Thursday - 1/27
DIMERA MANSION
Johnny looked at the tapes.
JOHNNY: They’re VHSes. Also known as video cassettes. They used to be what people watched movies on before DVDs. They were around when our parents were younger.
MEADOW: No, I know that. I’ve seen video cassettes before. I mean what’s on them.
JOHNNY: No idea. Probably some old home movies my Grandma Susan made or something. I’ve never dug this far in the box before. A lot of these movies are my collection, but the box was given to me by my Dad, and the tapes were in there when I opened it.
MEADOW: And you’ve never watched what’s on them?
JOHNNY: Nope. I don’t have a VCR, so…
MEADOW: I think my Mom might still have one tucked away somewhere. Maybe if I find it, we can check some of them out.
JOHNNY: Sure, if you want. That’d be cool.
GARDEN OF EDEN
For a moment, Winston stood in complete shock. He didn’t know whether to bow or launch into an attack, so he did neither.
WINSTON: It-it’s you!
GINA: Yes, I’d have thought that much was obvious.
WINSTON: No, but it’s you you! You’re my mother. The woman who threw me away.
GINA: Threw you away.
Gina snorted.
GINA: Dear boy, I would hardly call what I did throwing you away. I gave you to my best friend. I got to watch you grow up, even if it was from afar. I must say, Lili did not do a bad job, either.
WINSTON: It shouldn’t have been that way! I should have been the prince! That throne is my birthright!
GINA: It was never going to be yours. The throne has always belonged to Greta, ever since you and she were born.
WINSTON: So you admit that you’ve always favoured her over me!
GINA: Think of my position! You were both born out of an affair with the true love of my life, John Black. Were the truth of your parentage ever to come out, I’d have been deposed, and then you’d have nothing.
WINSTON: I already have nothing!
GINA: You ungrateful fool! I may not have raised you, but Lili knew how I would have wanted you to be raised. She gave you the best of everything, I made sure of it. The only reason you even know about any of this is because of that interfering Hope Brady. I should have killed her when I had the chance. But, no matter. You can do it for me, after you’re out of here.
WOMAN: Don’t do it, Michael!
Winston turned at the sound of the voice. On his other side was a young woman. He recognized her as his late wife.
WINSTON: Louise? It’s you.
LOUISE: Yes.
WINSTON: You don’t look a day older than when you were taken from me.
LOUISE: Whereas you, husband, have become so much older. What has happened to you?
WINSTON: So much. I wish I could tell you everything.
LOUISE: There’ll be time for that. Now, kill her.
WINSTON: What?
LOUISE: Kill Princess Gina.
GINA: I beg your pardon!
LOUISE: She is the reason you never got what you deserved in life. She deserves to have it ended.
Winston looked from Gina to Louise and back.
GINA; I’ve no idea who this commoner thinks she is, but I am royalty. You will not kill me.
LOUISE: Do it!
Winston looked back at Louise. Her voice sounded different that time, and her eyes were glowing red.
WINSTON: What the devil?
Louise, or what Winston thought was Louise, laughed a bitter, cold laugh. Slowly, Louise’s features melted away into the form of an otherworldly being of indescribable evil.
DEVIL: Precisely. And if you won’t kill her, I’ll do it myself. She belongs to me, anyway.
There was a flash of light, and John and Greta suddenly appeared.
JOHN: I don’t think so!
GINA: John? Greta?
GRETA: Oh no…
The creature laughed.
DEVIL: John Black! I remember you from all of those years ago. You fought hard to get Marlena away from me.
JOHN: And in the end, I succeeded, with a lot of help from her friends and family.
DEVIL: Perhaps I should pay her a visit sometime.
JOHN: You’re not going anywhere!
From his back pocket, John pulled out a Bible.
JOHN: You remember this book?
DEVIL: It’s just a bunch of pieces of paper!
JOHN: Oh, sure. But the words within it? Let’s see. What was that one passage again?
John flipped through the Bible.
JOHN: Ah, yes. Romans, Chapter Sixteen, Verse 20…
DEVIL: Stop!
JOHN: “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you…”
The creature screamed a terrible, bone-chilling scream and vanished.
JOHN: Amen.
Gina clapped.
GINA: Oh, well done, John! I knew someday you would be back for me!
JOHN: Don’t flatter yourself. I’m here for our son, not you.
At that moment, Mr. King reappeared in a flash of light.
KING: Well, it would appear that we have some unexpected company.
He turned to Greta.
KING: Princess Greta Von Amberg, you have already passed your trials.
He held out his right hand.
KING: Be gone.
Greta vanished.
GINA: Greta!
JOHN: What the hell have you done with her?!
Mr. King chuckled darkly.
KING: And you must be John Black. You needn’t worry, Greta is quite safe. But you should not be here, either.
Mr. King held out his hand again, but instead of John vanishing, everything went white.
PALACE VON AMBERG
Winston opened his eyes. He was back in the room with the large machine. Katalin, Emmaline, Greta, John, Billie and Sebastian were also there.
WINSTON: What in the-
KATALIN: It worked! I got the sequence right!
SEBASTIAN: Well done, Your Highness. That was some impressive quick-thinking.
JOHN: Indeed it was. Good job, kid.
WINSTON: Will someone please tell me what the bloody hell is going on here?!
BILLIE: What’s going on here is your attempted reign of terror is at an end.
It was then that Winston noticed that John, Billie and Sebastian all had weapons in their hands, aimed at him.
SEBASTIAN: Don’t make any sudden movements, there’s a good chap. Come quietly and you’ll make this easier on yourself.
John and Sebastian grabbed Winston by the arms so he couldn’t escape while Billie cuffed him.
