315 - (Alexandra Moltke) - The sun has gone down, and the night at Collinwood seems darker and lonelier than ever before. For a little boy has disappeared, and we live with the fear that he may never return safely. At the Old House on the Collinwood estate, plans are being made--for there is a man in that house who fears the little boy may have learned his dark secret.
Some of DS' most dramatic confrontations highlight this episode!
Barnabas and Julia get into an argument over David's fate. She wants him to wait 15 minutes for an injection, but he is impatient to get to Collinwood to find out where they've been so he can conduct his own search for David. Julia does not want Barnabas to harm David, but he reminds her that she has as much to lose as he does. Barnabas is sure Sarah has told David about him. He remarks that he's fond of David, but if he must choose between sentiment and survival, the latter will win out. Julia nastily suggests that perhaps they've already found him, adding that she'd prefer someone else find the boy rather than him. Barnabas compares her unfavorably to Willie, calling her squeamish. She doesn't want David to die, she retorts, and if he kills him, he'll be signing his own death warrant.
"There may be one or two death warrants written regardless of what happens to David," Barnabas warns her, and tells her to pass it on to Willie, too. A great scene between these two!
Barnabas stops by Collinwood to see Vicki, who tells him about the weird caretaker at Eagle Hill who told Joe and Roger he heard voices coming from the mausoleum.
Barnabas, stinging, I'm sure, because Vicki mentioned her fear that David was kidnapped by the same maniac who got Maggie, leaves to join the search. When Vicki expresses concern for his safely, Barn says wryly, "No harm will come to me."
David tries again to escape, to figure out how, but is unable. He calls to Sarah for help and lies down on the "escape" step again. In a marvelous scene, Barnabas meets up with the cemetery caretaker who goes on and on about the dead being restless and how much Barnabas looks like the original Barnabas, right down to cane, ring and face. Impatiently, Barnabas questions the man, who admits that the cries for help he heard from behind the mausoleum wall COULD have been those of a child, but only Sarah Collins is buried there.
Barnabas nearly lets it drop that he's Sarah's brother, which is why he knows damn well that she's buried there. As Barnabas heads for the tomb, the old caretaker warns him about going there at night. "No danger for me," assures Barnabas, and the caretaker retorts, "For every living soul," which causes the vampire to smile bitterly.
Sarah finally appears to David in the secret room. He's mad at her for leaving him there, and for not telling him how to get out.
He had to hide from Willie and Barnabas, who also know about this room, in the coffin. She explains the way to get out, but warns him that he still must keep quiet about the secret room. He opens the door and offers to help her out, but she's gone again. He races out of the mausoleum--straight into Barnabas' arms! "Hullo, David," Barnabas says, holding him tightly. "I've been looking everywhere for you--but now I've found you, haven't I?" David stares up at Barnabas in terror.
316 - (Alexandra Motke) - The night is long and casts the shadow of doom over Collinwood. One who is close to us, a little boy, is still missing. We do not know yet that the boy is trapped in a mausoleum in the old Eagle Hill Cemetery.
Barnabas interrogates David as to where he's been. Sensing danger, the boy tells the vampire he was lost in the wood and only went into the mausoleum to get warm, but Barnabas doesn't believe that--and says so. David attempts to escape, but Barnabas bars the way with his cane. Everyone at Collinwood is searching for you, says Barn, so you'll have to come back to the Old House with me. When Barnabas questions him about Sarah, David refuses to answer. Barnabas grabs hold of him, but they hear Burke calling David's name, and David ecstatically runs to Burke. Odd how you found him when the sheriff and his deputies failed, remarks Burke, who reveals to David that Roger and Vicki are awaiting him at Collinwood.
This makes the boy even more suspicious of his cousin. Barnabas says he found no one at Collinwood earlier; this is a misunderstanding. They all head to Collinwood.
As Vicki paces Collinwood's drawing room, Roger returns from searching to pour a drink for himself. The search will continue another day, he says. David runs in and hugs Roger and Vicki. Burke and Barnabas follow the boy in. David maintains his story that he was lost in the woods.
In the foyer, Roger leads David upstairs. The boy tosses a suspicious glance at Barnabas, who looks quite worried.
As Barnabas gets ready to leave, Vicki thanks him for finding David. I'm anxious to know more about David's disappearance, says Barnabas.
Upstairs in David's room, David lies in his bed. Roger asks him to explain what really happened; 17 people were searching for him, so his explanation doesn't make much sense.
You all know nothing about Barnabas, is all David will reveal, but Roger says he will get the full truth from David tomorrow.
Back at the Old House, Barnabas accuses Willie of hiding something from him; he believes David knows about the secret room. Willie protests that David doesn't know a thing.
Maybe, maybe! Rails Barnabas--what assurance do I have with maybe? The vampire wants to put David's curiosity to rest--permanently.
David climbs out of his bed and walks to the window, looking out into the night. Vicki enters and goes to him. I'm scared, he admits. You're safe, Vicki reassures him. I feel someone evil watching me, says David nervously.
And indeed, gazing out the Old House window malevolently, Barnabas says, "Good night, David--pleasant dreams!"
NOTES: Double brrrr! That first scene when Barnabas had David in his clutches was terrifying--he could have just done away with him, or bitten him, if Burke hadn't come along! But by this time, we were rooting for Barnabas not to get caught, so perhaps we hoped something would happen to David, not death, of course, but a little bite would have been cool!
Was there ever such an ugly expression on a face as that of Barnabas staring at the window, working his evil mojo on David? Wishing him pleasant dreams in that terrible tone? Scary stuff, believe me!
Love, Robin
