Chapter 2

Wounded Lamb

And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. ~~Revelation 5:6

And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." ~~Revelation 21:5

An involuntary grunt escaped from her as he fell on top of her. Her punch to the groin hadn't quite made it to the desired location to incapacitate him while she made her get away. After taking off at the quickest speed she could manage given her confining outfit, she turned around to make sure he was down. And just like Lot's wife, she was frozen into the proverbial pillar of salt. The last thing she remembered was his cravat coming right for her.

"Abigail, are you hurt? There are no time for games. We must get back to the CVS and to 1776. Aside from abandoning my regiment, I was in the middle of a scintillating chapter of that new Thomas Paine book, Common Sense. I was going to loan it to you next, remember?" Ichabod said as he looked down at her lying below him. She had finally stopped squirming, realizing she could not throw him off with her petticoats and the stay lacings of her bodice.

"I'm fine, but I'll be better if you let me go and stop this crazy talk. My name is Abbie, and I live in the 21st century. Maybe you are trying to get to the meth party down the street." She looked into his eyes, able to see their color for the first time tonight. The moon was full, illuminating the sky with uncharacteristic brightness. She was taken by his verdant green eyes and long lashes, far too long for a man's. I wish my lashes were that long.

He was equally mesmerized by her light brown eyes, the color of light scotch. He saw how she looked in his eyes as if this was the first time. Does she really not know me? Did the CVS do that much damage to her memory? His eyes swept over her the rise of her nose to the divot above her top lip.

"This damned get up is the only thing that prevented me from getting away. How do women breath with the pressure of these stays. Who wants to take the time to go to the bathroom with all these damned petticoats," Abbie said.

"My feelings should be hurt, but they aren't given the circumstances. I had this dress made for you to wear to the Patriots' ball Commander Washington is giving," Icabod said.

Abbie couldn't help but laugh. "Have you gone daft darling, Abigail?" he asked as she giggled and hiccuped.

"No shit, Sherlock! Either the lack of oxygen to my brain because of these lacings is making me delusional or the punch at Irving's party is laced with something stronger than vodka. So let me get this straight. I am your betrothed in 17 fuckin' 76 in the United States of America...no, no...wait the 13 colonies in a country...wait again...loosely held together provinces…that considered me three-fifths of a person...I can read, obviously since you were going to loan me a book and now you had a dress made for me to attend some ball thrown by George Washington who by the way I work for. This is so appropriate for Halloween. Move over Legend of Sleepy Hollow, hello Colonial Freaks Come Out At Night!" Abbie said between giggles and fits of laughter.

Ichabod didn't quite know what to do. He'd never seen her like this.

"I don't understand, Abigail. Who is Sherlock and why would you command him to do that?" Ichabod said, which made her laugh all the more. After awhile, she stopped. He looked genuinely concerned which arrested her attention. She made a little moan of discomfort because he was getting heavy. She didn't know who kissed whom first. All she knew was that his lips were on hers. The kiss was slow and consisted of them taking turns gently sucking on the other ones top and bottom lips. Abbie noted how familiar it felt to kiss him. It made her want to kiss him more so she deepened the kiss with a foray of her tongue between his lips. He respond with a little gasp as if he was surprised at her.

"Abigail, we've never kissed like that before," he murmured against her lips, sliding his tongue inside her mouth. They were both so caught up in each other that they didn't hear the footfalls in the grass.

"Well, well, well, and here I thought you only wanted to give it up to Irving. Are you going to come up for air and introduce me to this guy you are liberally exchanging DNA with?" Jenny said smugly.

Abbie froze. She pushed Icabod off her, successful this time. She sat up and extended her hand to Jenny who pulled her up. Ichabod followed suit.

"Now you want to come and rescue me. Jenny meet Ica...um." Abbie attempted, now realizing she hadn't really digested his full name or committed it to memory.

Ichabod extended his hand to Jenny. "Hello, I am Icabod Crane. And you are...?"

A big smile spread over Jenny's lips. "Oh, I like it. He literally speaks the queen's English. "I am Jennifer Mills. Jenny for short if you can be informal. I am Abbie's sister or maybe you don't know the name of the woman you were just grinding on, Downton Abbey man."

I'll never understand they way people speak here, he thought. "Miss Jenny, so nice to make the acquaintance of Abigail's...sister." He motioned to take her hand, bent low and kissed the top of it.

"So…what are you two doing out here besides the obvious," Jenny asked.

"I was just seeing Mr. Crane out, Jenny. I'll be back up to the party soon. Thanks for checking up on me. I won't be long, okay?" Abbie said matter of factly.

"Okay, I'll be on the porch waiting for you, sister. It was nice to meet you. Hope to make your acquaintance again," Jenny said.

"And I you, Miss Mills," Ichabod said.

Jenny walked away, taking looks back and then walking backwards. She finally made it to the porch, taking a seat on the porch swing.

"Your sister on this side of history, my dear, is nothing like the Jennifer on the other side," Icabod said. He grabbed her hand and turned to face her.

"Abigail, we need to get back. Time is ticking and not chronological time," Ichabod said, an insistent edge to his voice.

"How about this? Against my better judgment, I'm going to walk with you to this CVS contraption you keep mentioning. If I go with you and it's an authentic time travel machine, then I will get on. If it is not, then we both stay here and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you take me to dinner in regular clothes. You're kinda cute and I like you. Any guy who goes to these limits to pick up a girl, deserves at least a second chance. So do we have a deal, Mr. Crane?" Abbie asked. She winked at him.

She had enjoyed their encounter thus far. He didn't give off pervert vibes so she was willing to see where this went.

Ichabod was still concerned with the affect the CVS had on her. He was willing to take her deal if it mean she would walk with him to the CVS.

"Abigail, you have a deal. Shall we?" he said.

"Yes, but I need to let me sister know where I'm going so she won't follow us," Abbie said reaching in her bodice for her phone. She punched out a text to Jenny.

AM: Going for a walk with him. He's cool.

JM: Be back in 60 minutes or I'm coming to look for your. You have the revolver in your ankle holster if he gets squirrelly.

AM: OK sis. Love you Lots.

JM: Be careful. Ditto.

Icabod looked at her with wonder as she swiped through the screens. "What is that? A magic box? How does it stay illuminated like that? Are those letters?" Ichabod pulled if from her hand mesmerized.

"Down boy," Abby said. "This is a cell phone. I can make calls, send messages, and surf the internet with this magic box. Hmm, I guess the phone came after the Industrial Revolution so the character you're playing wouldn't know about cell phones yet. I won't try to explain the internet. This little game we're playing is fun."

Abbie retrieved and re-stowed her phone in her bodice. They walked in silence to what Abby thought was going to be his car. She hoped for more kisses, exchanging of phone numbers, and a goodbye. As they walked, Abby noticed something white and fluffy standing beside a tree. She walked towards it.

"Oh look. Is that a lamb?" Abby asked. She stuck out the top of her hand, hoping to get it to come to her. "Hi, little lamb? Are you looking for Mary? Your fleece are white as snow. I thought that everywhere Mary went, you were sure to go," Abbie recited in a sing song voice. She moved closer and rubbed its nose. It started to make bleating sounds which made Abby smile. She looked up at Ichabod who was staring at the lamb curiously.

"Don't look so serious. I'm sure some ambitious Trick-or-Treater lost their prop. I am not going to leave it here. Why don't you bring your car, and I'll try to lead it to you. We can put it in your back seat."

"Abigail, we don't have time for this. I don't have a...what is a car?"

Abbie rolled her eyes, "Damn it! You are taking this too far. Break out of character already!"

At that moment the whooshing sound of something careening through the air, silenced Abbie. She and Ichabod looked up simultaneously as a crude looking axe made revolutions in the air coming in the direction of Abbie and he lamb. Ichabod reached out and pulled Abbie back to him with so much force that they both fell to the ground just as the axe made contact with something they could not see. A deadly silence was thick in the air. Abbie scrambled to her feet and ran to the lamb. The dark red blood poured out of it's chest around the wound. The axe was sticking out of the lamb's upper chest. Abby cried out in grief for the lamb. She didn't understand the depth of her grief until she started weeping, trying to figure out a way to help the lamb. She rubbed its head and its right eye opened slowly revealing golden irises. Abby gasped at the sight. She immediately reached for the handle of the axe and pulled it out. More blood poured out, warm against her hands. All of a sudden the lamb made motions to rise to its feet. Abbie was frozen in place as it rose on its legs and started to walk into the heavy underbrush of the forest. She made motions to follow it, but it turned towards her and roared. The sound that came forth sounded like a hundred lions roaring at once. Then there was silence as it disappeared. The silence was immediately overtaken by the sound of the galloping. Before Abbie could place the origin of the sound, she was swept up into Ichabod's arms and over his shoulder.

"What the hell are you-?" Abbie screamed punching Ichabod in the back. She turned and twisted and was finally able to get a look of at the horse. It was a big and stately pale white horse. Atop it sat an equally grand, headless figure, brandishing an axe much like the one that had wounded the lamb. Abbie's heart sank and she held on hoping that this was another ambitious Trick-or-Treater.