CHAPTER NINE
�Come on�that�s it�wake up��
�He�s�coming�to��
White paneling covered the night sky. Huh? Lance slowly opened his eyes. Am I dead? Is this heaven?
His head rested on something soft. Lights surrounded him. A loud noise drowned out the constant movement.
Lance lay wrapped in a blanket on a stretcher, riding in an ambulance to the nearest hospital. A female paramedic placed an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. �That�s it,� she soothed, �You�re going to be fine. We�re taking you to West Oak Hospital for some tests and observation. Try to relax.�
The ambulance, along with 4 others, pulled up to West Oak. Lance slowly slipped back into a peaceful realm of unconsciousness when the paramedics wheeled his stretcher to the ER.
***
Sleepy Hollow�s courthouse was in a mass of devastated ruin. Blackened ashes reeked smoke as frantic firefighters hosed the flames.
In the yard and across the street, survivors lay on blankets, sat on the ground, and leaned on one another. Paramedics dashed around with medical equipment while more ambulances rushed on their way.
Simon shook his head. �What a mess. What a mess.�
Will Chambers, head of the fire department, sighed. �Be thankful I had enough wits about me to use my cell phone. My men helped us break those windows and lug everybody out.�
Simon watched police zip 5 body bags. �Not everybody.�
�Who died?�
�Not sure, but I believe one of them was a tourist. Joey, I think.�
�From Nsync?�
�Yes.�
�How are we gonna explain this to the nation?�
�You won�t have to,� a voice replied, �Because I didn�t die.� Simon looked to his left, grinning sheepishly. �My apologies Joey.�
Joey�s skin and clothes were stained by smoke. He coughed. �Where are my best friends?�
�Lance was whisked off to West Oak Hospital. The guys insisted on taking a cab to meet the ambulance.�
Worry lined Joey�s forehead. �Is he alright?�
�Mr. Grund found him unconscious. Dragged him to safety,� Will answered.
�How do I reach the hospital? I need to see if Lance is okay!�
�Either wait with the Van Tassels or assist firefighters,� Simon prodded impatiently. Joey stomped over to the shade of an aspen tree. Ichabod calmed a sedated Kate. �Traci took Cory home and the Mayor�s directing relief efforts.� Joey nodded. �Hmm.� Mac appeared holding a hose. �Pal, since you�re one of the few standing on 2 feet, help us!�
Joey snatched a hose and sprayed water over scattered crackling flames. His nose caught a whiff of a rotten smell. He sniffed. �Gasoline? Now where does a ghost buy gasoline?�
Skepticism raised his eyebrows. Something�s screwy here.
***
He observed the hospital waiting room with glee. Look at them all. I�ve single handedly reduced them all into spineless nothings. A fire. Brilliant way to begin my revenge.
JC walked by, pausing to get a cup of coffee. He looked tired and shaken. Yes, JC, you�ve got yours coming. Just wait. You�ll pay just as dearly for my suffering as Kate.
It angered him so, that crisp day in July, whenever he�d waltzed into the Van Tassel home, sneaking toward Kate�s bedroom door, expecting to surprise her with a bouquet of roses, when he heard her talking sweetly to her �lover�. Stunned, yet not fully convinced of her betrayal, he secretly traveled to Florida.
There�he played the spy game. Every kiss she and JC shared made his blood boil. Every compliment they paid to each other sent rivers of fury bubbling through his stomach. Their hugs, their fun�every moment of Kate�s sinful romance increased the breaking point of his sanity.
Finally, that breaking point snapped.
He folded his newspaper, crumpling it and tossing it onto a table. Curiosity had taken a turn for the worse. A sudden urge empowered him to see Lance, Justin, and JC.
I�m like a lion on the prowl, sizing up my prey.
Lance sat upright on a hospital bed. Justin stood next to him. JC brought them their coffee cups.
He pressed his back against the wall, taking great pains not to be seen. For if they saw him, it would be too late.
Doctor Evans approached the bed. Apparently the news he recited was good, because relieved smiles spread across their faces and Justin helped Lance to his feet.
He turned quickly and ran. They were going home.
I�ll be waiting.
CHAPTER TEN
Lance walked quietly down the hall. He had no sense of the hour, only that it was night. He knew this place, yet it seemed strange and unfamiliar. A heavy feeling of evil hung in the cold air.
He was thirsty, so he wandered into the bathroom for water. It was after looking into the mirror that he realized he had gone back in time. Being eight years old and fairly short, reaching the sink became a difficult feat.
Angry voices whispered downstairs. Although unsure of why, Lance felt insecure, the kind of insecurity a child feels whenever there�s tension among his parents.
Eight-year-old Lance crawled to his knees, peeking between the stair railing.
A man and a woman argued heatedly. Lance shivered. Why are mommy and daddy fighting?
Suddenly, it became darker. The man and woman zoomed further and further away into a dark void.
�No!� Lance screamed, �Mommy! Daddy! Don�t go! Don�t leave me alone!�
He tried running, but something seemed to be pulling him farther down the hall. 2 other children stood at the end of the hall, calling out to him, yet he couldn�t hear their cries�
�AAHH!� Lance bolted upright in bed. The alarm clock on the bedside table read 2:46am. As soon as his rapid breathing subsided, Lance gulped and leaned back. �Just a stupid nightmare.�
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
Lance cautiously sat up. Something seemed to be scratching�inside the walls. What the heck?
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
�Help me�help me��
Lance jumped to his feet, legs tense and heart beating quicker. The little boy called out again.
�Help me�help me�� Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
�Boy,� Lance whispered softly, �Where are you?�
Thump. Thump. Thump. Pound. Pound. Pound.
The bathroom doorknob twisted. A bluish boy materialized into the room. Lance gasped. Surprisingly, he didn�t feel frightened, unlike the times before. Instead he felt sympathy, and a sort of weird longing he didn�t quite comprehend.
�What�s your name?� Lance spoke quietly, unsure of how to communicate.
�D-d-av-d-id-av��
Lance frowned. �David? Is that what you�re trying to tell me?�
David started crying. �No, no,� Lance said, �Don�t cry. What�s wrong?�
�The attic�the attic��
�The attic? Why should I go there?�
David began floating into the wall. �No wait!� Lance beckoned, moving towards the ghost.
�Where�s my brother? Have you seen�my brother��
David disappeared into the wall.
***
Traci flipped 3 chocolate chip pancakes onto a plate, adorning the meal with 2 cherries and whipped cream. It was Cory and Annie�s favorite breakfast. Cory needed some cheering up.
Traci dabbed her eyes with the corner of her apron. �Annie, I wish you would return.� Anger attacked her fiercely as she brought the pancakes into the dining room. How could the Mayor and Kate act so cool? Any concerned parent would have filed a missing persons report by now. Why, she might be dead!
Another thing that bothered her was how they insisted upon keeping Lance�s secret from him. Traci thought he had every right to know, but then again, perhaps the mayor must have his reasons keeping Lance in the dark.
The mayor left an hour before to meet with Simon Grund, Will Chambers, and town officials at the police station. Kate had been rummaging and scurrying around in the attic all morning.
Ding! Dong! Traci popped 2 slices of bread into the toaster, found the sugar and syrup, then walked into the foyer. Preparations for Lance�s breakfast. French toast, his favorite. �Alright, alright.� She answered the door.
�Hi! I�m Chris! Mind if I come in?�
Traci showed Chris up the staircase. �Lance, Joey, JC, and Justin are still asleep. If you hear any thumps or footsteps above, it�s only Kate doing gosh-knows-what in the attic.�
Chris opened a door, expecting to find an empty room. Instead he intruded upon JC tying his sneakers. �Oops. Sorry Jace.�
�Hey man! Get settled in and I�ll see you in a minute.� Chris nodded and shut the door.
JC leaned over to tie his second sneaker, when his fingers brushed a glossy photo. He hesitated, reaching under the bed.
Three pictures. JC studied the photographs. Shock, followed by fear, tied his stomach muscles into knots. July. 1995. Disney World. He and Kate eating in an outdoor restaurant. He and Kate walking past the Magic Kingdom, holding hands. He and Kate kissing on a bench.
Who took these?
That�s not the part that scared him. Someone had marked fat red Xs through their faces.
What�s going on?
***
Joey and Justin walked through the forest. Although only morning, crisp air bit their cold cheeks.
�ANNIE! ANNIE!� Joey hollered. It was his idea to search. The sadness Cory displayed at the breakfast table was more than he could bear. �ANNIE!� Justin repeated. He kicked a branch. �Joe, what are the odds of us finding her alive? It�s been two days.�
�Keep walking,� Joey grumbled. Justin halted. �What�s wrong now?� Joey complained.
Justin elbowed him. �I heard something. Shouting, I think.�
They listened intently. The girlish shouting sounded far off.
�ANNIE!� they yelled simultaneously, excitement urging them on while they stumbled, jumped, and ran through the forest�s natural obstacle course. After ten minutes, each bent over, out of breath and sore. A little girl laughed close by. Twigs crunched. Light footsteps.
Annie appeared from behind an oak tree. To Joey�s surprise, she didn�t look frightened, sick, or haggard. Quite the opposite. Annie hugged Joey. �I knew you�d find me! Rose promised she�d lead you to me when the danger cleared.�
She must be delirious, Justin concluded, taking her hand. Her skin was warm. �What happened to you sweetie?�
�Cory and I were playing, and I fell in an old well,� she rattled, �At first it was really scary and really cold, but then Rose rescued me. She kept me safe.� Joey asked, �Where is Rose? I�d like to thank her.�
�Go ahead.�
�Huh?�
�She�s everywhere. She�s all around us.�
�Annie,� Joey coaxed gently, �You�re upset, that�s all.�
She stomped her foot. �No honestly! Rose isn�t a person. Rose is an angel, covered in light. She said she�s the Lady of the Forest, a protective spirit.�
Justin picked Annie up. They walked until Van Tassel House came into view.
�You know,� Annie piped, �You�ve met Rose too.�
Justin chuckled. �Sorry.�
�Sure. Remember when the Headless Horseman almost creamed you and Lance? Didn�t you hear a woman yell stop?�
Silence.
�You did!� she said accusingly, �Rose saved your lives!�
Rose? Angel? Lady of the Forest?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lance rubbed his eyes wearily, trudging toward the end of the hallway. After meeting �David�, sleep evaded his body. Now, he was heading to the attic. He obviously would not rest until Lance uncovered the secret about David�s brother.
The attic door opened. Kate stepped out, grabbing his arm. �Good, you�re awake. I need to bring you up.�
Kate shut the door to the hall, sealing off all light. Carrying a flashlight, Kate proceeded up the steep, narrow staircase leading to the dimly lit room. Lance willingly followed her.
The ceiling sloped on several sides of the attic, creating shadows in the hidden corners. Because of the lack of windows, Kate lit several candles on old crates, chests, chairs, and other furniture. Dust, cobwebs, and sheets added to the creepy atmosphere.
Kate had arranged to overstuffed chairs in the center of the floor. Between the chairs was a table with several items resting on its top.
�Don�t touch those,� Kate instructed as she struck a match to light a table lantern. When Lance sat down, a cloud of dust blew off the faded cushion. He sneezed. �Why did you bring me up here?�
Kate folded her hands in her lap solemnly. Her silence scared Lance. �Is there something wrong?�
She nodded. �Yes. A great many things.�
***
Chris wheeled around in the chair behind the Mayor�s desk in the den. Traci had been so busy thanking Joey, fawning over Annie, and hugging Joey, she forgot his breakfast. Cory�s squeals of joy were ear-splitting.
Chris thought about Sleepy Hollow for a minute. Weird town. Despite the terrible fire the night before, everyone seemed perky, putting up Halloween decorations and talking excitedly of the Halloween party the Van Tassels were holding in several days.
Chris skimmed the newspaper for any earth-shattering headlines. Strange, but the courthouse fire was not mentioned in the columns. No obituaries. What did they do with the charred corpses? When he saw JC sitting in the living room, staring at some photos and watching the news, the fire wasn�t reported on TV either.
The chair wheels rolled into a large object. Chris glanced over his shoulder. A huge photo album. Curious, he heaved it onto the desk.
Taking care to be cautious with the old leather binding, Chris opened it.
Several photos, ripped from their pages, were ripped up. Chris frowned. Okay. Brushing the discarded pictures aside, he began flipping through the pages.
At the beginning, there were mostly black and whites of older family members. Then, he came to a section titled WEDDINGS. The first 8x10 photograph was of the Mayor standing at the altar with a striking blond beauty wearing a modest, cream colored wedding gown. Chris studied the wedding picture.
That must be his deceased wife. Why do I recognize her face? Hmm, probably Kate. I saw her picture above the fireplace mantle.
He flipped to the next page. Another wedding picture. This time the Mayor stood at the altar with a different woman. A cute redhead in a less elegant, lavender dress. A little girl wearing a pink dress and white flowers in her hair stood in the background.
Chris�s mouth dropped open. The Mayor married twice? Funny, nobody said anything. That little girl must be Kate.
He turned to the section titled FAMILY. The next picture he saw sent chills up and down his spine. His blood metamorphosed into ice water.
�Oh. My. Gosh.� Chris found himself completely speechless. It can�t be. No way. Impossible.
***
He crouched in front of the living room window, confident his presence from the outside was successfully hidden by the backyard gardenia bushes.
JC sat on the couch. The stalker noticed JC�s hands shook slightly.
Ah, I see you found my little present. I knew you would. But now that you�ve seen what you�ve seen�
Devilish happiness filled him as he poked his .38 pistol through the small crack in the windowsill.
JC shifted position on the couch, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Is somebody watching me?
The stalker giddily pulled the trigger.
***
Kate nervously sipped a glass of water. The difficulty of this task parched her throat and chapped her lips.
Lance fidgeted impatiently. �Well? Tell me!�
Kate slowly opened the binder. Beside her chair was a small box. She picked it up and set it on top of the binder.
�Lance,� she started slowly, �There are certain things you don�t realize. I�m about to show you a dark secret, which I should keep buried forever, but now it�s crucial to your knowledge. This is something you should have been shown long ago��