Chapter 26
Daddy Dearest
God I love writing this story so much! Lol! Anywhoo I don't own Sleepy Hollow or any of its characters other then Selena! Please read and review!
Baltus sat there on his horse as the church bell could be heard ringing for the town meeting. Lady Van Tassel was sitting on the ground on the edge of the forest picking arrowroot flowers.
"Come! Hurry up! The meeting bell has started toning!"
Lady Van Tassel only stared up at him smiling.
Baltus looked around nervously as he turned back to his wife to find the Headless horseman right behind her his sword unsheathed.
Growing paper white, he turned and galloped in fear.
All throughout the walk towards the church Selena would not look at her sister neither speak to her. She was deathly calm and that scared Katrina to no end.
"They are accusing him of the murders Selena. But we know he's innocent", as Selena only shook her head her eyes dazed.
"Are you feeling well Selena?"
Once again a nod was all Katrina received from her stoic sister.
Sighing she continued walking.
"The Horseman…!", as Selena and Katrina stopped walking turning around to find their father barely hanging onto his horse as he slipped off grabbing hold of his daughters.
"Save me…"
"Father?"
"He killed her.."
Baltus grabbed Selena growing scared. "The Horseman killed your step mother!"
All of a sudden hoof beats could be heard and the neighing of a horse. The Horseman came to view galloping down the main rode of Sleepy Hollow towards the church.
Quickly Baltus began ushering his daughters into the church as Ichabod and Masbath quickly followed.
Once they entered the church people were running around rifles in hand breaking windows readying to fire. Women sat in pews praying to God as they held their crying children.
Ichabod looked towards Masbath. "I know what you are thinking".
"It seems Baltus Van Tassel is not the one who controls the headless horseman", Masbath answered back some what proudly.
Ichabod moved towards to the window to find the Horseman on Daredevil standing outside of the small picket gate of the church. Throwing an axe on the ground of the church, immediately it disintegrated into ash's.
Realization hit Ichabod. The Horseman could not enter. They were safe. He could not stand on holy ground. Looking around trying to find Selena he found her following her father, Katrina right behind her.
Selena turned around glaring at Ichabod her eyes accusing him of all. Rushing over quickly he grabbed her hand pulling her in his direction as she tried to fight him off.
"Let go of me Constable! Let go of me!", she began screaming but he would not let go. He would not let her go no matter what.
Turning her around he pulled her into his arms into a passionate kiss, as her fighting immediately stopped. Her arms fell to her sides, as she fought back against his lips her anger fueling their kiss even more.
They were in their own world to not even notice the madness going around them. Slowly they fell apart as his grip on her softened.
Caressing her cheek, her eyes fluttered open a hazy look over them. He smiled a small smile, as his unruly hair fell in his eyes. "What ever you might of seen believe me when I tell you this Selena. I love you. No one else can take your place".
Selena felt tears come to her eyes.
"I know there is a bit of a witch in you Selena"
"Why would you say that?", she asked growing scared.
"Because you have bewitched me", as she felt her heart swell with joy. Once again he pulled her closer to him, holding her tightly as gun shots were heard firing off. Once again they kissed each other passionately wanting nothing more then to make love.
But their kissing was cut short by the sound of shouting, as Reverund Steenwych was holding onto Baltus Van Tassel screaming at him.
"You'll kill us all!", as he shoved Baltus to the side as Baltus stumbled over falling, hitting the pews.
"You're the one the Horseman wants!", as Selena and Ichabod stood there holding each other looking at Baltus in horror.
Ichabod let go of her as he started pushing pass people to get to the fighting men.
Selena grabbed her chest in horror as she fell to the floor looking through the folds of her gown discovering a small piece of pink chalk.
"Why should we die for you? Get out!"
"Stop this..!", Ichabod screamed shoving pass people.
"The Horseman cannot enter! It does not matter who he wants! He cannot cross the gate!"
A man standing towards one of the windows fired his gun screaming, "He's coming back!"
The panic in the small church seemed to grow even more.
"We have to save ourselves!", Steenwych screamed as Baltus pulled out the pistol from Ichabod's holster.
"No! Unhand me! Stand off!", as Baltus aimed his pistol at everyone, as they slowly backed away.
The Headless Horseman stopped at the gate, pulling out a large sort of stake from the fence tieing it to the rope he had with him.
"The person to lay hands on me will have a bullet!", as Doctor Lancaster pushed pass everyone.
"Enough have already died! It is time to confess our sins and ask God to forgive our trespasses", as Lancaster looked at Steenwych meaningfully.
Katrina sat next to her sister, watching her draw the pentagram in the middle of the floor.
"Selena! What is going on?"
Selena grew silent as her hand stilled. Turning her head towards her sister, she let out a shrilling scream.
Katrina immediately backed away. "It's happening again…"
"How dare you come near me you little whore…", as she crawled across the floor towards Katrina.
"Selena please stop. What is wrong with you? Why do you say such things to me?"
"Because its true Katrina. I saw what you did! I know what you have been doing. How dare you play innocent with me!"
"Selena, I did nothing wrong. I have done nothing to make you say such harsh things to me", as Katrina spoke as calmy as she could.
Steenwych grew angry. "Don't be a fool! I warn you Doctor Lancaster…"
"What is it? What is it that you know?", as Baltus entered the conversation to find out what his friends concocted behind his back.
"Your four friends played you false. We were devilishly possessed by one who---"
But before he could say anything Reverund Steenwych grabbed a large ornated cross and slammed it into Lancaster's head as Doctor Lancaster fell to the floor in a heap.
Baltus fired his pistol at Steenwych in the stomach, as Steenwych also fell to the floor. The two men lay there in a puddle of there own blood.
Everyone grew in fear, watching Steenwych try to gurgle something. Baltus looked around horrified at everyone backing up even more.
"There is a conspiracy here! And I will seek it out!", as he backed away to a balcony as the stake the horseman had made crashed through the window, spearing through Baltus as blood spilled everywhere.
Looking up from her crawling, Selena looked up to find her father staring at her. His eyes wide and glazed over as the spell seemed to break within her as she screamed in anguish.
Katrina sat there in shock, tears running down her face watching her sister run towards the balcony. Ichabod not far behind her.
The Horseman dragged Baltus away as Baltus slammed into the fence becoming stuck. The Horseman turned around, sword unsheathed as he drew it down as Baltus's head was chopped off.
Selena screamed once more as she fell to the floor. Ichabod quickly grabbed her holding her in his arms as he noticed something. A small necklace that lay across her neck was the same that the Crow wore before she died.
His eyes widened. No this could not be happening. It wasn't possible. She wasn't….she couldn't be. Shaking his head he pulls her towards him, as he snuggled his head into her bossum as tears began to blur his eyes.
He heard something fall to the floor. Moving his head away from her chest he looked down a find a small piece of pink chalk its residue also on her fingers. Standing up holding her still in his arms, he looked over the other end of the balcony to find the same pentagram that lay under his bed drawn on the wooden floorboards of the church.
"The Evil Eye again…", he whispered.
He let out a small gasp of disbelief. "Oh God…it was you..", his voice breaking.
The full impact of this hit Ichabod, as he crumbled to the floor sobbing holding her tightly to him.
"Selena…forgive me. Forgive me for everything. My love for you was not powerful enough…"
Selena lay there serenely in her bed, as Ichabod lay besides her his head laying on her chest listening to her heartbeat.
"I had made love to the devil. Your beauty, intelligence, your goodness…it was just a mask to pull me into your web of evil. I had been so naïve to find love within you that I let go of all the strange suspicions I had in you. For just one moment…I wanted to believe I was a real man in your life. That I could shelter you and maybe I was…maybe I wasn't".
He looked up to her face almost hopping to find her dark azure eyes looking down at him. He fell back to her chest of the memories he had with her seem to flutter back.
Memory
"What do you dream of most Ichabod?", as they lay there naked as day in her bed as his head snuggled against her chest pushing back the hair that stuck to his sweating forehead.
"Dream's are nothing but for children Selena"
"Why would you say that?", as small smile growing on her lips. Moving around he lay on top of her casting a shadow over her as he pulled the covers over their heads.
"Because dreams are things that don't come true. They are just the way our imagination works..", bending down giving her a soft chaste kiss.
Running her fingers through his hair she smiled. "I dreamed of you and you came to me. If this is my imagination then I never want to leave it.."
Ichabod felt his heart clench in pain. That was the second time they had made love. That time being even slower and more intimate. Ichabod felt himself start to break once again.
Memory
She had decided to pull him out towards the meadow, although he really should have been working on the case.
"Selena I really shouldn't. I need to be working on this case…",but she pouted at him.
"Just spend an hour with me..that is all I ask of you Ichabod. Just spend it with me…",as he only smiled.
"You are wicked..", as Selena squealed running to him and jumping into his arms as they both fell over into the long grass.
Ichabod sighed deeply standing up from the bed. He looked down towards Selena's form.
"It was an evil spirit that possessed you. I pray God it is satisfied now, and that you find peace. Good-Bye Selena. The Evil Eye has done its work….My life is over, spared for a lifetime of horrors in my sleep, waking each day to grief. You are the only happiness I have had in my life since the death of my mother. I will cherish, and I will love no other but you and although my soul will be sent to hell for my crimes that I had spent with you I will take the torture and remember your loving face in my darkest of times. You were my light through the darkness", as he stood up, leaving a small gently kiss just wanting one more taste of her. Sighing deeply he walked out the door.
Opening the door he found Katrina sitting there crying. He nodded his head at her giving her a small fake smile.
Walking down the stairs, he pulled out his ledger full of his confessions of his love for Selena. Skimming through it he threw it into the fire, as he turned around walking out the door.
A coach was waiting outside for him, to take him back to the city. Masbath stood there angry tears flashing in his eyes.
"But who will look for the truth when you have gone?"
"There is no more truth to be found. That is why I can go and leave this wretched place behind me"
"You think it's Selena don't you?"
Ichabod turned around in anger. "That can never be uttered! Never! You tell no one…"
"A strange sort of witch, with a kind and loving heart. How can you think so?"
"I have a good reason", as he handed the coachman the last of his bags.
"Then you are bewitched by reason!"
"I am beaten down by it! It's hard lesson for a hard world, and you had better learn it, Young Masbath. Villiany wears many mask, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue".
Breathing deeply he continued. "The one thing that I love most in all the world is the one thing that I cannot be with and must turn my back against it. Farewell Young Masbath", as he turned around stepping into the coach.
He stole one more glance at the manor, as his eyes darted towards Selena window. He could have sworn he caught a glimpse of her in the window as his coach pulled away.
Young Masbath stood there, wipping away the tears that wouldn't go away.
Selena had awakened to the sound of yelling. More Ichabod's yelling, as she stood up towards her window to find a coach riding away Ichabod inside it.
"Ichabod..", he voice cracking and weak. "Ichabod..Ichabod! ICHABOD! ICHABOD!",she began screaming ignoring the pain in her voice. Running out the door, passing by her sister, who began screaming her name she ran down the stairs and out the door as she ran into the road but Masbath grabbed her and as she fell to the floor screaming in pain as Masbath held her closely telling her to calm down.
Sitting in his carriage Ichabod could have sworn he heard his name being called but he ignore it thinking it was his head playing tricks with him.
"Its best if you go inside Miss. Selena…", he dragged her inside, as Ichabod's name was constantly whispered from her lips. He set her in a chair besides the fire.
Katrina and Masbath sat outside, whispering amongst each other. "It is not my sister Masbath. She would never do anything like that, and now her spirit is broken because he left. Oh Masbath what are we going to do?"
Ichabod sat there in the coach as the coach passed by Doctor Lancaster's office as the headless corpses of Baltus and Lady Van Tassel lay in coffins ready to be buried.
Leaning back against the seat he felt something brushing against his chest. Opening his jacket he pulled out the book that Selena had given to him. Opening the book, he skimmed through the pages until he reached a page which held the picture of the pentagram but what really got him was the title.
"For the Protection of a Loved One Against Evil Spirits..", as realization came to him. Selena was not the murderer. She was trying to protect him. What a fool he had been!
"But who….?", he whispered. Looking down at his hands at the scars from the puncture wounds. "Of course!"
Banging on the door of the carriage he began yelling, "Van Ripper! Turn the coach around!"
"What?"
"Turn around! Now!"
Selena sat there in pain, tears falling down her red and blotchy face. He had left her. The man she loved had left her. She had nothing to live for now. Her world had shattered. She heard a creak of a floorboard but ignored it.
She heard it coming towards her now louder, and louder. Moving up somewhat clumsy she looked up as her eyes widened and her face grew extremely pale.
"Dearest Step daughter…You look as if you've seen a ghost..", as Lady Van Tassel stood there smiling at Selena. Selena fell to the floor unconscious. "I'll find your stupid sister later…", smiling as she walked towards Selena's body.
WELL WELL! THE TRUTH HAS BEEN DISCOVERED! MAUHAHAHH! LOL! PLEASE REVIEW! I actually wrote this chapter listening to H.I.M. "Join me". It's what inspired me to write this chapter and give me the sort of sorrow between Selena and Ichabod. If you want you should definitely listen to it while reading this chapter! Anywhoo PLEASE REVIEW! I LIVE FOR IT!
