The swirling plumes of chimney smokey danced in the sky above Collinsport creating a ceiling of grey floating clouds that covered the entire town. Sitting atop Widow's Hill, long and far back across the icy crust of the lawn, was the mansion known as Collinwood. Inside, deep in the belly of the main house, one woman was about to face her greatest fear: finally ridding herself of a spirit that in life caused her to do unspeakable things to her family members and in death wanted her to continue the pain.
Kimberly carefully lit candles around her laboratory patiently awaiting her sister Joanna's spirit that had been haunting and torturing her for months. Joanna's greed had consumed her in life and was spilling over from beyond the grave.
Joanna's forceful and cruel nature towards Kimberly had always been evident when they were girls growing up in Boston. Joanna, the elder of three siblings, was always the ring leader when rounding up her siblings Kim and their brother, as minions in whatever trouble she liked to create.
As they grew, their brother moved on, far away from the family, leaving only Kimberly to take the brunt of Joanna's cruelty and demanding nature. It was Joanna who first encountered Victoria Winters and learned about "The Organization". It was Joanna who convinced Kimberly to infiltrate the Collins family, marry David, have him committed so that DNA tests could be done on him.
It was Joanna who introduced her to Victor Reed, encouraging the affair, and proposed the further DNA transfer into Kim's young child Christopher.
All her life Kimberly had been a pawn in Joanna's evil ideas. All her life Kimberly had been just a puppet in the name of all that was terrible.
But no more. Kim wanted redeem herself in the eyes of her two sons, and Joanna would no longer hold power over her.
As the last candle was lit in Kim's lab, she could feel the icy air swirl in from the bowels of the dark depths. Kim kept her back turned as the coldness extinguished all the candles she had just lit in anticipation for Joanna, all except the one Kim held in her hand. She turned around slowly, her breath visible in clear white puffs of mist escaping her mouth.
Standing behind her, the spirit she had been waiting for in all its twisted and evil glory. Joanna.
"I was hoping you'd come to me today." Kimberly said covering the flame of her last lit candle with one hand.
"I expect a progress report. What's the status on the tests on David. Is he ready? There's a full moon in four days, we don't have much time to spare." Joanna instructed.
"We have to talk about all of that. We have to discuss the process..." Kimberly said as the nerves began to take over and Joanna interrupted.
"There's nothing to discuss Kimberly!" The spirit waled. "I've given you a job and you need to do it, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. This is your task. How else should I put it?" She continued.
"No." Kimberly simply said in a whisper.
"What did you say?" Questioned Joanna as she floated over, cold and grey.
"I said no. I won't do you. I've decided not to. I've already given the serum to Caleb who's put it in a drink his father was drinking and it's over. David will no longer turn into the wolf you want him to. David will no longer be used as some kind of weapon for your gain....more importantly, I will no longer be used." Kim answered.
"You're weak! You always have been. Everything you've touched, Kimberly, has been worthless because you're worthless. You don't deserve to walk the earth alive!" Joanna said angrily.
"I have to honor my children and fix the things that I have done or we'll never see the end of this. We can't go on doing the same things and hope for a different outcome, Joanna you are the past and I will extinguish it if its the last thing I do." Kimberly stated.
"YOU'RE WEAK!" Joanna screamed.
"It's over." Kim said in a hushed voice.
The anger in Joanna's dead eyes filled the room with a warm glow. Inside of her she could feel the fury of all that was dark bubble up. Her icy visage turned as hot as the sun...she came up to Kimberly and grabbed her by the shoulders and let out a blood curdling scream, so loud, so strong that it broke the glass in the cabinet door panels behind Kim.
Kim turned and stepped back, the scream filled the room with an angry heat that could only be described as the fires of hell swirling about engulfing everything it touched.
Kimberly grabbed a new candle that was not lit and stood up in the face of the heat that was blowing from the mouth of her dead sister, the sister that plotted so many evil things for her own monetary gain.
With her arms extended, cupping the candle in both hands Kimberly closed her eyes and began to speak: "Joanna Greyson....I bring you here to forever lock you within the confines of the after life, where you shall never ever again be released. Follow this path Joanna, follow it into the light or into the darkness but never ever return. Joanna Greyson...you are free!"
With those words, Kimberly released herself from the locks and chains Joanna had placed on their two souls. With those words Kimberly not only freed herself from Joanna's spirit but she also freed Joanna from the realm of the in between.
Suddenly the candle in Kimberly's hands lit on its own and all of the hateful heat and fire that Joanna's scream had been spewing in the room began to be consumed into the lit candled like a vacuum absorbing everything made of cruelness and pain taking Joanna along with it.
When Kimberly opened her eyes the room was back to normal. All the candles she had lit before Joanna arrived were lit again, the candle in her hand extinguished.
Kim looked around the lab....it was quiet serene even. It was over. She had kept her promise to Chris and Caleb and ended the terrorizing that Joanna had created.
She was free now. They all were.
****
In the drawing room, Carolyn poured Maggie and David frothy glasses of hot milk and coffee. They cozied up to a roaring fire warming the entire room as the first frosty snow fell on the ground outside. The white powder began to cover the tips of the grey frozen grass like the decorating of a cake with powdered sugar."I never thought I'd be back here again. I never thought I'd feel so...so free. I'm happy I came with you and David. I'm happy I was able to help you. Things are so different now, aren't they Carolyn?" Maggie said with a smile as she sipped her coffee.
Carolyn smiled and took a sip of her own drink. "Different?" She asked.
"Yes, different from all those years ago. We're safer now." Maggie responded.
"Perhaps. I guess we'll have to see. There's still so much going on, especially with Kat and Caleb's baby still missing and Barnabas still in search of him. I can't imagine how Kat has been handling everything." Carolyn explained as David and Maggie equally became slightly uncomfortable.
"Barnabas. What do you mean? I thought...? Carolyn I thought he was gone. I thought that's why you brought me here. This place isn't safe is Barnabas is still around." Maggie said sternly.
"Its ok Maggie, Barnabas isn't here. He's gone in search of Kat's child, we're not sure when --or if--he'll return." David said remembering he burned the letter sent from Barnabas in 1920 that was left in a book in the library.
"But it's a possibility. This won't do. I can't ...we can't...allow him to return, Carolyn you have to make sure it wont happen. Barnabas' presence will only bring more pain. More sorrow. More death!" Maggie explained.
"Maggie, he knows his place with us. He knows that everything he does or thinks or feels is being watched. I can't say I trust him but I can't say I don't either. He's still family and he's done some good things for us. You don't have anything to worry about." Carolyn explained as Maggie jumped from her seat and went over to the frozen over window looking out.
"I should go back to Windcliff. I feel safer there. I feel safer having him think I'm dead, or lost, or just gone." Maggie said.
"Vickie and Barnabas will come back, and when they do, they'll have Caleb's baby. That's the most important part of this. He doesn't want to hurt anyone more." Carolyn said.
"Vickie? Winters? I don't understand I thought she died years ago!" Maggie explained in shock.
"It's a long story, but she, like you, faked her death to keep herself safe." David answered.
"And now she's with Barnabas? Did he take her?" Maggie said worried.
"No, like David said sweetheart, it's a very long story. They're both looking for Caleb and Kat's baby. That's all I really can tell you." Carolyn answered.
A short hush of silence fell over the room as Maggie's mind started to process what she had gotten herself into coming back to Collinwood. A home filled with a family that she cared for but who's curse had destroyed so many aspects of her past. The trauma of her past would constantly bubble up throughout her life, and only at Windcliff did she feel like she had a handle of it all, that was until she found David there. Then everything started again, almost as if it had never ended.
"He'll return. I know he will. He always does. No matter what, Barnabas always rises. You both know this to be true. Why do you protect him?" Maggie asked in a frank tone of voice.
Carolyn and David looked at each other not knowing how to answer.
"There's no way Barnabas can return. I'm sure of it. He's traveled again to a different time. But this time, I'm sure there is no way he can come back. Maggie, you don't have to worry about anything." David stated.
"What? How do you know this? What have you heard?" Carolyn asked confused about David's out of no where statement.
"Because, I know. I was in the library and a book fell from a shelf. I reached down to pick it up and when I grabbed it, it opened to the center, inside was a letter from Barnabas. He's in Collinsport, 1920." David explained.
"David! You've know this whole time where he was and you never told anyone? Have you even told Caleb? How you could keep that information a secret from us? Where's the letter, I want to read it." Carolyn scolded.
"I burned it." David said quickly.
Carolyn scoffed in shock, the anger about David hiding information was infuriating. They were all working together to make sure the baby returned safely but by David keeping Barnabas' out-reach a secret could be detrimental for their return.
"Why would you do that? What if he sends us a message with instructions on getting the baby back? David, this is your grandchild! Any message from Barnabas or Vickie for that matter, needs to be taken seriously." Carolyn explained.
"You said there's no way he can return, how can you be so sure?" Maggie interjected.
"He's in 1920...Collinwood in those days was headed by Jamison Collins, my grandfather. Every one knows about Jamison's history." David said cryptically.
"I don't." Maggie answered.
"David..." Carolyn said pausing before she realized where David was going with his strategy.
"Our grandfather, Maggie, went mad. They said he would have visions and psychotic episodes. Aunt Elizabeth had always told us stories of how much grandmother Catherine would later suffer with how insane he would go with all the things he could sense and see. Once Jamison realizes what Barnabas is, there is no way in hell he'll be able to escape. Barnabas will die in 1920...and maybe...maybe that's for the best." David said coldly.
Carolyn's eyes began to water. She knew that David had issues with Barnabas' return when she told him a few months back after her airplane accident, but she had no idea he would risk the safe return of his own kidnapped grandson to make sure Barnabas never saw the year 2016 again.
It was a betrayal and Carolyn felt it deep in her bones.
****
COLLINWOOD, 1920
****
COLLINWOOD, 1920
****
The chill of December crawled through the vents and beneath the doors of the drafty 1920's house of Collinwood. Three women plotted to get to the site of the future cottage Sea View where Kat, still inside Catherine's body, would begin the process of transferring them back to the year 2016 using the powerful pull from the present that Ezrabette had given her. But Jamison Collins' mind was cracking. The things he knew and the things he saw deep in the valleys of his mind were disturbing him beyond all understanding.
Jamison quietly walked into the cold study on the west side of the house. The room was dim with the exception of a small break of light streaming from behind the drapes that hung on the great windows that guided Jamison to a large chest up against the wall in the center of the room.
Jamison went straight for the center drawer of that chest, he opened it and pushed around a few of the objects that were inside. He knew what he was looking for, it did't take long for him to find it. He pushed over a few more objects when he found it: the shiny black pine box with the ruby encrusted crucifix in the center that held a pistol and 5 silver bullets. Jamison opened the box and looked at the carvings and the silver bullets. He carefully pulled out each of the bullets from their velvety bed and plugged them into the pistol.
Once the gun was loaded he slowly walked out of the study and into the hallway that lead to the first floor foyer. Jamison slowly walked up the red carpeted stairs, quiet and confident with the gun in his hand. Step by step, closer and closer to the nursery where Claudia, Vickie and Kat, who was possessing Catherine's body, were talking of the plan to escape. He slowly pushed open the slightly ajar door and pointed the gun at them.
"There's no place for any of you here." Jamison said in a cold voice.
"Jamison! What are you doing?" Kat said in Catherine's voice.
"Shut up demon! I know what you are. Shut up!" Jamison screamed as he pointed the gun at his wife Catherine's body knowing full well the body was her's but the mind was Kat's from 2016.
"Mr. Collins what are you doing?" Vickie said with her hands up in front of her acting as a buffer from the pointed gun.
"I heard what you three witches were planning. I heard what you wanted to do, and I know what you've done to my wife's body. You've taken her hostage, and I have no doubt that monster Barnabas is behind all of this. I heard everything this devil inside my wife said." Jamison said with tears in his eyes.
"We can explain everything, and we can fix it all if you just give us some time to do so, sir. " Claudia said trying to buy some time.
"I knew from the moment you came here that something wasn't right. I knew from the moment the devil Barnabas walked into this house he would only bring death and sorry. I saw it all, and now my mother-in-law is dead and buried in some grave in the woods. Well, it stops here...move...go, all of you." Jamison motioned for the women to go in front of him as the gun was still pointed at them.
"But the children?" Claudia said noting the two babies, Elizabeth and Canan would be alone.
"I'll come back from my child, the boy can rot." He answered cruelly. "Now move!" He yelled again.
The three women walked slowly and silently out of the nursery. Only the sound of their rustling lace and rayon dresses scratching as they walked down the main staircase with their hands in the air.
"Keep going and turn left at the staircase and walk through the door at the end of the hall." Jamison ordered.
Claudia took a deep breath, she knew where that door led.
They followed his instructions and continued through the door that lead down a winding stone staircase all the way to the bottom levels of Collinwood. It was cold and damp, rats scattered on the floorboards below as Jamison turned on the one single light bulb from the top of the staircase.
"Jamison what are going to do?" Kat asked holding herself close to keep warm.
"Ask me another question devil, and I'll kill that baby boy of yours." He answered with a chilling voice.
"Please don't hurt him, please. I'll do anything to keep him safe. Do what you want to me, but leave the boy, please." Kat pleaded inside Catherine's voice.
"Whatever you are, spirit, witch, you're in my wife's body, I can't hurt her. But your boy...he's the spawn of something evil. Whatever you are, now shut up and get down there." Jaimson ordered as Kat followed the other two women, Vickie and Claudia, down the stone staircase.
As the three women huddled together at the bottom of the staircase, Jamison followed in and pointed the gun towards the back of the room that was dark. they walked forward and as they got closer to the back they saw what looked like a built in cage with what looked like hundreds of loose bricks settled all around the opening of the cell.
"Get in." Jamison motioned to the three women with his pistol.
The three women obliged and Jamison closed and locked the three women inside.
"Did you build this?" Claudia asked.
"A long time ago I dreamed that I would need some kind of cell in this house. There are too many people who wish our family ill and want to hurt us. Had someone come here to hurt us and I overpowered them I needed a place to put them....town is too far away and the authorities would probably appreciate that I had a place to confine assailants.
"You made your own jail cell?" Vickie asked in bewilderment.
"It's obviously come in handy." Jamison said with a snicker. "Now....eventually that monster will come looking for you. And when he does, I'll be ready for him with this." Jamison said talking about the pistol.
"Jamison you don't understand, we want to leave you here in peace with your wife and daughter. We want you to be like you were without us here. But we can't do that if you trap us here." Victoria explained.
"None of you are leaving here. None of you, you can believe that. I'll figure out a way to get my wife's mind back but, as far as you two...you're not leaving this cell alive. And when Barnabas comes for you I have a silver bullet in this gun with his name on it. The demon will perish and save the Collins family from years of darkness and evil." Jamison said with a cold look in his eyes.
He turned around and slowly made his way back up the staircase closed and locked the door behind him leaving Claudia, Victoria and Kat locked inside the secret cell underneath Collinwood.
"Now what?" Claudia asked.
"Now.....we plan to die." Vickie said cryptically.
****
In 1920 the old Collinwood mansion stood in disrepair next to the gorgeous new house where the family lived. It had been left dilapidated and ignored since the late 1850s, but Barnabas found a dark place to rest until night fell. Jamison could feel him. Jamison could sense him. It was a gnawing feeling in his stomach. It was a ripping sension in his mind that Barnabas lay in sleep inside the darkest corners of the old house during in the dark just wait for the right moment to awaken and make his move.Jamison could no wait for Barnabas to waken, he needed to find him first.
Jamison trenched through the fresh December snow in the short walk from the new house to the old house. His shoes seeping with ice cold melted froth. His impatience made him determined to kill Barnabas before he could strike. He was going to place one of those silver bullets square in the head of who he thought was a demon sent from the depths of hell to destroy his family.
Jamison entered the old house through the broken front door that had been resting on a single hinge. He slowly made his way through the foyer and looked into what used to be the main drawing room. The painting of Josette hung over the hearth covered in dust and webs stared down at Jamison with eyes of anger and resentment.
With his gun pointed and ready to strike at any moment Jamison checked every single room he could think of to find the sleeping Barnabas. Finally he made his way to the back of the house where there was door that lead to a dark basement. There is where he would find the one he wanted dead, he could feel Barnabas getting closer and closer as he went closer and closer to the door.
Jamison slowly descended the staircase and walked slowly into the basement that was lit by thousands of candles. In the center of the room an old broken, damaged coffin Barnabas must have found in an old grave-site. It sat in the the center of the room with old paintings, old furniture, old crates of family knickknacks.
"You will haunt this family no more, Barnabas Collins. I will free us from your evil and from your curse once and for all." Jamison said as she slowly opened the coffin revealing the sleeping Barnabas.
Jamison pointed the gun at Barnabas' head ready to shoot him with a single silver bullet ending the curse of the Collins family forever.
