CHAPTER SIX
�STOP!�
Lance and Justin opened their eyes. The stallion paused.
A voice. A sweet, silky voice whispering in the wind, dancing around trees and calming the night.
�Stop��
The Headless Horseman paused.
�Stop��
His sword lowered. Justin twisted his head from side to side. Where is that girl? Why is that monster listening to her?
The Headless Horseman hoisted himself onto the saddle, galloping into the blackened shadows of the forest.
�Yyyyeeeeehaaahaaahaaaa!!!!!!!!�
Silence. Anticipation. Fear. Lance stood on shaky legs. �Th-thanks for saving my life.� �Don�t mention it,� Justin replied shakily, �You mind explaining�uh�explaining��
�Why our attacker was headless?�
�Yes!�
Lance stared at the ground as they shuffled back to the house. �I really don�t know.�
�Do you suppose, well, it�s a ghost?�
�Maybe.�
�We can�t tell the others. They�ll say we�re crazy.�
�Yeah.�
With their oath of secrecy, they entered the house. Justin entered the dining room to recite the bad news to anxious guests. Lance retreated upstairs to his bedroom.
Time to call Sean.
His cell phone remained buried in the desk drawer. A wave of nausea overtook Lance when he remembered his gruesome present. His fingers shook. The drawer pulled open.
The head was gone.
Surprise filled him. �Who got rid of it?� Another horrible present greeted his sweaty palms.
His cell phone lay smashed to pieces.
Lance collapsed onto the bed, suddenly unable to stand. He fought back tears of anger and fear. I won�t cry. I won�t panic.
At least one thing is certain, he decided, his stalker must live in the Van Tassel House.
***
Midnight
He seated himself comfortably in the Mayor�s den, flipping through the neatly arranged pile of family albums. Disgustingly happy photos.
He fingered one picture in particular, an evil smile spreading across his shadowed face. He really shouldn�t be back in the house, not at this time of night. But his irresistible attraction to Kate couldn�t be helped.
Not to mention his thirst for absolute revenge.
Rage blew up inside him. He systematically began ripping photos out of the album, tearing them to tiny pieces.
It isn�t fair! It just isn�t fair!
Some secrets are best left buried. Humph. We�ll see about the BIG secret, the one entangled in the dust and cobwebs crowded behind their minds, the one locked forever in the bleak shadows of the rooms, the one to be smothered out of existence.
Still, Kate isn�t aware that I�m in on the secret too, he comforted himself.
Floorboards creaked. Lights flipped on in the kitchen. The stalker froze. Did Lance see me? After all, he�d used the ladder to climb in through Lance�s window. Clinking. Refrigerator opening.
Ah, he thought devilishly, a midnight snack. Perhaps he or she would care for midnight entertainment. The deadly knife rested in his backpack. Then again, he changed his resolve. Too risky.
He waited until the light disappeared and the noise ceased. He crept out of the den, carefully maneuvering upstairs.
Time for phase 2 of my perfect plan to crush the fa�ade covering the real Van Tassel family.
CHAPTER SEVEN
�Hello? May I speak to Sean Bass? Of course it�s an emergency,� Lance practically shouted into the phone. It was 11:00 am. Kate was measuring material with help from JC, Joey was assisting Cory in choosing which colored rock candy to buy, and Justin was engrossed in a discussion with Brad concerning motorcycles.
�FBI. Agent Bass speaking.�
�Sean,� Lance whispered.
�Hey buddy! Discover anything fishy?�
�Not quite, but plenty of weird things are happening to me.�
Lance described the vicious pranks.
�Good gosh! The department and I applaud your brave decision to stay.�
�Have I given you enough proof?�
�For me? Yes. For my superiors? No. They need solid, concrete evidence.�
�Great.�
�Just off the record, since you�ve become acquainted with those people, want to venture a guess as to who the axe-whacking psycho is?�
�I don�t think it�s a person,� Lance muttered.
�What was that?�
�Nothing,� he replied quickly, �Goodbye.�
He hung up the payphone, walking to the counter beside Joey. Rebecca rang up Cory�s candy.
Meanwhile, in the corner by the material wall, JC and Kate were arguing quietly.
�You have to tell them Kate!�
�Don�t bet on it.�
�You�ve really ticked somebody off, and if Brad ever finds out too��
�JC, I�m in a complicated situation.�
JC turned away. �Well, maybe next time you should consider the consequences of two timing your three boyfriends.�
Kate blushed. �So I�m a flirt.�
�You broke hearts!�
�Why should you be so hurt by this?� she fired back, �You�re the one who joined Nsync and left me behind.�
�Kate,� JC said quietly.
�No, Josh, you listen to me. When I turned 15, I moved to Florida with my aunt for the summer, flying home on weekends. I got a job at Disney World. There I met you. I fell in love. Then at the end of the summer break, you joined a band.�
�I did love you,� JC spouted, � But I didn�t realize you were coming home to date Brad and this other jerk you won�t name!�
�I can�t stand Brad, but I am afraid of him. He�s possessive and jealous. I�ve been engaged to him since I was 16! Not that we were going to marry then, but he wanted to be sure I wouldn�t meet another guy before we tied the knot in a few years.�
�Don�t pull the sympathy angle. You were always good at wrapping guys around your finger by doing that.�
�JC, sweetheart,� she coaxed, �You never would�ve known about my 2 other boyfriends, but after finding what he left on my bed last night�I trusted you, needed your advice��
�My advice to you is to leave me alone!�
�Hey, I broke up with him for YOU,� Kate glared, �And I was going to do the same with Brad until you hopped on the next flight to Europe!�
�Kate, just get out of my life,� JC stormed off, �It�s over between us.�
Tears threatened to spill down Kate�s cheeks. Josh, I do love you. I didn�t mean to spoil everything.
***
Rebecca sighed. �Must you ask me all these questions?�
Lance had figured the best tactic in wheedling information out was through a town gossip. �Come on Rebecca, hasn�t anything strange happened lately?�
�You mean the Headless Horseman, don�t you?� She murmured. Lance�s mouth fell open. �Huh?�
Rebecca leaned over the counter. �What I�m about to reveal should never be discussed. You seem nice, and you claim to have seen our ghost. That�s why I�m telling you. Yes, the Headless Horseman exists. We live in fear of him. We don�t go out after dark because of his presence. We�re weary of tourists because of him. Our superstitions and such are defenses we use to assure ourselves of protection. People fall victim to his sword. To tell you the truth, it�s become more frequent. I�m scared.�
�So that�s why you wrote those letters to the FBI.�
Rebecca�s eyes widened. �How did you learn of my letters?�
Lance wasn�t sure if mentioning his spy job was for the best or potential suicide. Potential suicide. �I have my sources,� he answered cryptically. More customers opened the shop door.
Rebecca licked her lips. �Say, meet me in front of our schoolhouse at 6:00, okay? We can talk more. Ichabod will be joining us.�
Lance nodded. �Deal.�
�Oh,� she added as Lance tried to meet his party outside, �Where�s Annie?�
�Disappeared.�
***
6:00PM
Lance and Justin stood impatiently in the schoolyard. Justin seemed slightly ticked with Lance. �How could you not tell us Sean put you up to coming here? Why didn�t you say anything about the murders?�
Lance looked down, ashamed. �Sorry J, but they told me to keep a tight lid on the whole operation.�
�Why go spilling info now?�
�Because I�m very frightened!� Lance almost screamed, tears brimming in his eyelids, �I�m sorry. I�m sorry for lying. I�m sorry for dragging you guys in the middle of this. If yall want to leave, go ahead!�
Justin softened. �Scoop, I would never bail out on you in your time of trouble. I�m just shocked, that�s all. I�m not even 100% sure I believe this Headless Horseman crud.�
Lance kicked a pebble. �Thanks. I saw what I saw. He must be real.�
Ichabod exited the building, locking the school. �Good evening fellas. Isn�t Rebecca coming?�
�Yeah,� Lance frowned, �But��
Suddenly Lilac stumbled across the playground, screeching hysterically. Splatters of blood matted her dress. �SHE�S DEAD! SHE�S DEAD! SHE�S DEAD!�
Justin couldn�t move, stunned. Ichabod grabbed Lilac and shook her. �Who? Who is dead?�
�Rebecca,� Lilac sobbed, �I found her�beheaded��
Lance sank to his knees. It�s my fault. I pried the secret out of her. Terrible anxiety gripped him. Could I be next on the Headless Horseman�s list?
CHAPTER EIGHT
�ORDER! ORDER!� Mayor Van Tassel shouted, banging his mallet on the podium. The citizens of Sleepy Hollow quieted down. News of Rebecca�s murder spread quickly. Because of the emergency, the Mayor, Simon Grund, and other officials called a town meeting inside the courthouse.
Traci rocked Cory and Kate in the front bench. �Annie�s dead too,� Cory cried. �Shhh,� Traci hushed her, �Don�t be so sure yet.� Nsync also sat in the front pew. Justin was exhausted. Joey was shocked. JC was troubled. Lance looked pale. Joey nudged them. �Guys, Chris called. He said he�s traveling here tomorrow.�
�ORDER!� The Mayor shouted. Talking ceased. A baby stopped crying. Each ear focused in on what their leader had to say.
�Rebecca�s death is horrible,� he began, �But there�s no cause for concern here-
�Yes there is!� Mac hollered in the fourth bench, �Rebecca is not the first to die! She�s the 18th! We�re gonna be slaughtered like cattle by the evil Headless Horseman!�
Excitement stirred up. The mayor banged his mallet. �Quiet! Sir, I assure you, that number count is too high.�
Ichabod argued. �No it�s not. I�ve kept a straight count of our missing persons toll.�
Beside the podium was a table where the town officials sat. Simon replaced Mayor Van Tassel.
�Ladies and gentlemen, our police force is on active duty trying to find the killer responsible for the deaths.�
�We hunt down the Headless Horseman!� somebody volunteered.
�Find his head and destroy it!�
�Please,� Simon rolled his eyes, �What are we? Heathens? Folks, listen to the hysteria talk. I refuse to allow you to go marching into the woods with torches and pitchforks!�
The crowed hushed. Lance hugged himself. Nsync scooted in closer together.
�Something�s there,� Evelyn whispered, hugging her husband. Three younger children pointed at the windows. �It�s him!�
Everybody turned�and gasped.
The Headless Horseman and his black stallion were outside the glass. The ghost held a flaming torch.
�YYYYEEEEEHAAAHAAAHAAAA!!!!!!!!�
Lance wrinkled his nose. �What�s that smell?�
JC smelt it too. �Smoke?�
People towards the back started coughing. Screams erupted. �Fire!�
Nsync whirled around. Smoke billowed under the door crack. People began screaming and moving towards the front. Mac pounded at the door. �It�s locked!�
�YYYYEEEEEHAAAHAAAHAAAA!!!!!!!!�
The back walls burst into orange flames. Mass confusion and panic broke out among the terrified citizens.
By then smoke clouded the room so badly no one could see. Curtains shot up in flames. The room became unbearably hot.
Joey coughed on smoke. �Guys�� he called, but was hit by another coughing fit.
Lance�s eyes stung. He couldn�t breathe. His face burned from the heat. �Where�are�you�guys��
Kate, Traci, and Cory were shrieking. JC and the Mayor shuffled them to the corner. Simon and a group of men were attempting to smash the windows.
Justin couldn�t take in the horrible sounds surrounding him. Children crying out for their parents. Screeches. The scent of burning wood.
Flames danced along the floor. Lance jumped as one licked his ankle. Bodies bumped into him, knocking him to the ground.
�No,� he croaked as feet kicked and stomped on him. Suddenly tears spilled down his cheeks. He began weeping. Dry, cracking sobs that allowed smoke to enter his mouth, burning his throat.
I don�t wanna die! I don�t wanna burn up!
�Aaaahhhh!� a man moaned, �I�m on fire!�
The whole courthouse engulfed in flames. Several more people caught on fire.
Lance�s chest ached. His whole body stung. Smoke filled his lungs.
�YYYYEEEEEHAAAHAAAHAAAA!!!!!!!!�
The room swirled and darkened as the orange flames grew brighter and brighter. They were like fingers, snapping at Lance�s clothes�