Christopher, still in human form, made his way through the courtyard that separated the old house and the main house where the family resided the morning after his father Victor's death. He was unaware of the new guest that had just arrived and crept in the through an unlocked back entrence and saw one of the housekeepers silently working in the freshly painted and repaired library that had fallen victim to Claudia's arson. He carefully slid past her unnoticed.
Christopher was looking for his mother, Kimberly.
He quickly walked up the grand staircase, his sense of smell now in full effect following a flowery perfume that his instincts told him was his mother's and down the hall past the portraits of Collins family members; each portrait with eyes following his every step, looking down on the werewolf that turned Collinwood upside down.
He turned back and looked up at the faces he didn't recognize and their eyes seemed to glaze over again, returning to their frozen painted state.
Christopher continued on his way following his mother's sent and came to a bedroom door made of the thickest wood. He took a breath and opened it not knowing what or who he would find inside. To Chris' relief there she was: the mother who put his body through secret tests to turn him into bloodthirsty werewolf, her blond hair glistening in the morning sun like spun gold.
She was the mother he had longed for all his life, even though his now dead father Victor told him stories of her and how much she loved him, but they were nothing like the real thing.
Kimberly, who was sitting at a vanity fixing her hair for the day saw Christopher in the reflection of her mirror. She took a deep breath and slowly turned around not knowing what state Chris' mind would be in.
Christopher walked slowly into her room and stood next to Kimberly as she stood up. Now they were face to face and tears welled up in Christopher's eyes.
"I've missed you." He said softly.
Kimberly let out a gasp of air, as she was holding her breath awaiting what might come from this encounter, and as she reached over and pulled her youngest son close and embraced him, it was like she had reconnected with herself. The two burst into tears. It had been a long time coming.
"Promise me one thing, and you have to be truthful...no more lies." Chris said pulling away from his mother's arms to look her in the eye.
"Anything!" Kimberly responded. "No more lies!" She said wiping her tears.
"What happened to my father?" Chris asked Kimberly as if trying to confirm his foggy violent flashbacks he was having of a bloody Victor laying in the grass of Collinwood.
"He was killed Chris. Something ...I don't know ... An animal or something attacked him." She answered.
"Me! I did it!!" Chris screamed.
"Stop! Listen to me. It wasn't your fault!" Kimberly said grasping Chris by the shoulders.
"I killed him! I ...I ripped his---"
"Listen it wasn't you. It was what we made you. I'm so sorry Christopher. It's all my fault. I should have never listened to Victor's paranoia about the Collins." Kimberly confessed. "Can you ever forgive me?" Kimberly added, without going into further detail of her involvement in the experiments.
"I know the injections he gave me are what turned me into the wolf but Is there an antidote? Or am I going to be this thing forever every time there's a full moon?" Christopher asked, his eyes welling up with tears again.
Kimberly knew the truth of how her experiments worked and their effects on Chris' body. But she wasn't sure he was ready to hear her answer. The truth, she thought, might be too much.
"There is an antidote. I did create one." Kimberly responded hesitantly.
"Thank god!" Christopher said relieved.
"But I don't know where Victor put the vials, Chris. I don't know where they are." Kimberly answered feeling the hope of finding the location of the vials of antidote was as dead as Victor Reed.
Kimberly knew the truth of how her experiments worked and their effects on Chris' body. But she wasn't sure he was ready to hear her answer. The truth, she thought, might be too much.
"There is an antidote. I did create one." Kimberly responded hesitantly.
"Thank god!" Christopher said relieved.
"But I don't know where Victor put the vials, Chris. I don't know where they are." Kimberly answered feeling the hope of finding the location of the vials of antidote was as dead as Victor Reed.
"I have to find them!" Chris said sternly. "I have to have that antidote before the next full moon."
****
Over at the Collinsport Police station Kat walked in with a skip in her step and a smile on her face, something that her detective partner Loomis McGovern hadn't seen in a very long time. She flicked on her desk lamp and sat down to read emails she missed from over night during the storm. All while Loomis stared at her in wonder.
"Ummm ... Having a good morning?" Loomis said sarcastically.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kat teased with a grin.
"So what's up, did you crack the Collins case or something? What's making you so happy?" Loomis questioned.
"What do you mean? What Collins case?" Kat answered with confusion.
Kat's mind had been completely wiped clean by Alexandra's spell. All of her suspicions that Leopold had murdered someone and passed the body off as Jack Thorne were gone. Loomis, was just as confused as Kat, he knew how passionate she had been about cracking the case and now seemed completely indifferent to it.
Kat's mind had been completely wiped clean by Alexandra's spell. All of her suspicions that Leopold had murdered someone and passed the body off as Jack Thorne were gone. Loomis, was just as confused as Kat, he knew how passionate she had been about cracking the case and now seemed completely indifferent to it.
"What do you mean what do I mean? The Collins case. Remember? You were thinking something funny was going on over there. In fact you've been dragging me with you about this for weeks. Remember? The body in the bay? The whole Jack Thorne thing?" Loomis said his frustrations growing.
Kat looked at him and paused. Something he said was resonating but her mind was completely blocked. She felt embarrassed that she couldn't remember but didn't want to lead her partner on. Kat sat back and nodded her head to give off a sense that she finally understood.
"Right! Right! You know what, I think whatever I was thinking, just didn't add up. Seriously, I was there all night and they're just a really misunderstood family. Seriously. I don't know what I was thinking." Kat resigned.
"Really." Loomis said unconvinced. "What were you doing there all night?" He pressed.
"Well, we were looking for Christopher to tell him about his father Victor and----" Kat said as Loomis interrupted.
"Wait, so, you were there all night, and you didn't hear from Christopher Reed and nobody knows just how Victor 1) got on the premises and 2) how he ended being mauled to death by some kind of random animal that lurks around on the Collins' property? Kat, you don't find anything a bit strange?" Loomis questioned.
"Well, look, I dont think there's anything we need to worry about thats all I mean." Kat said, her mind still in the fog of Alexandra's spell.
Kat looked at him and paused. Something he said was resonating but her mind was completely blocked. She felt embarrassed that she couldn't remember but didn't want to lead her partner on. Kat sat back and nodded her head to give off a sense that she finally understood.
"Right! Right! You know what, I think whatever I was thinking, just didn't add up. Seriously, I was there all night and they're just a really misunderstood family. Seriously. I don't know what I was thinking." Kat resigned.
"Really." Loomis said unconvinced. "What were you doing there all night?" He pressed.
"Well, we were looking for Christopher to tell him about his father Victor and----" Kat said as Loomis interrupted.
"Wait, so, you were there all night, and you didn't hear from Christopher Reed and nobody knows just how Victor 1) got on the premises and 2) how he ended being mauled to death by some kind of random animal that lurks around on the Collins' property? Kat, you don't find anything a bit strange?" Loomis questioned.
"Well, look, I dont think there's anything we need to worry about thats all I mean." Kat said, her mind still in the fog of Alexandra's spell.
"Listen Kat, I don't know what's gotten into you but this is really weird." Loomis said now in a whisper so no other police officer could here. "Do you want to tell me something?"
"No Lou! I don't. I told you I'm fine. Trust me. I've gotta go file these, excuse me." Kat said as she stompped off to file paperwork.
Loomis couldn't believe what he was hearing but at the risk of causing an argument he left it at that. After all they had been partners for a few years and they trusted each other completely but something was very strange. Kat's reactions and attitude caused Loomis to now question what was really happening over at the Collinwood estate. Was Kat right all along? Was the Collins family really up to something and did they get to Kat? Loomis planned to find out with or without Kat's cooperation.
And just as Loomis' mind began to wonder about the truth Kat's cell phone began to ring. It was Caleb Collins. Loomis took the phone and declined the call. He knew deep inside: whatever was happening with Kat involved the Collins family.
Barnabas cracked a smile, but then remembered the night before and the uneasy feeling he received the man, Leopold, who had been staying in the old house now turned into a dark guest house. The house he used to stay in before he was brought to year 2015.
He then threw his falling cloak back around his shoulders and walked away. He looked back at his daughter Claudia but had no parting words. But she could see the disappointed in his eyes. He then retreated to the catacombs beneath the two houses and back to his darkened room leaving Leopold and Claudia alone together.
"You silly witch, I want nothing more then to be distant from that other ---that other thing. You keep him away from me. Besides I have other matters at hand." Leopold said cryptically.
"What would dear daddy think of this?" He said with an evil grin.
****
In a darkened room on the third floor of the Collinwood mansion, Barnabas laid still in a canape bed that was draped with the thickest red and black velvet drapes. Even though it was now mid morning, his room was almost completely black. One side effect from being alive and you're un-dead was that the sunlight was persona-non-grata.
There was something bothering Barnabas, and he couldn't rest when he wanted to. He got up from his bed in the darkened room and walked over to a large cherry wood wardrobe. Barnabas knew this wardrobe well, it belonged to his mother and was over 300 years old. He walked around it, still in the dark, and felt its smooth edges. He Imagined his mother Naomi coming in from downstairs rooms where she washed all her linens and placing fresh bedding inside the wardrobe.
Barnabas cracked a smile, but then remembered the night before and the uneasy feeling he received the man, Leopold, who had been staying in the old house now turned into a dark guest house. The house he used to stay in before he was brought to year 2015.
Why did he get that feeling from that man? Barnabas thought. Carolyn wasn't answering his questions, and he could sense she was frightened when he asked her about him. There was only one thing he could do. Find out what this Leopold was all about.
Barnabas pushed the giant cherry wood wardrobe to the side making a loud dragging sound across the wooden floors revealing a secret passage that hadn't been opened for decades. Barnabas place his hand on the door that matched the room's wallpaper and moved it around looking for the soft spot that when pushed unlocked the passage.
He felt around for a few seconds, and suddenly, there it was. Barnabas pushed the section of the wall that had been purposely softened to indicate it's whereabouts and the passage sprung open.
Almost every single room in the Collinwood estate had a secret door that lead to countless passageways to various other parts of the house and also tunnels below the home that lead to the old house just across the courtyard. Barnabas grabbed his coat, a candle and his cane and stepped into the dark corridor that lead down to the catacombs of Collinwood.
The passages had been left unattended to since he had last seen them in 1978, but there were virtually the same, covered in dust and thick mounds of dirt. Barnabas covered his mouth and nose with his jacket and quickly walked through the passage way leading under both houses. The sound of rats and mice scurring around below could be heard, fearing for their lives as Barnabas was an intruder to their subterranean territory.
Finally, Barnabas came to the top of a small staircase and to a door that lead into the old house where Leopold had been staying. He turned the nob and pushed the door open. On the other side was another pitch black room empty of anyone and anything except for a single black coffin in the center of the room.
Barnabas recognized the coffin, it was his from years ago. He carefully walked around it and lit a few more candles to brighten his view, and as he turned around and there stood Leopold hissing and floating above the now opened coffin, his eyes a red as blood his fangs sharp and needles.
Barnabas's brow furrowed and he too released his fangs and raised his hands that had morphed to claw like appendages. The two floating mid air in candle light, each trying to place the twinge of fear within the other.
Leopold struck first darting directly for Barnabas' neck but, Barnabas was quicker and faster and with the speed of light virtually disappeared and moved out of the way causing Leopold to brace himself up against the wall. After all he had many more years of vampire experience the Leopold did.
"I should have known there was another." Barnabas said hissing.
"What do you want?" Leopold said in an equally as sinister voice.
"Who sent you?" Barnabas asked as he came closer to his long time coffin, and questioning Leopold without knowing how he was created.
Leopold felt threatened and lunged again at Barnabas who was inches away from the coffin. Leopold landed on top of the lid and closed it, like a lion protecting its property.
"Get out!" Leopold growled.
"Who sent you!?" Barnabas questioned again this time louder.
"Leave him." A voice from the other side of the room said softly.
It was Claudia, Barnabas' daughter, the one who turned Jack Thorne into the un-dead version of her former lover Leopold Divernet.
"Leopold and I have a long history, and in fact, he has a long history with Carolyn. He's her former husband, bewitched...... by me." Claudia said feeling guilt of her terrible deed.
She looked away from her farmer in shame.
"What have you done?" Barnabas asked with sadness in his eyes. "You have created this? Like your mother created me?"
"I was angry, I was vengeful." She explained in vain.
"You are your mother's daughter." Barnabas said of Claudia's mother Angelique coldly.
He then threw his falling cloak back around his shoulders and walked away. He looked back at his daughter Claudia but had no parting words. But she could see the disappointed in his eyes. He then retreated to the catacombs beneath the two houses and back to his darkened room leaving Leopold and Claudia alone together.
"You must hate yourself as much as I hate you." Leopold said, his eyes and teeth now to their natural state.
"Listen to me, I want you to stay away from my father. Do you understand me?" Claudia warned.
"You silly witch, I want nothing more then to be distant from that other ---that other thing. You keep him away from me. Besides I have other matters at hand." Leopold said cryptically.
"Have you? And what pray-tell does that mean? You sure lead a very busy life, for a vampire." Claudia said sarcastically.
"Katharine Banning. That detective. She's getting too close. And I think her constant prodding and questioning has run its course. It's time I put an end to it." Leopold warned an uninterested Claudia.
"Interesting." Claudia said with an eye brow raise. "What makes you think Caleb will even let you near her? They're closer the ever before." She added with careful instigation.
Leoopold suddenly lunged at Claudia and hissed his vampire hiss with his fangs out and ready for blood. But then, like a wave washing over a sandy Maine beach, he noticed something was different about Claudia.
"My my my........." he said as he sniffed. "what scent is this?" He questioned inches from her neck.
Claudia backed away quickly knowing exactly what Leopold was sensing.
Claudia backed away quickly knowing exactly what Leopold was sensing.
The scent of a werewolf was particularly obvious to a vampire, especially one that was so close in proximity. The werewolf Christopher. Yet another little secret he could use to his advantage.
"What would dear daddy think of this?" He said with an evil grin.
****
Barnabas now back in his room struggled to understand how everything seemed to have come full circle. He had traveled back in time once again to be with a new generation of his family but all was the same. He was still the monster he hated and now his own daughter had done the same to another man as her mother Angelique had done to him.
It was clear to Barnabas now that to end all of the suffering and break the curse and save his famly he needed to finish what he started decades before.
He peeked carefully out of his bedroom window, shaded outside with thick birch trees and said:
"I must find her. I must find Julia Hoffman."
