A/N~

Hello my dear and lovely readers...Or handsome. You know, there could be some dudes reading this.

Anywhoodle, Thank you guys for reading and reviewing. It's seriously means a lot to us fanfic writers.

But, anyways, I know the last chapter was short and I want to give you guys a 5K chap at least this time around. And believe me, that is a lot to write, but I'll do it all for you guys. Why, you ask? Because I adore you, my gracious fans.

You are loved.

So, without any more due, let's move onward with the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing. Nada. Nil.

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There I was standing in the Crane Household's kitchen, tying an apron around my waist and standing by, ready for duty. Ms. Crane stepped lightly about the kitchen, pulling out bowls and forks and all that jazz. She settled a big bowl down on the table in front of me beside a pile of loose string beans. "Tell me, you can cook, correct?" Ms. Crane asked me as she sat a pot of water onto the stove and turned on the burner. I smiled brightly. "Yes, ma'am." I quickly replied as I seated myself and began cutting the greenery into neat slices. Ms. Crane returned a smile and bustled through the kitchen while grabbing this and that. I just kept cutting. Slicing the beans one by one and dropping them into the bowl. The cold metal grasp of the knife warming in my hand from my own body heat. Before I knew it, I was deep in thought.

I hadn't had a good chance to sit and think about the whole mess that had ensued, being unconscious as I was at the time. I hadn't ever been in a situation where I was nearly ended. Like, NEARLY ended. It was a scary topic to even consider...dying...I soon went into a robotic kind of mode as I was struck with aftermath thoughts from a horror filled night.

A man died like this just not to long. His life ended by a blade and shown no mercy. I didn't have a chance to stop myself before I began imagining what it must be like. To be killed. To have your throat cut like the vegetation that was in my hand and then everything fading away, a dark chuckling being the last thing you heard. The Hell it must have been like those torturous moments you were still alive, but very aware of where your body wasn't. I could almost smell the copper scent of blood as I was still unconsciously cutting.

Wait.

I snapped out of my daze and refocused on my task at hand and shooed away unnecessary thoughts. If only I had noticed what I was cutting. With a glance, I saw metal sink into cold red flesh. I yelped and dropped the knife when I saw more red covering my hands. It took me two seconds too long to realize that I had begun cutting into a large fresh and bleeding hunk of beef. "Are you alright?" Ms. Crane suddenly asked, which caused me to jump. "Did you cut yourself?" I looked to her and shook my head. But, that didn't seem to change her worried small frown. I guess it would've helped if I vocalized my answer with a smile. That would at least be a bit more convincing. But, instead of shrugging it off and returning to cooking, she pulled out a chair at the small table I sat by with the red meat and cut vegies and placed herself on the seat, studying my face as she did so. She then gave me the same look she had at the church. That serious face that made her seem more wise and knowing than fairy like. "You're pale."

I swallowed hard and looked down at my blood covered hands. That's when I noticed them shaking. I inhaled deeply and finally forced myself to smile. "It's okay. I'm fine. Really. I get pale from time to time. It used to worry my folks a lot. I've been like this since I was little." I said, but I was quickly silenced by the loud bullshit detector going off in Ms. Crane's eyes. For one whole soul piercing moment, she watched me shaking and returning my color at a snail crawling pace. Then, she sighed and closed her eyes while shaking her head gently. "You should have said your leg was hurting or your medication was wearing out, something believable." She reached into her dress pocket and revealed a small cigarette case with a lighter clipped to the side. "Don't tell my boys." She requested, indicating the coffin nail between her thumb and fore finger. She placed the tobacco to her lips and lit the lighter. With two drags she spoke again. "You're thinking about the Horseman, aren't you?" She ashed her cigarette and took another puff, looking straight into my eyes. I felt a lump grow in my throat and that telltale pain in my chest you get when you know you're about to cry. So, with a trembling lip I told her just what I was thinking.

"It's got to be awful to die that way. Being hunted down like an animal and your head taken like a fucking trophy . I-I-I..." I tried to say. I looked back up to Ms. Crane, her expression a bit softer and blurry. With a blink, fat tears rolled down my cheeks and I damn near lost it when she finally snubbed her cigarette in the tiny ashtray that came with her little smoke kit. "I don't want to die like that. I don't want Trentin to die like that. I wanna go home. I want my Dad." I choked. Thick tears slid down my face as sobs wrecked through me like a God damned semi. I wish I could have wiped away my tears or hid my face, but with the blood that was drying on my hands, I was stuck sitting there, crying and unable to do anything about it. I felt Ms. Crane's delicate hand on my shoulder and she pulled me to her, embracing me with a tight hug. "Hush, now. Don't you think of things like that. You are not going to die, I promise you. We wouldn't let anything happen to you or your brother without our consent, you know this." she said soothingly while petting my short hair. "Why don't you wash up and I'll have the boys help me finish up? Besides, you've done a lot already, you deserve a break you wounded bird." I sniffled a little bit more until she let go of me with the same sweet smile she usually holds. "There we go. Now, go clean off your hands and join your brother and no more thinking about it. Understand?" I gave a weak smile and nodded. We both stood and I headed over to the sink, washing away the blood and thoughts and tears. And when I turned around, I saw just what she meant by 'Done a lot already'. A considerably large pile of string beans, potatoes, carrots, and a few thick chunks of the beef, I had bleeding all over my hands, sat on the table, waiting to be cleaned and tossed into the pot. Jeez, that meat was fresh.

-(Time Pass)-

With everyone seated at the table, we finished off the last spoonfuls of the stew that all those death inspired cuts of food had been used to create. And man did it taste good. I don't know what it is, but there is something about having to stay over night at the hospital and not eating anything since lunch the day before that makes food taste so damn good. I hadn't even realized how famished I was until I took that first spoon of the stew. Mmm. Stew. "THAT was good." I stated and patted my full belly, slumping a bit more in my seat. "Indeed." Ms. Crane agreed. The twin officers liked it too and as for my brother...well he's a pig so he'll eat anything. I mean, there was this one time where he ate an Easter egg a month after Easter. He didn't even get sick! That thing had been sitting outside in the grass and he totally just had at it! The boys stomach is made of steel.

And yet he can't stand the sight of his own homemade vomit. Pfft, weakling.

"Trentin, if you would help me with the dishes, I would be very grateful." Ms. Crane said when she stood and began gathering plates. That was another thing. He had a problem with germs. So, I smiled at him ever so sweetly while I handed him my spoon and bowl to stack on their brethren. "Thank you." I lastly said to him as I handed him my glass and he disappeared into the kitchen along with Ms. Crane. "I didn't know you were a good cook." One of the twins said. Wish I knew which one. I was too busy relishing in my brother's obvious, well to me, distress.

"Say huh?" I asked. Both men laughed. "I said that you're a good cook." Issac answered and took a sip from his drink that he hadn't finished during lunch. "You'd make a good house wife." My ego flared brightly, but my modest composure hid it well. "Thank you." I replied with a smile. Wait. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Do you know how to use a gun?" Isaea then voiced. Issac and I simultaneously snapped our attention to him, which I could tell he immediately regretted by how he kept looking back and forth at us with eyes similar to a deer's when it's about to meet it's fate on the grill of a Humvee. "What!?" he exclaimed nervously. "I just thought this would be a good time to ask!" He then sputtered something else, but gave up and took a deep draw from his cup. Issac chuckled quietly and shook his head. "Yeah, you would ask something like that after lunch." he said. "But, you have a point. Do you know how?" I nodded in reply. "Good. Can you shoot well?" Again I nodded. "Are you sure?" Issac then asked in a bit more serious tone. "I can unload a forty-five under a minute hitting a target twenty feet away. Hurts but I can do it." That's what she said. "Moving or non-moving target?"

"Uh, non-moving."

"Every bullet hits? How many?"

"Most of them. Eight out of twelve I think."

"You hit the center or more spread out?"

"More spread out."

"Can you handle the noise?"

"Um, not really. I usually have to we-"

"Was the gun yours or a friends?"

"Friends."

"Any customization?"

"No."

"Good. But, from the sound of it; you're a major amateur."

R.I.P. my Ego, gone but not forgotten.

I pouted inside whilst mourning my ego's untimely death. Oh how the mighty fall. But, who was he to tell me about guns?...Oh yeah...He's a cop. "Don't worry too much about it. We'll take you shooting tomorrow. The sooner you learn, the better." Issac stated. "All that magic mumbo jumbo may not pay off one day and you'll need to know how to handle a fire arm, trust me." I nodded just because I didn't know what else to say and I had nothing to say. Yeah, I don't know how to professionally fire a weapon. And okay, I'll go shooting. What else could I say? Can I get a gun in rainbow color?..."Can I get a gun in rainbow color?" I asked, satisfying the hellbent toddler inside me. Both of the officers laughed. "No, you can have one of our guns." He answered. This time I really pouted until Ms. Crane walked back into the room. "You're not talking about teaching her about pistols are you?" She asked somewhat disapprovingly. "You weren't smoking in the kitchen where you?" Isaea then replied. Ms. Crane got all red. "I asked you not to tell them." she whispered harshly. "I didn't!" I squeaked and looked to the men for help. Luckily, Issac came to my aid. "Ma, we could smell it from the living room. You're not hiding it from us very well." said he in my defense. She huffed, placing her hands on her hips, and marching back to the kitchen. There was then a loud white noise that seemed to fill the house, silencing everyone almost deafeningly. " All units to - S. - Ave. suspect sighted." A man said and Issac and Isaea were on their feet almost immediately. "What!?" Issac yawped. The brothers hurried up stairs and Ms. Crane and Trentin came hurrying into the room. "Was that the police scanner?" Trentin asked. I shrugged with an "I think so." and stood up from the table.

Both men changed faster than I thought was humanly possible and rushed down stairs to a large case that stood in the living room, swinging open the cabinet's doors after they removed the huge lock that had been hanging from the door handles. When opened, I saw a fair amount of hand guns, a shot gun, and three rifles while the bottom of the cabinet had a large ammo box filled with, you guessed it, ammo. Ammo for days!

"This is impossible." Isaea said softly to his brother. "I thought he can't go out in the day." Issac didn't look too happy as he locked and loaded his gun. "He can't. Somethings up." he then said back, holstering the weapon on his hip. "But, what if he can, this could change the game." Isaea then uttered. I turned to Ms. Crane who seemed extremely worried but calm. "Boys, what's happening?" she questioned them as they laced up their boots. "The Hessian was spotted. We have to leave NOW." Issac gave and ran out the door with his brother close behind. We scurried to the front door and watched them climb into their police cruiser. "Be careful!" Ms. Crane called to them as they reached for their doors. With a roar of the engine they stirred up enough dirt to choke a horse and sped off down the road. "Get in side. Go. Go . Go." Ms. Crane said urgently and pushed us inside, locking the door and then reaching for a large heavy board. "Trentin help her." I said quickly and he hopped to help her. He grabbed the heavy item and lifted it to where it settled in two large metal slots. "Shut the windows and lock them, everyone." she then commanded and Trentin and I hurried off to shut each and every window we found. "All closed?" Ms. Crane called from some where in the house. We replied with 'Yes' and swiftly made our way back to Ms. Crane. "Melodie, do you have your book?" My stomach sank as soon as she said book. "I-it was in my bag." I replied. Ms. Crane then took off without a word.

Barely even five seconds later she came back with my bag. "Look. Hurry." she said and handed me the bag. I went straight to my knees on the floor and unclipped the flap covering and flung it over and began digging. Thank God none of the jars were broken or I'd be searching for a ruined, lamb's blood covered book.

The moment I felt paper I pulled it out and was greeted by the small manual. "Good, now grab the chalk and let's get ready." Trentin looked more confused than he probably was. At least , he knows now. "We need salt." Ms. Crane then stated. Trentin knew what that meant and he ran to the kitchen. "Just like Sam and Dean, eh moose?" I spoke to which he payed no mind to. "Pour some in front of every door and window, even upstairs. " Ms. Crane then directed. "Melodie, start working on eyes. I'll work something else up. Just put as many as you can in each corner and under every bed. We need to be ON OUR GUARD tonight. Let's move!"

We were running all over the house, bumping into one another, almost knocking things over, moving shit. It was almost kind of fun, if it weren't for the fact we could die within the next twenty four hours. So, we salted the windows and doors, drew up protective eyes with all our might and waited for Ms. Crane to return from her task. Trentin and I just waited in the dinning room for her, looking around paranoid and scared. "Dude, you don't have your knife on you do you?" I asked my brother rather shakily. He threw up his hands and let them fall to his sides with a face of pure self disappointment. "A zombie pops up and kills people and you don't even have your fucking combat knife!? WHY!?" He pursed his lips together and looked at me grumpily. "Where's your pepper-spray? Hmm?" he retorted. I then lifted the small pink defense weapon up to his eye level and gave it a good shake to say "Right here." He fought back a smile as he knew he just lost this battle, but found it funny. He always did...never knew why...strange, strange child.

Ms. Crane quickly entered the room and handed us each two water bottles. "These hold holy water. You will most likely need these so don't waste them. And take these." She said and placed a cross necklace around my brother's neck and handed me a case. "Open this up, load, and keep it on safety until...until the time comes where you think you truly need to." She then left again to the kitchen and I sat the holy water bottles down and the case. "No way she just gave you a gun." My brother said a little enviously. "Well, I have more experience with a gun than you, so yeah. Oh, and...I'm the oldest. Boom." I said only to think. 'Am I really gloating over getting to use a gun in a dangerous situation?'

Yep.

I scolded myself for about a half of a split second and flipped open the metal case I had been handed. Sure enough, a metallic black handgun rested in a nest of dark foam as well as a clip already prepared with ammo. I slapped it in and flipped on the safety, being careful to keep my finger off the trigger. Which was a pretty damn good thing since I nearly jumped out of my skin when the house phone rang. Ms. Crane ran straight out of the kitchen and made a bee-line for the phone, wiping off the strange substances that stuck to her hands onto her apron. The phone rang again and she pressed a finger against her lips when she picked up the noisy device and made eye contact with both Trentin and I, motioning for us to be quiet.

"Hello?" she asked into the receiver and after a moment she smiled and sighed. "Thank God, Erick, it's you." she laughed halfheartedly. "Oh, no, it's alright. We just had a fright when you called." They continued to speak and I faced my brother. " So, want Sissy to teach you how to use magic chalk and spells?" I asked him with a bit of self-satisfaction. He took up my offer and I lead him to a close by eye sigil. "This should be pretty simple to do. Just draw this when you need to protect someone else and stuff and you can only use pink chalk when you draw it or else it'll be useless. A'ight?" He seemed just barely impressed as I stuck a piece of chalk out to him, which he took, and proceeded to ask him to draw a protective eye for me at least. He refused to until I let him take over the gun instead of me. "You're fucking funny, Blakey-boy." I huffed at him with an "Are you serious?' face. "Fine, let my ass be murdered by a psycho Frankenstein's monster. See how well that will settle with Dad when he gets out of the hospital." Like he would do that. But, he shrugged his shoulders and replied. "Okay." and walked away to sit on a chair and look through the book.

"We're all home actually, locked up tighter than Fort Knox." Ms. Crane spoke into the phone. My attention was quickly caught by her words. "Of course, we never go unarmed at times like this, you know this...Yes, I just gave her one...I overheard her saying she can use one... I wish it hadn't come to this either...okay...alright... Good, good... It's no problem, just be safe. Bye." Then, with a small boop, the conversation ended and we darted our eyes towards her. "Who was it?" I was quick to ask her as she settled the phone back into it's cradle. "That was Mr. Richard," she replied to which I felt a slight jump in my chest when a certain hunk of burning love was mentioned! "He had just caught wind of the sighting and wanted to check on up on us, bless him." I gave a cute short 'Aw' because I'm adorable and I found that the gesture that the man who teaches the cruelest subject in the world was concerned about our well-being was rather sweet.

"Did he say anything about You-know-who?" I asked. Ms. Crane gave a quick nod and relpied " He said that a figure on a horse was seen dashing by houses and off into the forest, not much more than that. He's at the scene now, but by the looks of things, it may have been a hoax." I exchanged looks with my brother, "Who...I mean, come on." I said a tad bit peeved. "Who does that?" "An accomplice. " suddenly answered Ms. Crane, looking down as she thought with a slightly unsure hand reaching back for the phone. "If you two could leave the room for a moment, I would be very much obliged." She finally requested after a few good moments spent staring at the floor with the same perplexed expression. We gave a simultaneous gesture to each other and thread into the kitchen. A 'Thank You' then came from the living room with poobs of the house phone buttons being quickly mashed.

I didn't want to eaves drop on Ms. Crane's convo, but then again, I don't want to be left in the dark about anything involving the huge shit storm hovering over Lil' Ol' Sleepy Hollow neither. So, following in his big sister's example, my brother joined me in leaning as closely as we could towards the living room without being visible to the woman whom we were droppin' our eaves on.

...

"I can't hear her." I whispered as quietly as I could to Trentin. He shushed me and we returned to straining our ears to catch something verbal. But, as a few more minutes passed and we concluded that she must have traveled out of hearing range. Damn. "Dude, what if he ATTACKS tonight?" I asked my brother as he stepped away from the kitchen doorway. I turned to him when he didn't make a responsive grunt like his usual ape-self did. "Like, what if we-" and I was bombarded with a barrage of horror. Feathers, sticks, leaves, and bright crimson were the first things I noticed. Then, I spied the bowling pot of terror, bubbling over a milky orange substance that smelled strongly of eggs and flowery herbs. "Ermehgerd." I gagged when the smell accosted my poor sneezer. "There...are...crows feet in a pile ON the table!" My brother then pointed out in slight disgust and disbelief. "Are you sure? I'm not looking, but are you sure? Oh, my God." The hot sick smell began to be overwhelming. "Pretty fucking Sure, there's Like three Big ass dead crows that probably would agree with me." I pinched my nose and almost risked my lunch looking over at the table to see three huge crows laying stiffly on the table I had been cutting on. "Dude, I've got like sandwich bags of those damn things, whoopdy fuckin-mmph!" I hurried out of the kitchen and out into the fresh dining room air. And the first thing I do is inhale. I was still cringing from the smell. It was awful. It was barely a moment later that my brother accompanies me in the dining room, gagging and his eyes watery. "That was gross." I grumbled whilst wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"But, did you question everyone? " said a distant voice. I lock eyes with Trentin for a split second and we move towards the front door, where the voice grew louder.

"I don't care if they don't like it, ask everyone even the counselors. "

...

"I know, but we have to be sure..."

...

"I don't trust them, we have to keep as much information as possible from them and we need to keep the children out of site and out of mind. We'll gather up tonight and discuss then."

...

"Alright, I'll call you after they get here. Be safe." Boop.

We rush away from the door and take a dive back into the kitchen the moment we here the boop of the ended call, waiting quietly as the front door was opened and the slight squeak the door sounded when it closed was made. "Kids, please come here." Ms. Crane called. We quickly stepped into the living room where Ms. Crane had already lit a cigarette and released a cloud of smoke with a frightful gleam in her eyes. "You two are big kids and I expect you to listen very well to what I say, understand?" She said very seriously. I nodded half scared and kept eye contact with her as she spoke. "We're going to be inviting a few friends over tonight to have a small meeting. Because, there is reason to believe that someone is trying to distract us or, perhaps, is aiding whoever is controlling the horseman. Now, I'm going to make some more calls. Just keep calm and stay out of the windows from now on. We don't need untrustworthy eyes spying on you."

"Wait, so we're being stalked now?" I meant to think more than to ask out loud. Ms. Crane gave me an almost apologetic look then turned her eyes away as she took a puff of nicotine. Trentin then voiced his own concern. "Are we being stalked by the Horseman, the guy controlling the horseman, or the guy working for the guy who is controlling the horseman?" What? Ms. Crane simply answers him with an 'I don't know, could be anyone' kind of sentence that I don't catch fully due to me imagining being watched by three faceless people. That's when I remember my little nightmare. I let out a pained groan at the thoughts of being caught by tall, dark, and headless. I didn't even care to notice that Ms. Crane had begun making phone calls and Trentin was doing something in the kitchen he was asked for. I just sat in one of the chairs and tried to chill out. I didn't want to think anymore, it was warring me out wondering how I'm going to die or if I'll die or if I'm ready take on a really strong, really undead, reeeaaally pissed off german fucking soldier from a time where being a man had a different meaning. Ugh, I could feel a migraine coming on. That, and my leg was starting to throb.

I closed my eyes and attempted to drown out all noise but the sound of my blood pumping in my ears. I knew moving to Sleepy Hollow was going to be such a fiasco. But, ina normal situation, we would just be living here miserably until we couldn't afford to pay rent and then move to the next town. That's how we lived, that's how we always lived, in a never-ending cycle of moving. I didn't even have friends to miss. We just left before I got attached to someone. Hell, I didn't even miss most of my family. It was just us. Our small unit. But, we were close as Hell. We were until Sleepy Hollow. Now, my Dad was in the hospital clinging to his life, Trentin and I are staying at someone's, who we barely know, house while being hunted by some wackadoo with a murderer at his fingertips.

I had finally worked up a splitting headache when Ms. Crane hung up the phone and left the room. I never learned from thinking too much. Funny how that works. But, what else could I do at that point? Wait, like an airhead and hope for the best? Avoid what's going on and pretend? Hell no! I had to figure a way to do something. Anything that seemed important. But, what? What could I do to change the situation? What, in my power, could I possibly do to save mine and my brother's asses?

Nothing that I could think of. We were helpless.

"Hey." I'm jolted out of my thoughts with a sharp poke to my shoulder. I turn to the poker and see my brother with his finger drawn. "What?" I ask him rather tiresome. "You okay?" He then asks, but with a little more emotion than I expected. I look at him for a moment before shrugging and telling him that I was just hurting, lifting up my wounded leg just a bit for indication. Soon after I say that, Ms. Crane returns to the living room with a glass of water and an orange prescription bottle in her hands. She is the best teacher ever.

-Time Pass-

"No!" I cried out in unimaginable agony. This was it. It was the end. With one last move, I saw that my fate had been sealed by the hands of one of the last people I trusted. My own blood. My Brother.

"I SANK YO BATTESHIP, BIIIYAATCH!" He announced loudly in my face likehe was the damn King of Board games. "Hoe, don't even start." I returned as I pulled away my last ship from the treacherous oceans that had claimed so many of my imagined ship crews and dropped back into the little cubby it belonged in. Like, a tiny ship yard. "Next game is mine." I then quickly hopped up from the hard wood floor, my butt just bit numb from ill-cushionyness, and started making way through the small crowd that had formed in the kitchen. " 'Scuse me, 'scuse me, sorry." I mumbled, trying to get to the closet of games, that resided in a room just on the other side, with out stepping on anyones' toes. So, far the house had invited in three parents, two more adults, and a little boy that just clung to his father's pant leg. Cute kid with his nearly white blonde hair and his Dad was pretty cute. Blonde, tall, tan-

D'Oh, My God it's Mr. Richard!

I nearly gave my self whiplash looking away so quickly, a heavy blush creeping across my face. I had to put on an awkward looking smile, because the one my face WANTED to make was way too big and waaaay too smiley. So, he had kids. That was so sweet. Wait. That meant there was a mother. But, he didn't have a ring on. Damn, that could either mean he was divorced or there was a girlfriend waiting at home for them. "Ms. Mayberry!" Oh, Shit! "Ms. Mayberry." I turn around like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Mr. Richard had such a handsome smile when he picked up his little boy and traveled to greet me. 'Trentin save me, Trentin Save Me, TRENTIN SAVE ME!' I screamed inside, hoping we had some form of sibling-telekinesis. Like I have that kind of luck. "Oh, Mr. Richard, heyy." I tried saying as calmly and cool as I could, may or may not making myself seem ridiculous. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here, I would've said Hi." I was suddenly extremely self conscious. 'Oh, my God. Did I shower?' I thought to myself. 'I haven't showered. Oh, my God I smell like the hospital! My hair!' I hadn't looked in a mirror since the day before. But, I was already at the point of no return. Best to nut up or shut up...with my hair sticking up in all sorts of odd places like a fuckin porcuepine.

"No, it's alright, we just got here." Said Mr. Richard, putting the small boy back on the ground. He flashed his perfect white teeth as he spoke, " This is Marven, cutest little bug in all of Sleepy Hollow." I smiled and squatted down to his height and introduced myself . "Hi there, Marven, I'm Melodie, one of your Daddy's students. " He looked at me like I had just insulted him. "Erick's not my daddy." He said with his squinting eyes. Mr. Richard laughed at this and patted the boy's head. "Sorry, should've told you." Marven tried hiding as much as he could of himself behind the legs he clung to as Mr. Richard spoke. "Marven is my baby nephew, my sister's kid." I pouted when Marven peeked at me but hid away again. "He looks a lot like you." I say as I stand straight with a soft smile that faded slightly when I saw a sad sort of look in his eyes. "He looks even more like his mom when she was little..." A thick silence fell between us. I glanced at Little Marven to see him a bit teary-eyed. "Aw, baby what's wrong?" I ask him, a twinge of pain in my chest as I do so while seeing his big blue eyes shed teensy tears. He rubbed his ruddy face into Mr. Richard's pant leg and stayed there with his face buried. "It's okay, buddy." Mr. Richard tried to soothe.

Damn it, Mayberry. Look what you did!

I panic for a moment, knowing I had most likely caused this poor baby to cry. Mr. Richard reached down for Little Marven whilst trying to calm him down. "Come here, little guy." Marven reached as well for his uncle with tiny hands that clung to Mr. Richard's collar when he was finally llifted from the ground. I couldn't do anything but stand there awkwardly and stare. "I..I'm sorry." I said with a heavy feeling of guilt riding on my conscience. Mr. Richard shook hishead "It's alright. You don't know." He spoke then, rubbing his nephew's back ashe gently sobbed. It wasn't okay! I felt like a fucking monster. I scrubbed my hands together nervously. "Is she..." I say, but paused before the D word. Mr. Richard took a breath and nodded. "Just about a year ago, she had a run in with..you know. Now, I'm all that Marvy has. His F-a-t-h-e-r, left before he could walk and his big brother was pronounced K.I.A two years after he was born." The awkward silence that had settled grew about ten fold with this information. What could you say to something like that? This kid was like, what, Five and he was already experiencing the worst parts of life, Loss. "I'm sorry..." I said again with my eyes to my shoes in half sorrow and in half shame. Great first impression on the little kid...not.

"Ah! Mr. Richard, I'm so glad you got here so soon." Called out that familiar Crane voice. Ms. Crane was by my side before I even saw her coming and had already taken Mr. Richard's hand with a friendly shake. "It's such perfect timing that you got here when you did, we're just about to begin the meeting. We just need to more guests and-"

knock knock knock.

he room fell suddenly quiet, everyone turning their undivided attention to the door. Quite a few backed away from the front a couple of feet and I felt an arm pull me back as well. I looked to see it being my brother who pulled me and I stood just a bit behind him. Ms. Crane put a finger to her lips and slowly made her way to the door. Snail pacing it, she cracked open the door. "Oh, Thank Goodness." She sighed and opened the door fully. I was then struck by a broken framed pair of glasses. "Billy!" I exclaimed and hurried to meet Billiard who stood near his Grandpa Principal. "Hi." He greeted back when I envelopedped him in a hug. "Excellent, everyone is here." Ms. Crane stated as she shook the Principal's hand and ushered him in. "Alright, let's begin The Meeting. Everyone to the den."

We followed Ms. Crane to a seperate room that held plush chairs and plenty of books. "Never saw this room." I said quietly to my brother, "Do you have any chalk?" He searches his pockets and pulls out a stub of pink. I pluck it from his palm. "Damn, this isn't enough to make two...Here, I'll draw it you go sit." He shrugs a nod and sits on a stool nearthe corner, that loner. I wait til everyone else is seated or near a sitting spot and I slunk behind one of the empty seats and began drawing a protective eye for who ever but me. Andjust as I was finishing I felt a quick dull pain in my leg. "Ouchie!" I squeaked. I looked from under the furniture and up to who everhad just stepped on me. "Oh, sorry, Mel." Timid Billiard said apologetically. I smiled and stood up, saying "No wworries, dude." He tilted his head to get a peek of under the chair. "What are you doing?" I was asked. I took a moment to explain. "Well, drawing protective spells to protect someone from the Horseman." I tried keeping short, sweet, and to the point. He looked at the underside of the furniture and looked back to me. "Okay." He then replied and hopped over the arm of the chair and onto the cushion, claiming the spot. "So, it'll protect me right?" He asked me for reassurance. I nodded with a 'Yep' and he seemed more relaxed than when he first walked through the door. I then took it asmy que to get seated and headed over to the corner my bro had taken, standing beside him. "You know,a good brother would let his sister sit down inhis seat if there isn't any other." I said t ohim at a volume only he and I could hear. He gave me a jerk grin. "Well, good thing I'm not a good brother." He patted me on the back and said nothing more. "Anus face." I whisper harshly and deciding to lean against the wall than fight my brother for a damn stool.

Our attention was then grabbed by Ms. Crane who stood before the fire place, her two sons, still in uniform, standing like guards at her ten and two. "If could have everyone's attention please, we're about to get this meeting started." The small chatter that still lingered from the outer rooms died away after she spoke. "I'm very sure you all understand why we have gathered this evening. But, just to inform those who may not have heard; the horseman had been spotted in mid-day." A small amount of whispers fluttered about. "It had to be a hoax!" Someone said loudly. A tall woman stood up and her husband rolled his eyes as she continued to speak. "The Hessian can't walkin daylight, he knows, I know, we all know!" A snall roar formed, but was quickly silenced by the loud slap of two wooden bricks in Ms. Crane's hold. "Quiet! Let me speak." She said firmly. The crowd was silent again. "We know. Yes, that is true. But, what we don't know is who they were or if they could be accomplices of whoever is in control of the Hessian. Yes. We have reason to believe that someone is helping the Horseman and his Master reek havoc on Sleepy Hollow." Damn the tension in here. I scanned the room of anxious parents and scared kids. This was a pretty intense meeting for a small town. "Now, with us are survivors of the latest attack and our newest residents, who's father could not be present due to the condition he was put in by the Hessian. Melodie, Trentin, please step over." I look to my bro and we stand and travel to Ms. Crane, where she puts a hand on each of our shoulders. "Please, introduce yourselves."

I swallow hard. "My name is Melodie and thisis my younger brother Trentin, our father T.J. couldn't be here today, he is in a comatose like state in your local hospital which I was also in myself for the gash I received when my father tried to save me from the Hessian. " I was squeezed on the shoulder by Ms. Crane. I was shaky again. "We fear that, being to lone survivors ofthe attack, the Hessian may, in a sense, have them on his 'Hit list'. Did I use that phrase, right?" She turned fora second to her sons but shrugged the question off. "We think that he may try to find, and finish off job, which we are going to try extremely hard to prevent from occuring. Now, any questions?"

Everyone was on their feet, spouting out concerns and exclaiming fears. I took hold of my brother's arm and looked at made eye contact. He was scared and knew I was too. We were both unsure of what was going to happen, but we were ready to take on whatever, mentally if not physically .

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A/N~

So, there you have it. Sorry it took so long.

I'll be posting as soonas I can and hopefully sooner.

But, Until then please keep reading and reviewing, please.

Thanks for reading.

Otakuninja-chan