The Lady From Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod

I am frightful. Frightful for Mary's safety, and frightful for the residents of Sleepy Hollow.

We race to the town, the wind whipping through our hair.

I hope we aren't too late...

________ Mr. Killian ________

Supper has just ended, my lovely wife Beth clearing the plates. I watch her with interest as I pick my teeth with a knife.

She smiles at me, and I smile back, content with our cozy home here in the Hollow.

Off in the distance, deep rumbling sound echoes faintly. I stop picking my teeth, frowning upon noticing the strange phenomenon.

It stops as soon as it has started, and I shrug it off, figuring it was nothing. I continue picking my teeth.

My son, Thomas, gets down from his chair, going to the fireplace to light a tallow wick. I smile at him as he takes it to the next room.

Beth comes for dishes, clicking her tongue at my teeth-picking. "Don't pick your teeth. You'll teach Thomas bad habits."

I smirk, and pull her to my lap, feeling playful.

"I am a bad habit. There's nothing for it," I murmur to her, holding her close.

She smirks, and asks, "Oh, isn't there?"

She and I share a short, sweet kiss, and she then pulls herself off my lap. I let my hand linger on her, grinning daftly at her hard-to-get attitude.

________ Brom ________

I ride my black steed, his hooves pounding the ground. I heard thunder booming in the sky. My horse stops.

I look skyward. All around, the wind halts. A dead silence falls. I hear distant hoofbeats.

I take my long rifle from my shoulder, and ride on.

________ Beth ________

I walk in to the room where Thomas sits on the floor in the white room. Watching him gaze at his little lantern, which has an outer sleeve of glass painted with shapes of lions and other monsters cut in it, warms my heart.

Thomas continues his fun, the shadow animals circling him. I smile at his innocence, kneeling next to him and holding him gently as we both watch the shapes in wonder as it casts the shapes onto the walls as it spins.

The magic lantern suddenly stops spinning. The creatures freeze in place. I look up, noticing the ferocity of the wind outside. The smile leaves my face. I murmur to him, "Come on. Let's get ready for bed."

Thomas, still staring up at the shadowed shapes, replies, "Yes."

________ Mr. Killian ________

I sit contently, relaxed. The rumbling picks up outside again, the wind howling in the ominous night. I notice the house trembles, my glass of water on the table shivering audibly for a moment. I frown at the sight of the household trembling.

I jump at the sound of the fire roaring in its existence, turning to see the mantelpiece stones pulse, as if they are breathing. I catch a glimpse of what seems to be an illusion of demonic faces molded out of the flaring flames, then disappear.

The wind outside keeps howling.

The entire house creaks, then suddenly, the wind ceases. Silence.

Behind me, the door splinters inward.

There the devil prowls. The Horseman steps in, a battle axe in each hand. Wind blasts inside with his entry.