637 - December 2, 1968

[bunniefuu]

- Darkness hangs like a shroud over the Collins estate

as a stormy night draws closer to dawn.

Inside the great house, a young man

broods over a momentous decision,

for he has discovered that he belongs to an era gone by.

Now he stands on a threshold between past and present,

torn between his allegiance to those he once loved

and to the woman he now loves.

- Mrs. Stoddard will be down in a minute.

- That's good.

- What were you thinking about just now?

- You and me.

- We've already made our decision, Jeff.

- Oh, Vicki, I wish I had your faith.

We've got so little time together.

- Don't say that.

- But it's true.

Even though you can see me and touch me

and I can hold you in my arms, I don't exist here and now.

And if you marry me, it'll be like marrying a corpse.

[theme music]

- Jeff, you've got to stop thinking about the past.

- But I can't.

It's been imprisoned in my memory too long.

You hear that?

- It's just thunder.

- No, it isn't just thunder.

It's bringing back a night almost years ago.

You were condemned to be hanged, and when

they led you to the gallows, and I said goodbye to you,

it was thundering just like this.

I remember it all so well.

- I only have one memory of that night

and I carried it with me to this night: your vow

to follow me and be with me again.

Your love helped you to keep that vow,

and now my love for you will protect you and keep you here.

- You really believe that, don't you?

- Yes.

- Oh, Vicki, even if you are right,

we still might not be able to stay together that long.

- What do you mean?

- Eve's m*rder hasn't been solved

and I'm the number one suspect.

- Oh, no, you're not a suspect at all.

Earlier this evening, Roger Collins went to the police

and told them you couldn't possibly have done it.

- How did he know that?

- He was with you at the time, at the Eagle Hill Cemetery.

- Didn't he have to tell him what we did at Eagle Hill?

- I don't know what he said.

All that matters is that your innocence has been established.

- Yes.

Oh, Mrs. Stoddard.

- Mrs. Johnson said you had to see me right away.

- Oh, yes.

Oh, I'm sorry to bother you at this hour.

- Is anything wrong? - No.

It's just that Jeff and I have decided to get married.

- Married?

- Yes.

And we need a witness.

You're the only one I can ask.

- Vicki, I don't know what to say.

When do you plan to have the ceremony?

- Tonight. - Tonight?

But dear, it's almost o'clock.

- We've already contacted the Justice of the Peace.

He's waiting for us now.

- Are you sure this is what you both want?

- Yes.

- Jeff, what about you?

- I wouldn't have it any other way.

- All right, just give me a little time to get dressed.

- Mrs. Stoddard, I can't tell you how much this means to me.

- As long as I know you believe in it,

I'll do whatever you want.

And there's no need to thank me.

I'll go get dressed now.

- Well, everything seems to be in order.

Mrs. Stoddard, would you stand over here, please?

Now, will you join hands, please?

Join hands.

That's it.

- It was meant to be.

- Now, dearly beloved, we are gathered here

in the sight of God.

- They're coming for me, Peter.

- Vicki, look at me, and listen to me.

- I'm listening.

- Somehow you managed to travel through time and find me.

- It's the only good thing that's ever happened to me.

- And no matter what happens now, somehow, I'll

find you again.

Remember what I'm saying.

- I'll remember.

- I'll find you.

I'll find you.

I love you, Vicki.

- And do you, Jeff Clark, take this woman to be

your lawfully wedded wife?

To have and to hold, to love, honor and obey

in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live.

- I do.

- Then I pronounce you man and wife.

Congratulations, my boy.

- Thank you.

- I know you're going to be very happy.

- Thank you. - Congratulations, Jeff.

- Mrs. Stoddard.

- I wish you both every happiness.

- Oh, thank you, Mrs. Stoddard.

- I'm happier than I've ever been.

- You open this.

I'll go find two glasses.

- I thought it was supposed to be chilled.

- Well, I don't mind if you don't.

They're not exactly for drinking champagne but they'll do.

To our future, Jeff.

- To the future.

That storm.

- Does it bother you?

- Yes.

- Why?

- It's almost...

Almost as if it were some kind of a warning.

- You're still afraid something may happen to you?

- Yes, I am.

- Jeff, it's too late for anything to happen to you.

We're married now.

You and I are one.

No one can take you from me now.

- Vicki, I really want to believe that.

- Oh, then believe it because it's true.

Earlier tonight you felt yourself

being drawn away back into the past but it didn't happen.

You're still here and you're going to stay here.

- Oh, I love you.

- And I love you, and we must keep

saying that and believing it, and we'll always be together.

- Always.

- Where could he be, Julia?

Where?

- I don't know, Barnabas, but I'm

sure he couldn't have gotten very

far with a b*llet in his back.

- We covered the entire area and there isn't a trace of him.

- You forget that Adam is stronger than most men.

- Yes, but he isn't immortal.

You know if that wound isn't treated soon,

you know what will happen.

- Yes.

- It'll be daylight soon.

I should be taking precautions.

If Adam dies tonight, I'll never survive the dawn

unless I have a coffin.

- Barnabas, I think it's unlikely

that Adam will die tonight.

- How can you possibly say that?

- Because of your behavior.

You don't feel any differently now than you did

before Adam was shot, do you?

- No, well, only a little weaker.

- But you don't feel any urge for blood yet?

- No.

- Then I don't think there's any danger now.

- No, not now.

But if he goes for good, what sort of a life will I have?

Day after day of agony, waiting, wondering when it could happen.

- Yes, I know, but there's another threat besides Adam.

- What does that mean?

- We've forgotten about Angelique.

- No, I haven't forgotten about her.

But what can we do about her except

hope that she won't return?

- We can make certain that she won't return.

- How?

- By going to her coffin at dawn and putting a stake

through her heart.

- Even if that were possible--

- It is possible.

Now that Nicholas is gone, Angelique

doesn't have the protection she did and she's

vulnerable during the day.

- I realize that but the problem is finding her coffin.

- Barnabas, you know where it is, don't you?

You've been there.

Well, you were there when she summoned you, weren't you?

- Yes, but I was under her spell then.

- You mean, you don't remember?

- Yes, but it's no longer clear to me.

She always summoned me to the woods,

and then we went through Widow's Hill Cemetery.

Then we went to an old crypt.

Yes, that's it.

- Good.

Then at dawn we will destroy Angelique.

- And I want to drive that stake into her myself.

[clock chiming]

- Barnabas, it's less than two hours till dawn.

There's no point in your going back to the old house.

Why don't you stay here and rest?

[door opening]

- Mrs. Stoddard!

- Good morning.

- Is anything wrong?

- It's Vicki.

Is she all right?

- Barnabas, I don't know if anything is all right anymore.

- What do you mean?

- I don't know exactly.

I just left Vicki in town with Jeff.

- With Jeff?

- They were married about an hour ago.

- Barnabas, you didn't get any rest.

- No.

- Well, I'll see that you do when we get back.

- Julia, why did she do it?

Why did Vicki marry him?

- She's in love with him.

She told you that.

- But I never really believed it.

- I'm sorry, Barnabas, but you'll have to accept it.

You know that, don't you?

- I'll accept it and pray that she'll be happy with it.

- After dawn.

I think we should go.

- We'll go to the old house first

and get the hammer and stake.

- Well, why are you stopping?

Barnabas, it's-- it's daylight.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

There's no danger now.

- I know she's helpless but I just

can't believe that I'm this close to being free of her.

- Let's get it over with.

What's that?

Broken mirror.

What's it doing here?

- We'll think about that later.

I want to put an end to her now.

The coffin's empty.

I don't understand it.

- Barnabas, are you sure this is the place that she brought you?

- Yes, I'm positive.

- She never took you anywhere else?

- Only to Nicholas's house.

- Well, then we should go there.

Barnabas, it may be our last chance.

If Angelique rises tonight, she might call for you.

- All right, but my guess is she won't be there either.

- Why do you say that?

- I have the frightening feeling that something's

happened to her.

- Do you mean, you think that because Nicholas disappeared,

Angelique disappeared, too?

- I'd like to believe that but I can't.

Something's happened to her that we don't know about yet.

She may be gone but she's not gone for good.

Sooner or later, she will be with us again.

- "To Jeff, I love you forever, Vicki."

- Do you like it?

I was going to give it to you after we

were married at Collinwood.

- You know, I feel a little funny.

I don't have anything for you.

- Your love is enough.

- You know, you looked at me like that the first time

I put my arms around you.

- Did I?

- You remember when that was?

- All I care about now is you, Jeff, and about the future.

- It was in the old Collinsport jail

and you couldn't get anybody to defend you.

Nobody in the whole town had courage enough to do it.

- Only you.

- Oh, it wasn't encourage.

You know something?

I didn't know the first thing about the law.

I only knew that I loved you and I wasn't going to let

anybody take you away from me.

Those were awful days, weren't they?

Awful days.

The jurors who wouldn't listen.

The pious.

And the Reverend Trask.

What an evil man.

- Oh, Jeff.

Oh, we put up a good fight, didn't we?

We kept each other going, didn't we?

- Oh, Jeff, I don't think we should talk about it.

- Oh, I've got to talk about it.

I've got to talk about everything.

Yes, it's getting clearer and clearer,

and I can't get it out of my mind.

- But don't you see, it can't do any good.

- It's all so vivid.

It's so vivid.

It's almost as if--

as if it were happening now.

I can feel the same emotion.

Remember when we were waiting for the jurors

to bring in the verdict?

Boy, I thought they'd believe me.

Sure.

Reasonable, honorable men.

Oh, they believed me, sure.

They wouldn't let us be separated.

They'd give us a life together, that's for sure.

They wouldn't take you away from me.

But they did.

And now, now--

- Jeff, what is it?

- Now, they're taking me away.

Vicki, it's happening again.

I'm being drawn away from this place.

Drawn away from you.

- Oh, Jeff, hold me!

Oh, you resisted them before when you held me.

You can resist them now.

- No, Vicki, I'm going back.

It's just like it was at Stokes, only it's more intense now.

And there's nothing either of us can do.

- I'll call Professor Stokes and I'll get him here right away!

- No, no, Vicki, no, it's too late.

- No, it can't be too late.

He'll know what to do for you.

He has to know.

I'd like to make an emergency phone call.

Yes, to Rockport.

Professor Elliot Stokes.

-

- No, Vicki.

He can't help me now.

- Oh, please, hurry, operator!

- Vicki, I can't--

I can't fight it anymore.

I've already had more time with you than I was meant to have.

- Oh, Jeff, no.

- I'm going back.

Vicki, I'm going back but I love you.

Hey, hey, don't forget, I love you.

I love you.

- No.

Help!

No! Jeff!

Jeff!

Jeff!

[theme music]