CHAPTER TWELVE
A deafening explosion broke the silence barrier throughout the living room. The TV screen shattered in a smoking mass of sparks and glass shards.
JC jumped off the couch and ducked behind the table, narrowly missing a second bullet to the brain. A picture shattered on the opposite wall.
Cory and Annie screamed in the kitchen. Traci ran to JC.
�Are you all right? Oh my goodness!�
JC cautiously stood on shaky legs. �I-I�m not sure.�
Meanwhile, outside behind the gardenia bushes, the stalker slammed his gun into the dirt. Missed!
Oh well�even mistakes serve their purposes eventually. Just wait, JC. You�ve got yours coming�soon�
***
Lance wrung his hands nervously. Kate�s exaggerated actions, from clearing her throat to opening the book, were driving him crazy. �Tell me already! It can�t really be so awful that��
�So awful that it could change your life?� she countered, �This is one instance, my friend, where you�re wrong.�
First she picked up a small, hand held Victorian mirror. �Take a good look at your face, then look at mine.�
Lance obeyed instructions. �And?� he said, �Our hair color is the same, our noses and eyes are similar, so what?�
Kate showed him the book. �Stare at this.�
Lance was staring at a birth certificate. Its contents sent a river of numbing chills down his spine.
JAMES LANSTEN VAN TASSEL.
BORN MAY 4, 1979 TO ROSE AND MATTHEW VAN TASSEL.
�What-is-this?� Lance sputtered. He turned the next page.
A gorgeous young woman lay in a hospital bed, holding a very familiar baby.
�That�s the picture dad took the day you were born,� Kate added, �And the next page is when you had your first birthday. You look so cute with chocolate cake all over your face.�
Disbelief absorbed Lance as Kate showed several more pictures of him. She giggled. �See, this one is when you were two, and mom gave birth to me.�
Toddler Lance sat in Rose�s lap. She stroked his blond hair as he awkwardly held baby Kate.
The next page was a family photo. Eight-year-old Lance, six-year-old Kate, and their parents smiled happily.
Kate shut the album. �Those are the last pictures we have of you.�
�No�� Lance muttered, �Some other kid�mistaken�not me��
But it was him. There was no denying it. Lance and that little boy were exactly identical.
Kate smiled. �Welcome home older brother.�
Lance practically fell out of his seat. �Kate, what�s going on?�
Kate stood and began relentlessly pacing the creaky floorboards out of nervousness.
�Lance, don�t mistake this as being unwanted. Father loved you very much, but judging the circumstances 14 years ago, he was unable to keep you.�
Kate sighed, as if the following memory was painful. �Shortly after you turned eight, mom left us. She and dad got a divorce. We were abandoned.
Dad wasn�t sure how to give you up for adoption, but one afternoon, while our family, Brad�s, and David�s were vacationing in Laurel, Mississippi, you and David were playing on the pier beside a river.
The pier was old, unable to sustain a lot of weight. It caved through, causing you and David to fall into the rocky river. I�d been playing with my dolls on the bank, so I ran to tell dad. By the time he arrived, you were gone.
Later,� she bit her lip, �Dad sat in the hotel room, scared and unsure of what to do, when the news reports aired on TV.
A family named the Basses found a little boy, about eight, blond hair, floating in the stream by where they were picnicking. Apparently he�d hit his head on a rock and gone into a coma.
So,� she continued, �Dad realized you were alive and in good hands. He�d brought all your pictures, clothes, favorite toys, etc. along on the trip just in case he found a way to give you up. Dad called Simon up in Sleepy Hollow, had him make a copy of your birth certificate, and ship the copy inside the box to the hospital.
He sent a letter requesting the adoptive parents pretend you were their biological child and make no mention of us.
While you remained in a coma, the Basses formally adopted you. They obeyed dad�s instructions.�
Kate started to cry. �Lance, daddy told me you were dead! Only last year did he tell me the truth, that you were still alive. When I realized you were a part of Nsync, I watched every appearance, listened to every CD, and read every magazine article I could find, just so I could feel close to you!�
She wiped her tears in an attempt to compose herself. �After we returned home, dad remarried my stepmother, and she gave birth to my, um, our half sisters, Annie and Cory. She, too, divorced dad and left us.�
She shivered. �When you walked in our front door, all I wanted to do was run and hug you. Father made me promise to keep the secret.�
Lance rose up, turned stiffly, and marched to the attic stairs. �Wait!� Kate protested, hugging him.
Lance�s body turned stiff in her arms. He shoved her away. �You expect me to be thrilled,� he growled angrily, �And here you tell me you guys abandoned me. Grant it I was selected by the best family in the world, but this-this is unforgivable.�
Kate�s chin quivered. �I told you this for your own good.�
�MY OWN GOOD?� Lance exploded, �NO! YOU THINK YOU�RE MY SISTER! NO! STACY IS! THE MAYOR IS NOT MY FATHER! LEAVE ME ALONE! JIM�S MY DAD! DIANE�S MY MOM! I WAS BETTER OFF NOT KNOWING!�
�Besides,� he mentioned, �I have no memory of living here-
�Maybe because you suffered severe amnesia from your head injury,� Kate said meekly, �No brain damage, only amnesia.�
Lance�s mouth fell open. He did remember waking up in a hospital, his mother telling him he�d suffered a nasty accident, and-
Oh my gosh! I really don�t remember anything from my childhood before eight!
Frantically, he searched his brain for so much as a fragment of a small recollection. None. None, at least, until he�d awakened in Laurel Hospital.
�David,� he said robotically, overcame with a new wave of shock, �What happened to David?�
Kate pulled out a small photo. Lance nearly screamed.
He and David, the ghost, stood on the covered bridge by the river, smiling into the camera.
�That�s David Holloway,� Kate sniffed, �He drowned that day. They found his body, shipped it back to New York, and buried it in Sleepy Hollow cemetery. Sometimes�sometimes I think his ghost still wanders our house.
You and David were best friends growing up, Lance. You two did everything together,� she laughed, �You guys even called each other brothers.�
Where is my brother�have you seen�my brother�
Lance suddenly wanted to scream, scream until his lungs burst, scream until his vocal cords shriveled into saw dust�I can�t take this any more! I don�t believe it! I can�t believe any of it!
I CAN�T TAKE IT ANY MORE!
The stairwell flew past him. The door opened into the hallway, which zoomed past his peripheral vision as his sore legs quickly descended the staircase. Surprised cries and questions faded in his ears until before Lance knew it, he was running out into the sunshine, headed towards the nearing forest.
Branches scratched his bare arms, and the rough ground tore his socks, but Lance ran onto the covered bridge.
His legs collapsed. Out of breath, Lance sat down onto the aged wood, hugged his knees, and listened to the calming sound of the rushing water below him.
Being under the covered bridge gave him a false sense of protection, temporarily satisfying the need to be hidden from the cruel world and its unpleasant surprises.
Lance realized his world would never be the same. Everything he knew, everything that had been real to him, even his family�was all a string of hurtful lies.
Most of his mind still refused to register such a thing was true, but as the cold wind chilled his bones, a profound depression dulled him until Lance was certain he�d spiraled into a mental black void. He couldn�t see, touch, hear, taste, or smell.
All he remembered were the four dooming words Kate said in the attic.
Welcome home older brother.
***
Chris couldn�t remove his gaze from the incriminating photograph. It was Lance, of course. He knew he wasn�t mistaken. The five-year-old boy, the one playing with a worn Mickey Mouse doll, the one sitting in the mayor�s lap, was definitely Lance.
But, this picture doesn�t have a category in the open album, so it came from someplace else. Did somebody want me to find it?
Chris, folding the picture into his pocket, did his best to calmly exit the den.
Traci swept shattered glass by the busted TV. Chris didn�t bother to hide his astonishment. �Traci! Good Gosh, what happened?�
�A mean prank. Someone tried to shoot JC,� she muttered, �Fortunately, they missed.�
�Prank?!� Chris exclaimed. �That�s attempted murder!�
�That�s not all,� Traci added, �Just a few moments ago, Lance tore out of the house, very upset. I don�t know why.�
�Where�s Joey and Justin?�
�Joey went to see a movie in West Oak, and Justin�well�I suppose he�s still asleep, grant it it�s been an awful long time.�
Considering all the weird stuff going on, Chris dashed up the stairs and pounded on Justin�s door.
�Justin! Justin! Man open up!� Silence. Chris barged in.
The site he saw placed him in a state of shock. The room itself lay in destruction, victim of ransacking.
Justin sat tied to a chair. He�d been bound, blindfolded and gagged. He rocked the chair and moaned.
Chris ripped the gag from his mouth. �What the heck is going on around here? Are you okay? Who did this to you?�
�I-I don�t know,� he said shakily, �I was getting ready to head downstairs, when I heard my closet door open and-WHAM! -I got jumped. He tied me to this chair and made me swear never to tell the secret.�
�What secret?� Chris demanded.
�I�m asking the same question!�
Chris helped Justin to his feet. �My gut tells me Lance never should have come to Sleepy Hollow, and we, being loyal friends, followed him.�
�What makes you think we�re all in danger?� Chris demanded.
Taking a deep breath, Justin slowly told him the astonishing tale of the headless horseman, Lance�s FBI cousin, the murders, the ghosts, and the other horrifying details.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lance bounced a basketball beside his dad�s truck. His father talked in hushed tones with Simon Grund. Lance didn�t understand what it was they were talking about, but it was obvious the conversation was confidential.
The truck door swung open. Three scary looking men hopped out, shoving Lance aside. He watched the basketball roll into the bushes.
His dad, Simon, and the men rose into a heated argument. Suddenly the tallest one shoved his father against the truck, demanding to know where the money was.
Frightened, Lance crawled into the backseat of the truck for shelter. His knees hit something coarse and hard. Sacks. Large potato sacks. But they weren�t filled with potatoes.
Curious, Lance untied the opening, spilling some of its contents onto the floor. Money!
�Where did dad get this money?� Lance wondered. �Doesn�t look like ours.�
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!
It was nightfall. Lance ran through the forest, terror increasing with each hoof clop and snort.
�YYYYEEEEEHAAAHAAAHAAAA!!!!!!!!�
�Don�t get me!� Lance pleaded, running onto the bridge. He knew dad was angry with him. He knew he�d been thrown outside to be punished. His father�s words rang in his ears:
�I cannot give such a punishment that will haunt you for the rest of your life, so I�ll hand you to the Headless Horseman!�
Lance�s feet thudded onto the covered bridge. The shadowy outline of the Headless Horseman illuminated by the eerie moon made his legs quiver.
�Please don�t kill me!� He begged, �I promise I�ll be good!�
The deadly sword gleam rose high above his head�when a beautiful voice, followed by a soft cloud of light, haunted the bridge.
�STOP��
Relief flooded through Lance. �Mommy,� he murmured.
�AAAHHHAAAHHH!!!� Lance snapped out of his unusual trance. He found himself sitting on his bed. �How did I get back?� Last he remembered he�d been curled up on the bridge.
In my flashback, did I unconsciously return home?
Home. Lance couldn�t call this house a home. The fact that he�d been adopted still hadn�t sunk in completely. He still felt numb. He couldn�t go into town to call his cousin-wait, Sean wasn�t really his cousin.
�No!� Lance yelled, shaking his head, �I can�t think about that right now!�
Memories. His flashbacks. The sleepwalking. All fragments of his buried childhood. It was coming back to him.
Lance still had questions. Why did my father give me up? Something terrible happened. What?
To his amazement, the clock read 6:30 pm. �6:30 pm! It can�t be!� How long had he sat in his room?
Dusk shadowed his darkened room. Lance stiffly walked out of his bedroom and down the staircase. Kate, Cory, Annie, Traci, JC, and Joey were putting up Halloween decorations. Halloween party music boomed from the stereo. The Mayor brought in a bowl of popcorn.
They all seem to be having fun.
Kate waved hesitantly. It would forever be awkward between them. �Hey! Why�d you stay in your room for hours?� �Yeah,� Joey chimed in, �Come join the fun.�
�The Van Tassel Halloween Party is the day after tomorrow,� JC explained as Annie threw fake cobwebs at him, �We�re setting up.�
Lance smiled wanly. �Sorry, but I�m not feeling so great. I�m starved.�
Traci raised her eyebrows. �Doesn�t surprise me. You skipped supper.� She put her arm around Annie. �Joey and Justin found our little rugrat.�
Lance gazed at his half-sister. His half-sister?! Lance quickly dashed into the kitchen, pulling Dr. Pepper out of the fridge, when furious voices stopped him.
He carefully removed the curtain from the dining room window, peeking outside. Justin and Chris were shouting at each other.
JC tapped Lance on the shoulder. �So I see you�ve walked in on the war? Don�t ask me why. They�ve been at it for awhile now.�
Lance chewed his bottom lip nervously. �What could they possibly be arguing about that�s so important?�
Justin called Chris an ugly name. Chris shot back. The shouting escalated. Justin threw a hook punch, beaming Chris in the jaw. Chris stumbled, surprised, then spun around and stalked off. �Stay out!� Justin hollered, �Better yet, DROP DEAD!�
Lance gasped, shakily pulling the curtain over the window. Never ever had any fight between Nsync been so awful.
The back door flew open and slammed. Justin stomped over to the fridge. �J,� JC said tentatively, �What happened?�
�I don�t wanna talk about it,� he replied sullenly, �Chris said he�s staying at Sleepy Hollow Inn tonight.� �Why didn�t you stop him?� JC countered incredulously.
�Stop him?! Heck, I offered to help him pack!�
Lance banged his Dr. Pepper on the kitchen counter, splashing soda onto the white marble. �STOP! STOP IT! QUIT FIGHTING! I CAN�T TAKE IT ANY MORE!!!�
Although aware that Justin and JC were staring at him with disbelief, Lance couldn�t stifle the screams erupting from his mouth. All the shock, sadness, anger, and unhappiness finally burst. He was no longer in denial�but he just couldn�t accept it!
His eyes were dry, yet his face flushed and sweat trickled down his heated skin. Lance smashed his Dr Pepper glass into the floor, shattering the cup. By then everyone in Van Tassel House gathered in the kitchen, his or her activities disrupted by Lance�s shouting.
�I CAN�T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I CAN�T TAKE IT ANY MORE! I CAN�T TAKE IT ANY MORE!�
Lance beat his fists into the counter until his knuckles started to bleed. He needed to pound something! He needed to hit something for the injustice he felt! His whole existence was a lie!
A sharp blow smacked him across the cheek. Lance stood, stunned for a moment.
Joey shook him. �Snap out of it! What�s wrong with you? Sorry to slap you, but man, you went hysterical! Look, Chris and Justin will settle their problem��
�Don�t you get it?!� Lance croaked, �It�s not�it�s��
He realized exactly how difficult it would be to tell his band mates he�d been adopted, especially in front of his real family, the Van Tassels.
Embarrassed and upset, Lance shoved past the surprised onlookers, scrambling to the second floor of the house.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Chris tripped over a humped tree root, sprawling to the ground. His breath came in quick gasps, fear rising as the Headless Horseman trotted closer.
Clip-clop�clip-clop�clip-clop�clip-clop�
�YYYYEEEEEHAAAHAAAHAAAA!!!!!!!!�
The sword swung at his head. Chris rolled, narrowly dodging it. He jumped up to stand, prepared to run for his life.
The Headless Horseman hopped off his stallion, walking towards him. Chris couldn�t quit staring at his neck, repulsed by the fact that he was headless, terrified because the dead man walked�
The Headless Horseman shoved him against a tree. In the distance, a soft light glowed. It seemed to be moving through the trees, coming towards Chris.
�LEAVE HIM ALONE��
But not even Rose, the Lady of the Forest, could rescue Chris, for the Headless Horseman didn�t intend to let another victim escape. If he couldn�t have his head, at least he could take his life�
Chris didn�t even see it coming. When the sharp blow pierced his chest, his body tensed with pain and shock. Chris�s eyes widened. His lips parted slightly. The Headless Horseman dug the blade deeper.
Chris�s knees buckled. The scent of his own blood overpowered him. The Headless Horseman pulled the sword from his chest. Chris covered the hole with his hands. Warm blood seeped through his fingers.
Everything began to swirl. Chris tumbled to the ground�gasped in pain�stared at the swirling sky�it became difficult to breathe�stared at the fuzzy sky�groaned�stared at the fading sky�drew a final breath�stared at the disappearing sky�and shut his eyes for the last time.
And for the first time, the Headless Horseman spoke. �JUSTIN�YOU TOLD HIM TO DROP DEAD!!!!!!!!�
�AAAAHHHHAAHHH!!!!� Justin bolted upright in bed. With the nightmare fresh in his mind, he stumbled out of bed, threw on a pair of jeans, and splashed his face with cold water in the bathroom.
He felt so terrible for getting so furious with Chris. Over what? Nothing so important as to tell him to die. Through the dream, Justin realized how much he didn�t want it to happen.
He needed to talk to someone. Lance. Justin slowly opened Lance�s bedroom door. The lights were off, yet Lance was not asleep. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Justin shut the door and turned the lights on. 6:45 am. �Sorry to barge in like this, but I really need to talk to you.�
Lance slowly sat up. Justin tried to read the expression on his face. Pain? Hurt? Confusion? It was obvious he hadn�t slept all night.
Justin sat at the foot of the bed. �Look, after I told Chris about Sean and the Headless Horseman, he didn�t believe me. We started arguing. To be honest, I�m not sure how the fight got so bad, but part of it had to do with you.�
�With me?�
�Yeah. Chris showed me this photo and came up with this crazy theory. I don�t have it, but the photo was of a kid that strongly resembled you, holding a Mickey Mouse doll and sitting in the mayor�s lap. He�s positive you are the same kid. Then, get this, he said something like maybe you�d been adopted and this was your real family.�
Justin laughed. �Can you imagine if that were true?�
Shut up.
Suddenly the bedroom door flew open. Traci stood at the door in her bathrobe and house slippers. Kate, too, was in her pajamas, but she looked afraid.
�Boys,� Traci trembled, �Please go downstairs. Joey and JC are waiting.�
They all met in the living room. Simon Grund and three other police officers stood next to the fireplace. Lance and Justin cautiously took a seat. JC fidgeted. Joey hugged himself. The mayor rocked his sleeping twin daughters.
�Okay Simon,� he said bluntly, �Why did you drag us out of bed at this hour?�
�We received a call this morning,� Simon began glumly, �Mac had been driving through the forest, taking a short cut route to West Oak, when he stumbled upon a murder scene.�
Everyone held their breath.
Simon gulped. �There�s no easy way to say this. Christopher Kirpatrick is dead