CHAPTER FOUR
Sunlight filtered through the thin curtains. Joey tossed over to his left side on the cool mattress. He sat up, grinding sleep out of his eyes and yawning.
Lance�the woods�headless rider�
Joey stumbled out of bed, heart racing. �Was it all a dream?�
Unsure of whether or not anyone else had awakened, he quietly tiptoed outside into the corridor.
The aroma of brewing coffee floated from downstairs. Footsteps and general moving around.
Traci�s probably making breakfast.
Lance�s bedroom door was closed. Joey knocked softly. �Lance?�
No answer. Joey jiggled the knob. Unlocked.
He entered expecting to see Lance tangled in the sheets, sleeping like a baby.
The bed was empty. The sheets were wrinkled, but Lance was gone.
Panic pounded at his temples.
But-but it was just a dream!
***
Beep! Beep!
Mac Norwood honked his horn three more times. His wife, Evelyn, drummed her fingers on the dashboard nervously.
The couple was driving across the covered bridge connecting Sleepy Hollow to the Van Tassel House when Mac spotted a body lying halfway off the bridge.
�Honey,� Evelyn pat his arm, �I never seen that guy before, but I doubt your ridiculous car horn is going to wake him. Get out of the car and drag him into the grass.�
Mac muttered something about useless inconveniences, but proceeded to exit the Sedan and kneel down beside the unconscious body.
A man. Young. Blonde. Still wearing his boxers and undershirt.
Drunk, Mac figured. He roughly shook Lance awake.
�Hey pal! Move it your drunken butt off this here bridge! Traffic�s stalled!�
Shaken, Lance propped himself up on his elbows.
What am I doing outside? Why am I so cold? What�s this guy�s problem?
An older, bearded man stared at him disgustedly. �Youth today,� he grumbled, �Always looking for trouble��
Lance suddenly became aware that he was lying on a strange bridge in his pajamas, groggy and more than slightly confused. His cheeks reddened with embarrassment.
�Sorry,� he said sheepishly, �I�ve got a bad habit of sleepwalking.�
Mac rolled his eyes. �Yeah yeah. Where do you live kid?�
�I�m staying with my friends at the Van Tassel home.�
�Mayor Van Tassel invited you as his guest?� Mac snorted.
Lance frowned. �You know, you don�t have to act so rude to get your point across.�
Evelyn honked the Sedan horn. �Boys, we�ll be late!�
Mac helped Lance to his feet. �Since you�re so smart, find your own way back. Evelyn and I�ll drive.�
Lance sighed and counted to three. �If yall are headed in the same direction, am I asking too much for a ride?�
Mac slammed the car door. �Still don�t buy the sleepwalking story.�
Evelyn seemed to protest, but Mac sped off down the forest road, leaving Lance in the dust.
Tears brimmed in his eyes. Feeling alone and afraid, he followed the tire tracks until the house came in sight.
Gosh, how am I gonna explain? I can�t. Especially if that couple adds their opinion.
Lance saw one of the bedroom windows was wide open. A ladder leaned nearby. Hey, I�ll climb through the window.
He grabbed the handle and slowly climbed up the rickety ladder, gasping each time it shook and jumping with every passing noise. Finally he reached the window.
Grunting, Lance ducked his upper body inside, pulling his legs in and thudding onto his bedroom floor.
As he stood, a chill swept across the room.
Ha ha�ha�ha ha ha�ha ha�ha�
Lance braced himself. �Who�s there?�
Ha ha�ha�ha ha ha�ha ha�ha�
It sounded like a small boy�s laughter. The laughter faded, then disappeared without a trace. Lance shivered. �Is somebody trying to scare me out of Sleepy Hollow?�
He strolled over to the desk to pick up his clothes. �Well, it isn�t going to work.�
Lance choked on a scream. His clothes were shredded to thin slivers of cloth.
Who did this? Why?
Afraid for anyone else to see his sliced shirt and jeans, Lance shoved the scraps into a desk drawer, intending to throw them away later.
His fingers brushed a cold, fleshy object.
Sitting in the drawer, gazing up at him with wide glassy eyes�was a head.
Lance covered his mouth, trying to smother his horrified shrieks. He turned the opposite direction and hugged the bedpost, sinking to his knees. Whenever he closed his eyes, that pale face remained implanted in his memory. He didn�t want to believe the present was real. Unfortunately he knew otherwise.
Oh, what am I gonna do?
Was this a subtle death threat? A gruesome prank? A warning?
Leaving was the first thought that popped up inside Lance�s brain. Naturally that would be the rational course of action, but wouldn�t it seem awful suspicious for him to bail out in less than 24 hours, especially since Joey and JC thought Lance was supposed to �survey the land�?
Lance stumbled to the wardrobe, absently threw on a shirt, jeans, shoes, and a jacket, then walked stiffly down the staircase.
The comforting sounds of talking and scrambling around at the breakfast table greeted him. Mac boasted how he�d handled a drunk on his route to the house. Lance covered his face with his hands. Great. I�ll never be able to show my face again.
Though still in a great deal of shock, he managed to switch into acting mode while he meandered inside the kitchen.
Traci flipped pancakes at the stove. �Well there you are!� she exclaimed. �It�s about time you rolled out of bed, lazy bones! Go on to the dining room. Mac and his wife Evelyn have come for a visit. Brad�s already left, but Ichabod is still eating.�
Lance grumbled wearily, but shuffled to his seat. JC slapped him on the back. �Hey scoop! Feeling okay?�
�Just perfect,� he replied through clenched teeth. Joey seemed pretty upset about something, but didn�t utter a word.
Kate handed Lance a pot of coffee. �Good morning. I should introduce you to Mac and Evelyn Norwood. Mac, Evelyn, this is Lance. Lance, Mac and Evelyn.�
Mac grinned smugly. JC frowned, curious to know why he acted so amused. A bit of eggs flew by his nose, courtesy of Annie and Cory�s food fight.
The backdoor shut. Mayor Van Tassel sauntered to his seat, grumbling about delinquents.
�What�s wrong?� Joey asked casually, buttering toast.
�Somebody smashed the backdoor window last night.�
Lance dropped his spoon. �Oh?�
�Unfortunately.�
�Is there a lot of crime taking place?�
�Nothing serious.�
Strike two. Lance cleared his dishes. �I�m gonna take a tour of Sleepy Hollow, get a load of all the sites. Anyone care to join me?�
�Sure,� JC replied, throwing on his coat. Kate swallowed her orange juice. �Wait up.�
***
Simon Grund clicked the keys of his computer, propped his feet up on the desk, and listened to his secretary, Renae, answer phone calls. As chief of the police department, he prided himself in being a relaxed man with a high position and the power to boss people around whenever he pleased. Nice job description in his opinion.
Kate and two out-of-towners entered the station. Simon quit punching the keys, immediately alert. Strangers were hard to come by in this neck of the woods.
�May I help you?� Renae asked suspiciously, lowering her glasses. The baby-faced blond smiled. �Kate would like to introduce me to a Simon Grund.�
Simon stood and extended his hand. �That would be me. Hello.�
Kate made the introductions. JC�s stomach growled. �Sorry to disrrupt, but is there any place to eat?�
Kate laughed, tugging him out the door. �Yeah. Come on.�
Lance stayed behind. Simon offered him a seat.
�You know, unless they plan on getting arrested,� he began, �Most tourists don�t visit the police station.�
Lance blew out air. Don�t lose your nerve Bass. �Actually, Kate mentioned you two were pretty good friends.�
A dark look passed over Simon�s face. �Well�that�s done for. Anyways, what�s this really about Lance?�
�Didn�t you meet Sean Bass a while back?�
�Yes. Related?�
�He�s my cousin. He�s also an FBI agent.� Lance drummed his fingers on the desk. �Supposedly the townspeople tossed him out.�
�He asked a lot of questions.� Simon paused to sip his coffee. �We�re weary of inquiring minds. And the questions he needed answers for��
�About the murders?� Lance blurted. Immediately he wished he�d been more tactful. Simon banged his coffee cup on the table. �Excuse me? Murders? How dare you barge into my office��
Lance raised his eyebrows. �I meant no disrespect sir. Someone wrote mysterious letters to Washington claiming a crazed psycho was chopping people�s heads off and action needed to be taken. Seriously, that person was probably desperate. Shouldn�t they have a cause for writing those letters?�
Veins bulged on Simon�s neck. Seeming pretty angry, his moustache bristled and his eyes sparked. Then, his posture relaxed. �Tell you what Lance Bass, because you are so concerned for Sleepy Hollow�s welfare, why don�t we arrange for Mayor Van Tassel, myself, and you to take a walk this evening in order to discuss this matter?�
Lance proceeded to the exit. �Great.� After he left, Simon picked up the phone.
�Hello? Mayor? Good afternoon. Yes. I just received a disturbing visit from Lance��
CHAPTER FIVE
JC sipped the soup, savoring the vegetable taste. Kate excused herself to use the restroom.
Rebecca Holmes and Lilac Martin whispered behind the counter. �So?� Rebecca wondered, �Do you think it will happen again?�
�I heard he went out riding last night.�
�Was anybody��
�No no,� Lilac jabbered quickly, �But I�m telling you, you�d better keep the house locked extra tight.�
�It�s those new visitors, that�s what.�
�They�ve unleashed something mighty awful.�
�My younger brother woke up screaming from nightmares and he never has nightmares.�
JC ceased chewing. What are they talking about? An old, familiar feeling of wrongness churned inside his gut. Lance and I need to talk.
Kate picked up her purse. �Shall we go?� JC nodded. �What are those girls saying?�
�Rebecca and Lilac?� Kate frowned, �Forget them. They�re drama queens.�
***
Lance shivered as he strolled down the sidewalk. People milled around doing their daily activities, yet everyone seemed to look past him. A man toting two toddlers bumped Lance�s shoulder. He turned, glared, and resumed his pace.
An alley between Dell�s Bakery and Music Medley Records appeared. Although certain he�d heard a clatter and hurried footsteps, he continued walking.
Suddenly a blindfold whipped over his head, tying behind the eyes. Darkness covered his vision. Caught too off guard to retaliate, Lance was yanked by his shirt collar into the alley.
Someone punched him in the stomach. Lance sprawled to the ground, gasping in pain. �Stop��
He received a powerful blow to his cheek. The assailant banged Lance against the brick wall.
�Listen,� he hissed, �Leave Sleepy Hollow. You�re not who you think you are. Some secrets must stay hidden.�
The mysterious attacker ran out of the alley, leaving Lance whimpering alone. Shaking terribly, his clammy fingers removed the blindfold. Sweat trickled across his skin. Tears streamed down his face.
Who did this to me? Why? He�s insane! I�m not who I think I am? That�s crazy!
He rubbed his throbbing cheek. Cautious, Lance trembled away from the alley, walking quickly through the town. It was 2:00 pm. Surely there had been a witness to his attack. Why didn�t they speak up?
The harmless Halloween decorations and jack-o-lanterns proudly displayed in window shops became leering, evil reflections of the townsfolk.
That�s exactly what they are, Lance thought as he turned the corner down the Van Tassel driveway, they reflect innocence, but underneath the fa�ade, there is fear and hostility.
But if they were truly afraid of the crazed psycho whom derived pleasure from chopping people�s heads off, then why deny help? They weren�t telling the complete truth.
CHAPTER SIX
�Joey!� Traci hollered, �Put this bedding in the linen closet! You and Justin have been playing that Sega for so long it�s unhealthy!�
Justin shoveled in another mouthful of popcorn. �Hey, I�m beginning to enjoy this vacation.�
Joey dropped his game controller. For the most part he�d been able to keep his mind off the morning�s events. Then, Justin showed up at the front door. His reason: Chris snored louder than a Rocky Mountain moose and curiosity of Sleepy Hollow ate at him until he hopped into the closest cab.
Traci dumped bedding into Joey�s arms. He climbed up the staircase, dodging Cory�s roller blades and Annie�s poetry book. The linen closet was right next to the attic stairwell.
Opening the door and tossing sheets onto the lower shelf, Joey heard a loud thump to the left. He whirled around, glimpsing at Lance�s bedroom door. Surprise sent shockwaves through his body.
A small boy bounced a ball against the floor, engrossed in his little game.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
He glanced upward. Joey�s mouth fell open. The boy�s face was bluish, transparent. The corridor grew chillier. Draperies rippled.
Joey rubbed his eyes. When he reopened them, the boy was gone.
�Whoa,� he mumbled disbelievingly, headed down the staircase, �Too much coffee this morning. What other explanation could there be?�
6:30 pm
Mayor Van Tassel, Ichabod, and Kate fixated their gazes upon Cory. JC and Justin were engaged in a heated discussion over a particular CD, while Joey concentrated on his meal. Lance paid attention to Cory�s demeanor. Nervous. Scared. Secretive. Maybe anger?
Mayor Van Tassel threw down his fork. �Cory, I refuse to ask you twice. Where did Annie run off to while you were playing by the covered bridge? Haven�t I warned you to be careful around that bridge?!�
Cory fidgeted. �Annie and I were playing hide and seek. I was It. When I couldn�t find her, I yelled for her to come out. Annie screamed, I ran in the direction I thought I heard it drift from, and no Annie could be found.�
Traci wrung her hands. �Do you realize how great of danger Annie�s in at this moment? It�s suicidal for her to be wandering alone in the woods at night.�
Tears brimmed in Kate�s eyelids. Ichabod poured a little more Scotch than usual into his drink.
An idea hit Lance. Considering I�m public enemy number one, maybe I�ll win their trust by rescuing Annie.
�I�d be happy to look for your sister.�
Instantly objections flowed from everyone�s mouths, but Mayor Van Tassel accepted the proposition.
�I�ll fetch Pilgrim from the barn. It�ll be quicker if you go by horseback.�
Lance zipped his coat and followed the mayor to the stable outside. The blackened sky had given birth to a full moon. Crisp night air stung his bruised cheek. He led a brown mare to the grass.
�This here�s Pilgrim,� the mayor declared, helping Lance onto the saddle. �Trail�s to the northwest. Follow it, and if you don�t see any sign of Annie, turn at the stream and ride down the opposite trail.�
Lance watched Mayor Van Tassel retreat into the shadowy house with yellowish light seeping through the windows. Once allowing his vision to adjust into the darkness, clicking his tongue, he and Pilgrim trotted off down the trail.
At first, only silence. Just the usual night sounds, crickets chirping and owls hooting.
�Annie!� Lance called. �Annie! Annie!�
Cold wind sent shivers through his veins. Pilgrim turned east, trotting parallel to a row of Aspen trees.
�Annie! Annie! ANNIE!�
Several twigs snapped. �Whoa,� Lance said softly, slowing the horse. �Annie? Is that you?�
Crunch�Crunch�
�Annie? This isn�t funny any more so quit clowning around.�
Clip-clop�Clip-clop�Clip-clop�
Whoever you are nearby, I know you�re not Annie,� Lance said, �So please tell me your name.�
Clip-clop� Clip-clop�Clip-clop�
Lance�s voice dropped to a whisper. �Please answer my question.�
The horse hooves grew closer. Lance twisted his neck in all directions. No rider was in sight. Lance became afraid.
He should have been.
�YYYYEEEEEHAAAHAAAHAAAA!!!!!!!!�
Lance whipped around. Pilgrim whinnied and reared up.
A strange rider, dressed in black armor, swung his sword at Lance�s neck. Lance screamed, ducking and jerking the reigns toward the stream.
He hesitated, turned to get another look at the rider, and felt his eyes widen and his heart pound. A horrified shriek escaped from his lips.
The rider had no head.
�YYYYEEEEEHAAAHAAAHAAAA!!!!!!!!�
Lance realized he couldn�t stop screaming. The sword swiped at his neck again. Pilgrim shoved past the black stallion and galloped off the trail.
Pilgrim quickly gained speed. So did the headless horseman.
Branches slapped at Lance�s face, tore at his clothing. He clutched the reins so tightly his knuckles paled white. He glanced backwards.
The headless horseman raised his sword high in the air. Lance tried dodging the blade again, except this time he didn�t duck low enough. The blade cut his arm.
Lance cried out in pain, releasing the reigns and clutching his wound. Blood seeped through his jacket.
The headless horseman kicked Pilgrim in the butt. The mare whinnied, throwing Lance off the saddle and racing deeper into the forest.
Lance smacked into a tree, sinking to the ground. The fall knocked him dizzy.
The headless horseman leapt from the saddle. Lance couldn�t take his eyes off the sword, its silver blade shimmering in the moonlight.
�No,� he croaked, �No��
CHAPTER SEVEN
Justin paced restlessly in front of the living room windows. Joey switched his attention from the TV. �Justin, come on, give us a break. You look like a duck in a shooting gallery.�
Justin threw his hands up. �Where is he?� he practically shouted, �Nobody takes this long to ride down a stupid little trail! Annie�s either there or she isn�t.�
He grabbed his coat. �I�m going after him.�
***
Lance cowered against the tree.
�YYYYEEEEEHAAAHAAAHAAAA!!!!!!!!�
Suddenly Justin tackled the headless horseman, throwing him off balance but nothing else. Enraged, the ghost threw Justin beside Lance.
�How�d you find me?!� Lance babbled.
�T-the hoof p-prints,� Justin stammered. His gaze traveled up to the rider�s neck. �Holy��
The black stallion prepared to ram the tree. Justin and Lance curled up, ready to be kicked by the evil horse.
And suddenly�