447 - March 12, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] -A séance has been held in the great house at Collinwood,

a séance, which has suspended time and space

and sent one woman on an uncertain

and frightening journey into the past,

back to the year ,

back to the time when the darkest,

most hideous secret in the history

of the Collins family was born.

On this night, in the old Collins mansion,

Joshua Collins will try to put that secret to rest

for all time.

- I am to release you to let you m*rder?

- Yes, you are! - Why?

- How can you ask me to do this? How?

- Because I am a vampire! - What?

- I must have blood!

- No, no, this is madness.

There are no such things as vampires.

- I am proof that there are!

- Just in books.

They're the tales of the stupid and superstitious.

- You aren't willing to - to understand

even when I tell you the truth!

I've been trying ever since you found me!

Let me escape, it is the only chance any of us has!

I have become an animal!

My instincts are to k*ll!

Everything about me has changed!

I am not your son anymore.

No, don't come near me, don't touch me.

- Barnabas?

- Yes.

- I must do this, I must.

Forgive me.

Forgive me, dear son.

[g*n shot]

How? I don't understand.

I shot you in the chest.

- Now you know why I wasn't able to do to myself,

because it cannot be done.

- You should be dead!

- Don't you understand?

What I've been trying to tell you all along

is that I am already dead.

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪

- What has happened to you is incomprehensible.

It defies all reason.

- But it has happened.

- You cannot go on

in this frightening state that you're in.

- I have no choice in the matter.

There is no way for me to change what I have become.

- I do not believe that. There has to be a way. - There isn't!

- If it is possible for one to be cursed,

then it is also possible

that one can be released from a curse.

- Even if there were, Angelique would not let it happen.

- Angelique? What has she got to do with it?

- She is the one responsible for everything,

the tragic that has happened in our lives.

She wanted me for herself

and she got it by using every evil power at her command,

the death of Jeremiah and of Sarah,

me, and Josette.

They were all her doing.

You mean to tell me that Angelique is the witch?

- Yes.

- How long have you known this?!

- I found out a few days after I married her.

- Why didn't you tell anyone?

- She warned me that if I betrayed her secrets,

she will destroy the entire family.

- I see.

And the wrong person was tried for witchcraft,

- Ms. Winters is innocent? - Completely.

- I shall see that the girl is freed immediately.

- How?

- How? By telling the Court the truth.

- But how - you can't very well do that

without telling them about me.

- I will think of some way to set her free.

There is ample time.

More important matter at the moment is you.

- There is nothing you can do for me or about me.

- I cannot believe that!

I will try to find some way to give you peace.

- How?

- I will try to find someone who

can release this wretched curse.

- And who do you think that can be? - I don't know.

I will send for the Reverend Trask.

- The Reverend Trask is dead.

- Dead?

- Did you? - Yes.

- Oh, my God.

I can't believe this is really happening.

Tell me, did you also k*ll Abigail?

- No.

No. She was dead before I laid a hand on her.

- Her heart failed her. - But you would have k*lled her?

- I can't let you go on like this.

You are going with me

until I find a way to put you to rest forever.

- Going with you? - Yes.

- Where? - Back to Collinwood.

- I will keep you in isolation.

I will put you in the tower room.

I will keep you there until I can find some help for you.

- I will not be confined by you or anyone else!

- I will not let you roam the countryside

like a crazed animal!

- You will come with me! - I said, no!

- Then it will be necessary for you to k*ll me after all

because I leave this room alive,

I will not keep your secret, Barnabas.

- What do you mean?

Who will you tell?

- Your mother.

- You can't do that.

- The choice is yours, not mine.

If you want to protect your mother,

you will either k*ll me

or you will put yourself in my charge.

There is not a third way.

Make up your mind, Barnabas.

♪♪

- Millicent, where are you?

- In here, Daniel.

- Oh, Millicent.

- What's the matter?

You look so frightened.

- I knocked on your bedroom door

and you didn't answer.

I was afraid - I was afraid you had gone away.

- Oh, Daniel, I would never go away without telling you.

- I guess I was mostly frightened.

You see, I had a bad dream

and I woke up with a feeling

that I was completely alone in this house.

- Well, you can see now that you're not alone, can't you?

- Yes.

I never used to have bad dreams before we came here,

but now, now, I have them all the time.

[thunder rumbling]

- There's nothing to be afraid of, Daniel,

it's only thunder.

- No, it isn't! It's -

it's everything about this house,

the sound it makes

and the things that happen to the people that are in it.

- Now, nothing is going to happen to you.

[dog howling]

- Listen!

- What is it?

- Can't you hear it?

- Do you mean, the dog howling outside?

- Yes.

Have you ever noticed that - that something bad happens

whenever that dog is howling like that?

- Daniel, now, you're imagining things.

- No, I'm not. It's true.

- Well, whether it's true or not,

I think that what you need is a change of scenery.

- What do you mean?

- Oh, I wasn't going to tell you until tomorrow,

but since you're up, I'll tell you now.

- You mean, we're not going to stay here any longer,

we're going home?

- Let me tell you the best part first.

Daniel, I'm going to be married.

- Married? - Yes.

- To Lieutenant Forbes? - Yes.

- But I thought--

- All of our differences have been settled

and I have agreed to marry him.

I'm very happy about it, Daniel,

and I want you to be happy about it, too.

- I don't mind, if that's what you mean.

Lieutenant Forbes has always been very nice to me.

I like him.

- Daniel, what are you doing up so late?

- He couldn't sleep so he came downstairs to talk with me.

- As a matter of fact, that's why I did.

Daniel, would you run along to bed now?

- Yes.

I'm feeling much better. Good night.

- Good night, Daniel.

- Good night, Cousin Naomi. - Good night, Daniel.

- Millicent, are you sure you want to go through

with this marriage tomorrow?

- I've never been more certain of anything in my whole life.

- I know Lieutenant Forbes saved your life,

it's only right for you to be grateful to him.

- Oh, oh, you - you mustn't think I said yes to him

out of gratitude.

I - I do love him very much.

- And does he really love you?

- Do you share Cousin Joshua's feelings about Nathan?

Do you agree that he's only interested in my money?

- I don't know.

- Well, well, I - I have a way

of proving to you and Cousin Joshua

that Nathan is sincere in his love for me

and that my money has nothing to do with it,

and I will prove it to you.

- How?

- I will go to the village tomorrow morning

and see the family lawyer

and I will instruct him to put all my money

and property in my brother Daniel's name.

♪♪

- Are you sure you want to take such a drastic step?

- Nathan will be quite able to support me.

- Oh, you mean, you've discussed it with him?

- No, of course not.

I only decided just this moment

to put everything in Daniel's name.

- But you're going to get married tomorrow.

Don't you think you should?

- No.

- I don't care what his feelings are, but I -

I think he's entitled to know what you planned to do.

- Cousin Naomi, I already know.

It will make no difference to Nathan.

You see, he told me a long time ago

that I could renounce my entire fortune

and he would still love me.

[clock chiming]

Now, would you please excuse me?

It's quite late.

- But of course, dear.

- Good night, Cousin. - Good night.

[thunder rumbling]

- Oh, Naomi.

Have you seen Ben?

- Not since this afternoon. Why?

- There is something I must speak with him about.

- Can't it wait until morning? - No.

- I think it should.

- You what?

- I think it's more important that you talk to me.

- About what?

- About what's wrong with you.

- There is nothing wrong with me.

- Oh, I'm not blind, Joshua.

Something happened this evening

that made you change your attitude towards

Lieutenant Forbes and I want to know what it is.

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- You were in a rage when you heard

that Millicent had decided to marry the Lieutenant.

- The fact is Millicent is legally of age.

Her asking for my consent was merely a courtesy.

He didn't really need it.

He would have gone ahead and done it

whether I had approved or not,

so I approved to make her happy.

- I don't believe that.

You are not the kind of man to abandon a conviction

as easily as that.

- My feelings on his matter

were not as strong as you thought they were.

- Yes, they were.

Even though Millicent is of legal age,

you could have stopped the marriage if you wanted to.

- Well, now, you've gotten to the crux of the matter.

I don't want to.

The marriage will take place tomorrow.

Now, if you will excuse me, I will try to find Ben.

- Joshua,

why did you go to the old house

after your talk with Lieutenant Forbes?

- I felt like taking a walk, Naomi,

and I happen to walk in the direction of the old house.

- Did you feel that you were in some kind of danger?

- Of course not!

- Then why did you take a p*stol with you? - Naomi, please!

- And why when I came after you,

were so anxious to get me out of there and back here?

Something is going on in that house that I don't know about!

- There isn't.

I think you have just about exhausted the questions

and I have exhausted all the answers.

- Very well, Joshua, I'll stop.

But something happened this evening,

something that almost destroyed you.

I don't know what it is or why,

but for some strange reason,

I have the frightening feeling

that it has to do with... Barnabas.

- That is absurd!

♪♪

- You really believe that I can stay here?

- You must. You have no choice.

- My need is different than those of ordinary humans

and when the time comes for me to fulfill those needs,

I am helpless to resist.

- You must exercise the strongest willpower.

- We shall see.

- Were you able to find Ben? - Yes.

- You told him that he must bring-- - Yes.

- All the arrangements have been made.

You will have everything here that you had at the old house.

- I must have it here before morning.

- I know.

Ben will be here as soon as I've made certain

that everyone is retired for the night.

- What will you do if -

if someone happens to discover me in this room?

- No one ever comes to the tower.

- I see.

Has it ever occurred to you

of the risk you are taking in doing this?

- I don't know what you mean.

- I, myself, tried to undo the risk,

the curse by preventing it

and she will do the same

when she knows what you are trying to do.

- You mean, Angelique? - Yes.

- You told me she was dead.

- I told you I k*lled her.

I never said she was dead.

Oh, she is still with us and for one reason only,

to make sure that the risk and the curse is never broken.

- Well, my first responsibility is to take care of you.

I will deal with the witch if and when it becomes necessary.

♪♪

[thunder rumbling]

- Naomi, it's - it's late.

Haven't you gone to bed?

- I couldn't sleep.

Were you in the tower room just now?

- No. Why?

- Because there was a light up there.

- Why, there couldn't have been.

- I know candle light when I see one

and there's one in that room.

- Well, if you saw anything,

it must have been your imagination

- because you know as well as I do-- - It was not my imagination.

- You know as well as I do

that no one ever - has ever used that tower

and it was not used tonight.

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪