PART 5: Continued Demands (Carolyn/Quentin/Elizabeth/Mrs. Johnson)

Carolyn had settled in to a rather peaceful night of rest, after quite an interesting day. She had had to quickly drive Mrs. Johnson into town, in search for her son who had taken her keys without asking. Carolyn had thought the whole ordeal slightly funny, but didn't let on to Mrs. Johnson, as she was guarded with up most respect for the jobs and duties she carried out.

Carolyn had just drifted into a dreamy sleep as scenes flashed into her head. The room in the west wing, Quentin's room, appeared to her, but it didn't look as it did when she and her mother had found it; it looked clean and original, almost as if she were seeing what it looked like when it was originally inhibited by Quentin. She then caught what appeared to be the leaving and breathing Quentin inside the room; however, this pleasent dream didn't last long, as all the glamor soon turned to dust, and what was turned into what is.

An unidentifiable man showed up, then quickly turned into a morbid skeleton: the same skeleton that Carolyn and her mother had discovered. The angry face of Quentin appeared, his eyes glaring straight at her, coming closer and closer. Frantically, Carolyn woke up, heart pounding from the unliked appearence of Collinwood's unwelcomed inhibitant.

She reached over to turn on her lamp, when out of the corner of her eye she caught glimpse of a man standing in the corner of her room, near the window. Eyes growing wide, she quickly mumbled out a faint "who's there," though after having her nerves on edge by the dream, didn't care. Almost stumbling over her shoes by her bed, Carolyn rushed out of her bedroom and down the hall towards downstairs, where she ran into her mother and Mrs. Johnson coming upstairs.

After Elizabeth was done at the library, she went to the Collinsport Inn and had a cup of coffee and went over her research notes until Cecillia came in. Driving home, she listened to her young cousin talk about her afternoon and it was good to have a break from thinking about the latest issue at Collinwood.
Elizabeth took a short nap and then went to the Old House and told Julia about what she'd learned and guessed at.
Back at Collinwood, she'd noticed that Mrs. Johnson seemed especially grim-faced so she stayed well out of her way. She loves her son and wants the best for him, she thought. But we can't control our children.

After working on some books and doing some reading, she heard the clock in the foyer chime the hour and realized it was time for sleep. She went upstairs at the same time as Mrs. Johnson; both women were silent. Suddenly they looked up and saw Carolyn rushing towards them. Elizabeth could tell by the look on her face that something had happened.
"What Carolyn....what is it?"

Carolyn's tension greatly eased once she ran into her mother and Mrs Johnson, though her fear was still underlying. She glanced worridly at Mrs Johnson, not knowing if she should discuss these matters in front of her, but knew she had no choice. "Mother . . . Ever since all of these things around here have taken place, you know that I, for one, have had trouble forgetting, as I am being constntly remnded."

Carolyn nervously glanced at Mrs Johnson before continuing. " Tonight, Mother, I had a rather unusual dream about the room. . . Quentin's room, and then a man, dressed of entire black appeared but then he turned to nohing more than a skeleton . . . The skeleton we found. The man sort of looked like the one you read about today, but I can't be sure.". She paused, noticing the confused look on Mrs Johnsons face.

"Mother, when I woke up from the unpleasant dream, there was a man in my room; I'm not sure who it was as I ran out so quickly."

Sarah Johnson had just experienced a worrisome day. She tried to be patient with her son but he seemed to have a way of making things difficult for himself with poor judgement and inappropriate behavior. She wanted to help him but she was determined not to take advantage of Mrs. Stoddard and not to take too much responsibility for Harry.
Many strange things had happened at Collinwood since she'd been the housekeeper, but when she heard Carolyn say she saw a man in her room, her first thought was of her son.

Oh no, surely he wouldn't creep into Carolyn's room. I can imagine him snooping while she was out.....but surely not while she's sleeping. Is he insane?

Elizabeth wasn't sure if the man her daughter mentioned was part of a dream or not. If we stand here talking about it we might never know, she thought. There are three of us here. She either imagined it or it's someone staying in this house who's up to no good.
Trying not to look at Mrs. Johnson, who was probably thinking the same thing, Elizabeth grabbed a wooden bat that David had left on the hall table.
"We'll discuss this later; let's go to Carolyn's room now.....all of us!"

Carolyn stayed close to her mothers side, though far enough away to where she didn't appear completely scared. "If they had the same dream I just had," she thought, "then I bet that they too would be a little frightened."

As they all three neared Carolyn's bedroom, up ahead at the end of the hall stood a darkened, shady gentleman. His face wasn't clear, as for the lack of lightening, but it was plainly clear that he was tall, and that he was inching step by step towards them. Carolyn frantically looked at her mother, who had a very displeased and determined look - far from frightened.

Quentin had been temporarily satisfied that Cecillia had managed to get progress to slightly expedite, however something else was quite disturbing him. No matter how many hints he threw out, no matter what direction he pointed everyone in, they all still seemed to be completely oblivious to the truth, which was right in front of their face.

Quentin, for all these years, had been sharing his final resting place among the presence of a unlikable, hated, revengeful spirit, and it was all he could do to protect everyone around Collinwood from it any more. With such being known, Quentin had no choice but to continuously pester the inhabitants of Collinwood, until they completed the task he had brought to the table; one way or the other, the peaceful future of Collinwood depended upon how they handled this all, though he couldn't seem to get this vital point across.

He'd chosen Carolyn to visit this night, as she was sure to go and retrieve other members of the house, which is what he wanted. As she quickly made her way from the room, he gathered himself, and headed outside into the hall; it would be only moments that Carolyn and whom ever she had found, would be coming along the hallway, and he was ready to accomplish the task at hand.

He stood face to face with the three women, almost letting out a intimidating laugh at the sight of Elizabeth carrying a bat around, ready to strike. As he moved closer and closer, he could clearly see that his method of control was beginning to lose touch; could he make it work just one more time?

Elizabeth saw the shadowy figure outside Carolyn's room and then realized who it was. She felt rather alarmed at first and then indignant when she saw the look on his face.

"I see that it amuses you that I'd want to protect the people in this house Quentin. I realize that you are no longer bound by human laws and limitations but you have a way of choosing inconvenient times to show up. I see that you've disturbed my daughter again. What is it that you want now? We removed the skeleton and buried it but I don't believe it's really the end of that situation, is it?"

I don't care if he bursts out laughing, she thought. I am not putting down this bat! Poor Mrs. Johnson; she looks like she can't take anymore today.

Mrs. Johnson first noticed that the shadowy figure was not her son Harry. Then her relief turned to horror when she realized that the figure was not human.

Oh, Mrs. Stoddard seems to recognize him. So, that's Quentin Collins! I've heard him laugh back when he was so angry at us all, but I've never seen him before. He looks just like the photos of him. Oh, why didn't I simply get a boring job with a normal family?

Later, when she had time to think about it, she'd be aware that she loved her job and living at Collinwood. Now, she was simply shocked. When this is over, I'm going to have a brandy....or two, she thought.

A smile brightened up Quentin's gloomy face, as he walked closer and closer away. Within feet away, all but Elizabeth stepped back a little, as if scared by him, as they had good reason to be. He wanted so very much to swipe the bat right out of Elizabeth's hand, just to prove that he was still very much in control, but restrained himself from any further games.

A side of Quentin Collins never seen by the current inhabitants of Collinwood surfaced, as since all attempts at pointing and gesturing had falling flat. "My room dear Elizabeth," he spoke, "I'm waiting on the room . . ." He turned to give Carolyn a lifeless stare, sending her scurrying down the hall in the opposite direction; with his half hearted laugh, Quentin vanished.

Elizabeth stood in silence for a moment, looking back and forth from where Carolyn had retreated down the hall and where Quentin had disappeared. Then she glanced at Mrs. Johnson.

"Don't worry about it; he just wants his room cleaned up and you already have too much to do taking care of the rest of us. We'll need to cooperated with him of course; I'll find some solution."

Cecillia and Kathryn have offered to help; I'll ask them tomorrow. They might even enjoy it. Maybe Carolyn can get them started on the project, she thought.

She looked at her housekeeper again and said, "Good night Mrs. Johnson. I know it's been a long day for you; try to get some sleep"

It had been an unusual situation and neither one noticed the other ghost that was listening to and observing them.

~ end scene ~