Introduction

The following story takes House of Dark Shadows and changes the events beginning with the scene in which Julia overdoses Barnabas.  In my version she does not.

This story was written in 1983—that's over 20 years ago.  I don't remember exactly, but I'm sure my writing it had something to do with producing KarlenZine. I don't think I wrote it just to have a story to go in the book.  I wrote it because I had the inspiration!  I have always just looked back on it fondly until I went through getting it into the computer via my OCR program (in which it required considerable clean-up.)  I've also done some typo-correcting from the original version, and a little editing to take off some of the rough edges. There are still plenty left, and I know that my perception of Willie in HODS changed as my writing became better.  I don't think this is a bad story at all, but it is now difficult for me to see Willie the way I wrote him in this story.  Especially because I've written other HODS stories.  But I was a lot younger and saw mostly his vulnerability then, and little of his hardened bitterness.  He's more innocent in this, and younger.  When I watch HODS, I don't see this version of Willie any more. However, I hope the story remains entertaining!

Also, the story was originally only broken up into scenes, not parts or chapters.  It is now divided up into "parts" only because it makes handling the files easier.  There is no real significance to where the divisions lie.