Chapter 13: Blood Ties
As the moon rose high into the night sky, which was darkening still by the minute, the people of the small town of Sleepy Hallow immerged from their homes one by one. Families held onto each other with each step they took while they migrated down the cobblestone road to the church.
If indeed the dreaded Horseman has once more come back to the land of the living, the townspeople didn't want to risk the chance of falling victim to his deadly hand. As everyone began filing into the old white building, the rapid sound of approaching hoof beats hitting stone seemed to fill the air. Thinking the worst, everyone hurried inside- some without even sparing a glance behind them as though they feared what they would see.
Once the last person had entered, the church's front doors were slammed closed and bolted shut. Only those who found themselves brave enough moved over to windows to peak outside in an attempt to see if their terrible nightmare from hell had returned after all...
But outside, the night was as still as death. Not a trace of movement could be seen and the hoof beats that people claimed to have heard, could no longer be detected. Coming to the conclusion that perhaps they had just been overreacting, the townsfolk turned away from the windows and doors with quiet, nervous laughs and slowly began settling down for the night.
Mothers cuddled with their young ones, Fathers armed with their guns stood guard about their families while the elderly silently took their seats in the pews and murmured soft prayers all around.
At the growing sound from of all the incoming commotion of outside, Charlotte, who had been slumbering upfront in the first pew she had seated herself in, stirred and opened her eyes. Initially, she found herself in a mild daze as she sat up, but then suddenly well awake and alert, her head turned about in wonder at filled the church had become.
Rising to her feet swiftly, Charlotte's lavender eyes scanned the many faces of the townsfolk in the room before she approached an old, frail woman sitting the pew right next to her.
"Excuse me, Ms.?" She began; when the old woman turned her head upwards to look at Charlotte, her eyes squinted as she studied the young woman before her.
"Yes child?" she replied, her voice soft and crackly by her old age.
"What's going on?" Charlotte asked as her hands came to clasp themselves in front of her. A tiny smile appeared on the woman's face before she reached her wrinkled hands out and lightly grasped Charlotte's two hands and gave them a quick squeeze.
"Nothing, dear girl. Everybody has just come to the church for simple cautionary reasons. All is well." She answered.
Relief washed over Charlotte in a powerful wave. So there was no Horseman peril here. She smiled gratefully in response before she spoke a quick 'thank you' and moved away from the aged woman.
Being careful not to bump into all the people that now stood about in aisles and along the walls of the church, Charlotte weaved her way around the room, taking mental notes of all the folk here. And it seemed, Charlotte thought to herself quietly as she read the poorly masked expressions of worry and jittery body language, that everyone present had clearly been driven here tonight by their own paranoia for whatever may be lurking outside the church's walls in obscurity.
"Just like me..." Except she had something on her to truly be afraid of. A stake that the Horseman swore he would claim. Always. Feeling suddenly far too crowded on the lower level, Charlotte pushed her way back up to the front and over to where the stairwell was that resided on the far left side.
Climbing the curved set of steps up to the platform above, the young woman found herself drawn to stand in front of the large pane window where she could look out at the seemingly calm night sky-as her hands balled themselves into tight fists down at her side in an attempt to cease their impulsive trembling...
Outside, a bone-chilling wind blew, rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees circling the town of Sleepy Hallow. Every light in the entire town had been put out, bringing about an even deeper darkness to the night.
Every light... but the one coming from the church-with its glow shining through the glass windows, the church truly did look like it was the most untouchable place in town. And only to one man, it was.
Sitting perched on top of his black stallion that stood well hidden in the shadows of the trees, waited the Horseman. His icy blue eyes were locked onto the back of the church building as he eyed it with an unshakable loathing. Everybody in this damnable town had locked themselves inside, he concluded bitterly.
And that included his Charlotte.
"Charlotte." The Horseman bared his sharpened teeth in a silent snarl; just the thought of her name sent his blood boiling with both rage and an unexpected desire. He was torn between wanting to throttle her pretty little neck with his bare hands or taste her sweet, luscious lips once more.
With a firm kick in his horse's side, the Horseman slowly stepped out of the shadows and moved towards the church's grounds. As he drew closer to the white picket fence surrounding the church, he distinctively picked up the enthralling aroma of Charlotte's scent.
That practically pushed him over the edge.
His black gloved hands tightened the grip he had on the reins as though restraining the beast that was threatening to escape from inside him. Movement from a church window caught his eye, and as the Horseman directed his gaze over to it, a low growl slipped past his gritted teeth.
Standing in plain view of the large window located on the upper story was Charlotte. At first, he thought she was looking at right at him...taunting him from her position. But then a moment later, she casually turned her back towards him, and he came to the conclusion that she was in fact completely unaware of his presence.
"For now at least." He of course planned to correct that meager little detail. However what would be quite bothersome to him was not the fact that she was inside the church- it would be how to get her out of it. That is where the problem lies currently, being that he cannot set foot on such hallow ground.
After a thoughtful moment however, a most wicked smirk started pulling at his lips. "If I get can't get to her, I'll make her come to me."
"Something feels….off." Charlotte quietly stated to herself as her lavender eyes gazed down at all the people inside the church. She could feel a pair of unseen eyes upon her, burning into her skin, yet nobody in the church was even looking her way.
When Charlotte felt a soft tug on her skirts, she glanced downwards in soft surprise to see little Alexandria smiling up at her.
"Hi Charlotte." The little girl happily greeted. An affectionate smile pulled at Charlotte's mouth before she reached a hand down to stroke Alexandria's head affectionately.
"Hello sweetheart." She replied.
"What are you doing all alone up here?" the girl asked curiously.
Charlotte shrugged a shoulder, "Nothing, just…enjoying the view I suppose."
"Ooohhh…" Alexandria innocently stated while she took up Charlotte's arm and draped it about her shoulders so that she could snuggle into the young woman's side.
"Where's the rest of your family?" Charlotte asked curiously. Alexandria shrugged her shoulders in response,
"They're somewhere…in here…not really sure where though." She answered before she quickly turned her position so that she could face Charlotte. "Hey, hey Charlotte is it true what the townspeople are saying about you?" she asked rather anxiously.
At the little girl's question, Charlotte raised an eyebrow before inclining her head softly to the side, "…Uhh…well that depends dear, what have the people been saying?" she returned.
"Well most believed that the Horseman had gotten you when he came into town that one night…you believe us now don't you? About him being real?" Alexandria replied.
Charlotte took in a deep breath and let it out as a long sigh, "You have no idea…" she murmured softly to herself as the frightening image of the Horseman came to mind.
"Well don't worry Charlotte, we're safe in here." The little girl assured with a confident nod of her head. As Charlotte stared down on the small girl, a loving smile pulled at her lips once more before she hugged Alexandria closer to her side.
"Such a brave girl." She whispered out loud in praise. Things then grew quiet between her and Alexandria for a couple moments and pretty soon Charlotte began feeling eyes upon her form once again.
Instinctively, Charlotte's head turned from side to side, carefully observing the inside of the church and all who were in it, then unexplainably Charlotte felt her skin start to crawl and by some unseen force, she drew her attention to the window right behind her.
As her head turned over her left shoulder to look out of the large window pane, her eyes faintly spotted a large unidentifiable figure standing right outside the white picket fence. Slowly, Charlotte angled the rest of her body to face the glass barrier while she gently pushed Alexandria behind her and hesitantly approached the window. When the glass was just a couple centimeters away from her face, the figure, outside the fence, moved.
As the slightly bowed head of the Horseman rose up, his pale skin instantly caught the moonlight while setting aglow to his icy blue eyes. A shiver of fear made its way down Charlotte's spine as her eyes locked right onto his and she watched as he bared his sharpened teeth in a fierce snarl.
Now Charlotte has seen the Horseman look angry before but nothing could have ever prepared her for the ferocity that was being displayed on his face this very moment. It was monstrous.
"Alexandria…." Charlotte softly spoke out, her eyes not leaving the view of the window, "…..go to your brother and father…now." She ordered in a quiet but firm voice.
Curiously, Alexandria poked her head out from around Charlotte's skirts, "What is it Charlotte?" the little girl replied before she moved around Charlotte's shielding form to stand by her side at the window. Before Charlotte could make a move to hide Alexandria's probing gaze, the little girl let out a blood curling scream before she latched herself onto Charlotte's skirts in fright.
Everybody in the church grew silent before they rushed to the front of the room to see what was causing such commotion.
"What's going on?" someone asked.
"Is everything alright?" came another voice from the crowd.
Charlotte reached down and scooped the small frantic child up into her arms before placing the tiny girl securely on her hips while she spun away from the window and headed for the top of the stairs. By now Alexandria was in tears, sobbing against Charlotte's shoulder as they quickly descended down to the bottom to face the demanding crowd. Two people in particular had pushed their way forward, Mr. Collins and young William-Alexandria's family.
They met Charlotte at the bottom of the stairs where Charlotte then transferred the hysterical child into her father's arms. Mr. Collins at once began to sooth his youngest while his concerned, aging eyes sought out Charlotte's for answers,
"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, worry etching itself all over his face. Charlotte opened her mouth to reply but Alexandria beat her to it.
"He's here...he's here daddy!" Alexandria blubbered out while clinging tightly to her father's neck.
"Who?" Mr. Collins replied.
"T…the…the Horseman!" his tiny daughter declared, loud enough for the rest of the church to hear.
In a frantic rush, everybody dashed to a window. In less than a minuet the fairly quiet church blew up with all sorts of sounds-Women were screaming, some even fainted, children were crying, and men were swearing before they took up the guns that they had brought with them for self defense.
With the townspeople in utter chaos, now that they too had spotted the Horseman as he knowingly circled around the grounds of their one sanctuary, Charlotte pushed her way down the church aisle heading towards the church's main entrance. Once there, she unlocked one of the double doors and pushed it open enough so that she could peek her head out.
The Horseman couldn't be seen from her current position; and she guessed it was because he was still over on the other side. But by now, men were fruitlessly firing off their weapons at any opening they could find while the women and children all huddled themselves in the center of the church away from all the windows and doors.
The pounding of hoof beats against solid ground could still be heard over the sounds of multiple gun fire and with a quick gasp Charlotte felt her insides momentarily freeze up when the Horseman finally came into view. His large black stallion was prancing wildly about as they circled about before they came to a halt right outside the front gate.
The black horse drew itself up onto its hind legs and madly kicked out into the air with its front-the Horseman, upon on its back, easily held his seat tight on the saddle.
Charlotte's eyes instantly found the Horseman's who was staring directly at her with an unwavering gaze. His dark hair looked even more feral then usual... and the look that he had in his eyes reminded Charlotte in a heartbeat that this man was murderous.
Almost like he could read her thoughts, the Horseman whipped out his deadly blade, turning it skillfully in his hand while he threw his head back and released a fearsome battle cry. Charlotte couldn't help but flinch and take a step back from the door she was still partially hiding behind. At the sound of his voice, the gun fire ceased as did all other sounds inside the church.
"Kommen sie heraus,kommen sie heraus Charlotte. Machen Sie nicht dieses härtere dann es sein muss."
Charlotte stared dumbfounded over at the Horseman's threatening figure perched on top of his black steed. Many emotions were now flooding her senses at once-fear….puzzlement….irritation that he was once more talking in a language unfamiliar to her- though it didn't take the knowledge of speaking German to have picked up the fact that he had used her name in his declaration.
Swallowing softly, Charlotte glanced quickly back into the church behind her, seeing all eyes of the townspeople on her. She offered them a tiny, reassuring smile before she did the boldest and possibly most foolish thing anyone could have ever done at that moment.
She threw open the church open and stepped outside before she slowly began her walk down the stone path towards the closed white gate-the last barrier that would separate her from the Horseman himself. Behind her came the surprised and fearful gasps of everyone inside watching before a couple folks ran to the open doorway and began pleading against Charlotte's decision.
"Come back!" came the voice of a woman.
"What are you doing?" A man cried.
Stopping in her tracks but keeping her gaze locked firmly on the Horseman, Charlotte bravely called back, "I'm going to go talk to him."
"What? That's suicide!" someone yelled back.
"He wants something." Charlotte knowingly threw back as she eyed the formidable man sitting on top of his horse, "….so I'm going to go negotiate." As the words left her mouth, she saw the corners of the Horseman's mouth turn upwards in a disturbing smirk.
"Are you mad, girl? He'll kill you the moment you're in his grasp…or worse! You can't negotiate with someone like him. He's a demon from hell itself!" came the man's voice once more.
Brushing the comment off, Charlotte took in a deep breath to help calm her growing nerves as she finished covering the distance to the white gate. She was smart enough though to leave a couple feet of distance between her and the Horseman, just in case he had decided to try and snatch her up right then and there.
His horse snorted and tossed his black head about before he lifted one, big hoof and pawed the ground impatiently. The Horseman, keeping his eyes locked onto Charlotte, reached a gloved hand out and lightly patted the horse's neck. After taking a few silent moments to gather her courage, Charlotte straightened up and stared hard into the Horseman's blue eyes,
"Let me make myself very clear…" she began in a firm, cold voice, "….I'm not going back." She stated, "….you cannot make me." She added before she crossed her arms over her chest to show her determination.
The Horseman's smirk melted into a deadly snarl then he slowly lifted an arm up over his head, flashing Charlotte his unsheathed sword before he threw it straight down into the ground right beside his horse. As Charlotte watched the lethal weapon sink its tip deep into the solid earth, a twinge of fear slowly began settling over her.
"Ach Ich kann nicht, kann ich?" he replied.
Charlotte brought her gaze back up to the Horseman and frowned, " I'm willing to negotiate with you…but I cannot do that if you keep this German nonsense up." She stated in an annoyed tone.
A bellowing laugh erupted from the Horseman's mouth in response. When his laughter finally stopped, the Horseman slowly shook his head, "There will be no discussion on this matter." He replied in a dead on serious tone.
Charlotte's eyes narrowed in resentment, "I'm sorry... but it's not going to work like that. You want me, that part is obvious but guess what? I'm in a place where you cannot enter so it seems that I'm the one with the advantage, don't you agree?" She pointed out.
A maniacal chuckle came from the Horseman in response, "Do you really think that some white fenced off piece of land will stop me from rightfully claiming what's mine?" he returned.
Charlotte shook her head, "Mary is the one you should be hunting down. She's yours. But you don't own me." She declared.
"Oh, I'm afraid I do, my pet." The Horseman quickly corrected, "You see, Mary had to bind herself to me in exchange for my….services. So, so to speak, you're right, Mary was mine. But when she escaped from me she couldn't break the bond between herself and I, so instead she enslaved another to it. You."
When Charlotte opened her mouth to protest, the Horseman swiftly intervened, "You are bound…by blood…to me. There's no use in arguing because you have the mark to prove it." He finished.
Silently Charlotte glanced down on her left hand, her lavender eyes lightly tracing the long scar down the center of her palm. When she turned her gaze back up to the Horseman, a look of triumph was shining brightly within his eyes. Refusing to let him win this, Charlotte took a couple steps back in defiance.
"No." she stated decisively.
The Horseman's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Alright, clearly you're a woman who likes to have her options. So let me present them for you." He began while he leaned his body slightly to the side in the saddle to reach down and collect his blade from the ground. With it clutched menacingly in his hand, he twirled it about a couple times before continuing, "You come with me, and in return I won't kill everyone in this god-forsaken town."
Charlotte's eyes widened at the proposition and inside she felt her stomach drop in horror at what he was suggesting, "And should I choose not?" she replied, her voice trembling quietly.
"Then I'll kill them…" he answered while nodding towards the church, "….and I'll take you anyways." He finished while he brought his piercing gaze back onto Charlotte.
In an attempt to hide her growing fear, Charlotte lifted her chin slightly to give her a look of confidence. "And how would you accomplish that? They are on hallow ground…as am I. You cannot touch us."
"Well it won't be pretty…." He replied with a sickening, smug look on his face, "…but it is doable, I assure you." He paused for a quick second, "…I've done it before." He added.
Charlotte swallowed quietly before she glanced back over her shoulder towards the church to see that everybody had gathered at a window or the front doors to watch the scene going on outside. "So many people…" she whispered out loud to herself.
Though Charlotte knew it was not fair for her to be doomed by enslavement to this monster of a man, how could she condemn a town full of innocent people to death by her refusal?
"I'd hurry up with your decision, sweetheart…" came the Horseman's voice from behind, "….or I'll make it for you."
Charlotte turned her head back around to face the Horseman at that. The look he had on his face read the one thing she had been dreading; there was no getting out of this. He was a cold-blooded killer who would no doubt keep his word.
Against her will, her vision began to blur softly with unshed tears. The Horseman instantly noticed this and smiled gruesomely.
"What's the matter, Charlotte? I thought this was what you wanted…" The Horseman cruelly mocked, "…to negotiate."
A powerful shudder shook Charlotte's frame from head to foot as a single tear slid down her cheek. With the back of her hand she quickly brushed it away and bowed her head as she considered her options. But it was like the man from church had stated- there was no compromising with the devil.
Gathering her composure, Charlotte dried her eyes and straightened up to her full height. If either way she was going to be a prisoner to the Horseman, she'd at least make it known to him that she was not some fragile woman who would allow fear to control her till she did his every bidding.
"Out of curiosity, why would a man such as yourself…" she paused for a quick second to look the Horseman over before adding, "….if I can even call you that, go through all this trouble to get one girl? Feeling a bit lonely, are you, Horseman?" Charlotte sternly demanded.
The Horseman straightened up at her words as well. He was silent for a few moments as the full scorn of Charlotte's bold remark settled over him. Then slowly, the frightening look of pure rage developed on his face. Raising his sword high into the air, way above his head, the Horseman held it there as a silent promise while his free hand reached down to collect something hanging securely on the side of the black saddle he sat on.
When his hand came into Charlotte's view, she spotted that in it he held a thing of coiled rope. She eyed it with uncertainty and caution before she instinctively took a step back.
"Zeit die höhe Charlotte." He stated. With a ferocious cry, the Horseman brought his sword down in one swift movement, his blade cleanly cutting down a part of the wooden gate. Charlotte jumped at the sudden action and retreated back another small step in response. Then the Horseman sheathed his sword at his side before he let one end of the coil of rope that he had brought with him drop.
At its end, was a noose.
Charlotte felt her heart stop for a quick second at the sight of it, realizing its true motive, then she spun on her heel and made a dash for the church building.
In a flash, the Horseman took up his lasso and threw it directly at Charlotte's retreating form with great force.
Charlotte barely covered six feet before she felt the noose of the rope go right over her head, past her shoulders, down to the crook of her arms before it was painfully tightened to pin her arms down by her side. A soft cry escaped her lips at the hostility before she turned her body back around to face the Horseman who now started pulling on the other end of the rope.
Charlotte gasped at the Horseman's forcefulness as she felt herself getting pulled right back to him. Digging her heels deep into the ground while shifting her weight in the opposite direction, Charlotte used all her strength to resist. But that only seemed to provoke the Horseman who in return, would pull sharper on the rope.
She cried out in pain as the rope sunk deep into the skin of her arms and behind her, cries of panic once more arose from the inside of the church. The screams of the townspeople as they watched poor Charlotte get dragged towards the Horseman, brought forth a small smirk on his face.
When Charlotte found herself just inches away from the opening in the now ruined gate, she intensified her struggles. But a quick and powerful tug from the Horseman ended that as Charlotte was forced to step past the protection of the white fenced off area surrounding the church grounds. Then with a quick nudge to his side from his master, the great beast began backing up, forcing Charlotte to step even further away from the church grounds as the Horseman slowly, deliberately, began drawing Charlotte to his side. As Charlotte stumbled the last step that would leave her within arms reach of the Horseman, the young woman glared bitterly up into her captor's unnaturally blue eyes.
"If you think for one second, that you will be able to contain me, mark my word you have no idea what's coming to you." Charlotte stated; her tone was as cold as his icy stare. Unfortunately all her statement got her was another tug on the rope which then had her front pressed right up against the horse's side. The Horseman, unaffected by her words in the slightest then leaned down so that they were eye level with each other.
"Fair enough," he began before he reached his free arm down and snaked it roughly about Charlotte's waist. "…because I bet you won't even be able to imagine what's in store for you." He replied in a low, dangerous yet strangely inviting tone. Charlotte raised her chin up in defiance,
"You don't scare me…" she whispered in response. A wicked smirk slowly spread itself across the Horseman's face,
"Well then perhaps I need to try…." He paused for a second only to painfully grip Charlotte's petite waist, "…Ein wenig härter."
Before Charlotte could say another word, the Horseman lifted her right off the ground and carelessly slung her down over the saddle. She bit back a cry of pain as her stomach landed directly on the horn of the saddle before she raised her head slightly to glower over at the Horseman sitting behind her.
Without the use of her arms, Charlotte was left with no choice but to stay frozen in the spot she had been placed in, which to her utmost distaste was both unladylike and unsafe. Her entire body had been draped right across the front of the saddle, leaving her head and legs to dangle off the sides of the horse. Then after the Horseman sent a firm kick into the side of his horse with his spurred boots, they sped away from the church at a fast canter whisking Charlotte away for the second time in her life.
Struggling her best to stay on top of the horse, Charlotte squirmed against her bindings in hopes of freeing her arms so that she could at least hold onto something to keep her from sliding off. But a firm weight was then pressed into her lower back, ceasing her efforts momentarily.
Since the wind had unpleasantly tousled Charlotte's long hair which now was blowing freely about her face almost like a silken curtain, she gently shook her locks away from her eyes to look back and see that it was the Horseman's hand that was holding her steady. This time Charlotte didn't contain her cry of out rage.
"Arggh!" she screamed, "Get your hand off me!" she demanded while she tried shifting her body away from the Horseman's touch. She no longer cared that she was practically impaling herself on the saddle's horn, all that mattered to her now was getting as far away from this man as she could get. And he, who was originally looking straight ahead for navigational purposes, glanced down on Charlotte at her sudden outburst.
Without saying a single word, he raised a single finger up to his mouth, "Ssshh." It didn't come out as a whisper like what a parent would say to their child and it wasn't meant for scolding reasons either. It was a firm and direct order.
"No!" Charlotte threw back, not caring at the fact that the expression the Horseman had on his face showed that he wasn't in any sense pleased with her defiance. "This is ridiculous! Untie me at once!" she yelled back at him. Her normally gentle lavender eyes now sparkled with her fury as she met the Horseman's gaze dead on.
"I don't think you are in any position right now to be giving me orders…" The Horseman pointed out as he turned his attention back onto the path they were riding on. Charlotte opened her mouth to reply but was silenced as she was unforgivably bounced against the hard saddle. It nearly knocked the breath right out of her for a few seconds.
"To hell with that!" Charlotte finally hissed through her now gritted teeth. Then with a quick sigh of exhaustion, Charlotte let her head drop off the side of the saddle. It wasn't easy trying to support herself in this position, especially because she's not only fighting against her bindings but her corset and stays as well.
After taking a few moments to catch her breath, Charlotte raised her head once more only to feel the Horseman's fingers drumming softly against the small of her back, "For goodness sakes, remove your hand!" she exclaimed.
A short laugh escaped past the Horseman's lips as they curled slightly at the corners, "I'm sorry, does this bother you?" he replied while he stopped the drumming and started making small circles.
Charlotte didn't even answer that because she knew that if she did, it would only incite him further. As the Horseman continued his evocative caresses, Charlotte began feeling uneasy. She hated being in such a helpless predicament, especially with an undead killer who appears to grow more possessive with her by the minuet.
Pretty soon, they had crossed into the Western woods and were undoubtedly well on their way to the Tree of the Dead. And as the trees continued flying right on by as meager shadows, Charlotte found herself growing more restless by the second-She was running out of time if she wanted to make a stand.
When a very bold and perilous idea came to mind, Charlotte softly bit down on her full, bottom lip in deep thought. "Well what have I got to loose?" she pointed out to herself quietly. Then very carefully, so that the Horseman wouldn't suspect anything, Charlotte shifted most of her weight to the lower half of her body so that she had the top of her thighs pressed firmly against the black stallion's side.
Then the moment she felt the Horseman's hand loosen up on her back, with all the strength she had, Charlotte flung herself from the saddle. It had happened so quickly and unexpectedly, even the Horseman didn't have time to snatch her back before she tumbled hard to the ground and rolled herself out of the horse's way as it continued on its way down the path, looking like it was just going to leave her behind.
An unmistakable swear flew from the Horseman's mouth as his head turned to see his prize falling behind in distance. He then tugged hard on the reins and turned his steed around. The horse whinnied in response to such a sudden change in direction but obediently did as it was instructed.
Charlotte, groaning from the impact of her fall, forced herself up on her knees before she slowly stood off the ground. Up ahead, the Horseman was charging back for her and that sight alone caused the young woman to shake off the daze that was hanging over her before she turned and took off into the trees.
As she ran, every now and then stumbling over her feet and skirts, Charlotte managed with a lot of strength and effort, to loosen up the rope that bound her arms. When it was loose enough, she quickly pulled it over her head and tossed it aside. Now with her arms free, Charlotte gathered her skirts in her hands and lifted them past her knees, giving her legs the ability to move faster. Behind her, she could hear the growing sound of hoof beats as they chased her down. He was closing in.
"Sie wünschen spiele zu spielen, Charlotte?"Came the shouting voice of the Horseman, "Spielen wir!"
He eyed Charlotte's retreating form with both excitement and anger. It pissed him off that she had pulled another escaping stunt but by doing so, she was also giving what he liked best; a good hunt. It was clear to him now that Charlotte was not going to go quietly like she had the first time. And…..he was fine with that.
"If you want it rough, Charlotte," he murmured to himself as he finally caught up to the young woman, "...that's precisely what you'll get." Without giving a single warning, the Horseman dropped the reins before he skillfully jumped up to a crouching position on the saddle. When his target was less than a couple feet in front of him, the Horseman lunged.
The pounding sound of hoof beats coming up behind seemed to synchronize with the sound of Charlotte's rapid heart beat. And she knew, she knew from the sounds that obviously the Horseman and his steed had caught up with her, but what she didn't expect was the full, heavy weight of the man himself being thrown directly at her back.
Charlotte barely had the time to utter a cry of surprise before two powerful arms grabbed her about the shoulders, hurtling them both to the ground. The unexpected attack knocked the breath right out of Charlotte's lungs as she was roughly taken down, falling flat on her stomach with what felt like an enormous mass on top of her back, pressing her deeper into the dirt. Black gloved hands, gripping her shoulders from behind, tightened painfully emitting a soft cry from Charlotte's lips. With a smirk of satisfaction, the Horseman leaned his dark head down to the young woman beneath him.
"Got'cha." He whispered into Charlotte's ear. His breath tickled the side of her neck and sent a tremor throughout her entire body. With an angry shout, Charlotte twisted her body just enough so she jam her elbow into the Horseman's side, not caring that he was wearing his armor. Drawing himself up on his knees, he sneered in response before flipping Charlotte onto her back. As the young woman began to frantically wiggle in his hold, the Horseman threw one of legs over Charlotte and swiftly straddled her hips so that his knees sat on either side before he reached out and pinned her arms down by her head.
With her chest rising and falling with each rapid breath Charlotte took as she glared helplessly up at the Horseman's towering form, he saw the slightest flicker of fear move behind her eyes. He purposely flashed his sharpened teeth in response before he leaned his upper body down till it hovered just inches away from Charlotte's.
As the young woman vainly tried to shrink back, turning her head away, the Horseman couldn't resist bringing his lips down to the exposed spot on her neck where her pulse was fluttering recklessly beneath her soft, warm skin. "Scared now, my sweet?" he asked before he covered the entire spot with his mouth, allowing his sharp teeth to nip at her neck. Charlotte gasped loudly and squirmed in protest, shifting her hips slightly underneath the crushing weight of the Horseman. Desire instantly began surging through his body at the movement and he let out a savage like growl against her skin in response before he pulled his head back,
"I wouldn't do that if I were you…." He warned; his gaze penetrating hard into Charlotte's face.
It took about a second for Charlotte to read the lusting look that was now glowing in the Horseman's eyes and she in return ceased all her movements. But she could not stop herself from the sudden trembling that overtook her body as she distinctively felt the evidence of the Horseman's aspiration starting to press into her stomach. Her body tensed instinctively but she herself remained silent. Before Charlotte could blink, the Horseman rose off his knees to stand.
Not relinquishing his hold on her arms, he jerked Charlotte off the ground and pulled her up between his legs till she too was standing. Then the black stallion, which had stood off to the side patiently while his master took care of his business, slowly trotted over to where the Horseman and Charlotte stood. Passing a quick glance over to his horse before he turned his attention back onto the young woman before him, with an ungentle jerk, the Horseman pulled Charlotte right up against his body.
"So…" he began, "….you going to be good girl and get up on the saddle?" he asked as he stared domineeringly down on her small form.
Charlotte's lips parted so she could take in a quivering breath but her eyes remained as cold as ever. They flickered away from the Horseman's face which was way too close for her tastes and glanced down at how little space was separating their bodies at this exact moment. Defiantly, she remained silent.
"I see…." The Horseman answered, his eyes narrowing in frustration while a frown pulled down on his mouth. After tightening his grip on Charlotte's arms, he spun her about till she was beside the ebony stallion before he picked her up off her feet and hoisted her up onto the saddle like she weighed nothing. Then once she sat firmly in the sidesaddle position, the Horseman freed one of his hands which dropped down to the hem of Charlotte's gown. Gripping the soft material in his closed fist, with a powerful jerk, he tore off a long, thick strip.
Charlotte jumped at the sound of tearing cloth and felt the uneasy twinge of fear churn inside her stomach but silently suppressed her growing nerves as she reminded herself that the dress had just been ripped at the bottom- only.
With the torn strip of material clutched tightly in one hand, the Horseman swiftly swung himself up onto the saddle behind Charlotte. His hands instantly found her waist and pulled her back against him so that she was sitting in his lap before he moved his grip to her hands. Reaching around her, he forced her hands down on saddle's horn before he took the strip of cloth and bound her wrists tightly together before he secured them both around the horn so she was tied in place. When Charlotte tried to jerk against her new bonds, she cringed in pain at how tight the thing really was. Then with his arms still snaked about her, the Horseman took up the reins.
"Hiya!" he exclaimed firmly while he spurred his horse on. Charlotte was thrown back against the Horseman's chest as the horse took off at great speed and with dread she found herself trapped in his hold as they sped off into woods once more.
The ride wasn't a long one, which didn't really surprise Charlotte, especially when the time came and she saw them approaching the hellish Tree of the Dead. Inside, she felt her stomach drop in terror at the idea of going back to that tormenting prison of a place but on top of that, she felt another emotion burn within her. Loathing; unadulterated loathing for the formidable man sitting behind her and for the witch who got her into this mess in the first place, Mary Van Tessel.
Almost like the Tree had been expecting them, as they drew nearer without even stopping, its long, haunting roots lifted themselves out of the cold earth, showing way into its dark abyss.
A tiny whimper escaped from Charlotte as she eyed the opening which she was about to enter again before the black horse leaped high into the air, heading straight for the hole in the tree. Charlotte tensed up and squeezed her eyes shut but even that couldn't hide the nauseating scent of rotting death as they passed into the gateway. She didn't even dare to take a single breath until she knew for sure that they had reached the other side first because she was certain that if she did, she would be sick.
But once they finally made it out of the darkness and found themselves riding out of the circular room to the outside, quickly cutting across the seemingly unending plane, Charlotte's corset suddenly felt too tight.
"My God…" she breathed out in dismay, "….we're back…" she finished quietly as she could already spot the gothic manor from a distance. Within five minuets, they had ridden across the plane completely and were just passing under the stone archway that would take them up the road to the manor when Charlotte felt her stomach drop immensely.
Tugging firmly back on the reins, the Horseman slowed his horse down to a soft trot as they came up to the front of the Manor. Once there, his horse automatically stopped right by the front steps. Swallowing the lump in her now dry throat, Charlotte gazed up at the huge house which seemed strangely larger to her now than it did before.
Behind her, the Horseman dropped the reins and shifted slightly, just enough so that he could swing himself down from his horse's back. The thudding sound of his boots hitting solid pavement brought Charlotte back to her senses as she finally tore her eyes away from the manor and brought her attention onto the man now off to her side.
With surprisingly gentle hands, the Horseman reached up and carefully untied Charlotte's hands from the saddle before they moved up to her slim waist. He lifted Charlotte off the saddle and slowly lowered her down to the ground, allowing the privilege of having her womanly body slide down the full length of his first.
When her feet were firmly on the ground, Charlotte jerked herself away from the Horseman's touch, keeping her gaze locked onto her still bound hands. Then without waiting around for him to speak, Charlotte stormed around the ebony stallion and marched up the front steps, entering the manor's still open entranceway on her own accord.
As she headed for the black marble staircase, heavy footsteps reached her ears before a firm hand placed itself on her shoulder from behind bringing her to a stop before it turned her around. Resentfully, Charlotte forced herself to look up into the Horseman's face.
"Don't you want me to untie your hands?" he asked with slight amusement etched in his expression. Charlotte's brows furrowed softly before she offered up her bound wrists in response. The Horseman, while he undid the tight material tying Charlotte's hands together, glanced up into Charlotte's eyes for a quick second before he looked back down at his simple task.
"You're awfully quiet tonight..." he pointed out with a tiny triumphant smile pulling at his lips. When he at last freed Charlotte's hands from their restraints, he swiftly looked them over and chuckled, brushing his thumbs across the tops of her hands before he let them drop to her side, "I would've thought by now that you'd have something to sa…." His mocking words were cut off when Charlotte's right hand flew up from her side and slapped him hard across the left side of his face. Its sound resounded off the walls, followed by the sound of Charlotte's own voice.
"Wretch!" she screamed at him. The force of her blow had left her hand stinging and had even caused the Horseman's head to snap to the side slightly as well, giving her a small bit of satisfaction on the inside. But when the Horseman's head slowly turned back towards her after a few seconds, his eyes were flashing menacingly and all remaining confidence that she held fled.
Next thing Charlotte knew, he snatched her by the shoulders before wrenching her about and forcing her viciously up against the closest wall. She winced and cried out in pain before she met the fuming gaze of the Horseman with one of her own. Using his arms as a cage, he braced them on either side of Charlotte's head before he pressed his hard body into Charlotte's softer one.
"You really….really shouldn't have done that." He growled before he pulled back.
In a flash, he grabbed Charlotte roughly by her arm and started dragging her down the hallway, away from the stairs. When he took her all the way down to the closed double doors at the hallway's very end, Charlotte knew where they were going.
Using enough strength that could tear the door right off its hinges, it banged loudly against the wall as the Horseman threw it open. Yanking Charlotte through its doorway, he sharply pulled her down the winding stone stairs. As they reached the bottom and rounded a corner, the Horseman tugged Charlotte into the dimmed cellar, quickly crossing the room in a few long strides. Once they were on the other side, the Horseman gave a powerful jerk of his arm that was gripping Charlotte and sadistically swung Charlotte's back into the stone wall before pinning her in place with his body.
"Be wary Charlotte…." The Horseman warned in a low voice while he tightened his grip on Charlotte's arms as he held them down by her side. Enraged, Charlotte's chin lifted into the air,
"You monster!" she threw back before she kicked a leg out.
The Horseman easily avoided the blow and to make sure she couldn't try it again, using his knees, he placed himself right between Charlotte's legs. His eyes had narrowed into slits at her outburst and his teeth bared themselves in a frightening snarl before he leaned his head down till he was eye level with Charlotte.
"Silence!" he spat. "I have been generous…up till now." He began, "….but I can be cruel beyond imagination."
"Generous?" Charlotte repeated, "You don't know the meaning of that word! What have you done that's generous?" she challengingly threw back while she used her body to push back the Horseman's. He wouldn't budge, but still it made her feel better to fight back in some manner.
"Everything!" he answered. "I have not lifted a single finger against you since your pretty, little neck was brought here." He pointed out, "I kept you in a decent room, gave you your female…provisions. And how do you repay me? You run off." He hissed venomously.
"That part really shouldn't have surprised you." Charlotte spat back. A sharp cry escaped past her lips as her head was then brutally jerked upwards by the Horseman's hand as he took hold of her silky locks.
"Clearly…." He started, his first words coming out as a whisper, "…I've been far too easy with you." He stated. "….let's fix that up, then shall we?"
Without removing his grip from Charlotte's hair, he led her unwilling form further down the wall, stopping when they came to its center. While keeping Charlotte firmly against wall, the Horseman then bent down slightly to collect something off the floor and when he rose back up to his full height, he was holding something within his free hand.
Charlotte heard the distinctive sounds of metal jingling right beside her and barely had enough time to turn her strained head before she felt the cold clasp of a shackle close about one of her wrists. The second shackle followed shortly after.
Satisfied, the Horseman released his grip on her hair and took a small step back to admire the view. Charlotte took this time to look down and see that she had been indeed shackled securely to the stone wall. She pulled forcefully against the chains, but it proved to be fruitless. If she had a hard time freeing herself from the Horseman's grasp, she sure as hell was going to be in for it now.
With a cry of frustration, Charlotte took a daring step towards the Horseman, "Bastard." She yelled at him right before his hand found her neck and firmly gripped it while he pressed her back into the wall. When Charlotte continued holding her chin up at his hostility, the Horseman snarled.
The only light that now burned within his icy blue eyes was feral and cold. An immediate tremor shot through her body at the Horseman's piercing gaze before she swallowed against his hand. The reality of her situation suddenly became painfully clear. No mater how hard she could fight him, or keep fighting him, he would always be the one in complete command.
"You took advantage of my…hospitality before." The Horseman crudely reminded, "Holds fair now that you return the favor." He added with a grim smile.
Charlotte blinked twice at his words, "What do you mean?" she returned, her eyes narrowing softly in suspicion.
"Your punishment is long overdue. But before I leave you locked down here in this cellar..." his voice trailed off for a couple seconds while he slowly closed off the distance between him and Charlotte, "…Ich plan zu haben mein rechtmäßig geschmack von ihnen."
German Translations (in order):
Kommen sie heraus,kommen sie heraus Charlotte. Machen Sie nicht dieses härtere dann es sein muss. =Come out, come out Charlotte. Don't make this harder then it has to be.
Ach Ich kann nicht, kann ich =Oh I can't, can I?
Zeit die höhe Charlotte = Time's up Charlotte
Ein wenig härter = …a little harder.
Sie wünschen spiele zu spielen, Charlotte?
=You want to play, Charlotte?
Spielen wir!
= Let's play!
Ich plan zu haben mein rechtmäßig geschmack von ihnen
= I plan to have my rightful taste of you.