Chapter 1

Lyon Street

Collinsport Maine

Darkness with its liquid grace spread across the peaceful countryside of Collinsport, Maine. The moon was nowhere to be found for the time of a new moon was on the calendar. It was the perfect time for deceit to play its wicked hand against those of an innocent nature. So, why would it not be perfect for the shrill screams to fill the air along with the girlish giggles of the many children who now were dressed in garish costumes of varying degrees and the shouts of 'Trick or Treat" was heard repeatedly from one house to another.

It was Halloween, and all the mischief-makers were out in full force and the mischief was in effect from toilet paper drifting gaily from the trees having been rolled, to the soap on windows of the unsuspecting cars on the streets. Some houses had been the recipients of eggs smashed against the windows. The larger children that were more prone to being bullies waited for the unsuspecting smaller children not guarded by a parent to rob them of their nights take.

One such bully was Billy Millworks, his father had always knocked his mother around when he was a little too drunk, and when he had beaten her unconscious, he would turn his blurred vision on the next thing in his eyesight, and that was usually Billy. So this night Billy was not too upset to have taken the candies of other poor unsuspecting children to send them screaming and crying off into the shadows cloying embrace.

What Billy had not expected was when he claimed his last paper bag of goodies to find a very strong and very unforgiving hand descend on his collar and jerk him up off the ground. The figure behind the boy looked with open eye wondered at the tall grown up that now held the hapless Billy by his collar. "Give it back!" He snarled glaring at the boy. "I said give it back!"

Willie Loomis shook the boy by the collar growling louder. When Billy failed to do what he had requested he reached forward and snatched the bag of candy from the boy's hands. Turning to the pretty little pink princess that stood with tears in her eyes she looked up into the bright sweet eyes of a man that had just claimed her highest regards and she saw him as her knight in shining armor in her little princess mind. Willie had become her hero and banished the monster that had made her day unhappy.

Shoving the boy against the parked car and holding his hand on the boys chest to keep him in place; he turned and gave the bag back to the little girl. "There you go honey. Now you and your friends go on."

The little girl took the bag, smiled brightly with a sniff and spoke softly, "Thank you!" Turning to her other friends she laughed running off in pursuit of the other houses to raid for loot. Willie felt the boy squirm under his arm and he turned to look at him. "Here is the deal bucko, you want to be a pirate?"

"Lemme go you bully, I aint' no pirate I am a zombie. I eat brains!"

"Well asshole, I am a slave of a vampire and I take him innocent victims to eat for lunch. So I see your zombie and his needs and play my vampire card, so how ya like me now?" Willie liked Halloween he could be as honest and truthful as he wanted and he had just told him the biggest truth of all time.

He must have made a point and gotten his attention because the boys eyes grew as big as saucers. "I . . .I was just kidding with em."

"Yeah well I have been watching you for over an hour and you have not been kidding with the others you stole from. Now," Willie clinched his fingers into the front of Billy's gory mucked up costume and pulled Billy into Willie's face. "You are going home and not go out no more tonight otherwise I am gonna follow you around all night. Ya wanna end up like me?"

Willie with more force than needed shoved Billy against the car and pressed up to his face. "I spend my days guarding a coffin, and my nights having the shit kicked out of me by the man that would be my master, so change your ways or live the life I have, got it." Willie was in the boys face and looked down to watch him piss his pants. "Yeah I know that feeling too, now go home." He pulled the boy back and threw him to the ground and saw the immediate and easily recognizable signs of abuse by a parent. The protective arm going up to cover his head, the near fetal position to not have soft parts kicked.

A tender part of Willie surfaced, had he not been so ill treated as a child perhaps he could have been the one living in the big house like the Collins Family instead of haunting the old house waiting for dusk and praying he had not pissed off his boss and had not forgotten what he was suppose to have done. "Kid, what is your name." He looked at the boy that lay on the ground and waited fearing the next hit.

"Billy."

"Billy what?"

"Billy Millworks."

"You Charles Millworks boy?" Willie asked and knew immediately why he was acting out like a class jerk. Willie had seen Charlie drunk on his ass at the Blue Whale wanting to pick fights and Charlie was unfortunate to have tried Willie one night. Willie had beaten him senseless. That was one night that Willie thought he had nearly killed the old obnoxious sot. Perhaps that was one night that he was unable to go home and lay into his kid, Willie tried to convince himself he had done a good thing.

When Willie mentioned the boy's dad's name he watched him pale. "You ain't gonna tell him what I did are you?'

Willie knew that to show compassion would weaken his standing in the boy's eyes. "I might. That is if you continue to steal from the smaller kids. Go pick on kids your own size, and leave the little ones alone or I will tell your dad and I know how bad your dad's temper is, now get out of my sight!"

The boy crab walked crawled backwards on his hands and feet doing away from Willie. Putting some distance between them Billy stood and began to scamper backwards. When he felt he had put enough distance between them Billy Millworks turned his back to Willie and gained his total upright position and took off at an astounding rate of speed. Willie smiled and laughed. God that felt good, he was a hero again. It felt good to be a hero. A deeper sadder part of him felt sorry for the kid. That was the part that was reliving some of his own past watching the kid run off.

"I know Willie, perhaps I should have a talk with Mr. Millworks about his treatment of his children and wife?" There he was again back in his mind.

"What are you doing there?" He had thought it before he thought it through and now Barnabas' annoyance was in his voice again and the elated feelings of being the hero were fading fast.

"As long as I carry this curse and you are my servant Willie, I will always have dominion over your thoughts, how else do you suppose I make you do what I want?"

That scale of getting an ass beating tone was beginning to grow with his annoyance. So Willie waited to calm his own feelings and then allowed his thoughts to process.

"Wha… Wha do you want?"

"What I want is my life to be normal, what I need is you home. It seems since the ball, this house' prior reputation of being haunted is now gone and I am being run to death by answering the door to tempting little treats seeking treats, you need to come home and take over the answering of the door."

"Oh shit." Was all that Willie could think of before he thought or his failure to think; that at one time the towns folk had been frightened to go near the spooky old mansion in the woods now it seemed to be a place that invited the outsiders to peak in and visit with its owner and master. His master and he had just said tasty treats.

"Language Willie, yes I believe you should make haste and come straight home."

"Yah, yah, I am on my way. Sorry Barnabas." Was it too little too late? He would know once he got home to see the mood of the nasty tempered monster that occupied the old house.

Old House Collinwood

Barnabas frowned as once again the front door was racked with the tiny tapings of little hands and if he had to endure one more round of 'trick or treat" he was not sure if he could hold his temper and would bare his fangs to scare them away. Walking towards the door with some force, he held the bowl of treats in his hand jerking the door open. Looking down he expected to see little masked covered or painted face filled with excitement at being able to trick or treat at the haunted house on the hill. Instead he saw a pair of shapely legs encased in honey colored stockings, a pair of white and black patent leather shoes, and the hem of a green colored coat. He followed the legs up to the smiling face of Victoria Winters.

"Well should I say trick or treat? Will I get a treat or a trick?" She laughed seeing the staid, prim and proper Englishman standing with the bowl of candy and looking very much put out. "Where is Willie? I thought he would answer the door." She spoke then turned to see the little ghost, the Frankenstein and the little fairy dressed in blue skipping up to the door to the entry way. "Here," she reached for the bowl of candy and shooed him away. "I will take care of this until Willie gets back."

She laughed delighted to make over those that had come to the door. "Oh my look at you a ghost! Oh and what have we here? Are you the Frankenstein monster? Tell me how did such a pretty little fairy end up with these two?" Vicki laughed and handed out candy to the children. Watching them leave she stepped back and closed the door. Turning to Barnabas she smiled. "I thought you would not be quite prepared for this tradition so I came to help out." She stepped next to Barnabas and noted he watched the door with some degree of anxiety. Sitting the bowl down she lean against the table and fold her arms studying the man at her side.

"I am so sorry you had to handle that Victoria, I was sure Willie would be done with his errands and have returned before I was besieged by such a dichotomy of dark creatures in such a compact size."

Vicki laughed, "Well I have never heard it described as such but I suppose to someone new to our customs it would appear to be thus." Again a taping at the door and Barnabas grimaced.

"Stay put, I will handle this." Vicki patted his shoulder and walked to the door opening it with the bowl of candy in hand. The large foreboding dark figure that seemed to loom over the woman and her bowl of candy was a bit daunting but not wishing to give up her good mood, Vicki smiled and exclaimed. "My but you are a large one!" Without a word the large figure reached forward and grabbed her wrist, sending the bowl spinning up and out of her hand to crash to the floor. The dark mass then lifted Vicki from the floor and spun her around sending her flying out onto the steps at the feet of three potential young ones with a sickening thud. The thought of seeking their booty now gone and the fear of witnessing such a brutal act now indelibly imprinted on their minds. Upon seeing the pretty governess fly through the air and land hard, they gasped, screamed and scampered back down the road to the awaiting car.

Hearing the disturbance Barnabas turned and then he heard Vicki's yelp and the children scream. With superhuman speed he was at the door glaring at the large figure that now drew a gun and held it on Barnabas. "Where are they old man!" The voice was youthful and filled with menace.

"Where are what?" Barnabas responded with irritation. Not the least bit intimidated by the gun totting youth.

"The jewels, where are they I know they are here. Loomis said you had a chest filled with jewels."

This information sent Barnabas into a quiet dangerous mode. "Loomis is wrong." Barnabas looked past the dark clad figure and saw that Vicki lay unmoving.

"I ain't got no time for games and if you want the girl to stay in one piece without holes you better give em to me now."

Checking his surroundings he noted that no others were about, without hesitation Barnabas stepped menacingly forward and the stunned would be robber pulled the trigger firing a round directly into Barnabas' stomach. Barnabas smiled when the bullet hit him. Much to the surprise of the robber, Barnabas laid his powerful hand over the man's hand. "You picked the wrong house to rob and the wrong woman to harm." The man's eyes widen behind the dark mask and Barnabas lifted the mask from his face to reveal a young male of perhaps Willie's age. He pulled the trigger again and watched amazed, the man he was robbing did not even flinch when the bullet hit at point blank range and passed through him.

"What the hell are you?" He shouted.

"Your worse nightmare!" Barnabas said to the man's horror bared his fangs, bent his neck and chomped into his jugular tasting the blood flowing freely over his lips into his mouth and he drank from him until he was nothing but a husk with bones and compressed muscle tissue. Lifting the unfortunate criminal by the collar Barnabas threw him over to the cellar doors. Taking his hankie out, he delicately dabbed at his mouth and muttered, "At least I don't have to hunt tonight." Turning his attention back to Vicki who now laid on the bottom step he frowned noting how still she was laying. Walking with haste down the steps he stooped down and picked her up.

Barnabas Collins with care and concern carried her from the front lawn steps up to Josette's room. He laid her on the bed and checked her to make sure she was breathing. He suspected from the swelling in her leg that she had a twisted or broken ankle. Elevating her ankle he sighed. He needed Willie there now. They had a body to hide and later dispose. "WILLIE!" Barnabas shouted in his mind and was surprise to hear him answer from behind.

"I am here Barnabas." He looked anxiously at Vicki's pale face she was lying on the bed unmoving. Which was more of a concern for him. He had seen the corpse in the hallway when he came home and found the front door open. His heart had skipped several beats walking over to inspect whom the corpse might be and if he knew them. Dressed as he was, Willie figured he was a big kid dressed up like a ninja or a robber, then upon closer inspection he saw he was out of town talent and one of Jason's old hook ups. Barnabas turned and backhanded Willie sending him flying back against the door of the adjacent bedroom across the hall.

"Don't you ever! And I mean ever tell anyone about the jewels in this house!" Barnabas followed him out of the room to where he landed; reached down and lifted him off his feet and pressed him to the door. "Do you understand?" His nose was pressed to Willie's nose his eyes boring into Willie's soul.

"I dddd… didn't Barnabas I swear!" His lip quivered his eyes wide and he trembled at the hold on his shirt. "I never did! That is Drake Gorman, Jason's old buddy. He must' a told him about the jewels the night he came here looking for them."

Barnabas reached out with his telepathic abilities and searched Willie's memories. As scattered and varied as they were, nothing was there except for Willie's recognition of the man from a long time past. Pushing him with annoyance against the door he turned and walked back to Vicki's side. "YOU go get the doctors bring them here, I will dispose of that thing before they get here. Now leave." Barnabas did not turn to see the helpless look of dismay on Willie's face.

Willie turned slumped shoulder and shuffled down the hallway, down the stairs and out to his truck. He was heading to Collinwood at the direction of Barnabas. Getting in his truck he slammed it into gear and took off down the roadway spinning gravel on his retreat. Pulling up in front he got out and picked up his pace and hurried to the front door and knocked.

Collinwood

The door was opened by David, he moaned, rolling his eyes up in his head, his eyes had streaks of blood trailing down the sides, blood trailed from his nose, mouth, and neck. He wore a torn t-shirt with bloodstains and his face had been powdered white. He moaned again.

"Um hi Davey is Doctor Hoffman or Lang in?" Willie pushed past the boy much to his dismay.

"Sheesh Willie you could have pretended you were scared." David assumed his normal self or what was normal for David in a fit of disappointed temper.

"Look I was sent by Barnabas to get the doctors. Are they here?"

"In the drawing room." David rolled his eyes, shrugged and expressively waved his arm indicating the way to the drawing room. Another knock on the door made David happier his eyes lit up. "Great another victim!" He turned to get into character then walked like a gaited zombie to the door leaving Willie to go into the Drawing room.

Drawing Room

Willie knocked on the door and heard Julia call. "Yes?"

Willie opened the door and stepped in the room. He would nurse the stinging eye later. He had to ignore the fact it was starting to be known by the swelling forming over the top of his eye. "You are needed now at the Old House."

Julia stepped away from Eric having been caught in an embrace she turned and leaned into Eric watching Willie noting the swelling. "What happened?"

Foyer Collinwood

As David assumed his gory pretense he opened the door and moaned than paused, standing under the porte conchere was a figure of a blond woman, she looked like David's mother Laura. "Mother? " The figure shimmered then was engulfed in flames and she lifted her head and screamed silently. David seeing this figure consumed by flames screamed out "NOOOO MOTHER NOOOO!" David turned and fled into the drawing room, "MY mother! She is on fire please come!" The fear written on the boys face did not broke argument or did it bring to mind he was trying one of his typical orchestrated pranks.

"You stay with Willie, Julia I will go with David." Eric walked quickly with the boy in tow to the front door and paused. There was nothing on the front door step no sign of a burning woman or anyone that would remotely resemble a woman that was suppose to be on fire.

"But I swear she was there!" He exclaimed in astonishment and he pointed to the spot he had seen her burning form.

"Well she is not there now David, perhaps someone played a trick on you?"

"Or you think I imagined it." David crossed his arms and murmured under his breath.

"I never said that David."

"No but you thought it." He turned away from Dr. Lang and sat on the steps of the grand staircase and folded his arms over his chest. "I saw her, she was there."

Eric stooped down and looked at the boy. "David, had this been any other house any other time, I would believe you were teasing with us. But this is Collinwood and anything can happen. That is why it is important that you tell your Father and Aunt Elizabeth about what happened tonight."

David looked up hopeful he studied the serious look of the doctor in front of him. "Really?"

Lang squeezed his shoulder, felt the pressure in his back and knees and said, "Yes, really." Then steadied himself on David's shoulder he pushed up to standing position. Another knock on the door and Lang looked at the door. "You going to get that?" David perked up smiled and stood got into character and went to the door.

Drawing Room

Eric walked away to the sounds of giggles and shouts as well as squeals from the surprised trick or treater.

Eric entered the drawing room and saw the concerned look on Julia's face and the slump shoulder staring at the floor Willie. "What now?"

"Barnabas had an unwelcomed guest he attacked Vicki and knocked her unconscious. He killed the man." Julia's voice had dropped low and her eyes darted around to make sure they were the only ones present to hear what she imparted.

"Well my dear lets go to the Old House. I am sure we can better assess this situation from there." Eric turned to head to his room and grab his medical bag, while Julia walked to the hallway table and picked up her medical bag.

"Did you drive over here Willie?" Julia asked as she lifted her coat from the hook.

"Um yeah I drove the truck is out front."

"Then you can follow us back to the old house."

Julia watched Eric come down the stairs. Turning they took the back servants area to the kitchen and through the pantry to the garage. Willie walked past David and the kids getting Collinwood treats to his truck opened the truck door, slid in, started it and backed up. He watched Eric backed the big sedan out of the garage, and then slid into place behind the big sedan. Following them to the Old House.

Old House Collinwood

Willie waited for them to exit the car and fell into step behind them. "She looked kind of bad when I left. I am not sure but she may have a broken ankle too. Her leg looked swollen."

"Well without x-rays we won't know. I should have called an ambulance." Julia mused.

"I took care of that Julia, they are meeting us here at the old house."

"She can't have anything for pain Eric, you know what she has just been through."

"Ya she is a junkie now isn't she?" Willie asked innocently walking up behind them to the front of the house.

"Not by her choice Willie, it was something forced on her and I don't want her labeled as a junkie."

"Sorry, I just can't picture her as a skid row bum looking for her next fix."

"She went through hell drying out Willie, and it was horrible for her. She was very ill for ten days she did not eat or drink, we had to put her on fluids." Julia defended Vicki and her condition.

"It seems she is always finding problems." Eric muttered softly.

"Not this time, the problem found her. It was Gorman one of Jason's old buddies. I figure Jason must have been in touch with him and told him about the jewels in the house and he came to rob Barnabas."

"Big mistake there." Eric observed with a chuckle. "I suppose he got what he deserved?"

"He got dead if that is what you mean."

"Well no, but it is the punishment that Barnabas felt he needed."

"Yah I know but sheesh he looked like shit when Barnabas got done with him."

"He hurt his love, if someone hurt someone you loved would you not be violent with the person that had done it and reacted much the same way?" Eric had reasoned and defended Barnabas' actions from his perspective what he might do if Julia were injured.

New York Burroughs fifteen years ago

"I would make them hurt." Willie said softly. A part of him was beginning to remember and he slip off to that time long ago when his old man beat his mother senseless and he tried to stop him. Willie had been all of fourteen when he came home from school and found his mother lying on the floor in a pool of blood. His old man had hit her with the skillet and knocked her out splitting her head and giving her a concussion and cracked skull.

Willie could not see reason after he saw his helpless mother lying on the floor and went after his old man. His father had been a big man and an ex boxer and was prone to drink and when he was drunk he got mean real mean. That was one reason he had felt sorry for little Billy.

Willie laid into his Dad and found himself knocked backwards with two punches he was laying next to his mother. He knew to get up would mean another smack down. So he laid still and waited, he knew the old man would be out soon, he was still swilling down the drink and when he passed out Willie had plans for him.

Sure enough William Loomis Sr. was soon passed out and lying over the table. Willie got up and lifted him and took him to the bedroom. There he tucked the sheet around his body really tight so he could not move. The old man snorted, burped and farted then settled and then Willie went to work. He grabbed the bottle and began to beat the living hell out of his dad from head to toe so much anger; hate and frustration came out with each whack delivered.

Willie raised welts, bruises and contusions that seeped through the bedding. When he had worn himself out with the bottle, he broke the bottle over his dad's head and prayed he had killed him.

His mother had started to come out of her stunned unconscious state with a delicate moan and a softly uttered "Willie?"

Willie with chest heaving and eyes fixed on the now bloodied face of his father stood back. His mother had come to the door and leaned to it, holding her hair out of her face she looked up in shock and fear. She rushed to the man she had married side and bent down. "Oh thank God he is breathing." She looked around scared and filled with anxiety. "Willie go to your room and pack. Be quick and take only what is necessary. Now hurry."

June Loomis had taken Willie that night to her sister's house in Boston and left him there. Willie remembered how his mother had pleaded with her sister to keep Willie, to watch out for him and make sure he never forgot whom she was. That last hug from his mother she looked deeply into his eyes and the tears formed she smiled and whispered how much she loved him. Brushing back the hair to see the now swollen bruise that William had put on her son made her heart break.

"Never ever forget Willie how much I love you. I will always love you. You are my little man and will have my heart always." He watched her leave and that was the last time he saw her.

Collinwood present day Old House

Willie learned later his father had died and his mother had been arrested for murder. She had been sentenced to life in prison and eventually died in prison. He had sworn after that he would never take a beating again or allow anyone he loved be beaten.

But Willie had never thought the one person he took his beatings from was a man he could not resist or run from. That man was really no man but a monster in a man's body.

Eric escorting Julia up the stairs turned to watch Sheriff's Patterson's car pull up in front of the old house "Oh dear looks like we have a bit of a problem."