Nightmares & Fairy Tales - Issues 11&12

Issues 11&12

Gwen and Annabelle watch an old movie with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Gwen asks if Annabelle knows any stories from the 1940s and Annabelle tells her the story of Catherine and Vivian.

Vivian Harper is a sickly woman who is unable to move on her own. As a result, she is confined to sitting on a chair or lying in bed and is dependent on her young nurse, Catherine. Vivian hates Catherine however, and is certain that the nurse is having an affair with her husband Victor and is poisoning Vivian so that the two can get married. As a result, Vivian treats Catherine horribly, throwing a mirror at her and constantly screaming at her. Victor however prevents Vivian from outright firing Catherine. After a bad day, Catherine takes the night off and goes to town. Victor is also called away to work at the office (though Vivian is sure he is actually meeting Catherine). Vivian begs him not to leave her, certain that Catherine will try to kill her, but he refuses to listen. When Catherine returns, she finds that Vivian is dead. She is questioned by the police, but able to provide a solid alibi. The next day, Catherine packs to leave as there is no more work for her at the house, but Victor asks her to stay, insisting that he loves her. Unfortunately, Victor's daughter Betty does not trust Catherine, certain that she was responsible for her mother's death. Catherine and Victor are married and Victor is certain that Betty will eventually warm up to her new mother. That night, Catherine awakens to hear a voice calling her name. She follows the sound until she enters Vivian's old room. There, she sees the ghost of Vivian, who insists that Catherine killed her. Catherine awakens and assumes that it's a dream, however in the morning she looks out the window and sees Vivian's ghost watching her once more. Victor sees nothing and calls the doctor to find out what's wrong with Catherine. The doctor decides that the pressure of filling Vivian's shoes coupled with Betty's cold behavior is putting too much strain on Catherine. When Catherine rests in bed, Betty taunts her with the idea that a new nurse will be called in for Catherine and that Victor might fall in love with this nurse as well. That night, she wakes up once more and goes to the window. In the ocean, Vivian is floating in the water calling for Betty to rescue her. Betty hears this as well and swims out to her mother where Vivian drowns her. Catherine yells at Vivian for killing Betty, but Vivian insists that it was Catherine who killed her. In the morning, Betty's body is found and no one believes Catherine's claims that Vivian did it. Victor has Catherine sent to a mental hospital and she is later told that while under sedation she confessed to murdering both Vivian and Betty. Deciding that that story must be the truth, Catherine finally comes to terms with her actions until she sees Betty's ghost. Betty says that Catherine didn't kill anyone and that she is a part of Catherine now.