Dark Shadows, The Homecoming fd/pt2

PART TWO A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

CHAPTER

Donna settled Sarah in her room, lit a cheery fire in the small fireplace in the batnroom and soaked until the water cooled. During dinner she had felt sluggish, lethargic. Perversely when she lay down in her own bed she was unable to close her eyes. She lay, looking at the closed door to the tower. Something had come up those stairs after her earlier in the evening. Could she accept that it was a ghost the way those who lived here accepted it? How could she casually accept that a ghost had chased her? A ghost?

She tossed and turned unable to find a spot that didn’t hurt. Equally unable to lay with her back to the tower she got up wrapped her robe around herself and tiptoed to David’s room.

Hallie Stokes was taking his blood pressure when she entered. He, too was wide awake.

“Can’t sleep, Mrs.?” Hallie said, stating the obvious.

“Sure can’t. How’s our patient?” Donna ran her hand down David’s face from the hair line to the jaw.

“Restless.”

“Id like to sit with him awhile, if you don’t mind, Hallie?”

“Not at all, he may be missing you as much as you do him. He keeps looking to the door, may be watching for you.”
Donna sat beside David on the bed. His lips curved into a small smile as their eyes met. She missed him. She missed his hands on her body so soft and sure, his kiss, yes; but she missed their talks, their arguments. A small tear, more for herself than for him, ran from her eye.

“You must be due for a break, Hallie. If you’d like to go now while I’m here, well… I’d like to be alone with my husband for a few minutes.”

“Sure.” Hallie said and beckoned her to the side board, “Here is a cell. This direct connect button will beep me. Hold it down while you talk, let up when your done.”

“Direct connect, huh?”

“Yeah, practically every adult on the estate has one. A place this big, we need it.”

“Thank you.” Donna said, adding, “This probably sounds ridiculous but would it be alright if I just lay down by him?”

Hallie patted her on the shoulder. “You go right ahead. It will no doubt do him as much good as you.”

The nurse left the room with her coffee cup and Donna crossed back over to her husbands bedside. When she caught his eye his raised his eyebrows like Groucho Marks in the age old. Donna was absurdly pleased.

“Look at you, you faker. Getting better while I’m not looking?”

He trailed his good hand down her arm and clasped her elbow in his palm dropping one eye in a saucy wink.

“You’ve been waiting to show that one off to me, haven’t you?”

David blinked, once. Donna’s heart blink quickened and she gave him a new, more considerate look. “Oh, wow, Mark… Mark! Can you do that when ever you want?” He blinked, once.

“Once for yes, twice for no; right?” he blinked once.

Emotion coursed through her like a shiver. “I miss you so much.” she said. He blinked, once. She pulled herself together, looking around, “Does the Doctor know you can communicate this way?”

David blinked, twice.

Donna leaned in and whispered, “You don’t want them to know?”

David blinked, once.

“Why?”

He raised his left shoulder in a one sided shrug that could have meant nothing or everything.

“Yes or no. Right. Yeah, ok. So your real name is David, huh?”

He blinked, once.

“THis is your family, your home, that you never said one word about to me or Sarah. We’ve been married 29 years. You never told me.”

He blinked, once, squeezing her elbow in his palm.

“I can’t wait to hear why you did that. I mean, they seem perfectly nice. It is clear they adore you. You have a son and a grandson.”

He blinked, once.

“They are great from what I can tell so far.”

One blink.

She was quiet for a second, thinking, “Did you hear that I was chased by a ghost today?”

One blink.

“So,” she leaned toward him, so that they were eye to eye and used her two fingeres to draw an imaginary line between his eyes and hers. “You and me here, Mark… David… ghosts? The place is haunted.”

One blink.

“You want me to believe it. After thirty years when you wouldn’t even watch that TV show Supernatural, or let our daughter read Harry Potter, now I’m supposed to believe the home you grew up in is the haunted mansion. You wouldn’t even let me take Sarah on that ride at Disneyland!”

David blinked one time but the response was slower than they had been. Donna recognized it immediately. “All right. If you say the place is haunted I have no choice but to believe you. You have never lied to me, except for the whole fake identity, hiding a fabulously wealthy family with ties that go back to the revolutionary war.”

His eyes drifted closed. She curled up on her side laying her head beside his on the pillow where she watched him fall asleep. She drifted off right after he did.

Mags changed shifts with Hallie at six am, waking Donna. “So sorry.” she said. “”Need to get your mans vitals for the chart. You comfortable there Ms. Collins?”

Donna felt as if her spine had been twisted into a pretzel, but it had felt so good sleeping beside the solid warmth of her husband again that she stretched and smiled, “Reasonably so, Mags.”


“So,” Donna said, “Tell me more about your family and the Collins, Mags. I have so much to learn, I feel very lax in not pursuing some kind of knowledge about every thing.”

“If you lived you whole life around here same as me you wouldn’t know the whole tale, I think. Well, the legend says that the Caravan made summer camp near Collinwood in the late 1880’s. Back in those days the Rakosi’s were king of the Gypsy’s though that sounds funny today, doesn’t it?

“Anyway, My ancestor Jeannette was said to be the most beautiful woman in the caravan. When Quentin Collins courted her, her sister; who was also named Magda, like me; was determined that she wouldn’t be the typical gypsy mistress kept in a rich mans splendor in exchange for her favors, you understand? Magda used every trick in the book to see that her beautiful sister would not be used and discarded. Quentin and Jeannette eloped.

“They say that she was not able to birth a live baby, and indeed they buried their first born. My ancestor became deranged and they locked her away in the tower. Her sister and the Rakosi’s didn’t move on with the caravan. They stayed in Collinport. Magda cursed Quentin and all his descendants for treating her sister so cavalierly.”
“Cursed them?” Donna interrupted, “Because her sister lost her mind, or because they locked her up in the tower?”

Mags shrugged, eloquently, a lithe gesture that showed how graceful she must have been in her younger years, “The problem was that Quentin Collins took their daughter Lenore and moved away, forgot about poor Jennie, she would get out of her room and wonder the estate carrying a doll and looking for her baby.”

“That is so sad.”

“Isn’t it? The Rakosi stayed on. Now I’m here, Aristede has married into the Collins family and our sister Ilsa is working here paying her way through college. We are ingrained here at Collinwood.”

“Fascinating. What became of the curse?”

The elegant shrug lifted Mags shoulders again and she smiled widely, “You will have to ask the current Quentin. May be he is still cursed.”

Donna excused herself, using the bathroom and brewing a cup of coffee when she slipped quietly back into the room through the open door Amy was sitting beside David. A totally foreign feeling welled up in her throat she recognized as jealousy. It caused her to hang back, quiet as a mouse to listen to what his ex said to him.

“Sarah and Joshua get along so well. They think it is hysterical that the nephew is a year older than the aunt.” she took a deep breath, “I can’t wait for you to be able to talk to us. What you think of your big, strong son. The whole time you were gone, David, I never gave up you would come back to Collinwood. I raised your son here, the family educated him well. We never wanted for anything, don’t get me wrong, its just that some where in my head I thought we might be star crossed lover’s, the kind that fate reunites.”

Donna’s heart hit the pit of her stomach with a jolt and she almost turned away until she heard Amy go on. I gave that up years ago, and I am so glad I did. Donna is a wonderful person. We are growing to be friends. You rest assured, David Collins, that I will look out for her.

Amy’s audience must have made some sound because Amy turned around and saw Donna at the doorway.

Donna smiled, sheepishly, “Caught you with my man.”

“Yes, you did! I have so much I want to share with him.”

“I can only imagine so.” Donna chastised herself for jealousy, an emotion she had never had to deal with and gave Amy her blessing to stay with David awhile. He winked at her when she kissed him. She patted his cheeks before leaving for her room to get dressed.

Nothing prepared Donna for the state of her room when she entered. The mattress was laying off the box spring, the sheets and covers torn to shreds.

“What on earth?” Donna said, picking up a long sleeved tee from the pile of her clothes that had been dumped in the middle of the room. She stood still, stunned, until her paralysis was broken by the sound of someone in the adjoining bathroom.

“Sarah!” she exclaimed and rushed through the batrhroom door.

“Mother. Will you knock?” Sarah was brushing her teeth.

“Have you been in my room?”

“No.” Gargle. Rinse. Spit. “Why?”

“Someone has been going through my stuff.”

Sarah went past her and looked at the wreckage in her room, “Uhm, mom. You’ve been ransacked. Did you tell anyone about this?”

“I found it this way a few seconds ago, when I heard you in the bathroom…”

Sarah shivered and grabbed her mom by the arm, “Are you crazy? You don’t watch TV? We have to get out of here there may be someone in here still.”

Sarah grabbed the cell off the dresser, “Let’s go. The family should be in the dining room at breakfast. We can see how they react to this.”

“Who are you, Nancy Drew?”

“Very funny. Get your slippers.” Sarah led her mother, still in her night clothes to the dining room.

A full buffet was lined up on the side board that opened into the butlers pantry Donna noticed as the took a short cut through the kitchen and pantry to the formal dining room. Will looked up from his coffee as they popped noisily out the swinging door.

“Well, good morning.” he said jauntily. If he noticed Donna was still in her pajama’s and robe he didn’t let on.

“Mr. Loomis….”

“Please call me Will. I’m not use to such formality. I started out as an employee, of sorts, around here. I’ll never get use to being the man of the house.”

Carolyn, passing by on her way to the buffet gave him an impulsive hug. “You paid your due’s, didn’t you Willie? We went through so much together, my sweet Willie looking out for us as best he could. You earned being man of the house.” She turned to Donna, “Please would you like to join us for breakfast?”

“Oh, yes, thank you.” Sarah began to fill her plate from the stainless steel steamers.

“You would not believe the things we went through to find out we loved each other.” Will said, “I can’t explain how lucky I am.”

Donna poured herself coffee, waiting patiently, when Carolyn and Will seemed to have said all they were going to for the moment then said, “Some one ransacked my room last night.”

Aristede, Elizabeth and Tad entered, with Angie close behind. “Who would do such a thing?” Elizabeth ask. She was regal. Although Donna had seen her around before she noticed for the first time that she was pregnant.

“I’d like to know the answer to that as well.”

“I’ll go.” Ari said, going throught the pantry door.

“Me too.” Tad said, following him out of the room.

Angie went to follow but Julia wheeled in in her electric chair. “Angie. Leave them be. Come and have something to eat with your momma.”
Angie clearly would have rather followed her crush, but she did as her mother ask, filled a plate and joined Sarah at the far end of the table.

“What are you going to do when he goes off to college in a few years?” Julia ask her daughter, and Donna noticed what a startling age difference between mother and daughter. Julia was clearly too elderly to have a 11 year old daughter. Angie could be her grand daughter, or even great grand daughter.

Ari and Tad returned, “The door to the side yard was unlocked. There was no one in your apartment but the David and the doctor.” Ari told them.”

“I don’t know what anyone would be looking for in my stuff.” Donna mused.

Sarah snorted a laugh, “We’re penniless so it sure wasn’t money.”

Donna blushed but didn’t bother to deny the truth, “Thank you, Ari and Tad, for checking it out.”

Tad heaped a plate full of food, “We can call the sheriff, file a report.” he said.

“No.” Donna responded immediately, “No, that’s all right.”

Elizabeth picked up her cell , “Do we have anyone on staff who can’t be trusted 100%?”

Amy’s voice replied from the phone, “I don’t think so.”

“Can you get me a list of everyone who works for us, Amy, and of who was on duty last night?”

“Yes, Mrs. Rakosi.” Amy answered. She didn’t sound pleased.

“Ari and I will talk to the staff. If nothing else one of them might have seen some thing.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Donna dressed and cleaned her room. She brought the shredded sheets to Amy because she didn’t know what else to do with them.

“This seems a bit more personal than someone being nosey.” Amy said.

“I know. It doesn’t make sense, does it?”

Donna and Sarah met Carolyn in the main hall for their long awaited tour. Donna lost herself looking at the paintings which bracketed the front entry.

“This guy looks like Tad.” Sarah said looking at the painting of a man holding a wolf’s head cane.

Carolyn laughed. “We have all noticed that.”

Half way through the second floor Angie met them and asked if Sarah could go to the Old house to play. “Roger is renovating again. He seems to think that there is a fake wall in the basement.” she told Sarah.

“Really?”

“Uh-huh. He wants to make their quarters larger, they want another baby, it seems like baby fever around here now that Elizabeth is preggers.”

“Renovating?” Donna said, “Sarah, I don’t know, maybe you shouldn’t get in the way?”

“It’s okay,” Angie reassured her, “Please? Please let Sarah come with? Joshua said Roger might let us take a hammer to the wall!”

Donna looked at the petite blond child with her heart shaped face and shining blond curls beside her dark haired, blue eyed daughter, both so hopefull and excited.

“Well, in that case, how can I say no?”

The kids ran off. “I’ll text you, mom.” Sarah called back to her.

They went through the second floor and climbed the back stairs to the third floor. The old school room was awash with strong sunlight. Four rooms opened off it, the teachers room, the nanny’s room and two small bedrooms. Another bedroom was in the tower.

“Back in the old days,” Carolyn was telling her, “this floor was where they stashed tradesmen and merchants, sometimes poor relations.” The attic was a warren of small rooms, “The servants lived up here. Now its mostly storage.” They ended the tour with Carlyn pushing a secret passage door open. A secret staircase led all the way to the main floor where it opened from the right front corner of the main parlor.

“Sarah is going to be so sorry she missed this.” Donna said as they pushed through the secret panel.

Jeb Hawkes wife, Daphne was in the parlor and screamed when they popped out the silent portal. “Hi.” Carolyn laughed and hugged her daughter-in-law.

“Jeb’s gone to Lexington on family business, mom.“ she told Carolyn. “Can Steven and I stay at the big house with you?”

“We live at Rose Cottage.” Daphne explained, “it’s the neatest place. Mom and her first husband lived there. It’s terrific, but I don’t like staying there alone. It’s way off in the woods behind the old house.”

She invited Donna to come over while she packed an over night bag for her and her son and they walked.

“Most people drive, “ Daphne told her on the walk, “But its not even two miles. Are you up for it?”

“We’ll find out.”

The fall colors were amazing. They walked slowly, with little conversation beside benign pleasantries. Daphne introduced Donna to Ilsa, Aristede’s sister , who had been watching the boy for his mothers short trip to the new house, as they called the three hundred year old manse. Steven was secured in his booster car seat as soon as they were done packing the car.

“Daphne and me, we’ve been best friends since grade school,” Ilsa told Donna. She was gypsy dark, with a wild Maine of black hair and snapping black eyes. “Took my man away from me didn’t you pixie?” Ilsa teased Daphne.

“Please,” Daphne said, “ You served him coffee at the Inn when you worked there in High School. I hardly think I slunk into his bed behind your back.”

Ilsa laughed, “It’s true, but I can pretend.” She turned to Donna, He’s ten years older than us, but he was the most eligible bachelor in Maine. No one is happier for them than I am. Do I wish one of the Collins fell for me? Sure. If not me there’s none better than Daph.”

“Climb in We’ll give you a ride back to the house.” Daphne offered.

“I think I’ll walk.” Donna said, “The Old House is this way right?” She pointed away from the new house.

“Yes. You have your phone? They work all over the estate, although they do get patchy reception up by the lighthouse past the Jenning’s old place.”

“Sarah is with Angie and Josh. I’ll check in with them, see how they’re doing. I doubt I’ll go that far.”

“Ok, bye.” Daphne drove off with Ilsa in the passengers seat.

The path that wound through the woods was serpentine. She stopped at one point in a clearing and noticed that there seemed to be a storm moving in. Pewter and black clouds didn’t drift so much as roil, crawling across the skyline like a swarm of ants over a picnic crumb.

Donna hoped she would make it to the old house before the sky opened up on her. When she headed out of the clearing toward the Old House it was with a more determined gait than the one she entered with. She was so focused on getting in before the storm that she almost failed to notice the absolute silence in the woods. No frogs croaking, no bird’s chirping. The realization brought her up short. She stopped, the giant old tree’s shedding their leaves about her didn’t make a whisper of sound.

“This isn’t right.” she said, out loud, and her quiet tone sounded huge, loud in the silence.

Donna kept moving, but her eyes darted around her as she did so. Another clearing opened up before her and she walked into it to find a thin wisp of a girl sitting on a stump near the middle.

“What are you doing out here?” Donna asked, “There’s a storm coming. You can go with me to the….”

She stopped talking when the girl stood up and moved toward her. The child had no feet. Donna felt as if cotton had been stuffed in her ears. Her vision narrowed and then expanded. The girl moved around behind the stump where a tree decomposed laying alongside the trail.

“Hurry!” the girl said. Donna heard it as an echo. “There is no time. Please. I’m David’s friend, please believe me. You have to hide. Now!”

In a fog Donna moved to the other side of the tree, finding a crevice between the branches where the felled tree covered up a natural gully. She squatted, uncertain of what to do and in the sile3nce she heard some one coming down the path from the direction of the old house. Without hesitation she crawled under the tree onto the carpet of leaves.

They entered the clearing talking. “You have to get rid of them.”

“I’m working on it.”

“You’re taking too long! Once they find out our opportunity will be lost.”

“I told you, I’m working on it.”

“What do you want me to do kill them in cold blood?”

“If you have too.”

The voices melted away in the direction the storm was coming from. Donna lay there a few minutes until she noticed the normal forest sounds expanding around her. she knew she would be safe to go on and crawled out of her hiding place, heading determinedly away from her fellow hikers.

She couldn’t get their words out of her head. Some on at Collinwood was in serious trouble. Donna hurried along, watching her step as the shadows lengthened, the woods darkened significantly as storm clouds blocked out the sun. She came off the path in the back yard behind the old house and raced to the door as the first fat, cold raindrops hit her hard.

No one answered her knock and she stepped back to notice a note on the door. Roger’s wife Nora had taken the kids back to the New House, it said, so they wouldn’t be caught in the rain. The sky opened up pouring buckets of cold stinging rain. Donna saw the stables out back and ran for them, keying the microphone on the person to person handset as soon as she was under the roof.

“Amy,” she said, “I’ve missed everyone here at the Old House. Could you send some one after me at the old house? The stables. Thanks.”

Donna was, wet, cold and confused. She waited for her ride, keeping a watchful eye out for the little girl she had seen earlier. She repeated her over heard conversation in her mind. Had she really over heard people plotting a murder? Had she seriously seen a ghost? Things had changed so drastically since her husband had collapsed washing their car a month ago. The things she was reconstructing in her mind were too out of her orbit to fully grasp. Donna got a clean blanket out of the Tack Room, wrapped it around her shoulders and sat down to wait.

The car coasted to a stop at the back door, and a solid young man of about 20 got out from behind the wheel. She ran over to the Pontiac and climbed into the passengers seat. The man got back into the car.

“Excuse me, “ he said, “Can I help you?”

“I thought, Amy was going to, your not my ride back to the New House are you?”

“No, but I could be. I’m Sam Evans, Nora’s brother.” They shook hands. Sam flipped a switch and heat poured out of the vents. “You feel cold.”

“Oh, wow. Yes, I am. Thanks.”

Donna called Amy to cancel the rise and was very glad that she did. Her ride hadn’t started out from the garage yet. She took as little time as she could once back at the house to get into her apartment and sink into chin deep hot water in the giant claw foot tub.

Feeling better after soaking and allowing the hot water to melt the chill from her bones, Donna wrapped in a towel. She was drowsy from the bath, but she noticed immediately that some one had started a fire in her room. The afternoon had turned to evening and she first considered and then decided not to turn on a light, the sound of rain washed over the house, through the room as loud as she had ever heard it. She stopped for a minute in the gloom with her hand on the back of the arm chair that, with its mate, flanked the fireplace. Did she hear something? Shrugging she decided to lay down for a few minutes. Sarah was in her room with a book she had brought back to read, David was resting with Bryce on duty and Donna could think of no reason not to indulge in a nap.

Her foot caught on something left on the floor and Donna stumbled, loosing her balance. She went down to one knee, smacked her elbow painfully and pulled into a sitting position. Thunder boomed. Donna was in the middle of pulling herself back to her feet when the lightning whitewashed the room with its blue white light.

On her hands and knees, with the towel unfolded across her shoulders she found herself looking into a purple, bloated face. Dark hair blossomed crimson in the second flash of lightning, the catalyst which set Donna free of her momentary paralysis.

She screamed. It felt so good she kept right on screaming.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Donna couldn’t stop staring at the bloody body on the floor between the chairs. “I have to stop screaming.” She thought, but she couldn’t do that either. Her door flew open, the big nurses aid Bryce coming through the door first with Josie behind him on the phone. She could hear Sarah on the other side of the doctor and snapped out of it immediately. She couldn’t let Sarah see this. It was the only thought in her head.

Bryce scooped her up like a child, wrapping the towel around her like tucking a baby blanket in.

“Don’t let Sarah in here.” Donna screamed.

Josie stepped back out of the room. Barring Sarah’s entry with the door until Bryce stepped out of the room. Sarah, eyes wide and glassy was trying to climb up Bryce to get to her mother. He sat Donna in a chair and covered her with an afghan. Sarah crawled into her mother’s lap and Donna felt her heartbeat quiet.

“Doc, you better come.” Bryce said to Josie, he was on his phone by the time they got the bedroom door open. “Amy,” she heard him say, “We’re gonna have to call the cops again.”

Sarah,” Donna said, suddenly. “We have to go tell Daddy both of us are ok. He might be worried if he hears any of this.” They abandoned the chair and the afghan and closed themselves into David’s room where they both crawled unceremoniously into the bed with him, the way they had spent so many Sunday mornings of their lives.

The apartment filled with people. Bryce let no one else pass the thresh hold of what he called “the crime scene”. Josie took one look at the small family huddled together, David unable to move except to pat first one and then the other. When he saw her had no problem motioning her to get away. She closed the door and left them alone together.

Officer Trask was a tall, lean young man with raven black hair and severe eyebrows. They looked like hairy, black caterpillars chasing each other across his otherwise handsome face. Donna had to look away from him to get her composure. When she spoke to him she noticed his piercing dark eyes.

“That’s your statement, Mrs. Collins?” he ask her again.

“Yes, officer.”

“A ghost warned you to hide from some men in the woods who you over heard planning to get rid of someone. Then you came home and got in the tub without noticing Magda Rakosi dead in your floor.”

“That’s right. I didn’t go to my room. I went straight to the bathroom.”

“Before or after you looked in on your husband and daughter?”

“After. Look, I’ve only lived here about 10 days. I don’t know anyone well enough to want to kill them.”

Gideon Trask shook his head to show that he understood. “That’s why I’m going to do you a big favor, Mrs. Collins. I’m not going to put the part about the ghost in my report. If it becomes some how important I have these interviews on tape and will give it up. Since I can’t see a ghost being relevant in a murder investigation, even in Collinwood.”

Donna nodded, “You said not to leave anything out.”

“I know, and when talking to me I hope that you say anything… I’ve heard it all, its just that people who aren’t from around here don’t understand.”

“Officer, I don’t believe that I understand.”

The apartment became a crime scene as the Coroner and others piled in. They took measurements and pictures then did them all over again. About midnight with David and Sarah asleep side by side, Officer Gideon Trask allowed Donna back into her room. She found her suitcase in the ward robe packed all of her things and went back to David’s room. After another few hours of laying awake in the big bed she got back up, found her house shoes and went to the library to find a book.

It was actually quite easy to lose herself in titles from authors from Chaucer to Nathaniel Hawthorne, Steven King to Max Lucado, there didn’t seem to be any title not available. She simply walked the length of the room touching the spines of the novels, inhaling the sacred scent of bound leather until she came to the furthest corner of the room. The big desk looked like it might be as old as the house. She sank into the over sized chair and thought about how many generations of her husbands family had sat at this desk over the years.

Something was nagging at her, as if she were missing something. When she felt like this watching a movie she would reverse it to the last scene that made sense and watch it again, but this was not her watching a movie. This was her, way out of her depth with a dead body in her bedroom, a ghost girl, a haunted house and her beloved husband Mark, was actually David disabled and dependant on her. She did what she always did when facing a dilemma. She despaired, wallowing for a long time in quiet misery, then rifled the desk for pen and paper and wrote everything down.

September 17-- Parent Teacher Meeting Mark - David stroke

October 3 -- Other worldly older man leaves safe deposit key and bank business card in Mark - David’s hand

October 4 -- Safety deposit box contains detailed information on how to contact Mark - David’s family

October 5 -- Jeb shows up and asks to perform a DNA match on Mark which proves he is David

October 7 -- Trip to Collinwood

October 14 -- Found squatters in the cottage with Amy, “experience” in the tower

October 15 -- girl warns her to hide, over hears death plot, finds murdered body in her room.

She looked at the events on paper in black and white and mentally shook herself.

“What could there be that I am not seeing?” She asked herself, out loud. “What do these things have in common? What I missing?”

From the shadows beyond her table lamp a mans voice said, “Sleep?”

Donna jumped, coming out of the chair. Jeremiah walked out of the shadows, a brandy snifter in one hand. He had on some kind of High End suit, monochrome, with an enormously expense gray tie, pin striped in a darker gray, over and unbuttoned gray shirt just a fraction darker gray. The Jacket and perfectly tailored pant were so dark a gray they could have been black. “No,” Donna thought this time keeping the voice in side her head, “It would have to be gray, right? Otherwise the whole look was thrown off.”

She shook her head, lightheaded with exhaustion and the strain of staring at her list for… she looked at her watch… over an hour now. She pulled her fingers through her hair and released it in an unconscious gesture.

“I am very sorry. There was no way I could avoid startling you.”

“What are you doing here so late? Jeremiah, isn‘t it?”

“Very good. You are good with names. I keep late hours much like my father.” Jeremiah explained, “He never got used to being up days and sleeping nights, could not make the adjustment.”

“Adjustment? From what?”

Jeremiah waved the question away. “He had a night job. Once he retired his inner time clock refused to adjust. You never knew where you would run in to him. Any Hour.

“Personally, I own a nightclub. I’m actually early tonight.” He leaned across the desk, slightly, resting his hip on the far side. To Donna’s horror she actually jumped again, even though Jeremiah was two feet away.

Jeremiah swirled the golden liquid in his cut glass Chrystal snifter as if to bring attention to it. “Besides, Mother has the best liquor in the county.” Jeremiah lowered his goblet and clasp both his hands looking at her from under his lashes, “I’m making you uncomfortable.”

He dropped the facade like a costume, realaxing his posture, loosening the tie all the way and he even held his glass differently, “I’m sorry. I bring the character at the club home with me. Mother tells me off about it regularly.”

Donna snorted out a little laugh, tried to hold it, to her own ears she sounded unbalanced, “You were in character?”

Jeremiah returned to his drink, “Its me,” He flashed her a Hollywood, Rat Pack, Brat Pack, Poor Rich Boy grin, also exaggerated. “It’s what the villagers expect.” He finished his drink, noting her confused look.

“They come to the club. Everybody comes for hundreds of miles. The deep pockets are invited to the top floor, the private dance club. They expect to be rubbing elbows with the elite of Northern Society.”

The way he said It, somehow, Donna seemed to know those words were capitalized; Northern Society.

“I’m the fabulously rich playboy with the hottest club north of Bangor. I try not to disappoint.” Jeremiah turned back on her to cross into the shadows under the loft, lifting the snifter to her after filling his it from the globe bar.

Her breath caught when he disappeared into the gloom for that one swift moment. She would never have seen him if he had stood still in those shadows without calling attention to himself. Wind softly rattled the window pains on the French doors on either side of the desk.

“I did not mean to be up so late, I’d better go. Well, goodnight Mr. Collins.”

Jeremiah inclined his head to the door as if dismissing a valet, watching her from half lidded eyes so that she could not see is gaze. He educated an exaggerated bow.

“Good night, Mrs. Collins.”

Donna took her list off the table and headed straight for her apartment.

David, who was understandably restless, feigned sleep when she came in.

Donna pulled the draperies across the windows swiftly, without much thinking about the Areo bed they had filled earlier and was resting in front of the windows. It was across the room from David, but she could fall asleep to the sound of his breathing, and for Donna, for now, it was enough.

Deep in the woods, north of the estate, the cry of a wolf wafted forlornly. In David’s room, the sound was soft, far away. Donna and Sarah did not so much as roll over, but in David’s bed, the sound brought his eyes open. He turned his head on his pillow and watched the Harvest Moon slide lazily across the crack that was accidentally left open in the heavy curtains.

Beads of sweat appeared above his silent lips and furrowed brow.

PART TWO: A Little Knowledge is worse than none at all

CHAPTER FIVE

“My name is David Collins. I grew up in this house, on these grounds. Fantastic things happened here. Fantastic as in unbelievable. My cousin Carolyn would say that we must have an open portal here. A portal to another time, a portal to parallel dimensions, it is, we hope, a completely unique place, unlike any other of which we are aware. For you see, at Collinwood the dead walk. Ghosts not only haunt us, sometimes mythical beasts walk among us. They look the same on the outside as you and me. They are not pretend. It certainly is no fairy tale.

I moved away to be rid of the supernatural. For the most part it worked. I never expected to be here again, much less unable speak, unable to move, unable to warn my wife and daughter that things are not always what they seem at Collinwood. Sometimes they are so much worse…”

Gideon Trask was interviewing everyone at Collinwood, family, staff, even the renters at the lighthouse. He set up an office in the small study off the Main Hall. Forensics blocked off the apartment with yellow crime scene tape and a steady flow of officials came and went, purpose driving every step.

“Mrs. Collins,” he said in the booming voice that no doubt stood his ancestors well in their calling as Ministers. It was deep, with a timber that would reach the back rows of any theater. “I am required by law to inform you that this is your official statement concerning the death of Magda Rakosi. I am recording this interview for the records. I am required to inform you that anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, if necessary. You have the right to remain silent or to have an attorney present. Do you understand these rights?”

“Am I under arrest?” Donna ask.

“No.”

Jeb Hawkes entered the room. “Donna, as you know I am the barrister for the family. As such you are entitled to my counsel. Would you like me to stay?”

Donna thought, chewing on her nail, “yes.” she said, raking her fingers through her hair and holding it off her neck.”

Gideon nodded, “October 18. Officer Gideon Trask, Donna Collins and her attorney, Jeb Hawkes. Eight a.m; Mrs. Collins in your own words please tell me what led up to your discovery of Magda Rakosi. Be as specific as you can. Provide times as well as any thin you think might be pertainant.”

Donna repeated her earlier statement, leaving out her brief conversation with the ghost girl.. There were a few official questions which Officer Trask informed her would be transcribed for her signature. When she left the room Amy went in.

There were probably 50 people in the Main Parlor and more waiting for their interview. Aristede, Elizabeth and Ilsa were in the Dining Room, picking through a huge breakfast buffet.

Nora, Roger’s wife was fussing over Elizabeth. “The baby needs for you to eat, Lizzie.”

Elizabeth threw her plate across the room, missing Nora by inches. “I ate.”

Aristede cleaned up the mess, “I am sorry.” he whispered to Nora.

“Do not dare to apologize for me!” Elizabeth exclaimed, exploding magnificently in a stream of tears and curses, as she struggled to her feet, “Your sister is dead, for God’s sake, Ari! Dead! Could you stop being the correct little servant lap dog for at least one day?”

Ari threw the remains of a nearly intact meal and broken Hepplewaite China in the trash in the Butler’s Pantry. “Excuse me.” He said to no one imparticular and stalked stiff legged out the door, joining a group of stable hands in the music room who were drinking coffee from cups the size of their palms.

“That’s right, scurry on back to your own kind.” Elizabeth yelled, cruelly, running from the room.

Nora sat down, tearfully.

Donna, trying not to gawk at the uncomfortable display of grief and family trauma, looked around the room. Her gaze fell on Ilsa who was obviously sick. Her hair was dirty, laying in greasy tufts about her head and shoulders. She was slumped limply over a plate of food which had been rearranged on her plate. Her eyes fought to stay open by shifting, hummingbird quick from one thing in the room to another. Her skin was pale, standing out boldly on her naturally swarthy complexion. Every few seconds her muscles would jerk as if in spasm.

Donna was reminded of the many addicts she had seen growing up as her mentally ill mother drug her from one temporary home to another. Feeling bad for thinking of adding to the woman’s loss she none the less determined to make sure that this woman was never left to watch the children, if she could help it. Sighing she realized that the commitment to seeing that idea to fruition was going to require her talking to Amy about her suspitions.

“Nora?” she spoke to her daughter-in-law, “That was very thoughtful of you.”

Nora looked at her with deep, soulful eyes. Donna was stricken momentarily numb by the depth of grief in the younger woman’s face. “For what good it did.” she said, sniffing around her tears.

“Some people can’t bare kindness when they are hurting. It certainly doesn’t reflect badly on you.”

Wondering in to the kitchen Donna spotted Maggie supervising a group of busy cooks.

“Maggie?”

“Donna, hey are you holding up okay? How are Sarah and David?”

“David started to babble this morning. Josie thinks that is a good sign,”
“How so?”

“He is trying to talk. She said that he is probably thinking in words we would recognise but is unable to remember how to speak.”

“What did he say?”

“Sounded like “rog der fling blonk siggity soup. Josie thinks his hearing might also be nonsensical right now as well, but it shows that circuits may be trying to reroute around his damaged brain.”

“That sounds like apositive step.”

“It is, I think, Sarah went to school very encouraged.”

“Good then, that’s great. What can I do for you, hon?”

“Well, first the men in the music room look like they are drinking out of thimbles; do we have any man sized mugs for them?”

“Yes. Of course.” Maggie called an elderly lady over and ask her to replace all the demitasse cups with mugs. “Thank you. Was there more?”

Donna fidgeted, “Elizabeth seems to be having a really hard time, and…Ilsa appears to be drugged, or something.”

Maggie gave her a quick hug, “I’ll ask Josie to check on them both as soon as she can. Thank you. May I ask you a favor?”

“Of course, what is it?”

“Could you make sure all those waiting know there is food and coffee available?”

Donna made the circuit of the downstairs rooms at Maggie’s request. She passed an unfamiliar young woman in server’s balk and white carrying trays of demitasse cups back to the kitchen and filled a earthenware mug with Earl grey tea from the sideboard in the Main parlor.

She mingled through the room informing those waiting of the offer of a buffet. Snippets of conversations swirled about her as she roamed in and out of conversations.

Victoria and Carolyn were chatting in the library, “Nora was told they can’t have any more children.”
Carolyn said, then noticed Donna. “Oh, my gracious I am so sorry. You should never have heard that from me.”

It took Donna moment to realize that this was David’s grand children who would never be. She teared up, suddenly, realizing why Nora was so forlorne. Victoria engulfed her in a hug, patting her back like one would a child.

Donna quickly pulled herself together, “Never mind that, Carolyn, it wasn’t meant to upset me. How incredibly sad. Joshua is such a delight.”

“Yes, he is.” Caroyn said.

“Josh is a great kid.” Victoria agreed.

Donna recovered her poise, “Have you eaten? Maggie has her staff maintaining a scrumptious buffet.”

Vickie’s stomach growled as if on cue, “That sounds good.”

“I can use something sweet,” Carolyn said, laughing with her friend, “I eat when under stress.”

The two older women moved away and Donna heard Vickie say, “Since when? You haven’t gained a pound since 1975...”

Donna’s head buzzed. She had been a mother-in-law fro less than a month that she knew about. She didn’t know how to handle this. Should she wait to let them bring it up? Reach out? What?

She drifted through the pocket doors to the library. Willie, Quentin and Jeff Clark were huddled together behind the spiral stair case. “You are out of line, Clark.” Quentin exclaimed fiercely.

“Am I? Are we going to have to protect our families, Quentin?” Jeff demanded to know.

Will stepped between them like a buffer, “Family, Jeff, we are all the same family. It seems like a fair question.” He said calmly.

“Victoria and I have always been made to feel like family, of course, but we are not blood.” Jeff reminded him.

“We all agreed that at least amongst family we would not duck and cover. If there is a need the Collins will rally. We have done so before.” Will said.

Quentin was holding himself in such strict posture that he seemed to grow in size, looming over both the other men. Breathing deeply he seemed to deflate, “You are right, of course. Old habits die hard. I assure you there is no cause for alarm, besides the current situation.”

“Which is what exactly?” Jeff was still nearly distraught.

Quentin noticed Donna and nodded at her, “How go the inquisitions?”

“Moving right along.” Donna replied as if she weren’t confused. “There’s fresh food on the buffet and Maggie ditched the mini cups for actual mugs.”

Jeff slapped Quentin on the back. “That sounds too good to be true. Shall we?”

Will stopped as he brought up the rear of their small parade and gave Donna a friendly familial peck on the cheek. “I am so very sorry that this has happened.”

“Yes,” Donna replied, “Me too.”

Donna sank into a chair that had been turned to look out at the terrace fountain. She may have dosed, the clatter of voices ebbing and flowing around her.

“What are you doing?” a male voice said from behind her, jarring her awake.

“Drinking Collins brandy, whazzit look like?”

“You’ll get us fired!”

“Relax, your as jumpy as a virgin on prom night.”

“Good advise except we are not going to be able to get to the new bitch’s near as easily now, thanks to your fuck up.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Give it a rest. Who knew the gypsy would be napping in her room?”

Donna might have jumped to her feet, made some noise, or tried to peek to see whoi was speaking but she was stopped in her tracks by the little girl’s ghost who was instantly in front of her with her finger to her pursed lips as if to shush her. The pale, freckled child shook her head back and forth, her look pleading.

Afraid to move, Donna looked at the petite girls image, the ruffled floor length night gown didn’t seem to have any color. Not that it was white or any other color, it simply had a black and white translucence like an antique photograph might. The flounced, ruffled head cap was a creamy tan, the girl’s long, reddish brown braids boasted matching baby blue ribbons as the night cap. The rest of her vanished going from color, to black and white and then fading out of her vision.

“I have to be dreaming.” she thought, transfixed.

As if she could hear her the girl pulled a ribbon from her hair and pressed it into Donna’s hands. Silently they stared at each other. The sound of the men leaving the bar area as others entered the room brought Donna out of her chair. The ghost was gone. Donna determined that she was not going to share this with anyone else at this moment and went back to mingling with those waiting to be interviewed.

Carolyn and Maggie found her sitting with David after lunch.

“You know,” Carolyn said, “Maggie and me are going to rifle through the storage in the attic and find something vintage to wear for the costume party.

“Want to come join us?” Maggie asked enthusiastically.

“Gerbil, father, freakish, rev, rule, evoke.” David piped up. The women looked at him.

“Hi, David.” Maggie said as if he had greeted her in comprehensive English. “This is a good sign, Josie tells me.”

“Mobsters.” he said, shaking his head in confusion, “Sandbox barnicles, woon tang the flower!”

Josie stepped in and soothed him, “This is normal, David, this is progress.”

“Rabid cockroaches eat spaghetti!” he screamed reaching for Maggie’s hand. She squeezed his hand.

“Oh, dear,” she said,”he is really trying to tell me, us, something. Isn’t he?”

Josie reached for a syringe and put a small amount of medication in his I.V. “In time, David, in time. You push too hard there could be a set back.”

“Almondine.” he said, blinking rapidly, “Father, Father, Father.”

“You should go.” Josie told the women.

Donna kissed her husband on his closed eyelids, tasting the frustration in the salt of his tears. “I love you spud.” she said, “Rabid cockroach almonds, I do not care, do you hear me Mark?”

“Loch Ness.” he whispered as he dosed off into a medically induced sleep.

The women wondered down to the Media room where Donna broke down sobbing, “This is so hard.”

Carolyn and Maggie cried with her for a few minutes before Maggie said, “Come on ladies, distraction awaits.”

“That is right.” Carolyn said. She stood up pulling Donna to her feet and laughed unexpectedly.

“Rabid cockroaches eat spaghetti.” she repeated. And they all dissolved laughing, breaking the tension.

“Oh,” Donna sobered slowly, “I should be ashamed laughing at him like this.”

“Nonsense.” Carolyn said. “Laughter is very good for a person.”

“That’s right.” Maggie added, “it is healing and strengthening too. It produces feel good hormones that relieve stress and can be very healing!”

“Maggie once laughed for three days.”

“What?” Donna ask.

“Thanks, Caro. Yes, it is true. That is actually what brought Dr. Hoffman to Collinwood originally. She was my doctor at the clinic after I was institutionalized.”

“Whoa.” Donna commented, following the women past the third floor hall and in to the attic space. “Are you going to expand on that or force me to imagine the details?”

“I was kidnapped. I have no memory of getting away but I remember Windcliff Sanotarium. Dr. Hoffman treated me. She came with me when they let me out. You will have to ask her what went on here at the time, but as you know, she stayed on and eventually married Barnabus.”

“Why do I have the feeling there is so much more to that story?” Donna asked.

Carolyn shrugged, “There always is, in’t there?” she said non chalantly.

“Anyway, “Maggie finished her story, “They say I was making no improvement until I laughed for days. I began to recover after that but apparently the memories are lost to me forever, because that was thirty years ago and I haven’t recalled anything more now than I did then.”

“Here we are!” Carolyn exclaimed and pulled a dangling cord to turn on a single light bulb that hang from the center of the vast football field sized room. She fumbled open a drawer on a table below the light and pulled out several cheap flashlights and a package of batteries; “You will find flash lights and batteries in almost every room,” she informed them, “the electricity has issues.”

Loading the lights with fresh batteries she handed them out.

“The farthest corners of the attic hold the oldest cast offs, except for the vintage clothing. I have most of it in the climate controlled fur vault. When mother passed on this was my project, to perserve what heritage we have stashed up here. I’m not finished I’ve only just gone through the 1890’s stuff, and mothers things of course.”

Donna followed them across the attic where numerous mismatched furniture, rugs, curtians and linens lay strung across the wall.Carolyn went to the solid wall and bumped her palm against the center panel. It swung open to reveal a locked door. She tapped in a code and the door swung open with a breathy hiss. The smell was redolent of cedar. Rows upon rows of plastic covered dry cleaning bags held literally hundred, if not more, articles of clothing. In the back, along the back wall was small vault like drawers holding furs behind their labeled facades.

“Wow.” Donna said on a sigh.

“I keep encouraging Caro to open a vintage shop, but she can’t bear to part with any of this.”

“I do not blame her,” Donna said picking up a pair of low wasted “hip hugger” bell bottoms with an elaborate Ying-Yang embroidered on the bells. “These are totally back in style!”

“You can have them.” Carolyn said, “I can not believe I wore them in the first place!”

Maggie snickered, “Oh, really? I can’t believe you wore this!” she held up a bright red and sunshine yellow psychedelic muumuu with a faux cowl collar.”

“Ouch.” Carolyn laughed with her. “I want to look up some of mothers Fifties things.” she told them, “I love those Joan Bennett crinolines with the little jackets.”

“I think I want to go civil war era. Ooh, Caro, can I wear the matching fur cape with this?” she held up a burgundy velvet “traveling” ensemble from the 1840’s.”

“HOw do you know there is one?”

“Are you kidding? This is the dress Melanie Collins is wearing in her portrait, the one outside the library entrance in the second floor hall.” Maggie said.

Carolyn shrugged, “That’s right. Sure, go ahead.”

Donna was mesmerized by the contents of the huge room. She methodically went threw several rows of dresses, looking at the information cards attached to them which showed a picture of the outfit with a short description on the back. She held up what looked like a bar maids costume complete with corset, low cut blouse and calf length, full, crimson cotton skirt. “Pansy Faye.” she read aloud, “What a colorful family you have.”

Carolyn laughed. “We have, Donna, what a colorful family WE HAVE. Even stuffy old Maggie is married to a cousin.”

“We are not married.” maggie corrected her.
“What crap.” Carolyn admonished her. “Common law, ever hear of it? You two been together eighty years.”

Donna snickered.

“Thirty six!”

“Whatever.”

Donna was not done searching the treasures when the other women were.

“Can I stay?” she asked them.

“Sure.” Carolyn said, “Let me give you the lowdown on the high tech; the door is on a timer in case anyone should forget to lock up. Door will close automatically after some specified amount of time. This is the automatic open -- hit this bar -- this is a emergency call button if for whatever reason you need help, or whatever. If the electric goes out there are vents that pop open automatically at interuption of service so even if you got locked in -- like in a blackout or something -- you would be safe. What else?”

Maggie picked up there, “There is a dressing room behind that mirror. The far wall has hats and shoes, costume jewelry is there as well, oh and a bathroom in the dressing room.”

“I swear,” Donna interrupted, “This place is bigger than our first house.”

“Well, “Carolyn informed her, “take full advantage little cousin-in-law, it is all yours.”

Donna smiled dreamily. “You are too kind.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You brought David home to us. That is worth the fortune to me.” Carolyn placed her costume on the chaise by the door with Maggie’s and they left, jeering each other on all the way down the narrow stair case.

Donna meant to go directly back to check on David, the sad, whimsical sentence he had uttered to them so earnestly. “Woon tang the flower.” but she quickly chose to wear the Pansy Faye dress and picked out accessories for it, placing them on the chaise with the other costumes then rapidly got distracted looking through three hundred years of antiques.

Bits and pieces of David’s families lives came to life for her as she looked through stacked canvases, old trunks of letters she had just sat down on the dusty floor in front of a trunk when the electricity fluttered off. She had to back track in the murky day light to find her flash light and by time she had her eyes had adjusted to the dim attic.

She decided to call her snooping off for the day and turned to the trunk again to find a single shaft of sunlight streaming through the dirty window and hitting on a manila envelope on top of the fold out tray of the steamer trunk. For no reason she could ascertain her heartbeat increased.

“Sarah?” she queried, in a very weak voice. No reply was heard. Feeling outlandish she crossed to the trunk and lifted the envelope out to take a look at it. It was dated November 2, 1980 by the post mark and appeared to be worn as if handled frequently. Without a qualm she slipped the page from it and read a short report. Donna dropped it once, then reread it; twice.

Wiping dust from her pants she tucked the papers in her waist band and headed for the stairs. On the second floor landing she ran into Ilsa, shambling a long, holding the wall and looking for the world like a George Romero zombie.

“You!” Ilsa said hatefully. “Izza you fault.”

Donna ran away from her, around the corner to the front hall and all the way to her room. David was asleep, Hallie Stokes by his side.

“Hal, Hallie,” Donna said, stuttering, as she flipped the lock on the door to their suite, “Ilsa is chasing me!”

Hallie checked David, saying “I beg your pardon, Mrs. Collins? Say what?”

Donna jerked, jumping a foot as loud pounding and incoherent sobbing were heard from the hall. Hallie jumped as well, to grab her cell phone. She dialed by pressing a button. “Help.” she said, “Now. David’s rooms!” she pushed the button to end the call and dialed another. “Josie, come up here right away please? No, it seems to be Ilsa.”

Before the pounding could resume they heard Jeb in the hall, murmuring soothingly followed by incoherent screams from beyond the door. Peeking out Donna saw Jeb with a squirming, squealing gypsy trying to claw her way out of his arms. Her threw her over his shoulders in a fire man’s carry. Carolyn and Willie came out of the library doors as Jeb hauled his burden down the front stairs.

Once The Loomis’s were inside the living room area and they were sure David was not disturbed, Donna closed the double doors between the rooms and ask them to sit down.

“What is it?” Carolyn wanted to know.

“Bad news?” Will ask.

“I do not know for sure.” Donna tried to answer, then just handed Carolyn the envelope. “You decide.” was all she ended up saying.

They read the paper, looked at each other, read the paper again. “I can’t believe this.” Carolyn mumbled.

Will put his arm around his wife. “Victoria Winters is your sister!”

CHAPTER SIX

Gideon Trask informed the family that he would have to continue the interviews the next day. “I have deputized some others and we will break those who have not been interviewed into groups. We will try to have this part of the investigation done as soon as we can.”

“Thank you, Trask,” Julia smiled at him, “Please give your father our regards?”

“No, ma’am, that is one request I will deny on behalf of my mother.”

“You are the best of the lot, Gideon.” she said fondly.

“Thank you, ma’am. I’m a heathen, according to my father. The first Trask in 390 years not to wear the cloth, he says.”

Julia laughed, “That was a mantel best left by the way side, Gideon.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded to the others in the room, donned his smart, black patent leather brimmed hat and strode confidently out of the room.
Victoria shivered watching the door for several seconds after it closed. “I am sorry,” she said; musing. “I have a hard time not blaming that boy for who his ancestors were.”

Jeff held her hand.

Will cleared his throat.

“Right. Well, you have the right.” Carolyn said, consoling her, “We have been through so much since you came to Collinwood.”

Victoria nodded, “That we have. I am so glad that we moved away when we did. It really helped us to get away for a time.”

“I never asked you if you meant to come back or how you decided to do so. You were quite traumatized as I recall.”

Jeff answered Carolyn, “Honestly we never expected to come back. It was a natural decision when we made it.”

“I love it here.” Victoria spoke quietly.

Will spoke up, “You’re not going to get a better opening than that, Honey.”

“I thought you were going to let me tell her in my own way!”

“I am. I simply do not want you to take all night to do it.”

“Tell us what?” Jeff ask.

“By some gigantic twist of fate, Donna found something in the attic.” Carolyn handed over the envelope and anxiously waited for them to read it.

“This is a birth certificate.” Victoria stated the obvious.

Jeff took it from her, read it again, handed it back, “That’s your birth certificate, Vickie.”

“No… I… its not. Mine is blank except my information.”

“Look at the mothers name.” Will encouraged her.

“Oh, my!” Victoria exclaimed. “That, that is your mother, Carolyn.”

“Yes, yes it is. If that document is legit then its your mother as well.”

They looked at each other.

“Where did you find this again?” Victoria ask.

“In the attic.”

“The attic? That’s where she died, is it not?”

“Yes.”


“What does this mean?” Victoria ask her husband.

“It means,” Will replied, “We have some legalities to contend with. I ask Jeb to be ready to refer you to a lawyer to represent your family. We shouldn’t need one but it will make us feel better if we do this by the books.”

“A Lawyer? Why would we need a lawyer?”

Jeff patted her lovingly on the knee, “They are going to need to re do the will, aren’t you?”

Will nodded. “Exactly right. We want to take DNA between you sisters for the records, is that okay?”

Victoria looked over whelmed, “Can we keep this between us? I don’t want to tell the kids until we know what is really going on.”

Carolyn crossed the room, hugging her impulsively, “Of course.”

````` ````` `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Sarah wasn’t feeling well when she came home from school. Over protective, Donna ask Josie to look her over.

“Mom.” Sarah said, whining, “I’m not a baby anymore. I can have an exam by myself.”

Behind her Josie caught Donna’s eye and smiled at her.

“Okay.” Donna agreed, “but I will be right here.”

“M-o -- o-m-!” the child drug the word out to two syllables.

“I’ll call if I need you.” Josie said, solemnly.

“Huh?” Donna said, then laughed, “Oh, ha ha.”

She wondered back to the living room area, paced around the little room then crossed to the doors to their bedroom. It was softly lit, the bar of light under the door to Sarah’s room the brightest light in the room. She let her eyes adjust to the shadows and was not overly surprised to see the dapper older man standing beside David’s bed.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Donna whispered.

David’s father motioned for her to come closer to David’s bed.

“You have done a wonderful thing here.” He replied. “My son is home.”

“He’s not doing well, Roger. He is so confused.”

“Things are not what they seem.” Roger said. You have to look deeper.”

“Deeper? Seriously? Your giving me look deeper?”

“What do you want from me?” he said, demanding.

“I want to know what David is trying to tell me.”

“He sees me. David is trying to talk to me.”

“Talk to him. Reassure him.”

“He can’t hear me. The medicine….”

The door opened, a brilliant rectangle of light lit up the shadows, Sarah’s dark silhouette in the center. She looked so proud of herself Donna was happy she had let her have this little freedom. “It’s probably a cold.” she told her mother. “Rest, plenty of liquids and some vitamin C should do me right.”

Donna went to her daughter and hugged her warmly.

“Mom?”

“Hmmm?”

“Why is it so cold in here? I can see my breath.”

Donna looked at Josie over Sarah head and noticed the doctors exhale turned to vapor in the air. “It is an old house, you know.”

“Then it is not a ghost?”

“A what?”

“A ghost, mother. Spirit of the dead?”

“Sarah! You know how your dad is about…”

“Yes, mom, I do. I think I understand it now that we have come here to live, too”

“Oh, really? Do tell, smarty pants.”

“He knows its real. That is why he ran from it, all of this. I know its real too.”

“How is that?”

“The original Sarah told me.”

Donna was quiet. She couldn’t lie to her daughter, not deliberately, She looked at Josie. “Have you seen her too?”

Josie shook her head no. “I have heard stories from enough people I know they aren’t all imagining the same apparition, though.”

“Have you talked to her, mom?” Sarah’s breath was still vaporous. Donna looked around.

“Yes, sweetheart, I have.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Mom?”

“I don’t want you to be frightened. We can’t take daddy away from here. We can’t leave him.”

“Mother. I am not a baby anymore. No ghost can make us turn out back on Daddy.” she went to David’s side and laid her hand on his. “Besides Sarah is his family. She shows up in times of trouble. The other one is here all the time.”

“Your grandfather?”

Sarah turned bright eyes to her mom then Josie. “He’s here, too. I want to meet him. Where is he? Is he here now?”

“How have you heard all the stories?“ Josie ask.

“Angie, Josh, Daniel#, Tad would not confirm or deny.”

“Wait,” Donna said, “Wait just a second, if your not talking about Roger; your grandfather, or ‘the original’ Sarah, who is the other ghost and why are they here?”

“I don’t know her name but she smells wonderful. Remember the first night in Daddy’s room? The flowery smell?”

Donna nodded, “Yes.”

“That was her. I didn’t see her then, mostly she stays at the old house or out on Widow’s Hill. Angie says her name is Josette, just like the Dr here.”

“Your name is Josette?”

Josie grimaced, “Ug, can you imagine growing up with a name like that in this day and age?”

“It’s a beautiful name, really.” Donna and Sarah chorused.

“What is the smell of perfume? I mean what kind of perfume is it?”

“Jasmine.” Josie said. “They say she has always been here, since this house was built. She was ‘the original’ Barnabus’s fiancée. They came here to the Old House to be married. This house was being built at the time. There was a huge scandal when Josette fell in love with Barnabus’s brother Jeremiah. They eloped, but Barnabus was out raged, heart broken.

He called Jeremiah out. They dueled at dawn the first day after the wedding. There was a thick fog that morning, like a blanket of silver mist woven between the trees. It was in the clearing in the woods between the cliff and the old house, behind the Jennings cottage. At the last minute Barnabus loved his brother too much to go through with the duel. Jeremiah made the same decision. When the count of ten sounded Jeremiah shot into the ground. Barnabus clicked a round off from his empty pistol and his brother fell to the ground, Shot in the head.

He lived long enough for Josette to hold him as he took his last breath. It stormed that night as if the ebony night sky ripped open. It is said it was like God Himself raged at Jeremiah’s death. It stormed for a long time.

Not long after, Josette ran through the storm, leaping to her death off what has been called Widow’s Hill ever since. Barnabus tried to reach her, running through the night, across the grounds, with that long woolen great coat flying around him. They say he looked like a great black bat flying across the clearing. The story caught the attention of the community and there were stories…”

Donna cut her off by clearing her throat, and placing her hands on Sarah’s shoulders.

“Anyway,” Josie changed the course of her story, “Barnabus left for England. They say he never loved again even though he married and had a family while in England.”

“How do you know he never loved again?” Sarah asked suspiciously.

“That just makes the legend more romantic.” Donna said.

“What’s romantic about every one dying or being miserable?” Sarah wanted to know.

Josie’s brow furrowed in thought. “Good question.”

“How do you know he had a family?” Sarah was not done asking questions.

“That’s enough, Sarah. Your spoiling her story.” Donna spoke to the child softly to show there was no anger in her reproach.

“Not at all.” Josie said. “I know the answer to that one; In the 1960’s his descendant came to Collinwood, he stayed on here, married Julia. Our Jeremiah is his son. Angelique is his daughter.” There is a series of framed photographs on the wall at the top of the Main stair case. Julia & Barnabus, Jere as a baby, the three of them, all of them. The man loved to have his picture taken. There must be three albums around here of their pictures.

“Can I go find Angie and ask to see them?”

“Ask Julia first. She is usually done in her lab by now and watching soaps in the media room.”

“Ok.”

“Beep me when you get there and when you leave to come back, you hear?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Sarah held the door for Bryce and Hallie to come in as she went out. They huddled around David’s bed, the three of them exchanging information on his condition. They casually included him in the conversation explaining what they were going to do before as they went about massaging and changing him. When they were done, David was in clean pajamas with the FOOTBALLTEAMNAME# logo all over it. Reclining on his side on the wheel chair lounger he was grinning from ear to ear.

“Football night at Collinwood?” Donna said to David. Slowly both eyes closed at once. “Oh my gosh!” she thought silently for a change, “I can’t believe I forgot to tell them he can do that!” She went to open her mouth to say it out loud, but David blinked twice, deliberately. She turned her head reminiscent of the RCA dog from those early commercials. He made the eye signal for ‘no’ again.

Josie was setting up his meds, Hallie was changing the bed, Bryce was rearranging the furniture in the front rooms that David could best see the TV.

“Hey Doc?” Bryce said, calling to her, “You going to watch the game with us?”

“I am!” Hallie piped in.

“I don’t know.” Josie said.

“Jeremiah is going to be here.” Hallie told her.

Josie turned bright crimson from the neckline of her scrubs to her hairline, “Uhm, then hell yes.”

It was not hard to figure out the doctor was carrying a torch.

```````` ``````````````````` ```````````````` ```````````` ```````````` ``````````````` ```````` ````` ````````````````

The funeral for Magda Rakosi, VII was held a week later. She was interred, as all her ancestors were, from Quentin’s wife, forward through the years in the Collins family cemetery. Granted it was in a section far left of the Collins family but it was not in the servants section. Her body was carried from town on a flower draped caisson, the family crest on a silk drapery covered the casket, and dozens of people wore traditional, colorful gypsy apparel.

It was every lonely funeral you ever watched in a horror movie, the grave yard scene before the Zombies walked in the original Romero Night of the Living Dead. Shadows ruled the ancient cemetery, mausoleum’s and monolith statuary memorialized long dead Collins’s, the crosses, angels and epitaphs’ crowding the acres of sacred ground. It was twilight in the afternoon, a ground fog hanging low between the stones in the low valley of the oldest sections.

The “King” of the gypsies, in this case the present day Aristede Rakosi, gave an eloquent and moving eulogy and she was buried face down in the family tradition. The day was over cast and cold, even for October in Maine. The plentiful trees were rife with color against the black edged, silver clouds that roiled with demonic abandon. On the hilltops, a Crisp, damp breeze held the promise of a terrific storm brewing over the estate on Widow’s Hill.

The memorial was held at the old house, where Magda was born in 1952. The Rakosi had lived there during the years after World War II, before 1966, when they had established a commune outside Collinwood. The gypsy camp, with antique caravan wagons, had evolved through the years until now it was a thriving artists colony, tourist attraction in the community and still housed the majority of the resident gypsies and hosted traveling bands in the warmer months.

Donna attended both. She made Sarah attend classes that day, which had Sarah in a rare snit. Donna stayed with Carolyn at the memorial, while Will and Julia found themselves wondering the big house, sharing whispered memories with tear filled eyes. Early afternoon Donna had enough and decided to go back to the cemetery. She had seen some grave sites that she wanted to pay her respects but hadn’t wanted to walk off from Magda’s impressive grave side service which had included songs, chants, prayers and stories of the Rakosi family intertwined with family myth.

She walked through the markers to the oldest part of the cemetery. She found the mausoleum and read the names inscribed on the wall behind the three sarcophagus; Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, two Barnabus 1791 and 1991 and she walked the perimeter of the cemetery, reading names and dates as if trying to soak in the family history Mark -- David never shared with her. She was in the section from the Revolutionary War era, near the Family Mausoleum when something white fluttering in the intermittent breeze caught her eye. Walking curiously toward the material Donna saw tatters of a dress suspended from the limb of a giant tree# above an elaborate headstone. Her bowels clenched up in an instinctive reaction as she rounded the headstone.

The memorial was for Angelique Bouchard - Collins. It depicted a bride in full veil with a streaming train and glass tear drops falling from the stone eyes. In the statue’s cupped hands was a place to hold flowers and the crystal tears fell the length of the monument, pooling in faceted clusters about her feet. Several stones had been pried out over the years. Fresh black roses over flowed the vase. The dress appeared to have once been an empire waste, flowing satin wedding gown. Below the carved, slippers of the memorial, it stood on a stone heart that lay in two pieces under the feet.

Donna was at first saddened by the sight, but as she took in the full scene her feeling turned more toward horrified. on the grave was a collection of odd and end items that caused her heart to beat furiously. Black candles stood in a circle, burnt to the nubs, inside of the ring was a photograph, partly burned, what remained was charred, tied with a stout black string, the whole circle dark with the stain of a liquid which could have been blood. In a quick whirling vortex of leaves disturbed in the wind Donna saw a small, furry animal carcass laid at the back of the stone bride, across the dresses carved train. The smell of dried blood assailed her and she heaved, turning away, she lost her breakfast in the over growth of weeds.

Recovering, she snapped a picture of the tableau on her phone, quickly snatching the photo’s remains and literally ran from the cemetery all the way back to the New House.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“A pall hangs over the estate. The weather has broken, harsh and cold, tremendous storms which show no signs of letting up. While all mourn the loss of one dear to them, others are casting ritual spells, the meaning of which few could entertain. The atmosphere is electric with thunder, lightening and change. The newest Collins, mother and daughter have been targeted by the living, who call upon the dead to do their bidding, while David struggles to live through the night… “

Donna came through the double doors, nearly gasping for air. The grandfather clock which had ticked off the seconds in the Main House for 300 years was chiming the hour of 3:00 pm. She was leaning with her hands on her knees, sucking wind when her phone went off. She pushed a button, “Yeah?” she said, gasping.

It was Amy, “Where are you?”

“The foyer.”

“Thank God!” Amy exclaimed, “”Get up to your rooms as soon as possible!”

The fear and foreboding she had felt in the cemetery gave way to gripping, pulsating terror. She dashed, holding her breath up the stairs to the door and down the main hall toward the library. She released the pent breath in a scream of grief and rage when she saw the hallway in front of her door crowded with family and staff.

“Mark,” she cried out, “no, no, please no.”

Inside the room some one else was screaming, and Donna fell to her knees.

“Let her in.” her step son Roger was the one screaming. “Make way, let her in!”

Jeremiah lifted her to her feet then picked her up when she could not hold up her own weight.

“What is it, Jeremiah? What is going on? Is he gone, is he dead?” she said crying.

“No.” he stood her up then shook her soundly when her knees would not engage, “Tough up, Donna. He said, admonishing her, “David needs you.”

She stood, patting him on the chest off his thousand dollar suit, “Ok. Ok. All right.” then stumbled to the bedroom she shared with her husband and daughter. Passing Elizabeth she ask, “Can some on make sure Sarah does not walk in on this?”

Elizabeth looked at her blankly.

“I will.” Nora said.

Donna nodded.

In David’s room he had a respirater on and was back on the machines.

“Donna, “Josie said, “David has had a set back. I have a ‘copter coming in to fly him to Bangor and one standing by to take him to NYC if need be.”

“Set back?” Donna was wringing her hands, “I do not understand, what kind of setback?”

Julia had been holding David’s hand while carolyn sobbed quietly in Will’s arms.

Julia rounded the bed, lithely like a woman half her age, pulled Donna out of the way and spoke, clearly and with authority, “Another stroke, I think, we have to get him out of here before this storm breaks.”

They wheeled him out of the room and she caught his eye. “I love you.” she said to her husband, “I will follow you.”

As he was whisked toward the secreted elevator, just before he was out of sight she saw him blink, once.

“I have to get ready,” Donna fussed, as she heard the sound of a copter taking off .

“What?” Amy ask.

“I have to follow him.” Donna repeated, the sound faded into the back ground as ;ightning shot from the in phenomenal fiery splendor.

Amy counted aloud, “One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, onew thousand four, one thousand five, one thousand six, one thousand seven, one thousand eight, one thousand nine..”

“I’ll pack a bag for Sarah, borrow a car…”Donna paused to look at her, “What is it, why are you counting like that?”

“If the storm is moving as slowly as they say it is they may be able to make it to Bangor before it gets too bad.”
Amy watched Donna fly around the room packing things in a Scooby-Doo back pack. “You know Nora would watch Sarah for you. She doesn’t have to be stuck at the hospital this time.”

Donna remembered the long days before she opened the safety deposait box, Sarah, peaked and drawn, watching carftoons in the Intensive Car Unit waiting room, coloring her generic jumbo book, eating power bars and drinking fortified water they brought in with them.

She started to answer, but Amy’s phone jingled again, playing Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, “Yeah?” she answered it.

“Nora, what up?” Amy listened, “The kids are all right?” she looked at Donna motioning for her to come over to where she was at, “No, it isn’t raining here, but the lightning has started.”

The sound of the sky opening and buckets of rain washing down on the roof caused her to jump, “Wait, there it is, pouring!

Nora was on speaker phone in the SUV, backing cautiously away from the place where the cliff’s erosion caused the first burst of harsh rain to cause the edge of the road to cascade down the cliff in a rolling pile of debris. “Roads gone. Going to try to use tradesman entrance.”

“I’ll see if any one can make it down to the back entrance and unlock the gate.” Amy spoke into her cell phone speaker, too.”

“Is Sarah there?” Donna ask bending toward Amy’s phone.

“Right here.” Nora replied, “Along with Daniel, Josh, Tad and Angie.”

“Hi, mom!” Sarah’s cheerful voice sounded distant from the speaker, as did various choruses of, “Hi, Mrs. Collins.” from the others.

“Say with Nora honey, she’ll take care of you.” Donna said, slightly too loud.

“Ok, mom.”

“I have to drive now, see you are call in in 15 minutes.” Nora broke the connection.

“She will take care of her, right?” Donna ask Amy.

“She’s you’re grandsons mother, I know she will.”

Donna looked around and noticed the suite was empty. As the rain beat against the southwestern side of the house, the women looked at each other.

“What a freaking cluster fuck today has been!” Amy said, growling to herself.

“Yeah.” Donna said, miserably. The house lights went out.

“Crap.” Amy said.

“Oh, wow.” Donna said at the same time. “ Here, she said, “The flashlights are here.” She reached into the drawer by David’s now empty bed and pulled out a two pack generic flashlight and battery bubble pack.

Amy grabbed the offered gift and ripped it opne handing her back one of the units and two batteries, “Let’s get down to the house office.” Amy told her, “Come on.”

“Why?”

“The house phone cell system does not work when the electric is out. Jeremiah has it set up to kick over to the landline for just this reason. That means the staff office.” Amy explained.

“Lets get there fast.” Donna agreed.

It took both of them to move the wardrobe away from Sarah’s door but when it shifted enough for them to get out of the door to the back hall Donna swore.

“Son of a… this isn’t any security! %00 pound armoire and the two of can move it? A big man would not have any problem getting in here!”

“Yeah, but you felt so much better it was worth it, right?” Amy flashed her light into her own face a few times, making a comical face.

“I appreciate the levity, Ames, I really do, but I can not even fathom being able to laugh right now.” Donna told her as they crossed the hall and entered the staff lounge.

“I know, sorry. I use comedy to mask my nerves. Old habit and all that. Hey, there is a land line in here, we don’t have to go down stairs in a black out situation.”

The phone was ringing when they walked in the door, “Amy here.” she said yanking the reciever off the hook.

“House phone?” Nora said.

“Yes.”

“Are we private?” Nora ask.

“Yes.”

“Tad, tickle alert,” she waited while howls of laughter exploded vfrom the back seats, “The back gate has been welded closed. Looks like someone may have been trying to cut Collinwood off deliberately.”

“No kidding? So your going to take the kids and go back to town, right?”

“Right.”

“I will share the news with Donna. Is everything under control on your end?”

“Enough Tad, thank you.” Nora called, “We are great. I will be taking evasive action.”

“Got it. Thank you Nora.”

Donna was chewing several nails in desperate rotation. “That sounded bad. That was bad, was it not. Oh, I do not know how much more I can take! What now?”

“The back gate is … not going to be able to be opened until we… get a lock smith out. That won’t be until the low pressure ceiling mov es out of here.”

“Sarah! What does that mean? Are they stranded in the car?”

“Donna, I under stand this day has been horrible. You haven’t ever experienced the season with us in Northern Maine, except for Davis’d… set back… this is all standard I assure you.”

“Nora is going to take the kids with her to her mothers. They can stay as long as they need to.

“David. Oh my God, David. I have to get out of here!”

“I think you are over whelmed, Donna. If Nora can’t get in here…”

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Of course. I can’t get out either.”

They were quiet for a few minutes as they each thought their own thoughts. It was not long before the center rooms walls felt as if they might be closing in on Donna. She thought of the hallucination she had witnessed in the Media Room outside of this one, and her adreniline mainlined, “No, hell with that,” she thought, “It was a freaking ghost!”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh no did I say that out loud?”

Amy nodded, remembered how dark it was and replied, “Oh, the media room thing, right?”

“Did you say there are other land lines?”

“Several, yes, The Foyer, the kitchen, third floor landing…”

“Can we go somewhere else then?”

“Follow me.” Amy said, and they exited back into the back hall, past the room to Sarah’s door and hugging the wall for balance in the strobe lighted night, went down the back stairs to the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen the ferocity of the storm was magnificent. It roared, it pounded, it lit up the early evening as if it were full dark in blinding, white strobe effects. They crossed to the center of the room, pulled chairs out and sat at the counter cook space under the recessed lighting and dangling copper pots.

Donna jumped every time the thunder burst through the dark like a sonic boom. They did not say much, the storm and days events had drained them for the moment.

“I’m going to go to the basement and get a stove top coffee pot.” Amy said, her store of quiet reserve used completely.

“Don’t you cook with electric?” Donna ask, suddenly lethargic in the aftermath of the days events.

“No, the apartment stove is, but in here we have two six top gas ranges. Never fear though if the gas is not a good option the original winter kitchen in the basement still has a wood stove and stocked wood box. Some times, when the winter’s grow eternal, we will spend days with the kids in the old kitchen. Cooking by fire, lighting with candles. They love it.”

“Good to know.” Donna said thinking about what an “eternal winter” must be like to people who thought a sudden deluge like this was a pop up storm and shuddered, “You want me to do some thing, Amy?”
“Nope, much easier to let me handle it, Donna, I know the place like the back of my hand, you would no doubt kill your self.”

Donna shuddered, “Please, do not say that.”

Amy was already on her way down to the next level, “Sorry!” she called back behind her.

A goose walked over Donna’s grave and chill bumps crawled up her arms and the back of her net. She flipped off the flash light and watched the storm through the mullioned windows. Lightning streaked and in the flash she thought she saw a man in the side yard. She held her breath again. Counting to 8 she waited for the thunder and next flash of electricity. They came at the same time rolling simultaneously and the shadow man’s silhouette was closer to the house.

Donna jerked to her feet, moving instinctively away from the window, her eyes fixed on the thick, beveled glass. When Amy came back in from the basement her flashlight hit Donna, rigid with fear, staring into the storm tossed night.

“There’s some one out side.” Donna said, very mildly.

“Coming up from the stables?”

“No. I do not think so.” Donna raised her trembling hands to point at the panes of glass.

Lightning flashed and the man was right outside the windows. Both women cried out sharply as the door was flung open.

Jeremiah forced the door closed against a stout wind. The storm blew a cold, swift rain inside dousing the stone floor. “The by damned roads out and some jackass has the back gate jacked up.” He said, turning from the door, “What are you two freaking about?”

Amy bopped him on his upper arm, not altogether playfully, “I do not freak out young man!” she said in her most serious matrons voice.

“Young man? Oh, Ms Amy.” Jeremiah said, teasingly. Both Donna and Amy were stunned when he dipped his head and planted an insanely erotic kiss on Amy’s lips. He said, “Do not start calling me ‘son’ anytime soon, you crazy-hot old maid.”

He took a step in Donna’s direction and she stepped around the counter, “Don’t even think about it!”

He smiled, then laughed. “I am sorry it has been a horrendous day and here I am flirting. I am very sorry to have disturbed you.”

‘As I was saying, We are stuck out here for the time being. No one in, no one out. Is mom in her room?

“We have yet to see Julia or the Loomis’ since the lights went out.” Donna told him, “But if you find them please tell them Amy’s about to fire up an antique percolator?”

“Of course, ma a big pot because it is going toi be a long night.

The swinging door to the hallway swished open and closed as jeremiah filched a flashlight from the drawer and went in search of his mom.

Donna forced her self to look back at Amy to see her sinking into the chair, waving the percolator at herself #as if to create a breeze. “That man is…” She blew a raspberry, “Whoa.”

“Whoa?” Donna repeated.

Amy all most laughed, “That man is younger than our son.”

Donna hid a quick, saucy grin by dipping her head and turning away. “Ouch!” she said.

````` ````` ````` ````` ````` ````` ````` `````````

Before the women in the kitchen could finish their first cup of coffee Will, Carolyn and Julia joined them. Another pot of coffee was put on the boil and they were all weary.#

“The storm sucked the life out of the day. Combined with the funeral, David’s health emergency, Sarah’s stuck away from me over night and the odd find at Angelique’s grave… This might be the second worse day of the year!” Donna exclaimed after the first pot of coffee.

The others who stayed in the house had gathered in the kitchen and were eating left overs around the big stanless steele work table. Julia was wrapped cozily in a cashmere blank in front of the big old brick oven -- fireplace where a steady fire burned reassuringly. She had changed into a velour robe and fuzzy slippers that matched perfectly in a glorious halo of crimson.

Even at 80 plus years her hair was dark, with only a hint of Clairol to cover the slight grays that cropped up overnight when her husband died. Julia watched the fire and thought of how many storms like this she had weathered in this or the old house. She recalled the first time she heard of Collinwood, when she had been called in to council with Maggie’s doctors after they found her wondering alone and dazed on the beach beloe Widow’s Hill.

As a specialist, a hematologist ,or specialist in the study of blood and blood diseases she had first been called in to study an as yet to be known. She smiled a small, secret smile. It was still unknown. Allowing Magge to return home from the hospital and accompanying her for further treatment had given Julia every thing she had ever wanted, an intelligent, world savvy husband, beautiful children and the two most successful experiments of her life, which she would never be able to claim as her own because of the questionable morality, the illegality of them both. She might go down in history as a genious, but she could also be considered a criminal. The minute Barnabus was cured, the minute Thaddeus was born would be her joyous secret successes. She drifted in her memories, startling back to attention by the name of her husbands first love Angelique Bouchard.

“Whoa, there, little doggie,” she said, “Back that wagon train up, what did you say about Angelique? I am sorry I was nodding off, my privilege as an octogenarian.”

“There is something horribly odd going on the graveyard, Julia” Donna repeated.

Julia wheeled her chair around to the group. “Say it again please?”

“I was in the section from the Revolutionary War era, which was weird because the date was in 1971, but…near the Family Mausoleum when something white fluttering in the breeze caught my eye. I saw tatters of a dress suspended from the limb of a giant tree# above an elaborate headstone.

The memorial was for Angelique Bouchard - Collins. It was a bride in full veil with a streaming train and glass tear drops falling from the stone eyes. In the statue’s cupped hands is a place to hold flowers and the crystal tears fell the length of the monument, pooling in faceted clusters about her feet. Several stones had been pried out over the years, it looks like to me, by the way. Anyway, Fresh black roses are over flowing the vase. The dress looks like it may have once been an empire waste, flowing satin wedding gown. Below the carved, slippers of the memorial, it stands on a stone heart that is laying in two pieces under he, “But I know this.” feet.”

“No offense,” Julia said, snappishly.

“I am sorry Mrs, Collins, I am trying to recall it just the right way, so excuse me! On the grave is a collection of odd items.” Donna continued.

“Like what?”

“Black candles, in a circle, burnt to the nubs, inside of the ring was a photograph, partly burned, what remained was charred, tied with a stout black string, the whole circle is dark with the stain of some liquid which, I think, might be blood because there is a small, furry animal carcass laying at the back of the stone bride, across the dresses train. It made me sick to see it and the smell… well, it is undeniable.”

“I snapped a picture on my phone, snatchied the photo’s remains and literally ran from the cemetery all the way back to the New House.”

Even Jeremiah was paying close attention, drinking the best Collins brandy in what looked like a quart sized crysatal goblet.

“May we see it? The picture you took, may we see it?”

“I… yes, sure, of course you can.” Donna patted down her pockets, “I don’t know where I left it.”

Julia’s hand trembled as she reached out an lay them on Donna’s arm, “Could you have dropped it? Please tell me you didn’t drop it?”

Donaa lay her hand over Julia’s cold, parchment like hand. “Is it so… is it that important?”

Will was the one to reply, “Yes. Yes, Donna it might be.”

“I thought it was weird but you guys are really scaring me.”

Carolyn was obviously rattled, she was fluttering her hands a little bit, covering and uncovering her mouth, mumbling small “Uh-hum” sounds. She was the one who replied, a breathy little girl voice. “Its magic. Some one on the estate is practicing a ritual. Oh, God, Julia. I don’t know if I can take this again, I really don’t.”

Will comforted his wife, “We do not know that for sure, Caro. Don’t borrow trouble, honey. You know kids and those horrible paranormal teams sneek in here all the time, because of the lore about the place and the family. This is probably some out of towners using television incantations they got from Supernatural on The CW.”

“I think Will is right.” Jeremiah said.

“We need to see the picture.” Julia added.

“Oh.” Donna gasp, Stuffing her hands in her pockets, “I’ll go look for the phone. I do not want to go alone, though. Here; I snatched the scorched picture.” She handed the rolled photo ties with black twine to Julia.”

“I know the halls better than you do, Donna. I’ll go search for the phone.” Amy said.

“I’m going with you.” Jeremiah told her, “At least I know it wasn’t I you were so frightened of when I came in.”

They left the room together as the house phone rang.

“I will get that.” Donna said and answered the phone saying, “Collinwood.”

“Hi, mom!” Sarah said, “Nora says we will be staying…” she covered the phone and her mother heard “What?” , some mumbling and the Sarah said, “ok, no problem.” and she was back talking to Donna. “But I was wondering if your going to be ok. I worry about leaving you alone. Are you going to be alright?”

“Of course I am sweety. Are you?

“I,m great. Tad is completely awesome! Daniel and Josh, too, bit” there was a sound like shuffling around and Sarah whispered, “I don’t think Angie likes me.”

Donna sighed recalling Angie’s doe eyed crush on the older boy, “Sarah, I think Angie Likes Tad. Likes, likes Tad. You do not know each other very well. Angie might feel really uncomfortable because she MIGHT have it in her head that YOU may like, like him too.”

Sarah considered that for three seconds before whining, at an even lower whisper, “How will I know that? If I like, or if I like, like, I mean?”

“I don’t know, Sarah, that could be one of those women secrets I am not sure you are old enough to know.”

“Mo-ohm.” Sarah forgot to whisper, “You are the one who brought it up!”

“Hey, smarty pants watch the way you speak to your elders, remember? Ok. The answer is; you will know when you like, like some one, you will know.”

Silence reigned over phone lines for what was, to Sarah, a long time. Maybe even 10 seconds.

“I do not understand that.” Sarah said.

“That; my mini diva, is when you will know what the difference between like and like, like is.”

“I see.” Sarah said, then ask, “I won’t understand the answer until I understand the question?”

“Very good.”

“Ok, so then if I tell Angie I like everyone the same, I won’t feel like she is giving me angry eyes?” the whisper was back.

“If you do, don’t tell her until the boys are NOT around, that might be embarrassing for her. Little girls, like you, are sometimes very sensitive to being embarrassed around the opposite sex. You think about what and when you do things BEFORE you do or say them and it will be so much better for you and everyone else.”

“That’s right, I re-me-me-ber, mom; Anger can be caused by thought full sness, right?”

“Thoughtlessness.” Donna corrected.

“Thoughtlessness.”

“Right. Now listen; It has not been a good day for any one so be extra speacil, really, really, really good for Nora and….”

“OK, mom, hey, We get to play dress up and Angie is waiting, “Donna heard shuffling and the whisper reappeared, “And Angie doesn’t have her angry eyes on. I gotta go, please?”

“I love you, bye.”

“I love you too, bye.”

Carolyn, Will and Julia were all smiling and NOT looking toward her. “Sarah Rose is a very special girl.”
Donna told them.

“You both are.” Carolyn replied sincerely.

Donna smiled. “I want to call about David, Who do I call? Do you have a phone book?”

“Donna, “ Carolyn looked her straight in the eye. She was wearing a big smile, looking down. “I do not want you to think I am insulting you. I’m not. I want to assure you that you never have to worry about calling information.”

Donna was not sure how to process that information. As she thanked Carolyn aloud reassuring her she was not offended, she was recalling the day they stood, huddled under a borrowed umbrella, and watched there belongings auctioned off to the highest bidder….


&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &&&&& &&&&&



It rained, which meant that they would have to do this again tomorrow. Huddled into Mark, his arm around her tightly, Donna didn’t recall a time she met Mark that she had felt at such a low.

“Bidding starting at 400 dollars, 400, Dollars, Imma gonna take 4, gimme 4, who gonna imme 4, that’s a 4, thata 4 right there, gimme 5, gimme 5 gonne give me 4 and a half, got it, got it, got it, gimme 5, gimme 5 gonna let fifty teeny bvucks keep ya from havin a 57 inch HD LED flat panel Toshiba at your ahouse? 7! 7! Your gon be in heaven. 57, think about it hard, Bob, do I hear 6 gimme, 6, 6, 6, Honey, wifey-wife buy this TV for 7 the superbowls in a month. Mama. Moma bout me a big screen…..10, you bastard, don’t go there Moma!”

“We have a beautiful daughter.” David said to her, turning her so they were face to face. “Donna, it is you. You and me. You and me and Sarah. This is all things. Things, baby girl. We still have every thing that is of importance in the world. Does any thing else matter?”

Donna had hoped she could hide the tears in the rain. She looked up at him, the best looking man she had ever met. The only man she had ever loved. Her blue eyes looked in to his# eyes and her knees literally buckled as her heart streamed almost physically into him.

“I love you.” She said, “They have it all, all of it, and shit on a cracker if they insist.”

“You kiss you’re mother with that mouth, dirty girl?” He said using a very, intensely sexual tone of voice.

“That old bitch?” Donna said, her voice trembling again, but not with misery this time. She leaned into him, rising slowly to her tippy toes and pressed her lips into his.

Mark, never being one who was prone to missing the erotic overature pulled her more deeply into his arms and just as slowly as she had kissed him, he deepened the kiss. Her feet rose off the ground as he crushed her tenderly to him and the umbrella slipped down onto their head as he lost his hold on it entirely.

“It hasn’t been six weeks, woman.” David said, raining kissy little love bites across her throat.

She nudged the umbrella so that it slid to their shoulders, leaning to one side, and David turned them around so that the massive white umbrella was shielding them from the rainy day crowd. He pushed toward her with his hips and they stumbled, moving toward the wall at the corner of the two bedroom bungalow style tract house.

They hit the wall with a small jolt and neither one of them seemed to notice. Eight weeks they had been celibate, immediately before and after her painfully difficult delivery. She had not dressed to make love against the wet, cold vinyl siding but her cotton lined herringbone, woven skirt was quickly no obstacle. David made short work of her panties, tearing them in the crotch with one hand as he loosened his chinos with the other.

“I. don’t, want. To. Hurt. you.” He whispered against her mouth between long French kisses.

“Mark?”

“Hummm?”

“Don’t MAKE me hurt you. You can be easy. I have seen you be easy.” she nuzzled his neck, biting smartly on his ear lobe.

Mark --David was easy. He didn’t drop the umbrella but he almost dropped her.

What neither one of them even realized was that, much like a white top that gets drenched , their Wal-Mart, dollar on clearance, umbrella for two was see through.

They were quiet, w2hich surprised them both how much that intensified their pleasure in each other. Some of the auction guests boldly watched as the silhouettes adjusted their clothing Mark pressed Donna back against the wall for a long, celebratory kiss. They giggled together before swinging non challantly back to watch the auction of every one of their earthly goods.

As they walked holding hands back to the edge of the crowd an elderly lady acroos from the corner of the house said, “2000 Dollars!”

The auctioneer said “We have nothing on the block, ma’am.”

The sextegenarian waved her auction list under her nose and smiled. “Whatever is coming up next.”

The auctioneer turned and placed a box on the podium. “One box of kitchen paraphernalia and nic nacs. SOLD to this happy lady in the back row for 2000 dollars!”

His gavel sounded like a shot being fired in the rain.

“It was WORTH it!” she said.

&& &&& &&&& &&&& &&&& &&&& &&&& &&&& &&&& &&&& &&&& &&&& &&&& &&&&&

“I should be so mad at him for telling me freaking zero about filthy rich relatives!” Donna said to herself. She was not going to admit it out loud, but that memory had not turned out as unhappy as she was telling herself it was or should have been...

Donna jerked herself back to the present grateful for the3 black out that covered her blush that was as red as Julias ensemble. During her reverie she had called and gotten the number from information. Donna hesitated and then let them put her call through, “For an additional $1.49.”

The switch board was still a real person. Donna was relieved and worried. Was the hospital so far behind in medicine as well or was this the ‘personal touch’ that so many people missed these days?

She literally crossed her fingers.

Josie answered the phone. “Josette Evans”

“Doctor?” Sarah ask.

“Donna! I was waitng to call you until I had something more to say.”

“Humor me please?”

“They took David into immediate surgery. I am waiting on an update from the operating room.”

“Sit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. Brain surgery?”

“Preliminary tests showed an aneurism. We never would have found it if he hadn’t had a mini stroke.”

Donna was hardly breathing, “Can he make it, doc? Is he strong enough to make it?”

“Collins men can be extremely, amazingly strong. You can be surprised by their stamina.”

Donna chilled blood warmed quickly. “You can say that again. Call me as soon as possible?”

“Yes, of course.”

Donna repeated what Josie had said to him, “Preliminary test showed an aneurism that they would not have found if not for the mini stroke he had here,” she added, “earlier tonight. He is having brain surgery right now.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Amy and Jeremiah returned from searching for her cell phone, triumphant. They had obviously seen the grave site pictures on the phone. She handed the cell phone off to Julia who wheeled herself around under the flash light Jeremiah held up and pointed toward her.

“I’m no expert, but I have had some experience with rituals, this is some kind of binding spell, I’m sure.” Julia said.

“The candles are black, rather its wanne be’s or the real deal it is always black. One time , just one time, can’t they go with pink or green, purple for grief sake!”

“You get this type of thing much?” Donna ask.

“Oh, sure. This is a must see in the paranormal community. Most of Rogers guests are thrilled to heaven that the kitchen and family quarters are the only parts of the house even WIRED for electricity. They say it makes their “evidence” more pure.”

“You may have seen one of the ghost finder shows on satellite TV.“ Julia said. “They never filmed here, of course, except the exterior, but according to Roger the combination of our history, the legends, and being available and welcoming to all those paranormal groups, has been a goldmine. He has more guests than he can accommodate all most year round and local groups who will pay anytime he has a cancellation or no show.”

“So we get all kinds. Mostly they are decent people just like us, some times they are extraordinary, rarely they are rabid, bat shit crazy. That kind is usually reimbursed and asked to leave as soon as they overstep social boundaries.” Amy told her, “Occasionally we get the ones who think they are vampires or act like they are or young adults pretending to be a coven for orgies, and one time I think we had the real deal too.”

“How would you know?” Donna ask.

“They police up after themselves, send thank you notes, and very detailed reports about their findings.” Julia said. “We all really like those groups.”

Donna sat thinking about that while Carolyn and Will looked at the pictures. She wondered if they needed the income from the tourist/ghost fans or if that was a side interest. Everyone had their own business interests and side businesses, such as Jeremiahs club, the B&B, the stables boarding horses and offering guided horseback tours of the coastline cliffs to the lighthouse. Either the family was industrious as a whole or, perhaps they were not as solvent as she had thought? She needed to ask, but only white trash and posers ever ask financial questions; her mother, the sagest bar fly in all South City, St, Louis, Missouri had said so.

She was going to ask, she decided, it would be rude not to do so. Just not right now. When David came back home she would ask. Remembering where David was, she sat still, closing her eyes in prayer.

Amy decided she wanted an update on literally all the estates residents were, how they were fairing, She fired off an sms text to “everyone” in her address book, which said, “Check in, please”

Will, Carolyn, and Julia talked seriously amongst themselves. Jeremiah leaned on the kitchen desk watching over Amy as she made contact with the other families.

Donna drank strong German coffee with real cream and nibbled a plate of thick cucumber slices on dark mini rye bread with dollops of garlic cream cheese, thinking, “I am going to fatten up like the sacrificial cow.” She was curled up in an arm chair by the fire.

Behind her Donna heard Amy say, “Romeo, give it a rest for a night?”

“Not gonna happen. I have my eye on you.”

“You are amusing your self, Jeremiah, and this is not the right time for it.”

“Your right.” he said standing up, “I reserve the right to seduce you another time.”

“Jeremiah, a woman my age does not fall over for every sweet lie that falls out of your honey dripping lips. Go on!”

He turned to her, “Then what will you fall over for?”

Amy hit him with the back of her hand sharply against his thigh, then issued him a suggestive push to encourage him to get off the corner of the desk as a text came through. Amy turned her back on him.

Donna watched him sidle in her direction. “Don’t even think about it.” She told him.

Jeremiah held his hand theatrically across his heart, “You wound me.”

“No,” she replied, “but I would.”

He laughed, passed behind her to the refrigerator, “Touché!” he said, beginning to empty the fridge onto the long butchers block cutting board portion of the steel counter top. “Snack attack, mother!” He called across the room.

Will clapped his hands in exaggerated glee. “Lets go, Caro we get to raid the fridge.”

“Come and get it.” Jeremiah said.

In the process of getting to the counter, Amy and Donna stopped at his words and made eye contact with each other. Donna was standing with her back to Jeremiah and mouthed the words, “Oh. My. God.”
They met the others at the counter, deciding together to turn left over sea food into a salad and went to work making it materialize.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Unbelievably, the storm began to increase in volume and velocity. Lightning was ripping a hole in the night sky, rhythmically streaking like liquid fire. Thunder erupted like a series of rumbling sonic booms that were connected but separate. The staff also streamed in, though not as fluidly. Bryce wondered in with several of the house staff, Helen du Corbeau, Rita Del Soto, and chef Royce Ritter Schein. They all joined the group setting out food and making impromptu dishes with them. The noise level rose with the body count.

Roger texted that he was bringing the hummer, making the circuit from the Old House to Rose Cottage, the stables, the landscapers cabin, then the caretakers and the bunk house. Most of the Rakosi relatives and band of gypsies had left before the storm and the rest of them were settled around the fireplace in the main parlor of the old house, with assigned rooms for the night. Roger had left them to their own devices after advising them of the safety of the basement, if things got worse.

He picked up Jeb, Daphne and Daniel, who was sleeping through the maelstrom, Ben Stokes and six other stable and yard hands were on their way to the main house. The couple at the lighthouse were toughening out the storm in their quarters, where Victoria and Jeff were playing Canasta by oil lamp light with Maggie, Quentin and their hosts. With all of their brood happily in one or the other of towns with their own groups of friends they had elected to stay on the point with the light.

They waited in the upstairs stae of the art kitchen, Carolyn and Julia playing poker with the group around the wood plank table in the breakfast room on the outer side of the cooking arena, while Will sipped imported coffee with Donna and Amy, snacking on gourmet left overs nervously. They all watched the door and the clock.

Night would have fallen if it hadn’t been so dark already. Quietly, Jeb recruited a half dozen of the men and they went to the basement to prepare it for anyone who chose to do so could spend the night there. Donna was not going to spent the night in the lonely suite, she determined to stay with the group.

Although it was early by the clock, Donna was exhausted. The soothing hubbub of the small group in the kitchen, a hard day and a full tummy lulled Donna into a nap. She curled up in the chair, nestled into the afghan and drifted away. She dozed, but was still able to hear the various conversations, some in full sentences, others only individual words. She drifted on the cacophony of soft sounds, riding on the waves of the storm.

Amy tried to join her, curling up on the older, worn in all the right places, chaise lounge. Jeremiah joined her on the settee.

“May I make a suggestion?” he ask.

“Go ahead. I couldn’t stop you, could I?” She returned, speaking wryly.

“Not on your life.”

“Well, what is it?”
“Let me hold you.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“A lady such as your self should never have to beg Amy.” Jeremiah told her, seriously. She raised an eyebrow at him and didn’t reply.

“ I’ll take the corner of the settee and stretch out and you can lean have my chest as a pillow.”

Amy looked up at him, considering. She looked at his lean, muscled chest covered in the finest dress shirt and thought about curling herself all over his long, lean body. “No funny business?” she said, ;looking dubious.

“Not unless you start it, I promise.” He replied, flirting boldly.

She got up. “Or I could just go to bed, I live here you know.”

“Oh, and is that an invitation?” Jeremiah replied, in a slow, exaggerated New England drawl.


“No. Scoot over, I’ll wait for the storm to break here.”

“Little chicken.” He said chuckling.

Amy sat next to him and leaned her head against his chest while he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled another afghan across her shoulders. “It might be a long night.” He whispered.

“Braggart.: she replied, and fell asleep.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Across the room, Will and Carolyn sat with Julia, peeling potatoes and vegetables. The gas stoves were aflame with cooking everything from warming left overs to the stock pot the three elder Collins had going.

“Comefort food has gotten us through a lot worse that tonight.” Julia said.

“So far.” Carolyn replied, quietly.

Ever optimistic Will ask, “What is it caro?”

Carolyn leaned forward, glancing around to see if anyone was near enough to hear, she whispered, “Don’t you feel it, Julia? Something is in the air, Will, if you are still, if you are quiet you can almost hear it approaching.”

“Don’t let the ritual and the electrical field of this Nor’easter get to you!” Julia exclaimed, reeling her voice in to a ferocious whisper.

“Julia is right, Carolyn. This isn’t the old days.”

“No.” Carolyn said, snapping at her husband. “No, it is not. These are the days a member of our staff is strangled in our own home, david may die, Donna has no real idea of what is going on or what is at stake for her and her husbands family is lying to her face! That is what days these are and if either one of you tries to tell me that sacrifice at Angelique’Sarah grave doesn’t frighten the living shit out of you I’ll kiss your ass at noon in town square!”

Carolyn continued to snap the ends off of fresh, organic snow peas from their own hot house. Snip, snip, toss; snip, snip toss, her actions quick and efficient.

She continued, “I have to ask, Julia, have any new “patients” checked in with you at the clinic? Are you hosting any one in the lab we should know about?”

Julias enormous dark eyes snapped fire, “Have I ever lodged a patient with out proper security first, Carolyn? Since Barnabus have I EVER? No. I have not. You are going to let some amateur playing at witchcraft cost you your peace of mind?”

Will interrupted her, “Wait a sec, Julia. I think we all see that the sacrifice in the cemetery was more than some play acting. Some one is trying to… wants to bring her back. I won’t allow you to berate my wife when her fears are not based on hysteria.”

Carolyn took up the conversation, “The candles were hand made, Julia. HAND MADE. What do you want to bet in 30 seconds in your lab we would find out what they are made of is human blood?”

Julia let out a sigh and deflated before their eyes, suddenly looking her 87 years of age. “I’m not taking any more clients in the clinic.” she told them, “Josie and Bryce will be ready to do so before long, but not until we have David back on his feet and his family knows every thing so that they can protect themselves… but you are right about some things: the ritual was definitely the real deal, and I do feel some thing coming in the night. I just do not know what it is.”

“That scares me.” Will said.

Julia cupped Wills face in her hands, one palm on each of his puffy, squishy cheeks, “Poor Willie. What you went through for us. With us. I don’t know what Barnabus would have done with out you…”

“I don’t want to talk about that, Julia, please.” Will said, almost whining.

“Ok, okay. I don’t know what we would have done without you. No. You hush now. This family was bereft, Wiillie. Elizabeth was locked in this house with carolyn and Mrs. Johnson. You have stood with us and helped us build the Collins family and name back up, into prominence.”

“My greed freed a monster into this family.”

“The monster was already in this family, darling.” Carolyn reminded him. “Besides, Julia is right. As soon as we see what this new threat is, if there is one, we can fight it too. We slay the dragon, Willie, and we lived to tell the tale.”

“Or keep its secret.” he said, whispering.

“It is a community burden now. We let that cat out of the bag and you have seen the family revivie, Collinsport embraces us again. The community will face it if it arrives.” Julia added.

“Listen to me, both of you!” Carplyn demanded, “We are going to tell Donna the truth if we all get through this night. You can both swaer to it right now or I’ll do it tonight, right here if I have to!”

They both agreed with her and they fell silent as they constructed a soup for the amassed people seeking shelter from the storm. The door burst open letting in the storm and the three families from the lighthouse.
The room was filled with six adults, streaming rain water, laughing, talking and thanking God that they made it off the point.

“The Porsche is stuck in a quagmire up by the Cemetery.” Maggie said, disgustedly.

Jeff puffed out his chest and preened a little, then he brushed water out of his hair, “The Clarks come to the rescue with their full size Suburban Utility Vehicle.” He flourished his hands, like a magician, into an exquisite theatrical bow. “You are welcome.”

The volume in the huge kitchen exploded as the assembled family, staff and guests, moved together and apart, talking in loud groups that ebbed and flowed.

“Roads are washed out on the estate.” Quentin Collins told them.

Amy came to her feet, “Did you see Roger? He was going to pick up Jeb and Daphne, Ari, Elizabeth and Ilsa.”

They all shook their heads. “Not a sign.” “Nope. “How long ago was that, Amy?”

She looked at her watch, the grandfathers clock struck 6:00 pm. “Over an hour ago.”

Jeff reached for his coat again but Amy grabbed the arm of his coat. “Don’t go, Jeff. Roger is ex Army ranger and he has a Hummer to drive. We should all stay together here.”

Quentin agreed, “For now I think Amy is right. Does anyone have phone service?”

“The cells are working to a degree and the land line was still ok when we called to check on David.

“David?” Maggie ask, and Victoria finished, “I don’t understand, what is wrong with David?” They looked toward Donna, awake now but hanging at the back of the crowd to give up the place closest to the fireplace to the soaked new comers.

Donna repeated what Josie had said to her, hours before, “Preliminary test showed an aneurism that they would not have found if not for the mini stroke he had,” she added, “earlier tonight. He is having brain surgery right now.”

Both Maggie and Victoria moved to where Donna stood and embraced her. Maggie said a prayer on the spot and Victoria began the Lords Prayer when her friend was done. Everyone in the room stopped, as if by common agreement and fell into the recited prayer with heartfelt enthusiasm.

The hush after the “Amen” was followed by a series of definite crashes from upstairs.

“Windows breaking?” Julia cried out saying, “Willie, where are the rolls of plastic sheeting?”

“The basement.” Will answered. “If some of you young studs would follow me I need strong backs to help board up some windows.”

He headed to the basement, still talking. Every one in the room immediately snapped into action.

“Flash lights.” Amy demanded, “Get them on the table, please. The guys will need them.”

“I’m going too.” The tenant of the lighthouse stated, her voice a deep tenor that reminded Donna of an opera singer. Her wife, whispered, “Oh, please don’t, Sal. I’m afraid.”

The younger woman hugged and kissed her mate. “Shh, Muffin. We have to help right? This is our home now, right? These are our neighbors, right? They accept us and give us support, right?”

Muffin let her go with a fierce kiss on the lips and Sal followed the men into the darkness of the Collinwood basement. “What can I do to help?” Muffin stepped up bravely to the women at the table, wringin her hands.

“You okay, Muffin?” Amy ask.

“Muffy. My parents named me Muffy. Yes, I.. I’m sure I will be fine. May I help or…?”

“Or what?” Donna ask when she hesitated.

The girl looked like she pulled all her strength together, “Or you could not want the lesbians to help. Some people are like that. Are you?”

“That depends, “ Amy said, teasing her to break the ice, “Can you start a wood fire, make coffee, or small talk to keep everyone occupied?”

Muffy perked up and seemed to glow with more than gay pride, “Are you kidding? I was a debutant kin Houstin back in the day. I could small talk your brains out. Plus, Sal wanted to live in Montana when we first got together I can chop wood, build a fire and skin a small animal to cook if you want me too.”

Donna pulled a off the gas stove top, and nodded to her, holding the pot with a long hot pad she put her hands into like a mit, one on each side of a long strip of the heat shielding mittens. “In that case if you will grab the coffee cups we can serve this witches brew to the crowd and Amy can put on another pot.”

Muffin was clearly pleased. “Do you have any tea? Sal doesn’t drink coffee.”

“I can put on another, “ carolyn told them, “I can also put on water for teas and hot chocolates.”

Will moved into the conversation saying, “I’ll go to the parlor for the good brandy.”

Jeremiah entere3d the room with a tray of snifters and the cut glass crystal brandy decanter. “Get the Port, uncle Will, I’ve got this covered!”

Six men and Sal carried plastic, a tool box with staple gun and staples and flash lights up the stairs. Others followed with thick towels usually called bath sheets. They tramped through the kitchen and up the back stairs like a marauding army.

They were no sooner up the flight than some one stumbled down them. Ilsa missed the last three steps and ended up face first on the flagstone at the bottom. She seemed to bounce back up like a red rubber ball, but it was clear she was a far cry from being alright.

“Ilsa.” Julia called, moving slowly to the womans side.

Ilsa was pale, lloked gaunt and her eyes were glazed over. She reached pathetically for Julia like a small child to her mother. “I sick, Julia. Please I am so sick.”

Julia wrapped her arms around the younger woman, “I can see that, Ilse. What are you taking?”
“Not nothing Mrs. Collins. I swear. Its all gone. Its all gone and I’m so sick.”

“Come over by the fire.” Julia instructed her, and Victoria and Maggie joined Amy at the long kitchen work table.

“Give me some thing, Doc, just give me some thing okay?”

“Could any one go and get my bag?” she said to who ever was listening, then went back to talking to Ilsa, “You know I will not give you anything, we have been through this before.”

Ilsa raged at her speaking loud, fast and harshly, “You said you could help me.”

“Get the drugs out of your system and I will.”

“How can I? How can I do that? My cousin is dead. Magda is dead!”

Maggie handed Julia her bag and Julia prepared an injection giving it to Ilsa.” She collapsed on the chaise, weeping. Julia moved away. “This delays her treatment.” Julia said on a sigh.

The storm had quieted to a dull roar or rain. “Roger should be here.” Donna said to Amy, who was adding stock to braised beef for the soup.

“Yes, he should.” Amy said, stepping back from the steam she added, “I am worried about him and his father.”

Donna rubbed her palms across her eyes and agreed, “So am I. What can we do?” If we send some one out in this they may get into trouble as well.”

“For now, we wait. They get back down stairs and we assess the damage, then we will go from there.”

Everyone looked up, listening, as the rain ceased unexpectedly and an eerie silence fell over the house. They heard a faint car horn slowly moving toward them from the stable area, the sound accompanied by the rumble of a big vehicle that grew stronger.

“Please let that be Roger.“ Amy said.

For the span of about two minutes the sound of that engine and horn reverberated in the silent world. The sounds ceased outside the kitchen door. Donna ran to the portal, throwing dry towels brought up from the basement rag bin early onto the flagstone and threw open the door.

Elizabeth, Aristede, Bryce and Hallie, Jeb and Daphne rushed into the room tossing off soaked clothes as they came and accepting big, fluffy towels from Donna.

“Where is Roger?” Amy said but her question was drowned out by a startling series of lightening and accompanying thunder which exploded above them. “Where is Roger?” She tried again, but the lightening was not subsiding.

Thubder roared like a runaway locomotive, echoing off the empty rooms with a sound which must be what Satan sounded like when he was growling with menace.

Amy continued to ask her question, grabbing each new arrival, shouting the unheard words to them. The din became louder, a feat none of them would have bet would be possible as rain gushed from the leaden sky into the darkness of night. Alone at the door, Donna fought against the wind to close it, her hair, her clothes, her whole body soaked to the skin instantly. Ari, Bryce and Jeb helped Donna force the heavy door into the jamb. It rattled as if a bear hurtled itself head long in to the portal. The mullioned window shaking like cup of dice.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in all my years.” Victoria told them at a velocity only slightly under that of a yell.

“Get back.” Jeb instructed everyone, pulling his wife as far away from the windows as he could, toward the butlers pantry. “Get away from the door and windows.” He called and the small crowd took it up like a chant. They were awash in movement as everyone surged toward the center ofr the house at once. The lightening flashes gave them the look of being in a strobe light, the thunder never ebbing.

They saw the lightening strike before they knew what it was because there was a moment that the light flamed white hot then blue and went out. It was a two second explosion of light, like a negative that turned everyone in the room toward the window.

“Move it, move it, move it.” Aristede screamed at the crowd.

Jeb held the swinging door open for the stragglers as the last of them ran into the pantry and followed the rest out of it into the formal dining room. The next bright streak of fire ended in a sound like hells gates being blown open by dynamite and the 52 room house shuddered as lightening struck it. The wind knocked in the lose pane of antique glass on the back door and the elements fought their way back. Several other lightening strikes hammered across the expanse of the building.

Jeb looked for his wife, who was holding open the swinging door across from him to the dining room. “Have to turn the gas off.” he yelled at her, “get to the basement.” He instructed her, “through to the main hall and down to the basement , now, Daphne. Get Amy make them go.” and he ran into the storm in the kitchen to turn off the gas line that fed the range.

Daphne came through the dining room screaming, “Basement. Now. Front Hall. Go, Go, Go.”

Others picked up the call and they proceeded, like a rag tag group of wet refuges toward the front hall
“Basement. Now. Front Hall. Go, Go, Go.”

“Basement. Now. Front Hall. Go, Go, Go.” “Basement. Now. Front Hall. Go, Go, Go.” “Basement. Now. Front Hall. Go, Go, Go.” “Basement. Now. Front Hall. Go, Go, Go.”

“Ari,” Carolyn stopped him, “Please help Julia! I have to find Willie, I can’t leave without Willie.”

“Come on.” Ari encouraged her, “He will look in the basement for us.”

“No!” Carolyn snapped, slapping Aris hand off her arm, “No he won’t he’ll try to get to the gas line before the storm can.”

“Carolyn, please.”

“Julia needs you, I don’t, Aristede. I will not go until I know everyone else is safe so you are wasting time. Get my daughter down stairs now!”

He went and Jeb joined his mother crouching down beneath the sounter in the five by seven pantry and squinting through the storm. They stared through the swinging door which the wind pushed in at them from the shattered pane of glass in the door.

“Mom,” Jeb hugged her close, “Go on, please. I will not let anything happen to Will, I promise you.”

Carolyn slipped her arm around her son and shook her head no. “I am staying with my men, Jeb Hawkes Junior! Save your breath!”

Aristede entered the kitchen from the back hallway, struggled to the main breaker and made sure the utilities were shut down as Will returned from upstairs, his lone flashlight like a beacon coming down the stairs. It swung and dipped erratically as Will practically fell down the narrow stairs. Ari was there to catch him when he fell and Carolyn could see that they were yelling at each other. From what she could see, Will imparted important information to Aristede. Ari waved a hand at the3 pantry, shouted something that was snatched away in the wind. Carolyn stood up and made herself visable to her husband in the gloom as he trained his strong mag light in her direction.

Will pointed at the floor, then the door to the basement, from himself to the basement door again and the toward her and the front of the house. “Come on.” Jeb told his mom, practically plucking her off her feet.

“Dad, I got her with me. “Basement. Now... Go, Go, Go.” Carolyn clung to the counter until she saw Ari and Will through the door and then relinquished and allowed her son to lead her along the darkened halls to the stairs under the main staircase and on into the basement. On the front stairs going down they passed Bryce and several staff members loaded with fire extinguishers heading up.

“Mr. Collins says the lightening started a fire on the third floor. Rains putting most of it out but some of the shit stored in the attic is on fire!” Bryce told them on the hoof.

Right behind him Jeff and Quentin angled past them headed upstairs, “Some thing is not right here.” Jeff told Jeb over Donnas head.

“I’ll come with you.” Jeb offered.

Quentin closed his hand on Jeb’Sarah arm, please don’t.” He said, enough of us are up here running around like the Keystone Cops. You and Will, Ari, you make sure everyone else stays put safe and soun Donna and we will get back to you.”

“Like hell, old man.” Jeb said, his voice raised.

“Jebidiah.” Quentin said, “There are frightened people in the basement who need calmed down and your sister is seven months pregnant!”

Jeb nodded and they passed each other going opposite ways.

The group in the basement had lit a few candles and Victoria was supervising getting a wood fire built in the old wood cook stove. She recalled Elizabeth, carolyns mother; her mother, that they had used that wood stove when she was a child during the depression. The memory gave her comfort.

A half an hour later the upstairs group joined the others in the basement. The storm was still raging with the insane glee that had sent them scrambling to their present lodging in the basement, but down there, below the surface of the ground it was considerably quieter. The group had grown quieter after they settled in to wait out the maelstrom.

“Heres the update,” jeb told Julia and carolyn, “Lightening hit in the attic. There was a fire but the rain washed it out almost at once, but small fires have been started in several other places on the second floor. We have them all but we need to form small teams to keep watch by guarding the halls. One of these trash can fires could catch on in the wrong spot and turn out very badly.”

Donna was no longer exhausted, she was on the verge of a break down exhausted. She drifted away from the hub of people at the old table, taking a seat behind them at an old desk. Without thought she laid her head on her stacked arms, like a pillow.

It was as if some one switched on a light switch. Donna was awake --then, switch , Donna was asleep. She actually thought about it in a detached, off handed way, because the back ground, the basement, the storm, the fires, her husband Mark -- Davids helicopter ride in to the Emergency Room, sarah first night away vfrom home… it all dropped away. As if by magic.

Chapter no time to look


THE LITTLE GIRls voice was, at first, no more than an impression. The singing was innocent, child like, “London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady.”

“Not now, Sarah.” Donna mumbled.”

“London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. Hum- hum- hum- hum pick it up, pick it up, pick it. London Bridge is falling down, My fair lady.”
“London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady.”

“Five, more minutes, Rah, come on just gimme five.”

The childs simple song slowed down, elongated, stretched out until it was a perversion of its former reassuring little ditty.

“London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady.London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady….”

“Sarh, baby,” Donna said, almost weeping with frustration. “I have to get some sleep. I simply have to!”


“London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady.London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady….”

Donna began to fight her way awake, or rather, she tried, but there was no loosening the slumberous ties that bound her. “London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady.London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady….” the tune was lilting, haunting and with that thought Donna opened her eyes.

Sarah was turning a woven circle of soft, circling wood on the head of a stick, much like a top. The child spun and sung and spun and sung, “London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady.London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady….”

Donna decided she was going to stop the repetitive sound of the derge like litany if it killed her.

“Sarah, is that you?” she said, loudly and clearly.

I might have to leave with out talking to you, ma’am.” the little girl turned so that Donna could see her in profile. “They can see me, but not you, but not you, but not you.” the girl told her, “They can’t hear me, only you, they see through me. if you listen to my song, to my song to my song, if you listen to my song it may save you.”

“Hum, Okay.” Donna said, focusing on laying her head back down, feigning her eyes closed. Can you move over here then they can’t tell that I see you.”

“Who Are they?” Donna ask as she skipped closer.
“No time for questions, do you see, do you see? do you see? Your live in fact is in danger, run from me, run from me. When next time you see me turn around, back around, flee the way you came from, all the way, all the way. Do you understand me, do you do understand me? “London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady.London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady….”

The apparition skipped away across the basement floor. Donna sat up, rubbing her eyes and looked toward the stove where Elizabeth was laying out on a pallet made on the floor on a cozy nest of blankets. She seemed to be sleeping fit fully. Ilsa was in a chair near by, curled up in pain, but alert and quiet. Ari noticed her sitting up in the shadows. Donna didn’t speak because she was cicling the room with her eyes.

The end is in sight it may be after the first when I get to post the ending. I hope you enjoy.