253 - June 14, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[woman] - My name is Victoria Winters.

A full moon, newly risen,

continues to climb the early evening sky over Collinwood,

as though straining to create a distance between itself

and what it sees on the earth below.

A ring of silver mist encircles it.

And a wind from the sea announces that soon,

no light will shine at all.

But the dark that lies ahead

is not the deepest dark to be found this night.

And this brief moment of the moon,

rising like a single hope,

will only make the night more bitter.

So that nothing can emerge from the darkness,

but an even darker despair.

[thinking] - I mustn't give in.

I won't forget who I am!

I can't!

♪♪

No.

I mustn't even think of that.

Something else.

Think of something else.

Concentrate.

Think.

Anything.

I can't think.

I've got to get out of here.

I can't think!

All I can remember is that coffin.

[lock unlatching]

Oh, Willie!

[door creaking]

No, no!

Stay away, please!

Stay away!

Stay away!

♪♪

[waves crashing]

♪♪

Don't come near me!

Stay away!

- But I don't understand.

Why are you so frightened of me?

It's I who should be frightened of you.

You tried to k*ll me.

- I know what you wanted to do to me.

I saw that coffin that Willie made.

You wanted to make me like you are.

- Only so that we could share eternal happiness.

- No.

- And you will, you know.

- Never!

- Isn't it apparent to you by now that you have no choice?

- But I can't!

You want me to be something that I'm not!

- You are Josette!

- I'm Maggie!

Maggie Evans!

- I'm afraid I no longer have the patience to discuss it.

The only thing I want to hear from you is that in the future,

you'd be more willing to cooperate.

- Don't you see that I can't?

- I wouldn't advise you to be so quite adamant about it.

- I'm trying to be honest with you.

- As I am with you.

Now I've brought something for you that I think will help.

- No, I don't want it! [music box playing melody]

- Listen to it for just a moment.

- No, I can't! I won't! - It will help you!

- No!

- Don't you realize that it's the only hope you have?

- No. I won't listen to it.

I'll smash it!

- That wouldn't be wise.[music box stops]

- Then don't leave it here!

- And that is your last and final word?

- Yes!

- I'm offering you a second chance.

I doubt if a third will come.

Well, I'm waiting.

- All right.

Leave it.

- And you will allow this to help you pass the time?

- I'll try.

- You need more than try.

- Yes.

- Well.

And this time, I will see and have methods for you

so that you will succeed.

- Yes.

- Well, I'll send Willie up with some food.

Perhaps you can amuse yourself with some music.

- Barnabas?

- Yes?

- As long as I'm not going to be leaving here--

- Oh, but we will be leaving.

We'll be leaving together.

- I mean, as long as I'm not going to be going home again--

- But this is your home.

- I mean, as long as I won't see my father again--

- Forget about him.

Forget the past.

- I'll try, but--

- Yes?

- Can I at least let him know that I'm all right?

- What are you talking about?

- Well, I think that I could cooperate more easily

if I didn't have to worry about him.

- You actually expect me

to let your father know that you're still alive?

- No, of course not.

But, this ring...

He gave it to me and somehow I'd like to get it back to him.

I mean, it would be something to remember me by.

- Do you think I'm a fool?

- I just want you to do this for me.

- You're asking me to send your father

an absurdly obvious signal that you're still alive someplace

and the search will be intensified?

- That isn't what I meant.

- Really, my dear.

Of the two of us, you are the fool

if you really expect me to believe that.

- Barnabas!

I promised that I would cooperate.

I'm accepting your gift!

- True acceptance lies in the use of it.

- I'll listen to it. [music box playing]

I promise I will.

Please.

See that this ring gets to my father.

He could come across it somewhere.

It would be like a keepsake.

- All right.

I'll take the ring and I will see that he gets it.

- Oh! You will?

- Yes. - Oh!

- After you finally become my bride.

- No!

Now!

Please, give it to him now, Barnabas!

- Next time, make your plans a little more resourceful.

- Please! - Good night, Josette.

- Oh, please!

Please, Barnabas!

[lock clicking]

Please, Barnabas-- Please!

♪♪

- David, I know that you've done all the studying

that I've asked you to do.

But I really don't like the idea of your going outside.

- Oh, please, just for a little while.

- It's already dark, David.

- I couldn't go out before because I had to study.

But now I can't go outside because it's dark.

When can I go out?

- Well, will you promise me one thing?

- What?

- That you won't go too far from the house.

I really don't like the idea of your going outside at all.

- Please.

I will stay very near the house.

I promise!

- Well, I don't mean to frighten you,

but you know what's been going on in town lately.

- Of course, but I'll be okay.

I'll be right outside.

- You got to promise me that, David and you've got to mean it.

- I promise and I mean it.

They've stopped looking for Maggie Evans, haven't they?

- No, not really.

Now you go on outside and play if you want.

- It's all kind of spooky, isn't it?

- David! - Well, I'm going.

But I hope they find who did it.

And I hope they find her too.

♪♪

- You didn't eat much.

- I'm all right.

- You will be.

At least, I hope you will be.

- Yes.

- It's the only way.

- I know.

Willie?

- I'm not supposed to talk to ya.

- I know, but you've been so good to me.

- I only do what he tells me.

- I know, but--

You saved my life, Willie!

And I'm grateful.

Very grateful.

And just to show you how much, I want to give you something.

- What?

- This ring.

- A ring?

- It's very beautiful.

- You want me to have it?

- Yes!

- I don't know if Barnabas would like it if I took it.

- You wouldn't have to tell him.

And you like beautiful things, Willie.

Look, jewels!

Diamonds-- They're real diamonds!

- Yeah, I can see it!

- It's worth a lot of money. - It is?

- Bet you could get a great deal for it.

- I could?

- Yes.

Oh, I want you to have it, Willie.

I won't need it anymore

and it reminds me so much of my past

that I think I'd be able to forget a lot easier

if I didn't have it.

- Well, if it will help you.

- It will, it will!

Please take it, Willie.

[chuckling]

- Why...

That must be worth a lot!

Thank you!

- Thank you, Willie.

I'm the one that should be grateful.

♪♪

[doorknobs rattling]

[wind whistling]

[stuck window rattling]

[window sliding open]

♪♪

[stumbling, crystals clinking]

♪♪

- Josette, I'm back.

I said I'd come back.

Josette.

Josette, I'm back!

[Willie] - Where you going?!

- Hi.

- What are you doing here? - Nothing.

- You were told not to come here.

- Well, I wasn't doing anything!

- This is Mr. Collins' house now.

- Well, I know and he's my cousin!

- You're still not supposed to be here.

- I just wanna go up to that little room.

- What room?

- You know-- Josette's room.

- Oh, you're not going anywhere except out of here.

- Oh, just for a minute! Please!

I told her that I'd come up there.

- Huh?

I know you think you see spooks here, but you don't.

Nobody's here,

so you don't come looking for nobody!

- I don't care if you believe me or not.

- Good, we got no arguments. Come on! Out!

- You can't throw me out! - Now you just watch me.

- Let go of me or I'll tell my cousin!

- You do that! - I'll tell my father!

- Good luck!

- Just a minute. Wait! - Out!

- I might tell ya something! - I don't wanna hear it!

- I know what you're doing here.

♪♪

- What?

- I know what you're doing here!

You and my cousin Barnabas.

- What are you talking about?

- You didn't think I knew, did you?

- What do you mean, "you know"?

What are we doing?

- You're doing something to Josette.

- Now, you don't know what you're talking about.

- Yes, I do!

- Well, what are we doing to her?

- You're trying to pretend that she isn't here.

You're trying to make her leave

because you don't want her in this house anymore!

That's why you moved the painting upstairs!

That's why everything's been changed!

But you can't get rid of her!

I know you can't! She's still here!

I know she is! I've seen her!

- You didn't see anyone.

- Yes, I did and you can't make me change my mind.

And I'll see her again!

- You aren't gonna see anyone!

[struggling] - Help!

- Out! - Let me go!

Let me go! Get your hands off of me. - Okay!

I'll let you go!

[door bolting on the inside]

[wind whistling]

- I'll tell my Aunt Elizabeth!

[Willie] - She doesn't want you in here either!

Now if you know what's good for you, go away and stay away!

[David] - Well, I'll come if I want!

And you won't stop me!

♪♪

Hey!

I got something for you!

- Go away!

- But I've got to give it to you!

- I said go away!

- But-- - Did you hear me?!

Now you beat it!

- Okay, then, I won't give it to you.

♪♪

- David, you promised that you wouldn't go far away

And then when I called, you weren't anywhere around.

- Well, I couldn't hear you call me.

- David, what do I have to do to convince you

that it's dangerous?

- I'm okay.

- You broke your promise.

- No, I didn't!

- Yes, you did.

And what's that you've got there?

- It's mine!

- It's a ring. Where did you get this?

- Nowhere.

- David.

Where did you find it?

- I found it on the ground.

[disbelieving] - David?

It's got an inscription inside.

- Well, I found it! It's mine!

- It's a name, or--

Some initials-- it's so small, I can't make it out.

[knocking on door]

Who is it?

- Miss Winters, it's Barnabas.

- Oh.

Hello.

You'll have to forgive me for asking you who it was.

But these days, I don't like to open the door

without knowing who it is.

You do understand?

- Completely.

And a good idea, with a madman roaming the countryside.

- Uh, I'm going up to my bedroom.

- Oh, David, wait.

I believe I owe you an apology.

- A what? - An apology?

- Yes.

I had the feeling that Willie was rude to you a while ago.

I may have asked for privacy,

but I didn't intend it to be enforced so harshly.

He mentioned that there'd been a slight scuffle.

- David, is that where you were?

- Well, I was only there for a few minutes.

[Vicki] - You know that you've been forbidden to go there

unless you were specifically invited.

- But I was!

- No, you were not.

- Yes, I was!

- All right, who invited you?

- If I tell you,

you'll only be angry at me.

- Ah, the legend of Josette persists, I see.

- Well, we'll talk about that later.

Now tell me, is that where you got this ring?

- I tried to give it back!

- May I see it?

- You recognize it?

- Where did you say you found it?

- Oh, uh...

Outside of the door, I guess.

I think it fell out of Willie's pocket.

- Out of Willie's pocket?

- There's an inscription inside.

I was just trying to read it.

- Oh, no need-- I recognize it, of course!

It's an old family piece.

I was giving it to Willie to sell,

along with some other things.

- I see.

And you said you didn't know whose ring it was.

David, that's just the same as stealing.

- Well...

It's his fault for not letting me give it back!

I apologize.

- And I accept.

But perhaps because Willie is so temperamental,

it would be better to steer clear of him.

- I'll see to it that he does.

- Well, thank you for retrieving the ring.

It's really quite valuable.

Quite, quite valuable.

♪♪

[footsteps approaching]

[music box playing melody]

[Barnabas] It's lovely, isn't it?

- Yes.

- I'm very pleased to see you're enjoying it.

- Yes.

- And I'm also very pleased

to see this new spirit of cooperation.

- Thank you.

- I think you've made the right decision.

You're very intelligent to realize

that your only real way of escaping

is into the character of my sweet and lovely Josette.

- I know.

- I'm sure you do.

Oh, by the way, a very curious thing happened.

- What?

- Well, I was talking to Miss Winters at the Big House

a while ago.

and by some odd set of circumstances,

she had in her hand a ring.

- Ring?

- A ring with an inscription.

Apparently, young David found it by chance outside

where it had been dropped by my faithful servant, Willie.

I believe it belongs to you.

[whimpering] - My ring!

- I'm sure you're grateful that I managed to retrieve it--

before, of course, Miss Winters was able to decipher

what the inscription was inside.

- No!

- But since you're so careless,

I think it would be better if I kept it in a safe place for you.

Where no one will find it!

- No!

- I congratulate you on the improvement in your attempts,

but I'm sure you'll realize if I don't offer my sympathies

on their lack of success.

- Oh.

[music box continues playing]

[music box stops playing]

♪♪

[announcer] "Dark Shadows" is a Dan Curtis Production.