Oh, I forgot to tell you. There are so many gems of dialogue here to be held up to the candlelight, watching as the light bleeds through them, radiating them artificially from within. I particularly liked this one:
"What has happened?" Barnabas hung up his cloak and cane. "Why are you burning your breeches?"
Ah, yes...his "breeches"...yes Barnabas would call them that. That bit of telling dialogue was delightful. A tickling moment. WONDERFUL writing! I am sure I'll find more and more. Can't wait till Interlude!

I also was thinking of the PBS show, but I didn't know about the song. I love Fats Waller so I will definitely check that out.
What am I to do with you readers who know me better than I know myself? Yes, even a random choice develops significance as it becomes incorporated into the story. had it been Harry Potter sitting on the desk instead of Candide, I would not have chosen it. All for the best, as Dr. Pangloss would say.
The nice part is, when I get bogged down in exposition heavy scenes with no recognizable merit, I can count on you, dear readers, to help me figure out what I'm saying, or ask the questions I should have asked myself. How cool is that.

Everytime I see the title "THIS OLD HOUSE" I am constantly reminded of the famous PBS show and hosts, Bob Vila, Norm Abram and Kevin O'Connor. And of course, the old timey song by Fats Waller, Louisiana Fairytale (1935). For any that aren't familiar: see Youtube and research This Old House TV theme or Fats Waller, Louisiana Fairytale. Love it! Thanks for the memories.

Note to author: Don't try to get smart or coy (raised eyebrow)...writers very rarely write anything just as a coincidence. Usually (and I mean usually) it has a special meaning that is maybe unknown even to themselves. Then they understand what they meant by such and such later, because it is a part of their subthoughts, and it wasn't something that they were actively thinking about. (smirk...so there!)

Thanks SO MUCH for your stories and your responses to our reviews. WE really appreciate them. We look forward to MORE of your many, many, MANY stories of the adventures of our favorite witty, super sexy (my adjective) hypersensitive vampire, BC and his "stupid-when-its-convenient-for-him" friend, WL.

Love
Your reader(s)

There is definitely enough interest. I was pleased and relieved to see the character relationship between Willie and Barnabus change and to see Willie outgrow (albeit not by his own choice) his stubborn foray into willful ignorance.

Barnabas was reading Candide because it was sitting there. Same reason I chose that title, because it was sitting on the desk in front of me as I was typing. Now I'm rereading it because I'm sure it does have a significance. As for your conjuecture, I ain't givin' away nothing. only to say that another story is in the works. It will be a while before you see anything because, unlike some authors, I like to have a complete plot down before posting. I got to know where it's going and where it ends. So far I only know where it begins and where it's planning to go. But stay tuned, dear readers, hopefully the best is yet to come.

Eris128:
There is something very erie and still about that very last scene that strikes me as very odd, and now that you mention it, that could very well be a possibility. Thats maybe why the wound wasn't responding, because Willie may have been dying.

There's something about Candide. Barnabas was re-reading it...why?

And Barnabas didn't give into the bait that Willie tossed: "Every man for himself."
And said, sorry and please...to Willie of all people. Wow. Nothing short of extraordinary.

But, I think we might be giving away too much to the author already.

Keep writing brave author, fearless writer. You have my vote too.

I really like this scene! And *gasp* is that SEQUEL FODDER I spy?! Please tell me it is! Also, did Barnabas just turn Willie into a vampire?! If he did... hmm... I don't know, I'll have to think on that one... Because, up until this point you've basically been retelling the story, but with your own awesome twist to it. If this is what I think it is, then you're heading into completely new territory here. However, with what I've read of your work so far, I think you just might be able to pull it off. Keep writing!

...You have to keep going! I have emotionally invested into Willie, something I never thought I'd officially do when I first heard about the character and his line of 'work'. But now I gotta know what's happened...You've got my vote! I'm following your stories forever! :D

P.S. I was finally able to see the screencaps. How VERY thoughtful of you to put those up. It did enhance the story, alot. I would have loved some more Barney and Willie pictures, but beggars can't be choosers.

We love ya Mad Margaret aka Lizzie Bathory!

Well, well, well...a little (if you squint really, really, really hard) slash. Not completely unexpected, but...as Captain Kirk told Saavik in Star Trek II, 'there are always possibilities.' (especially since now Barnabas has taken to Willie and having him feed from him)

Note to author: YOU ARE CORRECT! Barnabas would not have celebrated Christmas, because in the 1700s all the way up till mid 1800s, it was thought to be a pagan holiday. However, Barnabas, since he is a lover of history, would have noted that the fir is a substitution for the oak tree and a hold-over from a Germanic sacrifical ritual when the ancient Germanic people not only worshipped the Oak tree as a symbol of Wodan, but hung prisoners of war or sacrifices of male organs and heads in the tree in a sacred grove or hidden part of the forest, sometimes near a large body of water or near an external manifestation of godly power (upright stone, etc.)

Interesting choice...Candide? Dare, I say a little more unexpected, especially since they at times feel somewhat like some people we know and seen in our TV travels? And "friend"? I'm not sure they there yet, at this phase of the game. But you do twist things around. (big sly smile)

Astonished gasp: Willie chickened out! He was going to tell him about Maggie! Sigh...a coward and a cretin.

The more I look, the more I find. But no, I must stop now. BUT as Barnabas would have said about this ending..."This is not a permanent solution." "I find it unsatisfactory."

Write more...(and in my thunderous Barnabas voice) NOW!

Thanks for the added treat of an Epilogue. I would love to read another story by you.

NOOOO! It doesn' t work! I have tried!
You have to go to the LiveJournal homepage and in the search box type Willie Loomis. Then anything that comes up with Lizzie Bathory, This Old House, Changes, Maine Event, Globetrotters or Little Willie is mine and you can go from there.
The pics are not illustrations per se, they're screen caps I borrowed and photoshopped from Sara Monster's website, Willie Loomis Saves Collinsport.
btw, The epilouge is written and will go up soon. I hope you will like it.

A couple of corrections and one observation:
First the corrections:
'Some things had not changed.' Might sound a little more authentic if it read: Some things don't change.
'Barnabassighed'. Needs a space between the two words.
And now the observation: For the purpose of your story, I get why you didn't have Barnabas in church. But that doesn't mean he can't go in. It's just that according to lore, they are "supposedly" averted to the cross. Like I said, just an observation.

Thanks again!

I can't PM you, but thank you for replying to our reviews. I can't speak for everyone but I am sure that many here appreciate your responses and your interaction with us.

BTW: I am trying to get to your LiveJournal page but your name doesn't come up. Since the url won't paste, can you just type it in? We won't be able to link up to it, but we can copy and paste it into the address bar. Will that work?

That is a lot of adjectives. Did I stuff all that into one character? Anyway, I have an idea for an epilouge and a new story. I think it will have elements of the unexpected. Stay tuned.