Chapter 19
Into the woods
Muahahhah! Happy that you guys liked the chapter! I really appreciate it a lot! Well I decided to give some personal responses!
Pumpkinpuss: Awww….thank you so much! I am so happy that you liked the dream. Yeah I tried to intertwine Selena with Ichabod's mother as best as I could without having to take the story completely off track. I'm glad you like it! Thanks so much for the review!
Moulin Rogue Pirate: My dearest Kait! How I love you so! I hate those evil evil evil Oscar people! Johnny should have gotten an Oscar! Its so evil! Haha! Oh yeah and stop throwing Hilary Duff cds cause of my other stories! Haha! Thanks for the review!
Dawnie-7: You have been with me all the way! Thank you so much! You have no clue how much it means to me that you actually like my stories! wipes away tear haha! Okay well enough of my cheesiness! I loved that part with him and the headless horseman! I always crack up every time I see that part! Thanks for the review
Kurama13: Yeah…..poor Ichabod! But you have to say it is hilarious! Glad that you like my story so far or at least hopping that you like it! Thanks for the review!
An Anti-Sheep Cheese Muffin: OMG! I just love you! Lol! I love your user name and I love your reviews! MUAHAH! I am so happy that you like my story so far! It makes me so very very very happy! Thanks for the review
Ichabod and young Masbath entered the dark forest. Silence. All they could hear was the drumming of their own hearts. Fog covered the floor of the forest, as the branches of the tree's seemed to stretch out its fingers long black and twisted.
Ichabod felt unsettled but tried to ignore the feeling. He held the feeling of being watched. But no matter how much he shifted his eyes around nothing was around. He was just being paranoid.
"The Van Garrets, the widow winship….and your father, Jonathan Masbath and now Philips. Something must connect them. Can you think?"
Young Masbath only shook his head.
"We had no dealings with the Magistrate that I know of…."
"And the widow? Your father knew her?"
Masbath only shrugged at Ichabod's question. "Everyone knew widow winship".
"In a manner of speaking I trust?", a look of suspicion crossing his face.
'
"She would bring old Mr. Van Garret a basket of eggs many a day".
"Did your father having dealings with the Van Garrets?"
Masbath looked surprised but continued. "He worked for them. We lived in the coach house."
Ichabod halted his horse in surprise. He gave Masbath a small look of pity, while Masbath denied everything. "It's nothing. There were many servants….all dismissed now of course".
They continued riding as a thought came to Young Masbath. "But there was something that happened one night, a week before the murder. An argument upstairs between father and son, and my father was later sent for by Mr. Van Garret".
Ichabod thought to himself. "An argument between father and son?"
"After which, the elder Van Garret sent for his servant, Masbath….."
Young Masbath suddenly halted his horse. "Listen…."
Ichabod looked around curiously, "I hear nothing".
"Nor I, no birds. No crickets. Everything has gone quiet….its all gone so quiet", as he looked towards the tree's. Dark clouds loomed over them casting an even darker shadow. No light would be able to weave itself through these clouds.
Ichabod sat there on the first eyes raised up looking around suspiciously. He felt very nervous, as the branch's seemed to wave in the wind. The leaves danced around them moving the fog.
"Your right!", grabbing the horses reins making the horse trot faster. They broke into a gallop, as another rider watched them through the tree's.
"I worry for him…", Selena cried as the Crow stared at her beneath her veil. "I look at you Selena. You seem to glow…you have lost your innocence".
Hearing this and being discovered Selena dropped her head. "I have. I love him!", lifting her head up as tears ran down her cheeks.
The Crow made a tutting noise. "I know you do. Your powers have become ever strong since your essence has broken letting it be free from it's chamber".
"The horseman is becoming even more powerful Selena. Its entering this realm, when its soul belongs in the underworld".
"How can it be stopped?", as she watched the Crow crush some herbs.
"What does it want right now? Its been taken from its grave to raise him. The only way to raise the dead is to take something from them. Something very important…."
Realization entered Selena's eyes. "His head….."
Looking towards the Crow the Crow nodded beneath her veil. Taking Selena's hand into hers she pulled Selena towards the hearth. She pulled Selena's hand into the hearth. Instead of feeling the fire, and the heat she felt nothing at all. It felt cool and seemed to lick at her skin gently.
"Close your eyes Selena….", as Selena followed the instructions. "Remember being a little girl. You and your sister playing in the forest, deeper and deeper you dwelled…"
Selena could hear the Crow's voice echoing in her head, as she delved deeper into her memories trying to remember. The deeper she entered, the farther the Crow's voice could be heard.
"The tree Selena, the tree that made you see all".
Selena opened her eyes to find herself in front of the dead tree. Its twisted mangled looking body created a shadow over her. She remembered.
She looked over to her right to find herself and her little sister just little girls playing by the tree. She saw her mother chasing after the girls, as she felt tears come to her eyes.
"Girls be careful. Don't go near that tree…", there mother she remembered warned them but Selena remembered she didn't listen.
Her younger self ran and hid herself behind the tree, as Katrina followed laughing happily. "You'll never find me Katrina!", as she climbed up the tree grabbing one of the branches.
Selena hid herself in a crevice of the trunk. It was very dark but she ignored it, until she felt something warm and slimy crawling her neck. Selena screamed as she touched the wall, trying to jump out.
But she stopped suddenly as she looked towards her hands. In the small crack of light, she held her hands under the light and saw it.
Blood covered her hands. She started the cry, as her cries echoed inside the trunk. Then she heard it as she turned her head to look behind her. She could hear moans coming from inside the tree growing louder and louder.
Then she felt it. Claws seemed to be grabbing her skirts, as she started screaming trying to crawl out of the trunk. The claws continued pulling trying to pull her back inside.
She started screaming, calling for her mother as she could see the light from the entrance. She was so close, she just had to push forward.
But she felt arms envelope her as she was brought out into the light. Honeysuckle entered her nose and she knew she was in her mother's arms. "Its alright Selena. Mother is here…don't worry I won't let them touch you".
Selena snuggled into her mothers arms, trying to make sure she was safe. Opening her eyes she found her mothers clear blue eyes.
"Its alright baby. Your safe. The demons won't hurt you", as her mother carried Selena away Katrina quickly following crying for Selena.
Selena looked towards her younger self being taken away, as the memories rushed back to her. The demons in the tree wanted to take her away.
She remembered that night that her mother had to cleanse her, and whisper spells to keep her safe and her dreams peaceful.
She looked towards the tree, and closed them. When she opened them she found herself facing the Crow.
Selena was shaking, covered in sweat. Looking down at her hands she found blood all over her hands and found the bottom of her skirts ripped, claw marks covering her ankles.
She looked up to the Crow, waiting for the Crow to tell her what to do. "He comes from that Tree Selena. He lays deep inside and waits to be called by its owner. The owner holds his will in there hands and can bring him out of the realm of hell into our world".
Before Selena could answer her back they heard a knocking come from the door. "Go, hide now".
Selena ran into the other room, as the door opened. She peaked behind the wall to see who was entering and her eyes widened in shock.
"Pardon my intrusion…", as he lead Masbath in front of him terrified, as dead animals hung from the ceiling.
The smell of deep incense entered his noise as he wanted to sneeze.
"You come from the Hollow?", this woman asked him. Her squeaky voice holding a slight joy.
"In a way, yes.. Umm..", as he became distracted once again at the bowls of bugs, and different flowers. Rusted scissors, knives, and some particularly interesting looking pair of yellow bones.
"I would like to say…I make no assumptions about your occupation…umm…no, your ways, witchwhich, which are nothing to me…umm…whatever you are, each to his ownummm…..
The Crow placed something on the table besides her. A dead Cardinal, as Selena covered her mouth trying not to gasp.
"Do you know of the Horseman ma'am……..the Hessian?", as the Crow grinned beneath her veil drawing a finger across her throat making a slashing noise.
Ichabod and Masbath cleared there throats. "That'll be him miss…"
Selena stood there watching knowing that the Crow was having some fun with them but she thought she was going a little too far. She knew what she would do to Ichabod and Selena knew Ichabod would not take it very well.
"You follow with me…", as she stood up grabbing Ichabod's shoulder. Turning to Masbath, "Go out child. No matter what you hear, keep away", as she dragged Ichabod into another room.
Masbath stood there unsure for a moment, but then went out the door and waited.
"Um…what might he hear that he must keep away from?"
She didn't answer his question. "Sit there", as he sat on a small stool.
He didn't even notice that Selena stood right behind him staring at him. The Crow looked at Selena as she sat down. Beneath her veil she grinned at Selena.
She sat down, as she grabbed shackles that were attached to the wall. She slid them on her wrist testing them stretching out her arms.
Ichabod gave her a strange look but tried to ignore it. "He rides to the Hallow and back. I hear him. I smell the blood on him".
"Do……do you? Well, I'm here to find him…and umm…make him stop".
"You want to see into the netherworld? I can show you", as she grabbed a pile of straw, throwing grass and powers of all sorts on it.
Grabbing a straw basket she shook it and opened the lid. A bat fell out dazed and confused. Grabbing it she grasped its head, taking a knife and cutting it off.
Ichabod sat there terrified as his mouth hung open as she took the headless bat and squeezed the blood out of its body spraying in over the straw and mixture.
A purple fog came from the pile as she began to inhale it quickly. "Do not move or speak. When the other comes I will hold him down".
Ichabod sat there confused watching her inhale the toxics. "The other…..?"
"He comes now…"
Selena wanted to sit by Ichabod to comfort him, she could feel it. It was coming.
Masbath was sitting on a rock, as a large wind picked up sweeping the leaves around it. He stared around curiously where that gust of wind came from.
The Crow slumped over. Ichabod looked around uncertain. "Excuse me….ma'am?", as the winds entered the room blowing out the candles surrounding them.
"Do you hear me?", as he gently prodded her. Selena shook her head about to yell no, but too late.
The Crow's head lifted up quickly and instead of a woman standing there the veil was lifted and what was revealed was a demonic face.
The creature stretched out its arms reaching out for him but they held it back. It began shrieking, as it stretch out again pulling some of the chain from the wall as it jumped on Ichabod as the creature and him fell over.
"You seek the warrior bathed in blood! The headless horseman!", as Ichabod tried to scramble back but no use. He was trapped.
"Follow the Indian trail to where the sun dies. Follow the tree of the dead….", as the creature looked up to Selena smiling. Selena fell back, wanting to scream terrified. It remembered…..
The creature turned back to Ichabod. "Climb down to the horseman's resting place. Do you hear?"
Ichabod only shook his head terrified. The Crow fell over as she had returned to her human form, semiconscious. Ichabod lay there motionless, the Crow on top of him moaning slightly.
Selena quickly sat up and ran out of the room, through the front door where Masbath sitting there looking surprised to see Selena running quickly.
"Wait Miss. Selena….", but she was gone already. The next moment Ichabod came out walking quickly. "We are leaving", as he sprinted pass Masbath.
"What happened?"
"We are leaving now!"
Whew well that took me a while! Enjoy! Love you guys! Please review!
