and blank space. Barnabas quickly glanced around and saw how steril and medical the space seemed.
Victoria slowly turned in Barnabas' direction. Their eyes met like two laser beams zeroing in a target.
Barnabas carefully looked around the remodeled rooms. The house was completely dark. He could see photos on the walls and on small side tables; Collins family memories. Elizabeth on the beach one summer day with a baby Carolyn, Carolyn and her uncle Roger playing on the Seaview lawn with a family pet. These were times that were gone.
As he continued to walk through the house he heard a noise from a side room. It had to be Victoria!
Barnabas carefully walked down the hall preparing himself for the fight of his life to protect the family from whatever Victoria had planned. He placed his ear up to the door of the room and listened. There was someone inside. He could feel the beating of their heart. He could feel the heat from their body burn through the door like a wild fire raging through a dry forest.
With the reflexes of a jaguar he pushed the door in and saw Victoria standing at the other end of a large empty room flanked by 6 large windows, three on either side of her, that faced the view of the gorgeous Atlantic sea. The room was new to the cottage, it seemed as if it had been created or added on in recent years as an observatory room. It was a cold and blank space. Barnabas quickly glanced around and saw how steril and medical the space seemed.
Victoria slowly turned in Barnabas' direction. Their eyes met like two laser beams zeroing in a target.
"We meet again." Vicki said in a calm whispery voice.
"It's been so very long Victoria. Ive longed for this meeting. Of course, under different circumstances." Barnabas said as he kept his distance.
"I assume you're here to end things, aren't you? Ruin my plan to vanquish you and your family from this earth? I should have done it 50 years ago." Victoria said wickedly.
Barnabas' eyes started to change. His anger towards Vickie was something he had never felt before. It was a betrayal beyond anything he could ever imagine. His mind started to race and his anger started to rise. He opened his mouth revealing his fangs and hissed a terrible blood thirsty hiss. But Vickie did not flinch.
Vickie took two steps forward into the moon light that was beaming in from the windows at her side. She pulled down her shirt slightly around her neck and lifted her head back. She put our her arms and closed her eyes.
"This is what you came for." Vickie said waiting for Barnabas to strike.
Barnabas felt his body strength go from zero to 50, his mind only saw red. He was thirsty for blood and he wanted Vickie's. With one deep bite, her blood would begin to flow into his body and he would be able to control whether she lived or died in those next few seconds. The more blood he took, the less chances of her to live.
He walked up released the coat from around his neck and lifted his hands, his mouth gaping open ready to receive her neck.
And just as he stepped into the center of the empty room of windows the floor lowered slightly and four giant walls of bars made of pure silver lifted trapping Barnabas inside. He looked around and saw the walls were too talk for him to leap over. He touched the bars and burned his finger on the silver which like a silver bullets rendered all him powerless. He was as good as mortal while in that cage.
"You see vampire...we've all got a few tricks up our sleeves." Vickie said adjusting her shirt so it covered her neck again.
"What have you done?" Barnabas asked in a growl.
"This isn't exactly what I expected to do with this cage, I mean it was always meant for you and those like you but it was more for experimental use. I guess time just got away from me, experiments would take too long anyway." Vickie said walking over to the walls of windows.
"You're making a very big mistake Miss Winters. Deep down inside you know that whatever your plans are with me and my family, they're wrong. I may be what I am, but you, you are good. There's always been good in you." Barnabas said trying to sway Vickie's thoughts.
"It may have been 50 odd years since I've seen or spoken to you, but you're still the same manipulative creative that tried take possession of me in some sick twisted move all those years ago. It wont work Barnabas. Not this time. Saving the people of this town from you and your like is what I was put on this earth for. That I know for sure." Vickie said sternly.
"That's a very big statement: knowing the secret of life. How can anyone truly know? After all I'm still searching myself." Barnabas said.
"It's been so very long Victoria. Ive longed for this meeting. Of course, under different circumstances." Barnabas said as he kept his distance.
"I assume you're here to end things, aren't you? Ruin my plan to vanquish you and your family from this earth? I should have done it 50 years ago." Victoria said wickedly.
Barnabas' eyes started to change. His anger towards Vickie was something he had never felt before. It was a betrayal beyond anything he could ever imagine. His mind started to race and his anger started to rise. He opened his mouth revealing his fangs and hissed a terrible blood thirsty hiss. But Vickie did not flinch.
Vickie took two steps forward into the moon light that was beaming in from the windows at her side. She pulled down her shirt slightly around her neck and lifted her head back. She put our her arms and closed her eyes.
"This is what you came for." Vickie said waiting for Barnabas to strike.
Barnabas felt his body strength go from zero to 50, his mind only saw red. He was thirsty for blood and he wanted Vickie's. With one deep bite, her blood would begin to flow into his body and he would be able to control whether she lived or died in those next few seconds. The more blood he took, the less chances of her to live.
He walked up released the coat from around his neck and lifted his hands, his mouth gaping open ready to receive her neck.
And just as he stepped into the center of the empty room of windows the floor lowered slightly and four giant walls of bars made of pure silver lifted trapping Barnabas inside. He looked around and saw the walls were too talk for him to leap over. He touched the bars and burned his finger on the silver which like a silver bullets rendered all him powerless. He was as good as mortal while in that cage.
"You see vampire...we've all got a few tricks up our sleeves." Vickie said adjusting her shirt so it covered her neck again.
"What have you done?" Barnabas asked in a growl.
"This isn't exactly what I expected to do with this cage, I mean it was always meant for you and those like you but it was more for experimental use. I guess time just got away from me, experiments would take too long anyway." Vickie said walking over to the walls of windows.
"You're making a very big mistake Miss Winters. Deep down inside you know that whatever your plans are with me and my family, they're wrong. I may be what I am, but you, you are good. There's always been good in you." Barnabas said trying to sway Vickie's thoughts.
"It may have been 50 odd years since I've seen or spoken to you, but you're still the same manipulative creative that tried take possession of me in some sick twisted move all those years ago. It wont work Barnabas. Not this time. Saving the people of this town from you and your like is what I was put on this earth for. That I know for sure." Vickie said sternly.
"That's a very big statement: knowing the secret of life. How can anyone truly know? After all I'm still searching myself." Barnabas said.
"No. I know. I was born to take control of The Organization of the True of Heart, a coalition of people set to make sure the word is safe from the ungodly, the undead, the devilish. That's my lot Barnabas, and that's what I'm prepared to do to you." Vickie answered with a coldness Barnabas had never seen from her before.
He looked at her and snarled, she had changed. Vickie was no longer the kind, curious, courageous woman he had once loved. She was now menacing and vindictive, a woman who's warm sweet heart had turned hard and cold, and Barnabas couldn't figure out why.
This was not the Victoria Winters Barnabas once knew, she was a brainwashed morsel of the person she once was.
"Whats happened to you? Barnabas growled, but Vickie only smiled wickedly.
"Whats happened to you? Barnabas growled, but Vickie only smiled wickedly.
"You. You happened. Don't you recall all the mind games you played on all of us? I do. And I was given information that you're the reason I am an orphan. Just another nail in your coffin." Vickie responded as she circled the silver cage.
"What? Victoria that's impossible!" Barnabas said outraged at the accusation that was clearly unfounded and created by Father Joseph, but left unknown to Vickie.
Unfazed by Barnabas' reaction, Vickie then turned and picked up her things from the floor and walked over to the cage where Barnabas was trapped. She looked at him dead in the eyes. He had returned to his normal state, no fangs, no blackness only with a look of desperation in his face. Those windows faced east and it was only hours until morning.
"When was the last time you saw a sunrise Barnabas? Years? Centuries? You'll be happy to know that in just a few hours, you'll finally get to see what you've been missing out on for the last 225 years of your miserable murderous life. The sun will rise right here in this very room over the beautiful sea. I chose this room specifically for this, as you might guess, because it quickly becomes the brightest and warmest as soon as the sun reflects over the ocean's surface...." Vickie explained as she circled Barnabas trapped in the silver cage.
"You'll never get away with this." Barnabas growled again.
"Goodbye Barnabas Collins. May you rest in peace." She added and slowly turned away and placed the remote control that lifted the cage walls on a chair. She the walked out of the room calmly leaving Barnabas alone his demise by sunlight.
The morning came and thankfully no one had been hurt from the night before. The sun burst bright in the sky above Collinsport as if a strong storm had just past through leaving a fresh and new outlook on life. Kat awoke and prepared for a doctor's appointment Kimberly was going to take her to. She stood up out of bed and walked over to a full length mirror and noticed her stomach was much larger then it was the night before. She rubbed her belly with a concerned expression on her face. How could her baby be growing so fast? She must have miscalculated her date, but by how much?
"You up?" Kim asked as she slowly pushed open Kat's bedroom door. "Kat! Your stomach!" She added noticing Kat's 4 week pregnant stomach looking more like 6 months.
"I don't think I calculated correctly. I'm huge!" Kat said with a giggle.
"Well, not to get into too many details but did you and Caleb...'try'...before the last time?" Kimberly asked somewhat embarrassed of her own question.
"A few other other times but, I don't remember ever thinking I was pregnant. Is this how it's supposed to be?" Kat asked concerned and looking back at her stomach in the mirror.
"When I was carrying Christopher I was pretty big too but much later on. Let's get to this appointment and see where things go, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." Kimberly said as she helped Kat pick out new outfit from the various maternity clothes David had purchased for Kat.
Downstairs Alex waited at the breakfast table for Carolyn. The two Collins women had coffee and a small meal together for the first time in many months. Carolyn who was still recovering from her plane accident sat down slowly at the table while Alex moved her crutches to the side.
"I'm glad you're here. I need to tell you something." Carolyn said sipping her coffee.
"What is it?" Alex asked concerned.
"It's about Victoria Winters. Do you remember me ever mentioning her?" Carolyn asked with Alex nodding her head yes as she took another sip from her coffee mug.
"Well there's much more to the story about her. A long time ago your grandmother had an affair with..someone....and that affair resulted in a pregnancy. In those days something like that would have stupidly ruined your grandmother's life. It wasn't like today where things are dealt with in a practical manner. Your Grandmother Elizabeth had to make a terrible choice." Carolyn began to explain.
"Poor grandma! I can see where this is going. Vickie found this baby, right? She's trying to extort money or something?" Alex said guessing the outcome.
Carolyn looked around for the servants, the old Collins family habit of keeping the utmost secrecy and discretion when it came to private family matters. When she noticed they were alone, she turned back to her daughter to divulge the bombshell.
"Actually darling, it's much bigger than that. Vickie is that baby. Not to get into too many details but Vickie doesn't know this yet, and unfortunately she's become rather dangerous to the family. She wants to hurt us." Carolyn said calmly to a shocked Alex.
But they were not alone at breakfast. The man in the mask sent by Vickie to spy on the family until further notice had been lurking around Collinwood all night and had just come out from behind the walls.
He came out of a side door in a hallway that lead to the secret passages within the walls, and slumped down in a corner hiding behind a wall when he noticed Carolyn and Alex were in the next room. He carefully drew his weapon and filled it with bullets.
As he looked into the room but being careful they didn't see him, a flash of white light blinded him bringing flashes of Carolyn's face smiling, then a flash of him and Alex hugging in the foyer of Collinwood. All these images flooding his mind flashing one, two, three then gone. He shook his head and looked around but there was nothing illuminating him in the face that caused this light in his eyes. He was confused but continued to listed to mother and daughter speak at breakfast.
"Hurt us? But why?" Alex asked.
"Its a very long and complicated story, love, one that is about 50 years in the making. I just want you to be careful if you or Chris or any one of us should encounter her. Promise me you'll do that? You'll take care of yourself? Watch your back." Carolyn said grabbing her daughters hands.
The family had been traumatized by the many losses they'd experienced in the past year. Carolyn's husband, then Caleb she couldn't bare to lose her only daughter in whatever plot Vickie was cooking up. It was a mother's plea that Alex heard loud and clear.
"Of course mother." Alex said reciprocating the grasp of her mother's hand.
The two Collins women continued their breakfast together and talked about what they had planned for the day. Finally a moment of normalcy in a world of complete abnormality.
The man in the mask stayed hidden behind the wall that faced an opening into the breakfast room where Alex and Carolyn were in. He was shocked to discover his boss Victoria's secret parentage...something he was sure she didn't know herself. He grabbed his cell phone but the battery had died.
Suddenly Kat and Kim came walking down the main staircase directly in front of him heading out to Kat's doctor's appointment. He saw Kat and again a flash of light splashed across his mind. In this one he saw images of Kat covered in white sheets smiling and laughing. Her beautiful mocha colored skin glowing against the white sheets. Her face came closer and kissed his. But who was he to her? Why was he having this recollection.
He didn't have time to think, as the two came closer down the main staircase, he became trapped. Through his mask he could see them getting closer and closer. Fearing he'd be discovered by them or Alex and Carolyn in the other room he crouched down and went back into the secret door that lead back into the walls...he was trapped inside Collinwood with a major revelation for Vickie that would change everything. He had to get to her somehow.
"Goodbye Barnabas Collins. May you rest in peace." She added and slowly turned away and placed the remote control that lifted the cage walls on a chair. She the walked out of the room calmly leaving Barnabas alone his demise by sunlight.
****
Vickie gathered a few things and packed them into her car. She looked past the cottage onto the horizon, the frothy wind blew her raven hair across her eyes. As she looked back she felt a sense of calmness that in the morning her nemesis would be gone, and everything else would soon fall into place. Vickie got into her car, started it, and drove off never looking back at Seaview.
****
Back inside Seaview cottage Barnabas paced in his silver cell awaiting a horrible outcome. He stared out the windows and tried to use every ounce of telepathy he had in him to bring the controller Vickie left on a chair closer to him so that he could use it to lower the cage walls, but it was impossible. The silver the cage was made from was too strong and blocked his powers.
An hour went by and the clock inside of Barnabas' mind was ticking away faster and faster and closer and closer to sunrise. He began to wish for some sort of swift end rather than the one he was going to meet soon with the stinging burn of the morning sun. It was almost like part of his premonition was coming true. In a dream Barnabas saw Vickie stab him with a stake to the heart then finished him off with the stinging burn of the morning sun. But this was reality.
Lucky for Barnabas tonight's reality had an ironic silver lining. His cousin Carolyn who saw him leave Collinwood just as she returned from visiting Father Joseph at St. John's Parish in the middle of the night. For Carolyn seeing Barnabas leave on foot was never a good sign, so she and her driver Powell followed him for as long as they could before losing Barnabas when he disappeared into a wooded area. Eventually, Powell and Carolyn tracked him down to the old Seaview cottage. And just in time before the sunset.
"Trapped are we?" Carolyn said as she walked into the room on crutches observing the giant cage made of silver in the hollowed out back room.
"Carolyn." Barnabas said in a surprised voice turning to his cousin with his devilish grin.
Carolyn and Powell walked in and surveyed the room Vickie had left him in. The blank walls, the barren floors. It was all a strange and bizarre scene that Carolyn wasn't surprised to see.
"You've gotten yourself into something tonight haven't you?" Carolyn joked.
"There's some kind of controller over there on a chair. Please." Barnabas pleaded.
"Fine. But when you're released from here, you cannot go looking for Vickie to hurt her. Do you understand?" Carolyn warned.
"How can I not? I have to stop her! Look what she's done! And she has more planned!" Barnabas explained.
"Barnabas...there' something you should know..." Carolyn said before motioning for Powell to grab the remote control left on the chair. He did so and pressed the main button lowering the cage and freeing Barnabas.
"..I don't want you to say anything, just listen." Carolyn said sternly as the cage walls came down around Barnabas. "There's a secret I've been keeping for many years for my mother. I discovered this truth after she died when I went through her papers. It's about Vickie....Vickie my mother's daughter. She's family Barnabas. You cannot hurt her."
Barnabas' face turned serious. He turned and grabbed his peacoat and cane from the floor. He dusted off his coat and turned to Carolyn furrowing his brow.
"Are you sure?" He asked quietly.
"Yes. I am. She doesn't know. If we tell her, I believe she'll stop whatever she's trying to do. So that means you have to back off. Do you understand?" Carolyn scolded in her regular tough approach on things.
Barnabas did not react.
She called for Powell to take her back to their car leaving Barnabas standing in the empty room alone. Her night had been long and she was ready to be home.
"I'm leaving in 2 minutes Barnabas, don't make me wait." Carolyn ordered as purple clouds began to pop up in the distance hinting at the approaching dawn.
Barnabas still in shock over Carolyn's revelation had escaped his demise yet again. As he followed his cousin and her driver out of Seaview cottage he felt the frigid sea breeze scale the cliff side and brush his pale skin. He thought about what Carolyn said to him again and decided it didn't matter if Vickie was family, she posed a danger to them all and needed to be stopped before she hurt anyone else. No matter what.
An hour went by and the clock inside of Barnabas' mind was ticking away faster and faster and closer and closer to sunrise. He began to wish for some sort of swift end rather than the one he was going to meet soon with the stinging burn of the morning sun. It was almost like part of his premonition was coming true. In a dream Barnabas saw Vickie stab him with a stake to the heart then finished him off with the stinging burn of the morning sun. But this was reality.
Lucky for Barnabas tonight's reality had an ironic silver lining. His cousin Carolyn who saw him leave Collinwood just as she returned from visiting Father Joseph at St. John's Parish in the middle of the night. For Carolyn seeing Barnabas leave on foot was never a good sign, so she and her driver Powell followed him for as long as they could before losing Barnabas when he disappeared into a wooded area. Eventually, Powell and Carolyn tracked him down to the old Seaview cottage. And just in time before the sunset.
"Trapped are we?" Carolyn said as she walked into the room on crutches observing the giant cage made of silver in the hollowed out back room.
"Carolyn." Barnabas said in a surprised voice turning to his cousin with his devilish grin.
Carolyn and Powell walked in and surveyed the room Vickie had left him in. The blank walls, the barren floors. It was all a strange and bizarre scene that Carolyn wasn't surprised to see.
"You've gotten yourself into something tonight haven't you?" Carolyn joked.
"There's some kind of controller over there on a chair. Please." Barnabas pleaded.
"Fine. But when you're released from here, you cannot go looking for Vickie to hurt her. Do you understand?" Carolyn warned.
"How can I not? I have to stop her! Look what she's done! And she has more planned!" Barnabas explained.
"Barnabas...there' something you should know..." Carolyn said before motioning for Powell to grab the remote control left on the chair. He did so and pressed the main button lowering the cage and freeing Barnabas.
"..I don't want you to say anything, just listen." Carolyn said sternly as the cage walls came down around Barnabas. "There's a secret I've been keeping for many years for my mother. I discovered this truth after she died when I went through her papers. It's about Vickie....Vickie my mother's daughter. She's family Barnabas. You cannot hurt her."
Barnabas' face turned serious. He turned and grabbed his peacoat and cane from the floor. He dusted off his coat and turned to Carolyn furrowing his brow.
"Are you sure?" He asked quietly.
"Yes. I am. She doesn't know. If we tell her, I believe she'll stop whatever she's trying to do. So that means you have to back off. Do you understand?" Carolyn scolded in her regular tough approach on things.
Barnabas did not react.
She called for Powell to take her back to their car leaving Barnabas standing in the empty room alone. Her night had been long and she was ready to be home.
"I'm leaving in 2 minutes Barnabas, don't make me wait." Carolyn ordered as purple clouds began to pop up in the distance hinting at the approaching dawn.
Barnabas still in shock over Carolyn's revelation had escaped his demise yet again. As he followed his cousin and her driver out of Seaview cottage he felt the frigid sea breeze scale the cliff side and brush his pale skin. He thought about what Carolyn said to him again and decided it didn't matter if Vickie was family, she posed a danger to them all and needed to be stopped before she hurt anyone else. No matter what.
****
The morning came and thankfully no one had been hurt from the night before. The sun burst bright in the sky above Collinsport as if a strong storm had just past through leaving a fresh and new outlook on life. Kat awoke and prepared for a doctor's appointment Kimberly was going to take her to. She stood up out of bed and walked over to a full length mirror and noticed her stomach was much larger then it was the night before. She rubbed her belly with a concerned expression on her face. How could her baby be growing so fast? She must have miscalculated her date, but by how much?
"You up?" Kim asked as she slowly pushed open Kat's bedroom door. "Kat! Your stomach!" She added noticing Kat's 4 week pregnant stomach looking more like 6 months.
"I don't think I calculated correctly. I'm huge!" Kat said with a giggle.
"Well, not to get into too many details but did you and Caleb...'try'...before the last time?" Kimberly asked somewhat embarrassed of her own question.
"A few other other times but, I don't remember ever thinking I was pregnant. Is this how it's supposed to be?" Kat asked concerned and looking back at her stomach in the mirror.
"When I was carrying Christopher I was pretty big too but much later on. Let's get to this appointment and see where things go, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." Kimberly said as she helped Kat pick out new outfit from the various maternity clothes David had purchased for Kat.
****
Downstairs Alex waited at the breakfast table for Carolyn. The two Collins women had coffee and a small meal together for the first time in many months. Carolyn who was still recovering from her plane accident sat down slowly at the table while Alex moved her crutches to the side.
"I'm glad you're here. I need to tell you something." Carolyn said sipping her coffee.
"What is it?" Alex asked concerned.
"It's about Victoria Winters. Do you remember me ever mentioning her?" Carolyn asked with Alex nodding her head yes as she took another sip from her coffee mug.
"Well there's much more to the story about her. A long time ago your grandmother had an affair with..someone....and that affair resulted in a pregnancy. In those days something like that would have stupidly ruined your grandmother's life. It wasn't like today where things are dealt with in a practical manner. Your Grandmother Elizabeth had to make a terrible choice." Carolyn began to explain.
"Poor grandma! I can see where this is going. Vickie found this baby, right? She's trying to extort money or something?" Alex said guessing the outcome.
Carolyn looked around for the servants, the old Collins family habit of keeping the utmost secrecy and discretion when it came to private family matters. When she noticed they were alone, she turned back to her daughter to divulge the bombshell.
"Actually darling, it's much bigger than that. Vickie is that baby. Not to get into too many details but Vickie doesn't know this yet, and unfortunately she's become rather dangerous to the family. She wants to hurt us." Carolyn said calmly to a shocked Alex.
But they were not alone at breakfast. The man in the mask sent by Vickie to spy on the family until further notice had been lurking around Collinwood all night and had just come out from behind the walls.
He came out of a side door in a hallway that lead to the secret passages within the walls, and slumped down in a corner hiding behind a wall when he noticed Carolyn and Alex were in the next room. He carefully drew his weapon and filled it with bullets.
As he looked into the room but being careful they didn't see him, a flash of white light blinded him bringing flashes of Carolyn's face smiling, then a flash of him and Alex hugging in the foyer of Collinwood. All these images flooding his mind flashing one, two, three then gone. He shook his head and looked around but there was nothing illuminating him in the face that caused this light in his eyes. He was confused but continued to listed to mother and daughter speak at breakfast.
"Hurt us? But why?" Alex asked.
"Its a very long and complicated story, love, one that is about 50 years in the making. I just want you to be careful if you or Chris or any one of us should encounter her. Promise me you'll do that? You'll take care of yourself? Watch your back." Carolyn said grabbing her daughters hands.
The family had been traumatized by the many losses they'd experienced in the past year. Carolyn's husband, then Caleb she couldn't bare to lose her only daughter in whatever plot Vickie was cooking up. It was a mother's plea that Alex heard loud and clear.
"Of course mother." Alex said reciprocating the grasp of her mother's hand.
The two Collins women continued their breakfast together and talked about what they had planned for the day. Finally a moment of normalcy in a world of complete abnormality.
The man in the mask stayed hidden behind the wall that faced an opening into the breakfast room where Alex and Carolyn were in. He was shocked to discover his boss Victoria's secret parentage...something he was sure she didn't know herself. He grabbed his cell phone but the battery had died.
Suddenly Kat and Kim came walking down the main staircase directly in front of him heading out to Kat's doctor's appointment. He saw Kat and again a flash of light splashed across his mind. In this one he saw images of Kat covered in white sheets smiling and laughing. Her beautiful mocha colored skin glowing against the white sheets. Her face came closer and kissed his. But who was he to her? Why was he having this recollection.
He didn't have time to think, as the two came closer down the main staircase, he became trapped. Through his mask he could see them getting closer and closer. Fearing he'd be discovered by them or Alex and Carolyn in the other room he crouched down and went back into the secret door that lead back into the walls...he was trapped inside Collinwood with a major revelation for Vickie that would change everything. He had to get to her somehow.