Kiya: Man I can't sleep... Well here's the next chapter.

Chapter One: The Real Madman

Ichabod was deep in sleep. Usually, he would be dreaming of his innocent mother when he was a boy. How he would play games with her in the meadow and how she taught him of some witchcraft. But with these pleasant memories came the horrible end to her life by his father's own hands. But this dream was different.

Ichabod was himself, walking through the Indian Trail towards the Tree of the Dead. As the tree came into view the Horseman stood by the base of the tree, grinning as he saw the constable coming his way. Ichabod looked shocked as he stood there, staring at the Horseman as he extended his arm toward the constable.

Come to me Ichabod... the Horseman spoke in a soothing voice to the constable. The way the voice sounded didn't seem right for the Horseman but still, it lulled him in a trance-like state that he couldn't escape. Slowly, Ichabod walked towards the Horseman as his hand came up to grab the ghost's. Before their fingers nearly touched, Ichabod jolted, violently, out of his sleep and into the waking world.

"What in the world?" the constable questioned as he took to his shrouding. Last time, he was in the woods just as the Horseman returned to the tree and back in hell with Lady Van Tassel. He then recall that the Horseman said something to him and then fainted after seeing Lady Van Tassel's hand move. It seemed that after he fainted, Katrina and Masbeth got him and themselves back in the town and in Katrina's manor. He was right; this was Ichabod's room during his stay in Sleepy Hollow.

With that in knowledge, Ichabod started for the door when his wound started to pain again. Instantly, Ichabod fell down and reached for his chest. It was started to hurt worse than before, like there was something burning inside his chest. As Ichabod was starting to get up the door opened and an elderly man came through.

"Mr. Crane, what are you doing up out of bed?" the man spoke. His voice was rough within the years that past by. He came towards the constable as he helped him back into the bed. "You should be resting, especially with a wound like that." Ichabod looked at his wound as he started to see that the edges were turning black.

"Who are you?" Ichabod asked as he sat on the bed.

"I'm Dr. Lancaster," the old man spoke.

"That's impossible! Dr. Lancaster was murdered by the Minister," Ichabod objected.

"That was my son, Lancaster Jr. I'm Lancaster Sr." Dr. Lancaster corrected. Ichabod looked astonished by the old man who claimed to be the father of the late Lancaster.

"Then that would mean..." Ichabod started.

"That I'm 69 years old and still well enough to kick your ass if you call me immortal," Dr. Lancaster joked but his eyes told a different story. Ichabod silenced himself, believing that he was right about what he said. "Now, from what my son observed, your wound should had killed you but it was already cauterized before he started to treat it."

"By the Horseman," Ichabod confirmed to the old doctor.

"But now it seems that the outside where the wound is, is starting to turn black," the doctor examined as he touched the wound. Ichabod hissed in pain as the finger slightly touched the burnt skin "I was hoping you would inform me as to how your wound started to turn black and also still hurts as if the flames of hell were touching it?"

"How do you know the wound burns?" Ichabod question astonished that he didn't have to tell the doctor that the wound felt like it was burning him.

"Anything that sword touches would burn someone, even if it was a light touch," Dr. Lancaster informed as he stared down at the wound. "The young Van Tassel has yet to inform me as to how you defeated the Horseman."

"Well I gave his head back to him," Ichabod announced proudly. Dr. Lancaster turned to his face with a look that would kill if it could.

"You did what?" the doctor asked with venom in his voice. "You gave that damned demon its head back!"

"Is there a problem?" Ichabod asked looking nervously at the gentleman.

"You're damn right there's a problem!" Dr. Lancaster yelled as he threw up his hands in the air. "Why in the name of the seven layers of hell did you give it back to him?"

"I thought that by giving his head back to him, he would leave the town in peace," Ichabod stated.

"You damn right he'd leave, but not after leaving the town in pieces and everyone dead with it!" Dr. Lancaster stomped away from the now confused constable and towards the window. "You have any idea what you'd done? There was a damn reason why he was decapitated back then and now you, of all the idiots in the world, had to go and release him from his prison!"

"W-what? The council never told me that," Ichabod whispered.

"That ingrate of a son didn't tell you?" Lancaster asked looking like he was ready to kill someone, "That bastard! After all the times I told him about the Horseman he never told you! Well isn't this just great?"

"Maybe the Horseman will rest in peace," Ichabod suggested to the doctor trying to calm him down.

"Rest in peace my ass!" the doctor swore as he made his way to the door, "The only damn time that bastard would rest is if there's no one to kill. And now, thanks to you, he'll be able to kill who and when now that he's free! I also say that since you're the idiot that helped him, you'll be the first he'll kill. Congratulation!" With that he slammed the door, leaving Ichabod shocked by the outburst the doctor made.

What seemed like an eternity of silence, Ichabod looked up to see the door open again with Katrina and Masbeth, following behind her.

"Ichabod are you alright?" Katrina asked looking very scared and worried.

"We just saw Madman Lancaster leave the manor when Lady Katrina and I came back from town," Masbeth informed; he, too, looking scared.

"Madman Lancaster?" Ichabod asked, thinking about the odd name as well.

"Well, it's a rude term and nearly everyone in town uses when they see him," Katrina informed as she started to calm down a bit and glared at Masbeth, "Just because he's old and likes to tell his verison of the Headless Horseman. But everyone knows it isn't true what he says about the Horseman."

"I'm not sure," Ichabod whispered low to himself that only he could hear. 'Because I think he's right.'

Kiya: Well this is a drama twist. What does Lancaster mean when he said prison? Will Ichabod find out what's wrong with his wound? And will Katrina openly admit that she's crazy about him? Why am I asking you? I know the answers all ready. Stay tune and please read and review!