Chapter 7: Carried off by a Killer
Once Charlotte got home, she took Mrs. Adams words to heart and immediately locked up her house for the night; from doors to windows, everything was bolted shut.
After that task was done, she went into her tiny kitchen to make herself a nice, hot, calming cup of tea. With the steaming cup in hand, Charlotte went to her bedroom where she took a seat in a rocking chair; next to the chair was next to a small table and on that rested a book.
Taking a couple sips of the hot, sweet liquid, Charlotte then put her cup down on the table before she picked up her book. Finding where she had placed her bookmark, Charlotte contently picked up her reading.
She was able to read for about an hour or so before the tea's drowsy effects settled on her and she had to put her book back down.
Quickly draining the rest of her tea from the cup, Charlotte rose from her seat then with the empty cup in her hand before she left her. While she moved through her house, Charlotte heard a scream from outside.
In Sleepy Hollow, it was never unusual to hear a scream somewhere, so Charlotte brushed it off as nothing and decided at that moment to get a fire going in the fireplace...
Outside the people were starting to panic.
The call was out "the Horseman was coming!" Those who had heard it were preparing or already heading to the church for safety, all but Charlotte who was unaware of everything that was going on right outside her house.
The Horseman came fast, no one had enough time flee to the church before he was riding into town; lucky for the towns people though, he was not here for blood.
Still, he watched with sick amusement as the people would look upon his fearsome features and scream with terror.
Following the scent to a small cottage by the bridge, the Horseman felt sure that since the source of the aroma was so strong, whoever owned it was still inside. In one swift movement, he dismounted his black stallion while also unsheathing his long and deadly sword. He swung it about with his wrist a few times as he marched up to the front door of the house; anxiously he raised it high into the air, ready to strike down the wooden barrier that was the door...
Charlotte gracefully rose from her kneeling position on the ground once the fire was lit, it was in that moment that she finally caught the cries of the townspeople and knew that whatever was going on outside was not a 'nothing" but when she finally realized it, it would already be too late.
Spontaneously, the flames in the fireplace leapt high into the air and roared hellishly at Charlotte. She quickly moved away, her wide eyes staring at the raging flames; a loud crack sounded from the front door, the noise cause Charlotte to jump and drop her tea cup from her hand. It fell to the floor and shattered into many pieces as it hit the ground by her feet. Charlotte's head turned toward the front door; in it was a large crack that had split it right down the middle and the tip of a very large blade still stuck through the wood. Charlotte screamed when the blade pulled out only to strike at the wooden door once more with even greater force then the first blow.
The door gave way, flying right off its hinges and before Charlotte could blink, a towering man with pale skin, raven black hair and a menacing expression marched right into her home. His piercing blue eyes darted all around the room, searching for something...or rather someone.
"God help me….." Charlotte whispered softly as she instinctively backed away till she found her back pressed tightly up against a wall behind her, "It's him…."
The Horseman.
Almost like he had heard her speak, the Horseman's eyes landed coldly on her frozen form. With his sword in one hand, he slowly stalked over to where the young woman stood and stopped when only a couple feet separated their bodies. Snarling and baring his sharpened teeth for her to see, he watched with great pleasure as the young woman shrunk away in fear.
Not letting her get away, one of his powerful hands shot out and roughly took Charlotte by her neck, pinning her effectively to the wall. He gripped it forcefully but yet it was not tight enough to cause suffocation. Charlotte tensed up, waiting for the blow of death that she felt sure he would bring but to her surprise the Horseman did nothing but stare.
Once again, he closed his eyes for a brief second, inhaling a deep, slow breath through his nose; all at once his eyes snapped back open, his gaze freezing Charlotte from the inside out,
"Ihr Wohlgeruch!" he spoke, "Seines das ein, dem ich gefolgt bin!"
Charlotte stared dumbfounded at the frightening man before her,
"He speaks in German….I don't know German." Her mind screamed. Not knowing what else to do, Charlotte softly shook her head. The Horseman must've read her expression for he then quickly switched languages,
"You're the one I've been hunting yet you are not my Witch." He clarified, speaking in English with a heavy German accent.
At the word 'witch' Charlotte's lavender eyes which were staring into the face of the Horseman widened slightly, "Mary Van Tessel." She thought to herself.
"Ah…..you know of whom I speak." The Horseman stated in a low voice as his eyes then traced over Charlotte's lovely features. "Where is she?" he demanded softly. Charlotte lowered her eyes for a few seconds as she thought of an answer, she only knew one,
"Free." She whispered; her voice was shaky but firm.
The Horseman's eyes narrowed dangerously before he applied more pressure to Charlotte's neck. Charlotte couldn't help but gasp this time, "If you are here because of…..HER," she hissed,
"I am here to claim what's mine!" The Horseman roared. Charlotte tried to shrink away again but where could she go? She was pinned to a solid wall.
"Then you're in the wrong place." the woman whispered.
The Horseman clipped his sword to his hip with a single hand before using it to grasp Charlotte's left hand; he yanked it up from her side, palm up before letting his eyes scan across the familiar looking cut in the center of her hand; his eyes started to almost glow from anger,
"Am I?" he hissed back, "Hexe!"
"I did not make that cut by my own hand!" Charlotte spoke defensively,
"Of course not…." The Horseman spat sarcastically, "Tell me, meine kleine Hexe, what exactly are you then?" he asked.
What was she?
Charlotte shook her head, not fully understanding his question.
A terrifying light came to his eyes as the corners of his mouth turned up in a cruel smile,
"Well then," he began as he slowly started to lower his fearsome face down to hers, "….let's find out." Before she could move, the Horseman crushed his lips to Charlotte's in a brutal kiss.
Charlotte screamed into his mouth while she struggled to escape the Horseman's powerful hold. She could feel his sharp teeth scraping and gently biting her soft, full lips but he wasn't doing it hard enough to draw blood. After a minute or so, the Horseman pulled back, releasing Charlotte from his violent kiss.
She turned her head away in disgust and looked down at the floor, refusing to look at him when he used one of his free hands to stroke the side of her flushed face while quickly licking his lips, "You are pure." He growled in a matter of fact tone. Charlotte turned her head just enough to glance at him out of the corner of her eyes, causing the Horseman chuckled.
"Heute abend bin ich für eine Hexe gekommen und anstatt fängt einen Engel." He spoke in a low and amused voice.
Acting on instinct, Charlotte raised a knee high, effectively hitting the man in his groin.
Pain flashed across his face and he at last released Charlotte from his hold giving her the chance she needed at escaping. She bolted past the Horseman, who was already recovering from her blow, and dashed out the front door.
With her skirts gripped tightly in her hands, she hiked them up past her shins and started up the road to the old Church, the safest place in Sleepy Hollow. She didn't get far before she heard the rapid sound of hooves gaining on her.
Next thing Charlotte knew, the Horseman's powerful arm ensnared her waist when he was close enough to touch and lifted her right off the ground before roughly seating her in his lap. With one arm, he secured Charlotte on the saddle and held her tightly against his body while he used the other to steer his loyal horse around before taking off back through the town, over the bridge and into the woods.
Charlotte's scream echoed through the town as the Horseman carried her off into the night...
German Translations: (Going in order)
Ihr Wohlgeruch: Your scent,
Seines das ein, dem ich gefolgt bin: It's the one I've been following
Hexe!: Witch
meine kleine Hexe: My little Witch
Heute abend bin ich für eine Hexe gekommen und anstatt fängt einen Engel: Tonight I came for a Witch and instead catch an Angel.