Dark Shadows - A New Beginning

Chapter Six

Night at Collinwood...

On this night Stanley Polinsky has already learned that the great estate holds unknown mysteries and secrets.

...and before the light of the morning sun smiles down upon the world - there are yet other mysteries that will unveil themselves.

There is one mystery in particular. A mystery that will soon begin to make itself felt by all who live at Collinwood, and there are none whom this mystery will touch more than Stanley Polinsky and Adam Collins...

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Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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At exactly the same moment when the antique clock on the fireplace mantel in the old Collins mansion chimed three - not terribly far away in Portsmouth two cloaked and hooded figures made their way through the deserted nighttime streets of an affluent subdivision. 

If one was an observer, all they would have been able to see of these two figures under the blanket of darkness was their long hair. One had red hair. The other, jet black. 

The two women walked close to one another. Even though these streets were empty, they dared not utter their secrets too loud, lest ordinary mortals should hear. 

"It wouldn't do for the entire world to learn of the existence of the sisterhood, after all," the red haired one said. 

Her companion replied to this:

"If you were very wise sister, you would not even speak in this setting. Just supposing that one of the angels were to hear you and carry news of our doings back to the enemy - you would be guilty of a betrayal. In the motherhouse we have such wards as to keep the agents of the enemy at a distance."

"You know that the enemy still knows if he wants to know," the red head pointed out. 

"Oh, yes," her companion agreed. "I know, but the enemy only hears background noise in everything that he hears. He's constantly engaged and busy with the things he manages. He relies on his agents to convey the urgency of certain affairs over other ones. You should know that Hypatia."

The red-headed one who was called Hypatia nodded and said nothing more. She knew that Lucifera was right. 

Lucifera's advice was usually sound. She was one of the older sisters in the sisterhood. She was at least as old as the great Angelique, though there were whisperings within the sisterhood that said Lucifera was older. 

The two women walked in silence until they were a block away from their destination. They knew that any moment they would be coming to the thick hedge that ran along the sidewalk, veiling most of the motherhouse property from curious eyes. 

"Not that it matters what they see outside," Hypatia remarked to Lucifera quietly. 

Lucifera scowled. 

"Once again, dear sister, you talk too much. We are not far from the motherhouse now. Can it be so difficult to hold your tongue for one block more?"

Hypatia bit at her tongue in response to this scolding. She was one of the youngest members of their sisterhood, so she still had the young mortal tendency of being given to much chatter. 

They came to the opening in the hedge, and passed under a topiary arch, approaching a large red brick house. 

Lucifera smirked and waved her hand, causing the front door to swing back on its hinges to admit them. 

Hypatia looked at Lucifera with open-mouthed shock. 

"Now who's risking the mortals finding out about us?"