1233 - March 17, 1971

[bunniefuu]

[eerie ethereal music]

NARRATOR:In the great house at Collinwood,

the Collins family has lived under the terror

of a curse set upon them years ago.

A curse that brings death and madness.

And in the midst of this fear,

they are beset by further tragedy.

Last night, Bramwell Collins learned

that his ship has finally come in from the Indies,

and he is now a rich man.

But he has also found

that his great success is a hollow one.

For it has been followed by the most tragic news possible.

[melodramatic music]

[knocking]

Catherine.

Bramwell.

Morgan just told me that Daphne

had been sick since last night.

Yes.

But I can't understand why you didn't tell me sooner.

What's wrong with her?

I'm going to see the doctor again later today.

But the doctor was just here.

What did he say?

Bramwell, tell me what he said!

He was certain only of one thing.

Daphne is dying.

[menacing music]

[haunting instrumental Dark Shadows theme music]

No.

No, it can't be true.

I'd give my life to make it a lie, but it is true.

When my mother told me the news,

I went to see Doctor Fletcher myself.

What did the doctor say is wrong with her?

He doesn't know.

He doesn't know?

He's a doctor, of course he knows.

Well, he wasn't able to diagnose the illness.

He could only determine that she's dying.

All the vital life signs, they're weakening.

She hasn't even the will to fight.

Unless the situation changes soon,

she will not have very much time.

It can't be true.

She's so young.

She's never been sick before in her life.

I know.

And, if this happens to her,

then I will be responsible.

CATHERINE: You, why?

Well I married her, and then completely neglected her.

I've given her nothing to live for, and now she's dying.

CATHERINE: You mustn't blame yourself.

But I do.

Last night, I came home with such good news.

My ship had arrived.

I now have as much wealth as I'd ever want.

Now it means nothing to me.

I would gladly give it all up if I thought

that it would make her well again.

Bramwell, if anyone is to blame, I am.

You?

The way I've treated her since she married you,

she must think I hate her by now.

The fact is that you're right.

She should've listened to you.

I married her because I was hurt and angry at you,

but now, I feel very deeply towards her.

Can you believe that?

Yes of course I do.

I believe you.

What I don't believe is that she's going to die.

We must find another doctor.

We must find someone who can help her.

Doctor Fletcher suggested that we

get someone in for consultation,

but he didn't hold out much hope.

We mustn't fool ourselves.

She know?

She has no idea.

Oh poor Daphne.

My poor sister.

She hasn't even lived.

And now...

[crying]

[tense music]

Do you think I could go up and see her?

Yes, but be careful not to reveal anything to her.

No, I'll be careful.

[ominous music]

I really shouldn't be here, Mister Young.

My father will be furious.

Carrie, it'll only take a minute.

I'm really very glad for having met you out there.

Carrie, I've been very anxious to talk to you.

CARRIE: What is it, Mister Young?

It's about this gift of yours.

I understand you can see and hear things

that other people can't, is that true?

Sometimes I can.

KENDRICK: Would you be willing to use this gift?

I'm sorry, Mister Young,

but I have been forbidden to ever use it again.

Forbidden?

Yes, my father's very angry

over something that happened the other night.

What happened?

I'm not supposed to talk about it.

Just my father told me never to use it again,

especially here at Collinwood.

I see.

I'm sorry I have to disappoint you, Mister Young.

Oh, no, no, no, Carrie,

it's not me that'll be disappointed.

It's Melanie.

[poignant music]

Melanie?

KENDRICK: Yes.

You see, she's the one who needs the help.

What's troubling her?

A lot of things, Carrie, but one thing more important

than all the rest.

See I think it would give her

great peace of mind if she could find out

who her real parents are.

Are?

I thought her parents were dead.

That may be true, but I have an odd feeling it isn't.

Carrie, put yourself in Melanie's position.

How would you feel about it?

Well I suppose I'd feel the same way, I,

I'd want to know all I could about them.

Then would you please help her?

But it's not as easy as you seem to think it is,

and then there's my father,

you don't know what he's like when he gets angry.

He needn't ever know.

But he might find out!

KENDRICK: Carrie, you and Melanie

are close to each other, aren't you?

Yes, of course, we're very fond of each other.

Well then just think how much good you can do her.

Just think about it, Carrie.

[tense music]

Catherine.

CATHERINE: Hello, Daphne.

How long have you been sitting here?

Just a few minutes.

You should have awakened me.

No, I knew, I knew you needed your rest.

Besides I didn't mind waiting.

Well, I feel rather foolish,

taking ill so suddenly and having to be

waited on by everyone.

CATHERINE: All right.

You look very beautiful, Catherine.

I feel anything but beautiful.

DAPHNE: Is something troubling you?

I've just been troubled ever since...

Since I married Bramwell.

Oh Daphne I've been so unkind

to you ever since you did marry him.

No you haven't Catherine.

Not really, I,

I should have tried harder to understand.

No I shouldn't have been so much against it.

Not if that's what you really wanted,

I should have tried to make you happy.

I should have given you a chance.

Catherine even if you tried, you couldn't have done it,

because you couldn't have changed

what had already happened in the past.

But I could have tried

to make it easier for you, couldn't I?

DAPHNE: Bramwell says everything's

going to be different now.

His ship's finally come in, did he tell you that?

Yes he did.

He's waited and he's worried about it

for such a long time.

Now I'm so happy for him.

He told me I'm going to have everything I ever wanted.

That we'll go places together,

and do things together, so it's gonna...

[sobbing]

Catherine, why are you crying?

[stammering]

Oh, Catherine, please tell me what's wrong.

[tense music]

Kendrick!

[chuckling] [sighing]

KENDRICK: I've been waiting for you.

I wasn't expecting to see you today.

I think you've had more than enough time.

Time for what?

Oh, I asked you to marry me, remember?

[tense music] Yes, yes, I remember.

Melanie, don't say no.

You can't imagine how much I want to say yes.

Then say it.

But Kendrick, it isn't as easy as you seem to think.

It never would be!

There are so many drawbacks to think about.

KENDRICK: Melanie, we have discussed all of them.

We've admitted that they exist.

We have not discussed how detrimental

they can be to a marriage.

Melanie, I love you.

I am willing to accept all the drawbacks, run all the risks.

In fact, I've already started.

What do you mean?

I've talked to Carrie, she's going to help you.

Help me how?

KENDRICK: I think she'll be able to find out

who your real parents are,

and whether or not they're still alive.

What ever made you ask Carrie a thing like that?

Well I've always had a feeling there was good reason why Julia

told you so little about your parents.

Melanie, when you do find out,

I think it's going to come as a great surprise to you.

But what made you think Carrie could help?

Well I always heard about this second sight of hers.

I, I figured it would be worth a try.

What did she say?

Well, she was reluctant at first,

but when she heard it was you,

she said she would do it, and she'd be here this evening.

[sighing]

Do you think she really can tell me anything?

She said it was going to be very difficult,

unless you had a personal object

that belonged to one or both of your parents.

Kendrick I don't have anything like that.

I never have had.

KENDRICK: Well maybe we'll be able to find something.

How?

Well Melanie think about Justin Collins,

what he said to you, if he ever had shown you anything.

I can't think of a thing.

But I do have an idea.

What is it?

If anything belonging to either of my parents

was still in this house, it would be in Papa's study.

Well, then, let's go look for it.

Come on, right now.

[foreboding music]

[tense music]

You've been crying.

I couldn't help myself.

You didn't tell her anything, did you?

No, of course not.

I told her that it was my shame

in having come between the two of you.

Bramwell I've never felt in my life

the way I did just now,

looking at her face.

When she began to speak about the future,

I couldn't bear it.

I know.

So wrong!

There's got to be something we can do for her,

there has to be!

Well we can keep on hoping,

but, remember Doctor Fletcher said

that there was nothing that...

There was no hope whatsoever.

[foreboding music]

Please, please be sure you put back everything

exactly as you found it.

Julia will never know we were here.

I'm more concerned about her finding us while we are here.

Nothing in this desk, we've looked it all over.

Where else can we look?

I'm afraid it would be a waste of time

to look anywhere else.

Why?

Remember I told you Julia found me here once before.

KENDRICK: Yes?

Well, I think that if any evidence did exist,

she destroyed it then.

Julia, Julia, Julia!

It always comes back to Julia!

Yes, it does.

I'm convinced she knows the truth,

but why doesn't she just tell us?

We can only guess.

[sighing]

MELANIE: Perhaps she feels she's protecting me.

From what, Melanie?

From telling you who your real parents are?

I mean, there's no understanding--

Kendrick I don't know, but we must get out of here.

What are you looking at?

[clattering wood]

Wait a minute, wait a minute!

MELANIE: Kendrick, what are you doing?

This desk, it's a foot deeper than the drawer.

Do you mean, do you think

there could be something behind the drawer?

That's what I'm going to find out.

[clunking]

Melanie, there's a compartment back here

and there's something inside.

[tense music]

There's handkerchief.

A watch.

Bracelet.

"These are for Melanie, when she grows up."

This must have been written by my mother.

These things must have belonged to her.

Yes.

She wanted me to have them.

Why didn't Justin Collins

tell you about them when you grew up?

That was after his stroke.

He was still in a state of shock.

I'm sure he'd forgotten all about this box.

Never mind we came to find it,

let's have it, let's go.

Quick!

MELANIE: Kendrick, the drawer.

KENDRICK: Ah...

[tense music]

[clunking]

[wistful flute music]

You've spent all day here with me.

I would've thought after your ship had come in,

you'd be so busy.

I have no desire to go anywhere, do anything.

I just want to be here with you.

You really mean that, don't you?

Yes, I do.

Why are you so sad, Bramwell?

I'm not sad.

You can hardly expect me to look happy when you're not well.

Now look here, it seems to me I remember a time when,

you nursed me back to health,

you hardly left my side,

so I must do the same thing for you, shouldn't I?

You mean nurse me back to health?

Of course.

But you know that isn't possible.

Not only is it possible...

Bramwell look at me.

You know I'm going to die, don't you?

[dramatic music]

What ever makes you say a thing like that?

DAPHNE: Because I know it's true.

It isn't true.

And you must not think such things.

I'm not afraid, Bramwell.

Daphne, please.

No Bramwell.

You listen to me.

I think, I think I've known from the beginning.

From the look on Doctor Fletcher's face

and, from the way everyone's reacting.

It's not an easy thing to conceive.

You imagine this, it's not so.

DAPHNE: Bramwell now that I've admitted it to myself,

there's really no reason to pretend any more.

It's much easier for us

if we don't have to lie to each other.

Please let me be honest Bramwell, at least with you.

Daphne, I assure you.

I'm going to make everything all right again.

Bramwell, how much time do I have?

Now don't talk like that!

There's a chance, there has to be a chance!

I have all the money I need now.

We'll send to Boston for a specialist.

He'll do what Doctor Fletcher wasn't able to do.

No.

We've got to be realistic, Bramwell.

We've both got to face this without fear.

Daphne, I will not let you die.

I cannot let you die, not like this.

I realize now something that,

that I should have known a long time ago.

I love you, Daphne.

I love you.

You said that to me once before,

and I didn't believe you then,

but you really mean it now, don't you, Bramwell?

Oh Daphne I don't want to lose you.

[suspenseful music]

CARRIE: I sneaked out of the cottage.

Father thought I was sleeping.

If he finds out I'm here, he'll be furious.

Carrie, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this.

CARRIE: Did you find anything

from either of your parents?

Yes, in this box there's several things.

You can choose whatever you think is best.

I'll use this handkerchief.

Are you sure it belonged to your mother?

I'm almost positive.

[hypnotic eerie music]

[gasping]

Carrie, what is it?

CARRIE: Something's happening.

Do you see something?

No, no not yet.

Vibrations.

Very strong vibrations.

An image is shaping.

MELANIE: What is it?

A woman.

A woman, she's leaning over a coffin.

Your father's in the coffin.

Then...

Then my father is dead.

Yes.

Yes, he is dead.

But Melanie!

What?

Your mother's still alive,

and she's still somewhere very close by!

[dramatic music]

[haunting instrumental Dark Shadows theme music]