Episode 1281

Aired: Monday May 24, 1971

Quentin sits on the couch with Roxanne behind him, holding his shoulders tight. Quentin demands to know what Petofi wants of him. "I only want to give you something, dear boy," he says as he approaches. Quentin struggles to get free, and begs not to be "touched with that hand! I won't let you age me again! Stay away from me." Anderson/Petofi says "I certainly don't want to age you, Quentin. I don't want to harm you at all. I only want to do this." He takes an ascot out of his pocket and ties it around Quentin's neck. "One of yours, Quentin. I took it from your upstairs bureau. You can let him go, my dear," says Anderson/Petofi as Roxanne steps back. Quentin pulls on the tie, confused, but cannot get it loose. As Anderson/Petofi's smile grows, Quentin seems disoriented, and then reels a bit. "What's....happening...no.... no.....NO!" he yells as he passes out. Anderson/Petofi starts to laugh, but as the shot gets blurry, we hear Anderson/Petofi's laughter morph into David Selby's laughter, as he stands up, laughing. We pan over to James Storm, dazed and slowly rising from the floor. He looks at himself, and then at Selby, and shocked, screams "Petofi! You've stolen my body again!" Selby looks at him and laughs with an evil smile.

NOTE: From this point with Quentin & Petofi switching bodies again, I will refer to each character by the actor playing them: "Storm" meaning Quentin trapped in James Storm's vampire Anderson/Petofi body & "Selby" meaning Petofi possessing Quentin.

After the titles, Selby continues to laugh at Storm while Storm's anger grows. He tries to lunge at Selby, but Selby pulls the gun on him and holds him back. "I don't want to destroy you just yet, Quentin," he says. "I want you to feel what I've felt all these years. I want you to feel the lust for blood and the deathly fear of daylight!" "I didn't know you understood fear, Petofi," Storm snaps. Selby sneers "Oh, I know the agony of fear, my dear Quentin. But it will be nothing compared to the agony you will feel. I want you alive to see me take over your family and steal everything you are from you. Your eternal youth, your wealth, and even your love!" Storm almost lunges again, but Selby still has the gun. "No, no, Quentin. Now you're going to understand what it feels like to be a hunted animal. You and your friends knew to hunt the vampire, and soon I'll make sure everyone in this entire pathetic little seatown knows just who you are." Storm looks at Selby with pure hatred and says "I'll make sure to kill you first." Selby laughs and asks how, and Storm cracks an evil smile and says "What do you think will happen if I shred Tate's portrait of me to ribbons?" Selby wasn't expecting this.

"Yes, Petofi. What if I destroy Tate's portrait?" Storm continues. "You'll become a decaying hundred year old walking corpse at the mercy of the full moon and all the terrors it holds. You compared me to a hunted animal a moment ago, what will you be then?" Selby holds the gun on Storm and says "That is exactly why you will tell me where that portrait is, Mr. Collins." "You must be kidding me!" Storm replies. "You won't kill me because then my friends will destroy that portrait!" Selby sneers "Will they? When they see me?" and laughs a little.

Back at the old house, David runs in frantically to Barnabas and Julia. He tells them that Quentin was trying to kill Anderson with the gun, and how he managed to escape. Julia sends him upstairs while Barnabas is hopeful that Quentin managed to kill Anderson without harming any of the family. Julia wonders when they'll know for sure, and Barnabas mentions that it is almost dawn. Back at Collinwood, Storm and Selby are still staring each other down trying to outbluff each other. "I know you won't kill me as long as you don't have that portrait. You'll never be able to rest without it," Storm says. We hear the sound of a rooster crowing and Selby says "You better make up your mind, Quentin. It's almost dawn. I may not know where your portrait is, but you haven't a clue where my coffin is. In a few moments, you will need to know that most urgently!" Storm grows desperate.

The drawing room is growing a bit lighter as we hear another rooster crow. Selby is still holding the gun while saying "The portrait for the coffin, Quentin. Time is running out." Storm defiantly says "Then I'll buy more time!" and he dematerializes! Selby almost fires the gun, but Storm is gone. At the old house, Barnabas is looking out the window at the imminent sunrise when suddenly there is frantic pounding at the front door. He goes to the door with Julia, and it is Storm! Barnabas moves back a step and angrily says "Petofi! How dare you come here! Julia! The cross! We shall hold him at bay until the dawn!" Storm frantically pleads "No, Barnabas! It's me, Quentin! Petofi has stolen my body again!" Confused, Barnabas says "What?" Storm repeats "Petofi has switched bodies with me! I am Quentin Collins! I need to get to Roxanne's coffin behind the bookcase! The garlic prevented me from materializing inside! Let me in! Hurry!" Barnabas isn't sure what to do as Julia pleads "How do we know he's Quentin? How do we know?" Barnabas says "I... don't know!" Storm grows more frantic and yells "Barnabas!!!!" as we hear the rooster crowing....