Millbrook, Maine – Authorities are investigating a bizarre and unsettling incident following a dramatic resurgence of the infamous Barnabas Collins at the Collinswood estate last night. Initial reports indicate that Evelyn Cromwell’s fiancé, Mr. Samuel Blackwood, has been irrevocably transformed into a grotesque, oversized raven, a horrifying consequence of a ritual performed by the recently reanimated Barnabas Collins.

The event unfolded shortly after midnight, as a small gathering of Cromwell family members, including Evelyn, her brother Julian, and several distant relatives, attempted to perform a complex summoning ceremony intended to bolster Barnabas’s power. Witnesses describe a chaotic and increasingly frantic atmosphere, punctuated by flickering candlelight and murmured incantations. According to Julian Cromwell, “It wasn’t just a summoning, it was…an *absorption*. He wasn’t simply calling upon the darkness; he was *becoming* it, and Samuel… Samuel was simply too close.”

The transformation of Mr. Blackwood was swift and brutal. Witnesses claim to have seen him contort in agony before erupting in a shower of feathers and bone, ultimately taking on the form of a massive raven, its eyes burning with an unsettling, familiar malevolence. The creature, now dubbed “Black Raven,” remains at the estate, exhibiting a disturbing semblance of Mr. Blackwood’s personality – a chilling, guttural croak punctuated by occasional, fragmented phrases.

“He…he kept repeating, ‘The blood must be spilled,’” recounted Mrs. Beatrice Harding, a distant cousin who attended the gathering. “It was utterly terrifying. He sounded exactly like Samuel, but…wrong. Twisted.”

Barnabas Collins, who has remained largely silent since his return, was observed observing the transformed Mr. Blackwood with a disconcerting, almost detached expression. When questioned by Julian Cromwell, the vampire simply stated, “Some sacrifices must be made. The estate requires sustenance.”

Local law enforcement remains baffled by the events, citing the extraordinary circumstances and the lack of any conventional explanation. The Collinswood estate has been placed under quarantine, and a team of occult specialists has been dispatched to assess the situation and determine the long-term implications. The fate of Mr. Blackwood, and indeed, the stability of the Collinswood estate, hangs precariously in the balance.