Dark Shadows - Clementine

Two

The next day in Collinsport was bright and sunny. Clementine was sat with the Angelbay board in the middle of a meeting. It had been agreed that as Clementine had been the closest to Angie, she would have full power over the company.

"We might need to get you to sign a few things, Clementine," said the man sat to her right, Horace Fielder. She nodded thoughtfully, not really listening. "Angie, it seems, has left everything to you, even though she wasn't intending to die, and we found evidence to support this." Here, he pushed a pile of files towards her. She picked up the first folder and opened it. She pulled out a slip of paper that clearly had Angie's writing on it. As she read it, the words of the man seemed to make sense, more so than what she was reading.

"Hmm... I see your proof," she muttered. "Is there anything important in there?" She reached out and fingered the files.

"We're not sure. We think there could be papers in there from when Angie's great-great-grandmother ran the place."

"Interesting..." Clementine sat back in her chair, examining the writing on the file that had been at the bottom of the pile. "And you're sure Angelique left everything to me?"

"Yes, judging by what that handwritten note said. She was quite fond of you. She was never like that to anyone else," Mr Fielder said, grabbing a recent document and a pen. "Just sign this, if you will, and Angelbay will be yours."

Clementine slowly moved her now navy gloved hand out and picked up the pen. She pulled the document forwards and skimmed through the text, stopping at the place for her to sign. She quickly scribbled her signature and handed the paper back. The man to her left snatched it and smiled at her; this was the habit of Lyle Chester.

"I guess you are the new owner of Angelbay!" he said in an annoyingly cheery voice. Clementine fell back into her seat with a sigh, her hand on her forehead. "This meeting is now over. Good day to you all." The board got up and left Clementine sat by herself. After a time, she rose from her seat at the far head of the table, picked up the files, and left too. She walked the short distance to what used to be Angie's office. She paused at the door, looking at the handle, wondering if she should turn it.

                                                                                          ......

Once inside, Clementine set the folders on her desk, and took the place behind it. She began searching through the files that went back to when Angelique had first started Angelbay. I saw all these files... she thought to herself. Amidst all the important pieces, there were little bits of unimportant information like 'Bank holiday - Monday', and 'Pay rise for workers - Tuesday'. Clementine felt her left hand creeping towards the cuff of her right glove. She pulled it back.

At that moment the telephone rang. Sighing more than she had been lately, Clementine picked it up. A familiar voice at the other end spoke.

"Hello, I request a conversation with Miss Clementine...," Barnabas said.

"Oh... Um, hello Barnabas," Clementine shifted uncomfortably. "Things aren't too great are they...?

"No, it seems not," Barnabas replied. "Do you have any responsibility over Angelbay yet?" Clementine could hear that he was trying to keep his voice calm.

"Yes, I signed the document this morning. I daresay you would like to make an appointment to see me?" she asked.

"Indeed I would," Barnabas said. "Next week, perhaps? That will give you time to settle in."

"Hmm... okay, next... Tuesday? 1:30pm?" Clementine pressed, pen poised over blank paper.

"Sounds about right," there was a scuffling sound coming from Barnabas's end. "Oh dear, must go. Until next week then, Clementine." With that, the line cut.

Clementine placed the telephone back and jotted the appointment on the piece of paper. She then placed on the desk so that it was visible. She leant back, closed her eyes and tried to make sense of the current situation.

"Angelique's dead..." she said to herself. "She left everything to me... I now own Angelbay... I have to face several days of complaints before I am accepted... Angie had to leave me in a right fix, didn't she?"

Frustrated, Clementine seized the mass of folders and opened one at random. It contained a mass of photos taken at the opening of Angelbay cannery. She frowned, unconscious of doing so, as she was lost in memories of that day almost a hundred and ninety six years ago. She could remember the company being slowly built up, and she could remember assisting Angie in almost every way possible to create the foundations of a company that would last centuries.

                                                                                         ......

That night was particularly dark. Somewhere on the other side of town, the Collins family were huddled like hippies around a fire burning not far from where they had parked their car. Willie was asleep, David was sat beside his invisible ghost mother, Carolyn was sat with Elizabeth and Josette was with Barnabas. Barnabas was finishing informing Josette everything that had happened since her death.

"And then something (I wasn't quite sure what) rounded the corner and screamed at Angelique. Several objects shattered and she was forced backwards into the air, hit the chandelier, and it fell. She died pulling her heart out. I think she wanted me to have it," Barnabas murmured. "But it turned solid and that too shattered." Josette looked at him with round eyes.

"She was never very kind to your family," she said in a slightly misty voice. "She was certainly never kind to Victoria after she saw you two together that night..." Barnabas stared into the depths of the fire that was illuminating the faces of those around them. Willie gave a loud snore, making them all jump. David reached over and prodded him, waking him.

"Stop snoring!" he hissed. "It was quite peaceful until you snored..." Willie mumbled an apology and turned over, facing away from the fire and everyone else. Elizabeth sighed and lay back. Carolyn did the same. Barnabas, Josette and David were now the only ones up. David looked at Josette. "Vicky?" he whispered. Josette looked at him sadly.

"Victoria is dead," she whispered back. "I know what she was to you." David looked at his ghost mother, who nodded sadly. David gazed at the red and gold flames leaping in front of him. "I am Josette," she continued quietly. "Barnabas couldn't save Victoria, but instead brought me back..." When David looked puzzled, she let Barnabas elaborate.

"Josette was killed by Angelique many, many years ago, in the same way Victoria was. Cursed to jump off a cliff..." he paused, almost as if expecting David to say something. When nothing happened, he carried on speaking. "Josette's spirit entered Victoria's body, so therefore we now have Josette. Of a sort..."

Willie snorted again, waking Elizabeth and Carolyn. Carolyn leaned over and shook him. He looked up and saw them all looking at him. He turned over so that he was lying face down, and everyone relaxed. Elizabeth noticed for the first time David was awake.

"Sleep now please, David," Elizabeth said. "We should all sleep." With that, she fell backwards into sleep. The others followed suit, and if anyone had seen them then, they would have looked slightly strange, for they did not look anything like hippies.