Western Woods – Day
The Horseman rips past on Daredevil and behind him Spencer rides as fast as Gunpowder is able.
Killian's Home, Kitchen – Day
It's a small home. Patrick, Desiree and Thomas have finished supper. Desiree clears the plates as Patrick picks his teeth with a knife.
"May I be excused, father?"
"Do you deserve to be?"
"I think so." Thomas says shyly.
"Then go." Patrick smiles as Thomas gets down from his chair. He goes to the fireplace to light a tallow wick, which he takes to the next room.
In another room, Thomas plops on the floor and lights his magic lantern with an outer sleeve of glass painted with silhouettes of lions and monsters. Thomas turns the lantern and looks to the walls where the creatures, shadows are thrown. He roars for them, imagining them real and having a grand time.
Back in the kitchen, Desiree comes for more dishes. "Don't pick your teeth. You teach Thomas bad habits."
Patrick pulls her to him playfully. "I am a bad habit. There's nothing for it."
Desiree kisses her husband. "No one knows better than I."
Back in the White Room Thomas continues his fun, shadow animals circling him. In the shifting light, a baby spider comes from a crack in the wall. Then, another spider skitters out. More follow.
Forest – Day
A black horse runs, hooves pounding the ground. Thunder is heard and the horse slows and stops…it is Nathan's horse, with Nathan aboard and he looks skyward. The storm harshens, roaring through the trees. He hears distant hoofbeats pounding the ground. He takes out his rifle off his shoulder. The hoofbeats grow louder and pass far away. He turns in the saddle and whistles. He kicks his horse and rides.
Killian Home, White Room – Day
Thomas still watches shadow beasts, but sees something else. He goes to the crack where hundreds of spiders flee all directions. Thomas is amused.
Behind Patrick in the kitchen, the mantelpiece stones pulse and breath almost imperceptibly. Demonic faces form then disappear and reform again, shifting. The wind howls.
Desiree enters the white room and looks at Thomas. "What are you doing there?" The magic lantern stops spinning and the shadow creatures freeze.
The entire house creaks and Patrick looks up in the kitchen. The creaking stop and the howling wind is loud.
Desiree comes to Thomas' side as he points to the corner in the white room.
"Spiders."
Desiree bends to see the swarming spiders. She looks up and notices the ferocity of the wind.
In the kitchen, Patrick stands and looks up. The house creaks again and then the wind ceases. And then there is an eerie silence. "Desiree…"
Desiree picks up Thomas and the magic lantern creatures begin spinning anew all around.
With a roar, the fire flares and Patrick looks. The fire shoots up the fireplace and then its gone. Behind him, the door splinters inwards. The Horseman steps in, a battle axe in each hand and the wind blasts. The door to the other room slams. Patrick grabs a kitchen chair and hurls it at the Horseman swings and smashes it aside. "Desiree…run!"
Desiree cries and hugs Thomas to her as she backs away. They both hear Patrick say "Get out!"
Back in the kitchen Patrick grabs an iron skewer from the fireplace, swings it to fend off a blow from the Horseman. The Horseman swings the other axe. Patrick ducks. The axe cracks the fireplace stone and throws sparks. Patrick lunges and jams the skewer into the Horseman. The skewer comes through the Horseman's back. The Horseman swipes with the flat of one axe…pounding Patrick aside. He hits the wall, bashing his head and hits the floor.
In the white room, Desiree kicks a carpet to reveal a trap door.
The horseman pulls the skewer out of his body and throws it. He goes to lift Patrick by the hair with one hand, brings back the axe in the other.
At the trap door, Desiree lowers Thomas to stairs leading to the cellar and Thomas is crying. "Don't let him get you, Thomas."
"Mommy…"
"You hide now…go…I love you." Desiree says a tears fall down her face.
She closes the trap door and frantically replacing the carpet. The room's door flies open and the Horseman strides in, carrying Patrick's severed head and she shrieks. The Horseman steps forward and knocks over the magic lantern.
In the cellar, Thomas hears his mother's screams and then hears her body hitting the floor. Thomas crosses the cellar and stumbles. He scurries into the shelter of a wheelbarrow propped against the wall. He hears the footsteps.
Above the cellar, the Horseman's hands place Patrick and Desiree's heads in a sack and cinches the sack shut. The Headless Horseman enters into the kitchen and bends to retrieve the battle axe he left. He stands and pauses.
Thomas' trembling hands pulls the wheelbarrow closer to him in the cellar. He tries to control his sobbing.
Back in the kitchen, the Horseman falls to his knees. He starts to chop at the floor with both axes. He chops fast.
A hole appear in the ceiling as debris falls. Thomas looks up terrified. He gets up to run away but the Horseman's arm shoves through above, grasping Thomas and yanks him up. Thomas screams and cries out.
Outside of the Killian farm, Nathan rides from the forest and charges across the field. At Killian's house, Daredevil rides up as the Headless Horseman walks out with his sack of heads. The Horseman ties the sack to the saddle and leaps up the horse.
Nathan puts his reins in his mouth, raising his rifle. The Horseman heads away, past the barn as Nathan gains. He aims and fires. The slug explodes and blows the Horseman off Daredevil. Daredevil keeps going. The Horseman's smoldering body is left face down. Nathan halts his horse and he climbs down pleased with himself. The Horseman moves and Nathan backs away and his satisfaction goes away. The Horseman gets on his knees. Nathan falls to one knee and begins to reload. He fills the gun from his powder horn. The Horseman stands, unsheathes his sword and turns. The blast has blown apart his uniform at the chest and shoulder, exposing rotten flesh and maggot-infested muscle. Nathan readies his ramrod and jams powder in the barrel. The Horseman charges. Brom stands, pulling out the ramrod. The Horseman is on him. Nathan swings the rifle and blocks it and sparks fly. The battle is on, with Nathan fending off the Horseman's sword whi his gun.
Across the field, Spencer and Gunpowder break into the open. He sees the battle between Nathan and the Horseman.
Up the field, the Horseman makes a backhanded swing, Nathan goes down and his rifle is sent flying. Nathan rolls to avoid as the Horseman slashes. Nathan flees and the Horseman pulls and throws a knife…the knife imbeds in Nathan's thigh. The Horseman runs towards Nathan.
Spencer closes in and pulls an unlit lantern off his saddle.
Nathan tries to get up and bends to extract the knife. The Horseman, mid-run, changes his sword grip and his blade down. He plants one foot on Nathan's back, raising his sword, about to skewer when Spencer arrives full gallop and smashes the lantern into the Horseman…knocking the Horseman off Nathan.
At the edge of the forest, Theodore and Glenn arrive on horseback. They hold a moment and watch. Nathan runs, limping to the barn with his goal in sight. He sees farm tools propped there. Nathan grabs scythes with long curved blades, one in each hand.
The Horseman rises.
Spencer turns Gunpwoder and leaps off, runs to Nathan.
The Horseman moves towards them, hefting a battle axe in his free hand.
Spencer steps up, pistol aimed and is furious. "For what it's worth…" and he fires.
The bullet rips through the Horseman's stomach to reveal putrid innards as he keep advancing.
At the forest, Theodore looks to Glenn, turns and flees.
Nathan steps up and the scythes are ready. He and the Horseman battle once again. Nathan blocks the axe and the sword, catching and deflecting blows. At the forest, Glenn follows Theodore away. Spencer grabs a long handled sickle. Nathan swings the scythes and the Horseman avoids it. Spencer moves to the side and looks for an opening. He swings the sickle and the Horseman blocks. The Horseman battles both at once, catching blows…countering every strike and metal rings. Nathan catches the Horseman's sword in one scythe, holding it off. Catches the axe handle in the other scythe. The Horseman flatfoots kicks Nathan in the chest and sends him down. Spencer swings the sickle blade. He hits the Horseman and the blade embeds to the hilt. The Horseman drops his axe and grasps the sickle jerking. The sickle handle slams Spencer and knocks him down. He crawls and tries to shake off the blow. He looks up and the Horseman staggers, spastically trying to pull the blade from his body. Nathan limps to Spencer and yanks him to his feet.
"We cannot win this, Reid."
They head towards the forest. Behind them the Horseman extracts the sickle and throws it. He strides after them and picks up his axe on the way.
Spencer and Nathan stumble down a hillside and Nathan points. "There…" They run to the dock at the edge of a wide, rapid river. They jump into a flat boat barge. "Go to the front and guide it." Spencer goes and Nathan uses a scythe to slash the ropes. Spencer picks up a guide pole. The barge lurches and sets free. Spencer struggles to push the boat out. It moves swiftly, caught in a rain swollen current. Nathan looks back and no Horseman. He leaves the scythe and moves to the front, hefting another pole to help guide. "Let's see him catch us now."
Spencer looks to the shore with a horrified look. "Look." He points ahead as the lightning illuminates the Horseman stands on the bank with Axe and sword. Daredevil is near.
"We'll pass right by the son of a bitch."
Spencer and Nathan push with the poles, trying for speed.
At the bank, the Horseman walks directly to the water. Just as he takes a step onto the water, the rain churned surface transforms…instantly becoming a sheet of ice. The ice spreads and supports the Horseman as he advances. Ice shoots out ahead of him, towards a point in the river where it will intercept the barge.
"My Christ."
The Horseman's ice bridge engulfs the barge and halts it. Spencer and Nathan are thrown and the barge is trapped. The Horseman nears and Nathan runs to the rear to retrieve his scythe. Spencer holds up the only weapon he has, his guide pole. The Horseman steps on board and Spencer swings. The Horseman's axe cracks the pole in half. The Horseman thrust with sword and into Spencer's chest…clean through. It sizzles as Spencer screams. The Horseman lifts him up, flips him and pulls the sword as Spencer goes smashing through the ice and under.
The water carries Spencer and slams him against the ice above. He is pulled down by the undertow. Spencer comes up gasping and choking on the rain. He treads water and looks at the barge. He sees the Horseman cut Nathan down, stands over him and chops with the sword. Spencer loses consciousness.