Episode 70: Slideshow
Irene: "Storm clouds thicken over Desmond Hall in the
forest beyond the Great House. The night wind moans through the trees as if
voices of the dead were trying to contact the living. Tonight death will visit
Desmond Hall unless a man is able to resist the impulse to
kill."
In Desmond Hall Ada stands at the top of the staircase carrying a
candle. She takes a couple of steps down the stairs. "Ada." Laslo calls from the dark foyer. "Laslo you frightened me. It's such a
dreadful night out. I heard a noise." Ada says walking down the staircase. "I heard no noise." Laslo says. "What are you doing here in the dark
alone?" Ada
asks. "I might ask you the same
question." "I told you, I thought
I heard a noise." "Where is your cousin?" Laslo asks. "In his room." "Did you look in his room?" "No. I met Raxl in the corridor, she
told me to go back to sleep, that everyone is sleeping." "Then do as she says." Laslo tells her
as he turns away. He is putting his coat on. "Laslo don't leave me please. I'm
frightened." Ada
says running after Laslo to the front doors. "I'm sorry I must leave." "Where are you going?" "Holly is at Miss
Hatters. She should be brought home." Laslo says stopping and turning towards
Ada. "But let her stay the night Laslo. I
don't like you going out. I don't like Irene." "Go to bed." Laslo says as he closes the
door and walks away. "Laslo the
lights are out. Please don't leave!" Ada cries out. She stands at the door and
covers her ears as thunder
crashes.
In Irene's cottage Holly stands and looks out the window
at the approaching storm. Irene stands next to the fireplace. "Holly dear do sit
down." Holly looks at Irene. "I
really should be going." Irene
walks over to her. "In this vile weather? I wouldn't allow it. I know I'll make
us some tea. There's nothing like a hot cup of tea on a bitter evening. Sit down
dear." Holly sits and looks at
Irene. "Jean Paul might be worried about me." "When you're with me? Never, now don't
be a ninny. Just sit and watch the fire. I'll be back in a flash darling." Irene
walks away. Holly glances at her.
"You're very kind." "I know. Just
relax my dear." Irene says from the kitchen area in the cottage. "Close your
eyes. Let me help you relax." Irene says walking back to Holly and standing
behind her brushing her hand over Holly's temple. "Now think of nothing but the
fire. Relax, relax. The fire, think of the fire." Holly sits and stars at the
flames. "Holly, Holly? Can you hear me? Holly doesn't answer. "Holly close your
eyes, close them. Now sleep. Sleep quietly, peacefully. Sleep Holly, sleep.
Sleep." Holly's eyes are closed as
Irene walks around the couch to her small alter on a side table. Lining four
candles across from each other she places Holly's compact in the center. Irene
has taken the compact from Holly's purse. "She is with us now, oh Kings of the
underworld. This is her possession as it is ours now. Make the girl our own
now."
Annie and Jean Paul rush into the Gate house to get out of
the storm. Jean Paul shines a flashlight around the room. He walks away from
Annie shining the light around the room until it shines in Annie's face. "You're
not afraid are you?" Jean Paul asks.
Annie shakes her head. "No."
Jean Paul lowers the light. "Don't be afraid Annie. We have to wait in
here until the storm subsides. It's just a Gate House. I can't get the car
started until the weather brakes a bit."
Annie is standing clutching the front of her coat to ward off the
cold. Jean Paul touches her face.
"You mustn't be afraid Annie."
Annie covers his hand with hers. "I'm not afraid Mr. Desmond because I'm
with you." As Jean Paul stars at
Annie he hears the heartbeat. Squatting he lights a candle then looks up at her.
"You're a very pretty girl Annie. And a very sweet girl." "Am I? From somebody like you Mr.
Desmond, to hear you say that it makes me feel pretty." "But you are Annie. I'm sure lots of men
have told you that before." "Oh
some. I didn't believe them." "Do
you believe me?" She nods. "Yes.
Why are you starring at me like that? Come over here and sit by me. It's very
cold in here." Annie says to him.
Jean Paul stands and sits next to her. "I think it's very cold. Do you
think it's cold?" "We have a flame
to keep us warm Annie. And your beauty.'
"I've never heard anybody talk that way Mr. Desmond. Like poems or
something. Your brother..." "What
about my brother?" "When he stopped
into the restaurant when he was waiting for a train or something he talked like
that." Annie says looking away. "Nice, Oh but you're much handsomer Mr.
Desmond." "Am I?" Jean Paul asks as
he stands and walks away from Annie.
"Oh of course, of course you are. Don't you know what an elegant man you
are? You're much too nice to be snobbish or anything." Jean Paul turns and looks back at Annie.
"Annie when you came back to the house you came to see me didn't you?" Annie nods her head. "Yes, yes I
did." "Why Annie?" "You want the truth?" "Yes." "I don't know anybody like you Mr.
Desmond. The people I know you see, they have no respect no respect at all. They
say mean things to me, they do. None of the things they say about me is true."
Annie says standing and walking over to Jean Paul. "Would you say I was bad Mr.
Desmond? I mean do I look like I'm very bad?" Jean Paul glances down at her. "You're a
very fine girl Annie. But you just don't know." "Don't know what Mr. Desmond?" Jean Paul turns away. "Annie I think I
better start the car." he says as he opens the door to the outside. Lightening
flashes as Jean Paul jerks back from the door. "Mr. Desmond what is it? Mr.
Desmond?" Jean Paul fights against
the influence of Jacques and the curse.
In the cottage Holly is still asleep as Irene brings a tea
tray to a table. "Holly? Holly dear wake up." Holly opens her eyes and touches her
head. "You must have dozed off
which indicates the kind of company I have to offer, not very stimulating."
Irene says pouring the tea. "No
really you're very kind." "Kind my
dear. I've known so many kind people that are bores. I like to think that I
offer something a little more stimulating.' she says taking a pouch and adding
some of the contents into Holly's tea. "Have you found dear that the saintly
folks among us can be dull and bleak. I do think that if more of us would try to
be good then the good would show a happier example. There now a strong cup of
tea. It'll see us through the night." Irene hands Holly a cup of tea. "And who
knows we might have callers later. People drop in at all hours in
Desmondton." "At this hour?" "And we must be entertaining and alert.
Drink up dear." Holly raises the
cup and drinks the tea. "Is it too
strong?" Irene asks. "It has a kind
of bitter taste. But it's very refreshing, I like it." Holly says with a
smile. "I'm glad. My brother
brought it to me from the Orient. Pungent but it touches the soul." Holly looks at Irene. "You know you're
very nice to know." "I thank you,
now drink up." "No really. Why are
you so nice to me? You hardly know me."
"Now lets see now. Why am I so nice to you. Well because I'm kind. So
kind I can't bear it. And because your a friend of Jean Paul’s. He's you're
guardian now as I understand it."
"Oh no not really." "And
because I once had a daughter very much like you. It's not common knowledge but
I did have a child and one can never trust the generosity of the Gods. She was
taken away from me, an accident. She died." "I'm sorry." Holly says looking at
Irene. "Really I'm so sorry." "You
mustn't be. We get over the unfairness of life, we forget the monstrosities of
heaven or we try." Irene says standing and walking away from Holly. "I lost my
daughter but I have you Holly. I have you." Laslo is outside the cottage watching
Holly and Irene through the window.
Jean Paul stands and stares straight ahead. "What's the matter Mr. Desmond?" "Nothing, I'm alright. I'm better now
Annie." "I got a shock. I didn't
know what happened to you. Your face got so pale. Did you see something outside
in the storm?" "No. No nothing but
the rain." "But you did look awful.
I could help you Mr. Desmond if you let me. Really I could." she says walking
closer to Jean Paul. "I'm sure you
could Annie." Jean Paul says looking away from Annie. "Thanks." "Annie tell me, tell me about yourself."
Jean Paul says fighting against the influence of the curse. "Me?" "Yes. How you live. What you
think." "Think? I don't really
think much of anything." Annie says turning away from Jean Paul. "At least as
seldom as I can. Life in this town is pretty dreary Mr. Desmond. Through no
fault of you of course. I used to be very happy when I was little and my father
worked and my mother cooked and bought us cloths. What does anyone want when
they are younger and comfortable?"
"I don't know. What does anyone want Annie?" "Anyway things got bad, lately it's gone
bad. I work in the restaurant and I hate it. I don't mind working but they pick
on me. For it seems that everyone has such big problems and they've got to take
it out on somebody else. That's me, do you understand?" "Yes, yes I understand. I'd like to help
you, I would. But sometimes we can't help the people we would like to." Jean
Paul says sitting down. "And if I were you Annie I would leave." He stands and
walks away from her. "Right now! I would get out of this Gate House, I would go
out into the storm! Run, run into the town before..." Jean Paul shouts. "Before what Mr. Desmond? Before what?"
Annie asks getting upset. "Leave
me! Leave me. Run!" Annie grabs him. "No I won't go! I
won't leave you! I won't leave you." Annie whispers laying her cheek against
Jean Paul's back.
Laslo enters Irene's cottage as Irene opens the door for
him. "She's sleeping." Irene tells Laslo.
Holly is sitting on the couch with her eyes closed. "Herbs, medicine she's pliable now Laslo
yours to command." Irene says taking Laslo's wet coat. Laslo walks over to the couch. "Holly,
Holly you don't know me but can you hear me?" "I hear you." "You will be one of us Holly. Do you
understand?" "One of you?" "You'll be among friends, with Irene."
Laslo says to Holly. "Irene?" Holly
asks. "Yes Holly." Irene tells
her. "You will be a member of a
circle. There is warmth, security and riches Holly. Riches. You will be revenged
on all those who have wronged you. All those who despise you will suffer. All
those who deprive you of all that is justly yours will die." Laslo says to
her. "You will be happy Holly
serene." Irene tells Holly. "I
understand." "Now to achieve this
you must be as we are. As the others are. You are very young Holly but you must
learn to hate as we do. You will wear this around your neck." Laslo says as he
hands the black stone necklace to Irene. "Never question, never asking
why." "I will not ask why." Holly
says as Irene slips the necklace around Holly's neck. "It is a gift to you. It's a seal a
promise that you will be among us." Laslo says to Holly. "It is a seal." Holly repeats. "And through the seal, through you Holly
Jean Paul Desmond must die." Laslo says then stands. "I don't understand?" Holly says. "Holly dear." Irene calls out to
her. Holly opens her eyes. "Oh I'm
sorry." she says touching her forehead. "I was a million miles away." Holly then
notices Laslo. "Mr. Thaxton, why I didn't hear you come in." "Jean Paul is worried about you Holly. I
came to take you back to Desmond Hall."
Holly looks at Irene. "Yes I must go back to Jean Paul." Holly stands as
Irene helps her with her coat. "I'm sorry so sorry I fell asleep." "That's nothing my dear. You'll come
again. I promise that you will visit me
again."
Jean Paul looks away from Annie. "Mr. Desmond what is it? I didn't
mean to be rude or anything. I just meant that I'd stay with you. I like you Mr.
Desmond." Annie says stepping around to face Jean Paul, holding onto his
arm. The heartbeat pounds as Jean
Paul turns towards Annie. "I like
you Mr. Desmond." Jean Paul pulls
his arm away from Annie then looks at his hand. The Mark of Death has
appeared. "Really I do. I thought
you were going to help me Mr. Desmond?"
Jean Paul raises his hands up then walks towards Annie. He reaches for
her throat. "Please Mr. Desmond!
Please don't Mr. Desmond!" Annie says backing away. Jean Paul puts his hands around Annie's
throat as Annie screams.
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Summaries written by Debby
Graham . The slide
presentation is the work of Ron Janick.
~Ron/Bella~
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