Eagle Hill Cemetery, 1847

A red full moon presided over the ancient cemetery on Eagle Hill, near the town of Collinsport, Maine. Somewhere in the ancient, nearby forests a dog howled as if mourning his dead master.

A cool autumn wind blew through the tops of the trees, making a loud swishing sound that rose and fell. Below, in the cemetery, a swirling fog began to appear, but there was no one to see it.

A certain headstone, barely seven years old, marked the grave of one Valerie Collins, with the epitaph, “Beloved wife of Barnabas Collins. Died 1840.”

Above, in the trees, the wind was furious, but down on the ground it was little more than a brisk breeze. Brown and orange leaves rustled and toppled over one another across the grave.

Somewhere in the sounds of the night, a discerning ear would have heard a faint, but deep voice…

“Miranda,” it called. “Miranda. Listen to me.”

Now, a feminine voice, “Master?”

“Yes, Miranda.”

“Let me rest, master. Please,” the female voice pleaded, “let me rest.”

“You may rest for now,” came the reply. “You may rest for fifty more years.”

“Fifty, master?”

“Fifty years from now, two men will hold a dark ceremony and summon you from your grave.”

“But master, you said that you could not foretell the future,” the woman objected.

“I cannot tell the future, but your Barnabas came from the future. When he was here, as the undead, I could discern his thoughts. He knew that you would be awakened in 1897.”

“My Barnabas?” the woman questioned.

“Yes,” answered Diabolos, “the Barnabas you gave me but who would not stay mine. The Barnabas you saved.”

“Then Barnabas is all right?” Miranda asked.

“I cannot see the future, but he left this time well and alive, no thanks to you.”

“Forgive me, master.”

“I shall not forgive you, Miranda, not for saving Barnabas, and especially not for thwarting Judah Zachary again. I allowed you to move against him the first time so I could make you powerful and make you mine.”

“Then let me sleep, master. Let me rest.”

“I will let you sleep for now, but when you are awakened, you must redeem yourself with me.”

“How, my lord?”

“Had you allowed Judah Zachary to succeed, I would have gained a great victory. Instead, not only will he not be reincarnated according to my plan, but is perished beyond my own power to call him forth. Now, in England, Desmond and Leticia Collins are returning from England with their twin sons. They should not even exist.

“Two-hundred years ago, I cursed all descendants of Stephen Collins and swore in my wrath that his posterity would all pay for his treachery. By your meddling, there will be a new Collins branch in Rose Cottage.”

“But how shall I redeem myself, master?”

“After you are awakened, I will tell you when the time is right. Then, you shall lash out at the Collins family, first all the descendants of Desmond, then all the descendants of Gabriel and Edith.”

“Edith is dead. Won’t the inhabitants of Collinwood now be the descendants of Quentin and Daphne?”

“I have done some time-meddling of my own. Edith is not dead. Julia Hoffman went back down the stairs of time one last time and warned Edith to beware of Gabriel. She has no memory of her giving herself to me. She now heads the Collins family.”

“But why, my lord?” Miranda asked.

“I want nothing to interfere with the events that should happen in fifty years, when you, my daughter, will be awakened. Everything from here forward must be as Barnabas will remember it, except for the future descendants of Desmond and Leticia.”

“Please, master of darkness, let me rest instead.”

Here the wind howling in the trees above gusted and somewhere in the distance a crash was heard.

“I will not let you rest, Miranda. If you will serve me then, I will give you the things you desire more than any others.”

“Barnabas?”

“Yes, Barnabas and…”

“Our daughter?”

“I cannot give you your daughter. She is already in the grave, a good woman, and beyond my power.”

“Then what?”

“I will permit you to tell your beloved Barnabas about your daughter…his daughter.”

“But master, I do not know what became of our daughter.”

“I will allow you to search the world to discover the fate of your daughter for fifty years after your awakening, but then you must return to Collinsport and lie in wait to destroy the family of Desmond Collins.”

“And what if I do not find what I seek after fifty years?”

“Then you must wait until after the Collins family is destroyed.”

“But if I destroy the Collins family before Barnabas is released from his coffin, how will he ever be released?”

“That will be your problem. I want the Collins family to die slowly. One hundred and fifty years from now is your deadline, Miranda. If you are not finished by then, I will destroy you forever, and Barnabas too.”

“And how will you give Barnabas to me?” Miranda asked.

“I will age you at that time so you will be closer to his age and will permit you and him to be together, if he will have you. You must be cautious in destroying his family. If he knew…”

“…he would reject me again.”

“Yes,” Diabolos said. “Now, Miranda, sleep…and remember…

“remember…

“remember…

“fifty years to sleep, fifty years to search, and fifty years to destroy…

“fifty years to sleep, Miranda,

“sleep…

“sleep…

“sleep.”

The wind died down and soon all was still in the Eagle Hill Cemetery.