255 - June 16, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[narrating] - My name is Victoria Winters.

A warm, night wind wails around the walls of Collinwood

and, for all the world,

sounds like a cry of anguish and despair.

Imprisoned in the depth of a house on the great estate,

there is one who knows despair

and, yet, still clings to a single frail hope.

A hope that she will, somehow, be freed from the prison

in which she is held c*ptive.

Freed from the one who would destroy her.

- I got the flowers.

- Josette loved fresh-cut flowers.

They were placed in her room every morning.

- Why did you ask me to get them?

Does it mean you're gonna let the girl come back up here?

- Perhaps.

- You mean, you're gonna give her another chance?

- You ask entirely too many questions, Willie.

- Well, she can't stay down in that room much longer, Barnabas,

she's about to go crazy down there.

- She deserves a far greater punishment than that.

I offered her the world--

A chance to become my bride, my Josette, through eternity

and she refused.

- I think she's ready to accept it.

- It would be unfortunate for her if she resists me again.

- What will you do to her?

- You know the answer to that.

Of course, I will have to k*ll her.

♪♪

♪♪

- Hi, Sam. - Oh, hello, Joe.

- Have you, uh, you checked with the sheriff today?

- No.

- Don't you think you should?

- Oh, it depresses me to hear the same old answer.

If he has any news, he'll pass it on to me.

He knows where he can find me.

- Well, I think I'll stop by his office anyway,

just to find out what's happening.

Why don't you come with me?

- No, no, I can't.

I gotta take a run up to Collinwood.

- Collinwood? - Up to the old house.

Yeah, I finished the painting of Barnabas Conrad--

Barnabas Collins last night

and I wanted to pass it on to him

and collect my commission.

- Well, I'm glad to hear your working.

It's a good idea.

- Well, it's either that or go crazy.

- Look, Sam, we--

we can't give up hope, no matter what.

- Oh, I haven't given up hope.

As long as I live, I'll believe that Maggie's alive.

Somewhere.

[footsteps approach]

[music box plays]

- Willie! - Yeah, it's me.

- Willie, you don't know how good it is to see you

after being in here alone.

- He wants me to take you upstairs.

- Upstairs. - To your room.

I mean, Josette's room.

Now, that could mean he's gonna give you another chance.

- Do you think so? - You go along with him.

You pretend to be what he wants you to be, for your own sake.

- I'll try.

- You gotta do more than try.

You gotta make him think you are Josette

and you're gonna be his bride.

- Willie! Do you know what that means, to be like he is?

Just exist among the living dead.

- Now don't say that! - It's true.

- Now, you know you wanna live,

you know you wanna get out of here.

I just wanna get out of this room!

I'm afraid I'll go insane

if I have to stay in here any longer.

- Then don't resist him.

Make him think he's won.

- He won't believe me! - You make him believe you.

This could be your last chance.

Your very last chance.

♪♪

- Leave us.

How are you, my dear?

- Better.

Better than I've been in days.

- Are you happy to return to your room?

- It's like a paradise.

- Perhaps you will appreciate it a little more than you did.

- I do, yes, I do.

- Would you like to stay here again?

- May I?

- We shall see.

- Oh, Barnabas, please.

Please don't make me go back to that room.

Let me stay here, I'll do anything.

Just, please, say you will.

- Please don't plead with me.

Josette was above begging for anything.

- I'm sorry.

- And you must be Josette in every detail.

- I want to be.

- Well, you must be certain that you're sincere.

- I am, believe me, I am.

- Perhaps.

I had Willie cut some fresh flowers for you.

Do you like them?

- Oh, they're the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen.

- Josette had a vase of flowers in every room in the house.

She wanted life,

the beauty of living to surround her wherever she went.

- I've-- I've longed to see a flower, a tree,

even a blade of grass.

- It would be so easy for you to be free.

All you must do is accept your destiny.

- I want to accept it.

- Wanting is not enough, you must accept it willingly.

- Well, I'm trying to do that.

- I see you have your music box.

- Yes, I wanted it with me.

- Have you played it? - Yes.

- How did you feel when you listened to it?

- Sometimes I really believed I was Josette.

I really did!

- Play it now.

It would please me.

[music box playing]

Listen.

Allow the music to become a part of you.

You seem calmer when you listen to the music.

- Yes.

- Does it really have that effect on you?

- I-- I feel--

- How do you feel?

- Why, I feel happy.

- Why?

- I don't know why, I'm not sure.

- Is it because you're here in this room?

- Yes.

- Is it because you're with me?

- Yes.

- Have you longed to be with me?

- Yes, with all my heart.

- Look at me.

Look into my eyes, deep into my eyes.

Tell me how happy you are.

- Happy.

- Because we're together? - Yes.

- And how long will we remain together?

- Through eternity.

I shall be your bride, I want to be your bride.

- Josette. - Yes, what is it?

- Josette, I have waited for you for so long.

I want you to be happy, I promise you shall.

I will make you happy until the end of time.

You recoiled.

- No. - You did.

When I kissed your hand. Why, Josette?

- I didn't mean to.

- For a moment you were Josette-- My Josette.

But a part of you clings to that stupid belief

that Maggie Evans still exists.

When will you learn that that common creature

no longer exists?

When will you accept yourself as the lovely creature

you could be?

- Maggie Evans.

[music box stops]

Yes, that is who I am.

You can k*ll me, but nothing will ever change that.

- I ought to k*ll you.

You're not worthy of the honor that I've tried to give you.

- Barnabas! - Willie, I told you not to come in here.

- He's here, her father.

His car just drove up out back.

- He'll be at the door any minute. - Really?

- We gotta get her back downstairs.

- No, I think not.

I prefer to leave her here.

- But it isn't safe,

she might make a sound, he might hear her.

- You must make sure that she doesn't.

You know what will happen if you fail.

- But, Barnabas-- - Don't argue with me.

Here, take this handkerchief.

Now, put it around her mouth.

Now, I want you to go down to the end of the hall

at the top of the stairs.

- The end of the hall?

[knocking]

- That's Evans, I'll let him in.

Now, do as I say. - What if I--

- Take her to the end of the hall.

- But, if I take her there,

she'll only be a few feet away from her father.

- Exactly.

I want her to overhear our conversation.

- But it isn't safe, she might move--

She might make a sound.

- I don't think she will

because I may be forced to k*ll her.

And, of course, forced to k*ll her father, too.

♪♪

[knocking]

- Why, Mr. Evans, what a pleasant surprise.

- Well, Mr. Collins, I, eh, came to deliver the portrait.

- Is it finished?

- Yes, yes, I finished it last night.

- Really?

Well, I'd assumed you stopped on it.

- No, no, I used it as a kind of therapy.

- Well, I'm most anxious to see it.

Won't you come in?

- Well, I hope you like it.

- I'm sure I will.

Splendid. Good!

It's everything I'd hoped for.

- Well, it's not the best work I've done,

but it's the best work I could do right now.

- I couldn't be happier.

- Well, I'm glad to hear that.

- Oh, Mr. Evans, forgive me.

- For what?

- For not asking you at the beginning.

Have you had any news of your daughter?

- No, none.

- I'm extremely sorry.

I'm sure the authorities are still searching for her.

- Well, they've pretty much given up the search.

- So soon?

- Well, it's been several weeks now

and they've looked every place she might be.

They're, uh, certain she's not in the area.

- Well, do you think she might have been taken out of the area?

- Well, it's a possibility.

The, uh, State Police have sent out a description of her.

They have circulated pictures of her all over the country.

- Well, I'm sure that she's alive and well.

- Well, I'm glad that you believe that.

It's getting harder and harder as the days go by.

- Well, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about.

- Well, I hope so.

I've been clinging to the hope that someday,

somehow they'll-- they'll find her.

- Sam?

- Joe?

What are you doing here?

- Well, I-- I knew you were here and I have to talk to you.

Look, I'm sorry to come busting in like this,

Mr. Collins, but it's important.

- It's quite all right.

- Would you, uh-- Would you excuse it for a second?

- Of course.

- Well, what is it, Joe, what's going on?

Is it Maggie? Is it...

- Sam, I've just, uh, come from the sheriff's office.

- Uh-huh, they've located her?

- Well, they think they have.

- Well, where is she?

- You better brace yourself, Sam.

- How is she?

- They found the unidentified body of a girl on a beach

miles north of here, and they think it's Maggie.

- Oh, no.

- It was pretty hard for them to make the identification.

The girl's the same size and age as Maggie,

but, otherwise, the body's pretty unrecognizable.

Been in the water four or five days.

- Oh. Then there's a possibility it's not Maggie!

- Yeah, sure there's a possibility,

but the police feel pretty sure that it is Maggie.

- No, it can't be!

Oh, what's the use of kidding myself?

Of course it's Maggie.

It has to be... Maggie.

Gone.

- I couldn't help overhearing, Mr. Evans.

Allow me to extend my sincere condolence.

- Thanks.

Let's, uh-- Let's get out of here, Joe.

- Okay.

[door opening then closing]

♪♪

- Did you hear that?

Did you hear what they said?

- Yes.

- Do you still hope that they will come searching for you?

Do you still hope that they will find you?

- I don't know.

- Why would they look for you now?

They think you're dead.

- As far as the world is concerned,

Maggie Evans is dead.

- No!

- Soon they will forget all about you.

Oh, they will grieve for awhile,

especially your father and young Haskell,

but soon they will forget the fact

that you existed at all.

- No, don't say that.

- Young Haskell will find another girl in time,

marry and...

all his feelings for you will be transferred to someone else.

- Don't.

- Your father will drown his sorrows in drink for awhile

and then turn to his work.

His painting.

And you will be nothing but a memory, even to him.

- Please.

Please don't say those things.

- Why not? Isn't it true?

As far as the world's concerned, Maggie Evans is gone.

She doesn't exist.

The only thing that exists

is where does she exist in your mind.

It would be for you if she ceased to exist at all.

- I'll never stop being Maggie Evans!

- Well, it would be a shame if you died

when you could continue to exist so happily as Josette Collins.

- I'll never be Josette Collins.

- We shall see about that.

I suggest you think about it.

Willie, take her back downstairs.

- You can't put me back in that room!

- It's the only place for you to think.

One thinks best in the atmosphere of solitude.

- Please!

Please, you can't put me back in that room!

I'll go mad if I stay in that room!

- Take her out of here, Willie.

The sight of her offends me.

- Please.

- Don't argue with him, it's no use.

- Please, Willie, don't go.

- I have to.

- Please, just stay for a little while.

I can't stand to be alone.

- I can't stay, Barnabas needs me.

- Please, Willie, don't go!

Just for a little while.

Please, Willie, don't go!

Don't!

- ♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ Falling down, falling down ♪

♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ My fair lady

♪ Take the key and lock her up ♪

- Who is it?

I must be losing my mind.

I thought I heard a--

- ♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ Falling down, falling down ♪

- Who is it?

- ♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

- Who's out there? - ♪ My fair lady

♪ Take the key and lock her up ♪

♪ Lock her up, lock her up ♪

♪ Take the key and lock her up ♪

♪ My fair lady

♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ Falling down, falling down

♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ My fair lady ♪

♪♪

[announcer] - "Dark Shadows" is a Dan Curtis production.