972 - March 16, 1970

[bunniefuu]

[eerie music]

VOICEOVER:On this night,

Barnabas Collins has been drawn

to the room in the East wing,

where he has twice before seen inhabitants of Collinwood

living their lives in what seems to be

a zone of parallel time.

He has learned already

that a strangely different Elizabeth and Julia

are a part of it.

So is Angelique, so is Quentin.

And on this night, he has just seen Julia quarrel

with an uncannily changed Willie Loomis,

and seen her throw a book at him,

a book that has somehow done what Barnabas cannot do,

broken the time barrier.

[dramatic music]

What happened?

What twist of time closed it up again?

And what twist of time opened the barrier long enough

to let this through?

The Life and Death of Barnabas Collins

by William Hollinshead Loomis.

The Life and Death of Barnabas Collins?

[dramatic music]

[eerie music]

[waves crashing]

[mysterious music]

I did it, Barnabas, every bit of it,

just the way it was supposed to be done.

Anybody wants to find Megan Todd,

they'll have to look good and...

What's the matter, Barnabas?

Why are you staring at me like that?

Maybe it's just as well if you didn't know.

Well, I gotta know, I mean, the way you're lookin' at me,

like you never seen me before.

I mean, something's wrong, Barnabas, what is it?

Tell me.

Has it got somethin' to do with that book?

What made you say that?

I don't know, I just got a funny feelin'.

The Life and Death of Barnabas Collins?

Hey Barnabas, what is that, who wrote that book?

You wrote it, Willie.

What are you talkin' about?

BARNABAS: See for yourself.

The Life and Death of Barnabas Collins

by William Hollinshead Loomis.

Hey, wait a minute, nobody knows my middle name.

Hey, that's gotta be some other Willie Loomis,

now that's gotta be.

Huh?

What?

"Mr. Loomis is the author of three bestselling novels.

"Pride Alliance, Gold-Hearted Lover,

"World Beyond the Doors,

"all of which have been made into motion pictures, he's..."

This is lies, Barnabas, all lies!

Well, that's me, but it don't look like me.

It's a pic,

you just take a look at those clothes I'm wearin'.

I don't own any clothes like that or...

Where did you get this book, where'd it come from?

I found it, Willie, in the east wing.

Where it came from before then, I don't know.

It says it was published in Boston, .

Well, I'm sure that no records in our world

say that it was.

Hey, Barnabas, I don't understand this.

How do you mean, Willie?

Well, I gotta be honest, I mean,

I mean, there's something written here,

and it's in my handwritin', only I never wrote it.

I mean, I can hardly read it.

I saw it, Willie.

"To the Cleo who inspired me."

Well, I don't know anybody named Cleo, and I never did.

Cleo was the muse of history.

What, history?

I mean, history's supposed to be the truth,

I mean, this is a pack of lies!

I mean, The Life and Death of Barnabas Collins?

I mean, Barnabas, you never d*ed.

Not in this time band, but in another.

Hey, Barnabas, what are you talkin' about?

Now, you're scarin' me something awful.

Well, I don't mean to, Willie.

Just try to conceive of the fact

that there are other existences,

and in one of them, you were quite a well-known fellow,

just as I was born in the th century,

heir to the Collins' lands.

Rich in years, d*ed in ,

grieved by my descendants,

and most particularly, by my most loving wife, Josette.

Josette, why it says so right here in this book.

The beginning, and the end, yes,

but I still have to read what's in between.

And then I must go to Professor Stokes.

You must go to Professor Stokes and tell him

that I want to see him.

Yes, if that's all you want,

you can go over to Collinwood later.

Mrs. Johnson mentioned

that he's having supper there tonight.

Good, then I will read it before I see him,

and see if there are any more surprises in this book for me.

Barnabas, if I were you,

I wouldn't look for any more surprises,

they're no good.

What do you mean?

Barnabas, I tell you, if I were you,

I'd take that book right now and I'd throw it away.

I mean, I'd just burn it.

I don't think the problem can be disposed of

as easily as that.

Something exists and I must understand it.

And I will understand it no matter what happens.

Now, let me read it.

All right, Barnabas.

But don't forget, I warned you.

[ominous music]

"Of one thing there is no doubt,

"Barnabas Collins was born in

"the middle of the th century,

"heir to Collins' lands that spread from...

"And so, rich in years, he d*ed in ,

"grieved by his descendants

"and most particularly by his loving wife, Josette."

Josette.

My dear, Elizabeth, it's wonderful to see you

knowing that you're yourself again.

What do you mean, Eliot?

After Paul's death you seemed distracted.

Well, yes, it was a terribly difficult time,

and I'm afraid the difficulties aren't over yet.

What do you mean, what is it?

Carolyn married Jeb Hawkes yesterday.

What, wasn't it very sudden?

Sudden, precipitous,

and stupid and rash.

I'm afraid for her.

ELIOT: Was there nothing you could do to stop her?

I didn't have the heart to,

she's so much in love with him.

I ignored the warning voice in my ear

and gave my blessing.

But I can't ignore it any longer.

Why, what's the matter?

Jeb didn't tell me where they were going.

He didn't even tell Carolyn.

She told me she'd call me when she got settled somewhere,

but she hasn't called me, I haven't heard from her.

She could be anywhere, anything could have happened to her.

I'm afraid for my daughter, Eliot,

terribly afraid.

[dramatic music]

[gasps]

VOICEOVER:It's in here, I knew it would be.

It's been everywhere I went, waiting for me.

But I'll get away from it.

I'll get away from it somehow.

[yells]

[woman laughs]

Take it easy, I won't hurt you, I promise.

[both laughing]

Providing you'll take me to dinner.

The manager says

there's a marvelous seafood restaurant just...

What's the matter, why'd you turn off the light?

'Cause we're gettin' out of here,

we're leaving this place right now.

[dramatic music]

No, Jeb, we're not going anywhere,

not until we have a talk.

Hey, keep that light off, please!

CAROLYN: Why?

Honey, honey, it's my eyes, I mean,

I've been driving all day into the sun, they're k*lling me.

I don't wonder.

We've been in and out of hotels since we started.

No matter where we decide to stop,

you suddenly decide we have to leave, keep going.

Jeb, I don't understand it.

Look, it's just, honey, I just want things

to be exactly right, you know?

Things would be perfect if we'll only stay in one place.

Here.

- Honey, no. - Let's stay here.

No, no, we gotta get out of here!

Why, you just told me your eyes were tired from driving.

We don't have to drive, honey.

We can leave the car here, we can take a plane.

To where?

Anywhere, anywhere, honey, just name it.

I want to stay here.

- JEB: We can't stay here! - Why not?

Jeb, I asked you a question.

I'd appreciate an answer.

[Jeb sighs]

Jeb, what is it you're not telling me?

What are we running from?

What gives you the idea we're running from anything?

You, you give me that idea.

The way you act, and the way you look

and the things you say.

Maybe there's an explanation.

If there is, I wanna hear it, I wanna understand.

Honey, there are just some things you can't understand!

I'm sorry!

I know, unless you give me the chance.

- JEB: I know! - Jeb, I'm your wife,

I have to understand what all this means.

All right, all right, you wanna understand it?

It means the honeymoon's over, it's over!

Now let's get out of here.

Come on, let's go.

I suppose a mother worries too much about an only child.

About any child, Elizabeth.

If I'd just hear from Carolyn.

BARNABAS: You've heard nothing?

No, and I wonder what it means.

I wish I did, too.

Eliot, I would like to have a talk with you

about something, if you have the time.

Why not now?

BARNABAS: I don't want to intrude.

You're not intruding.

I'm sure Eliot will welcome a change of subject.

I've been going on about Carolyn.

You know she means a great deal to all of us, Elizabeth.

You think I'm overreacting.

As a bachelor I don't feel qualified to judge.

Well, bachelor or not, I'm sure you have a theory

on the care and feeding of children.

Eliot has a theory about everything.

Well, Barnabas, I'll tell Mrs. Johnson

you're staying for dinner.

I did everything I could to keep her calm.

But I'm afraid Carolyn's marrying this boy

could be disastrous.

Well, Barnabas, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?

About a theory that you were expounding

at Julia's one night, parallel time.

ELIOT: Yes, what about it?

If I understand it correctly,

the theory states that a person can be traveling down

more than one time band simultaneously.

Now, is that true?

Yes, that's the theory.

The differences are differences of choice.

For example, if I'd chosen to marry

my high school sweetheart,

I'd be living a totally different life

somewhere with her, with several children, perhaps.

According to the theory,

somewhere there is an Eliot Stokes who's doing just that.

Indeed, there may be many Eliot Stokeses

leading all manner of different lives.

Fascinating theory.

ELIOT: Yeah, fascinating, but only a theory.

Don't you think it's possible?

From your tone I take it that you do.

Yes, I do.

For in an empty room in the east wing,

I have seen the most extraordinary things.

[clock chimes]

- You saw all that? - BARNABAS: Yes.

You saw Elizabeth and Julia and Willie leading lives

that are completely different and apart

from the lives they lead here?

And at the same time, exactly the same time.

If there were only a way to reach them.

Well, there is, there has to be,

for this has reached me.

[ominous music]

The Life and Death of Barnabas Collins

by William Hollinshead Loomis.

What does this mean?

It's a history of my ancestor.

In the time band that takes place in that room,

he married Josette DuPres, had children, and d*ed in .

Of course, in our own time band,

he left Collinwood in

and never returned.

Incredible.

Barnabas, you must take me to that room immediately.

I want to see this for myself.

Very well, Eliot.

[mysterious music]

I wonder what I'm doing in that time band,

whether I'm even alive.

When I was years old I almost drowned.

Perhaps in that time band I wasn't rescued.

Perhaps there I've been dead for a long time.

Do you wonder, Barnabas, what your life might have been?

Yes, I do.

[dramatic music]

[mysterious music]

I am furious.

I'd hoped that you would see it too.

I don't understand why it's here sometimes,

then other times it's,

well, there's no sign, no nothing.

My guess is that the time band is always here,

but one can only glimpse it through the wall.

Look here, I have a small rip in my sleeve.

When I hold my arm in a certain way,

the rip seems to disappear.

To see it you have to stand in the right position,

in the right light.

If you don't, for you, the rip ceases to exist.

And I had been standing in the right place

in the right light.

ELIOT: Yes, perhaps that is the explanation.

Then theoretically other people could too,

if they were in the right circumstances.

Yes, I think they could.

If only I could.

This is a most important discovery,

a proof of what has been only a theory until now.

Its real importance will come if

and when I can cross over.

No, you mustn't do that.

BARNABAS: Why not?

It's far too dangerous.

We know so very little about all this.

You might become trapped between two time bands--

I know, I know the dangers.

But do you think I can pass up the opportunity

of crossing over if it comes?

I don't know what to wish for,

that it should come or that it shouldn't.

Keep watching this room, Barnabas, let me know.

But for all our sakes,

don't do anything that might destroy you.

I think we should go up to the house

and let my mother know we're back.

JEB: Go ahead, I'm not stopping you.

- Aren't you coming? - JEB: Nope.

Jeb, I don't understand,

you hardly said a word on the drive back.

Now, why are you so angry?

Tell me, please.

There's nothing to tell.

Go to Collinwood, go on.

What are you planning to do?

I'll unpack.

Well, it would help considerably

if you could see what you're unpacking.

[dramatic music]

Jeb, what is the matter?

Just stop asking me that, huh?

Now, if you're gonna go, go.

Go ahead, get out and stay out!

Stay out?

Yeah, look, you wanna go see your mother?

Go to Collinwood, see your mother.

- Stay with her! - CAROLYN: Jeb,

this is where I belong!

Look, don't you understand, I don't want you!

Jeb!

Look, I made a mistake, I don't want you.

CAROLYN: Maybe we both made a mistake.

[door slams]

[wind howling]

Carolyn, darling!

Are you all right?

Yes.

Where's Jeb?

He went straight to the carriage house.

Oh, I didn't expect you so soon, it's not ready yet.

It doesn't matter, he's gonna stay there.

He?

I'll be staying here.

Carolyn, I don't understand.

Neither do I, but that's the way he wants it.

Carolyn?

I don't wanna talk about it.

I don't want to talk about it.

[door rattles]

Barnabas, did you get to see Professor Stokes?

Yes, I did.

Well, I hope he understands more about this than I do.

I've been thinking an awful lot about that book, Barnabas.

So have I.

And about the life in which I loved and won Josette.

Well, if that life existed, it ended in death, Barnabas,

and don't you forget it.

CAROLYN:Why did he force us to quarrel?

Why did he force me to go?

I don't understand it.

But I've got to, I've got to.

[door rattles]

Why is it dark?

Why is this door locked?

Did he go?

Did he leave me?

[keys jingling]

JEB:Whoever you are, leave me alone!

CAROLYN: Jeb, Jeb, it's Carolyn.

JEB:I said leave me alone.

CAROLYN: But I just wanna...

JEB:Go away, stay away!

No!

Jeb, what is it?

You've got to tell me, you can't refuse to answer.

You can't just sit here in the dark.

[gasps]

[screams]

Honey, I didn't want you to notice.

I didn't want you to see it, ever.

What is it, what is it?

I didn't want it to hurt you.

You gotta believe me, I didn't want it to--

It was going to hurt you.

It is gonna hurt you, isn't it, Jeb?

It's gonna k*ll you, isn't it?

Yeah, but if I sit here in the dark,

at least I won't know what happened.

No, I won't let you!

Let's get away from it.

Carolyn, there's nowhere to go.

CAROLYN: Yes, yes, there has to be!

[dramatic music]