Chapter 7: Some Extra Victims

After we finished preparing our horses, we mounted and began a swift move toward the Western Woods. Of course, we had made sure that no one was looking first. I mean, it's probably not right for the wife of the richest man in town and her daughter to be riding into forbidden territory, isn't it?

Anyway, once we entered the woods, we raced toward the hearth of the original Van Tassel's old home, which really should have been my home if it had not been for those lying pigs.

Okay, I'm getting off track now. Well, anyway, we had almost reached the hearth when I heard a noise coming from behind me. I halted my horse and looked back, trying to find the source of it. My mother was ahead of me, but she stopped after I had. She looked back at me and frowned. "Miranda," she said, "Is something the matter?"

I kept staring back there. "I thought I heard something," I replied, "It came from behind that tree."

Mother sighed and dismounted her horse. She walked over to me and grabbed my shoulders firmly. She turned me so that I was facing her. "Miranda," she said, "It was just a small animal. No one is brave enough to venture into the Woods other than us. Not even the bravest of men. Now come along, you're wasting time." She walked briskly to her horse and remounted. "And please try and keep up," she said, her horse walking toward our destination, "I know you're horse is slow, but she can't possibly be that slow." She began a canter off further into the woods.

I sighed. "Alright," I shouted out to her. I ran up to Winnie and remounted her like my mother had with Daredevil. I quickly galloped off after her.

After what seemed like forever, we finally reached the ruins. We quickly dismounted and grabbed our shovels to begin digging. We started, and after around a half of an hour, my mother finally lifted the skull out of its resting place.

"There," she said, brushing off the excess dirt, "We've got it! Now let's head back to the windmill before we miss old Baltus's party."

I groaned at the thought of another party. This was the fifth one this month, and we were only two weeks into the month! It kept me up late and just made for another outlet for Katrina and her friends make me look like a freak. Which I am, but I don't want others knowing it.

It was just then that I heard a scream. I whipped around to see Polly and Elizabeth standing in our midst, Polly with her hand over her mouth. Obviously, she was the one that had screamed, because Elizabeth looked at her crossly when I turned around.

"Oh my God!" Polly shouted, knowing that they had been caught anyway, "You two are freaks! Just like Katrina said! What are you doing with the Horseman's skull?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "They're going to have a tea party with it," she said sarcastically, "What do you think? They're calling for the Horseman with it. And they're going to have him murder someone!"

Polly's eyes widened. Clearly she had not thought of this. "Oh," she said, realizing what was going on.

Elizabeth sighed. "Honestly Polly, sometimes I think you're as bad as Delilah was!"

Delilah was what you would probably call the town's insane person. She never knew where she was, thought that she was Alexander the Great, and had even killed someone to "conquer them and claim their land for Macedonia" as she said. She had to be shot before she did anything else, she was getting to be that bad.

Polly pouted. "I am NOT like Delilah!" she whined.

Elizabeth groaned. "Yes you are!" she said, "Soon you'll be stabbing people just like she did so that you can 'claim their land', just like she did!"

Now Polly was mad. "Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

My mother groaned. "Will you two just shut your very large mouths!" she yelled at them, "You're giving me a headache, and that's nearly impossible to do."

Polly and Elizabeth were immediately quiet. They stood in silence, first looking at each other, then at me, then finally at my mother.

"So," Polly said slowly and very quietly, "Are you going to have the Horseman behead us like the Van Garrett's?"

Mother started laughing. I saw her slowly reach for something in one of her saddle bags, but I couldn't see what it was at first. She got it out and slowly started approaching them.

The two girls looked relieved. "That's good," Polly said, sighing heavily.

My mother drew nearer to the two of them, something still behind her back.

Elizabeth began her negotiations. "Yes, that's very good," she said to us, eyeing me uneasily, "How about we promise not to tell anyone about this and we just leave the whole thing alone." She looked back at my mother, who was now right in front of them. "Does that sound good to you two?" she asked.

My mother laughed some more. "Unfortunately for you two," she said, "You've seen too much. But, I've taken into consideration your negotiations and I have decided not to let the Horseman behead you."

Polly smiled. "Good, so we can put this whole thing behind us, right?" she asked.

My mother stopped laughing. "I'm afraid not, Miss Lockington," she said in a mock sympathetic voice, "You see, I said that I wouldn't let the Horseman behead you. I never said I wouldn't behead you!" And with that she swiftly pulled the axe out from behind her back and sliced Polly's head off.

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she screamed. "Nooooooo!" she yelled just as mother brought the axe to her neck. Blood flew everywhere. It soaked the trees, the dead leaves below our feet, and even our shoes a little. Leaves that had been brown before were now crimson with their blood. Polly's face still held its mild look of shock, while Elizabeth's held that look of terror she had when she realized she was to be next. My mother smiled at me and held the axe over her shoulder. "I knew that would become useful at some point in time!" she exclaimed, overall pleased with herself.

I laughed, but then stopped. I put a fake sympathetic face on and frowned at Elizabeth's body. "Pity," I said, "I was becoming a bit attached to her. She was much more advanced than Polly."

My mother rolled her eyes at me and walked back to her stallion. "Stop playing games," she said to me, though I could hear a hint of amusement in her voice, "We have a job to be done."