Last night after I called Barnabas, he and Julia arrived and asked what was wrong. I told them I didn’t know. I didn’t understand, but it had started… the pain! Barnabas said it was impossible, that there was no moon tonight. I reminded him that I knew the pain and it had started. I asked them to please do something! He asked how much time we had, and when I told him 15 or 20 minutes, he said that would give us enough time to get to the mausoleum.
I said, no, that I was in too much pain and couldn’t get there. Julia said her car was parked at the front gate and Barnabas added he could get me there and then drive me to the cemetery. I said he couldn’t risk it; it would be too dangerous. He disagreed and told me if I kept arguing, it would be dangerous.
Barnabas must have succeeded, because I woke up this morning in the mausoleum as he entered, kneeled beside me, and asked if I was all right.
I was just worn out. I told him sometimes it’s a wonder I’m still alive. He asked what I meant. I explained that when I’m my other self, the energy I expend is so great I guessed it would kill a normal man. He told me it might have been just as well for me to stay here last night in my present condition. Why did he say that? I asked him to tell me.
He paused, then asked, “Who is Ned Stuart?” Ned Stuart? I stood and asked him where he heard that name. He said from Mr. Stuart himself; he met him last night. Where? Barnabas explained that he came to Collinwood and Carolyn sent him over to my cottage. He and Julia met him there. I mumbled to myself. So… he caught up with me at last. Barnabas asked, “Caught up with you?”
I told him he’d been after me for the last two years and Barnabas asked me if Ned Stuart knew what I was. I replied that I had no idea what he knew. Barbabas asked why he followed me and I asked him back, “Didn’t he tell you that?” He explained that Ned told them it was easy for him to see that he and Julia were friends of mine, so he wasn’t prepared to say very much.
Barnabas said it was imperative for him and Julia to know why Ned was here. I told him he wouldn’t believe me, but unless I was able to talk to him myself, I wouldn’t be able to tell him why. He asked if it had something to do with his sister.
What did Ned tell them about her? Barnabas said from the little he did tell them, he and Julia gathered that she was dead. I quietly repeated… dead. Barnabas continued by saying Ned told them I was engaged to her. He then noticed that I didn’t seem surprised that she was dead. I told him I wasn’t really. Her memory had been haunting me for two years and all during that time I suspected that’s probably what happened.
Barnabas then asked me the million-dollar question: did I kill her? I must have. He seemed to understand that I really didn’t know. She was the first person who ever saw the transformation. I didn’t want it to happen, and it wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t been so impetuous a girl… so loving a girl… it wouldn’t have happened. He interrupted and offered me an opportunity if I didn’t want to talk about it.
No, I’d rather talk about it. I told her one time I was going away for a long weekend. Of course I wasn’t, I just knew there was a full moon coming up and I was going to change. What I didn’t know was that she was planning to give me a surprise party when I got back. She had a key and that Saturday night she came and let herself in.
She was standing there with a box of decorations in her hand, just looking at me. I tried and tried to get her out of there, but she was going to stay there until I told her why I was leaving town.
Then the transformation came. I don’t know what happened after that. I never saw her again. Barnabas concluded that she was in the room and must have become a victim of the werewolf. Yeah… I loved her. I loved her deeply, just as I love Amy, and now, Carolyn. I told Barnabas I couldn’t stay in Collinsport now. There’s too much a chance of the same thing happening to one of them.
Barnabas said if I leave there will be no hope for me at all. I asked what hope there was for me if I stay? He said there may be. I said not with Ned Stuart around. He intends to avenge his sister’s death, not that I blame him. If I were in his shoes, maybe I’d do the same thing. Barnabas assured me that we’d found a way to contain my violence and we’d also find a way to contain Mr. Stuart.
I disagreed. He’s a man with too much purpose. He’s going to keep after me. He’s going to hound me and hound me until he kills me. In fact… in fact, he may have come close to it the other night. Barnabas asked if I thought he was the one who put that poison in my drink. Who else would have done it?
Barnabas said Ned told him he had only arrived last night. I asked him if he thought under the circumstances he was going to tell him the truth? He agreed that I may be right, but he hoped I wasn’t. He added that it would be a lot easier to deal with him if he wasn’t here to kill me. He told me to come with him and he’d take me back to my cottage. I stumbled my way out and came home to get some rest.
Classic Horrors Club 
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