After they had both had showers they went straight to the bedroom and within minutes she was sound asleep it took a bit longer for him to fall asleep with so much on his mind but eventually he drifted to sleep,

and was surrounded by blackness, he tried to run and as he did the darkness started to fade and was replaced by forest and he was running through the forest, crashing through anything and everything in his path. " LEFTENANT!" he screamed knowing where he was " LEFTENANT I'M COMING".
" CRANE" she screamed her voice clearly pained.
" I'M COMING!" he screamed as loud as he could. ' almost there' he thought. He ran out into the clearing just in time to see the horseman swing his axe across her chest.
" ABBIE" he screamed running to her as fast as his legs would allow and then suddenly he stopped, he couldn't move he was paralysed and he could see the forest slowly turn to darkness he turned to Abbie who lay dying on the forest floor crying for hi, then she was gone and everything around him was black like an abyss threatening to swallow him. He tried to scream but no noise came out and suddenly he was falling and he could see light starting to crack through the darkness.

He woke up and felt like he was about to hyperventilate, after a moment he regained his composure and slowed his breathing, that's when he realised that Abbie had awoken just as he had. He looked over at her" Abbie, did i wake you?" he asked although judging from her rapid breathing and the amount of sweat on her forehead he guessed she had woken up from a nightmare same as he.

" No" she said.

" Nightmare too?" he asked.

" Yeah" she said looking over to him " It was different, i mean it was the same but it felt different, more real". He knew what she meant he had felt it too.

" Like i was more aware of my surrounding yes i felt it too" he said.

" Do you think it means something?' she asked.

" Since when has anything not meant something more when the two of us were involved, But i also noticed something else that i think may be of some significance" he said turning his body to face her.

" What?" she asked.

" Where the horseman sliced your chest, it is the same spot where he sliced mine" he said siting up to show her the scar although she had seen it numerous times before.

" Huh, so it is, could it just be that he swings the axe at that level so it always leaves a scar there?" she asked.

" I do not believe so, you and are very different heights if he swung at the same level each time then he would have hit your head not your chest" he said.

" Ichabod Crane are you calling me short?" she teased just so she could see him squirm his way out.

" What, oh no i was simply relaying a fact" he said.

" Oh so now it's a fact that i'm short?" she said watching him frantically search for the right words.

" Oh no that's not what i meant, i simply meant to say that my chest is at the height that your head is so if the horseman were to consistently swing at one height then you would have had a different wound" he said.

" Okay, okay don't worry i was just kidding" she said laughing.

" Oh" he said settling back down onto the bed. It was still dark so they could still get some sleep if they were lucky.

" Crane" she said softly.

" Yes?".

" What if the horseman does know and he comes after me?" she asked the fear still evident despite the fact she was trying to hide it.

" Well then i will cut him down" he said.

" But what if you aren't there?" she asked like a child asking about the monster in the cupboard.

" Well if you wish i will not leave your side"

" I wish" she said moving over to lay her head on his chest.

" Then i vow to not leave your side until the horseman has been cut down" he said, he wanted to finish off the sentence with ' and forever after that' but he still wasn't sure if she held the same feelings for him that he held for her so he kept his mouth shut inside moving his arm around her waist and gently pulling her closer to him.

" Thank you" she said softly.

" There is no need for thanks this is just me continuing to honour my vow to never allow anything to harm you".

" Not for that for everything " she said.

" No need to thank me i should be the one thanking you, you are the only thing that keeps me sane in this time" he said sincerely " Now close your eyes, you need to rest".

" Good night Ichabod" she said softly, closing her eyes.

" Good night Abigale".