Chapter 9
It had been three months since Henri had disappeared from Sleepy Hollow. Since then the town remained quiet, although the occasional angry spirit or vengeful witch kept things exciting. Ichabod spent these past months regaining Abbie's trust. He promised never to hide secrets from here and she promised to stay open minded. Tonight was their weekly movie and takeout night, an old tradition, and Ichabod was tasked with picking up the food. After thirty minutes of waiting, the food was ready for pickup. In the past year Ichabod had acquired a taste for Indian food. "Thank you. I know the Chicken Tandoori will be delicious as always," Ichabod said to the man at the restaurant counter.
Ichabod exited the restaurant with a bag of hot food in tow. Although he loved the excitement of driving, he still preferred to walk. He enjoyed walking in downtown Sleepy Hollow, especially at night when the street lights were on. As Ichabod walked he fell into a pleasant trance. He thought about his childhood, his first time eating cotton candy, and the day he met Abbie. The sound of footsteps pulled him back to reality. Suddenly Ichabod stopped and turned around. There was no one behind him, which made him even more nervous. "Hello? Reveal yourself," Ichabod shouted into the darkness.
"Il est bon de vous voir Ichabod Crane," the voice said. Ichabod quickly spun around to face the very familiar voice. "Why are you here," Ichabod shouted angrily.
Henri stood before Ichabod dressed in a slim fitting gray suit and a confident smile. Ichabod raised an eyebrow as he inspected his adversary. Ichabod thought wearing a full suit at 8pm on a Thursday was a little excessive. "I just wanted to say hello Ichabod. I'm not here to cause problems or kill you," Henri said calmly.
Ichabod clutched the bag of food and took a defensive stance. "You should leave Henri. You have no business here," Ichabod said.
Henri walked closer to Ichabod. "Calm down old friend, I'm not going to hurt you. Think of this as a social visit."
There was no way that Ichabod was going to stand on a street corner and argue with a vampire. So he decided to push pass the vampire and continue his journey to Abbie's apartment. "My food is getting cold. Good night Henri."
Henri was shocked and a little bit offended. "How dare you walk away from me? You think you're better than me! You think you're better for Abbie than I am? She would never want you Ichabod Crane. Honestly you're one step above being a zombie," Henri shouted.
Ichabod took a deep breath and returned his attention to Henri. "Abbie is the truest friend I have ever had. I will always protect her from those who want to harm her. That includes you Henri. You are a monster, but you're too blinded by pride and rage to see it."
Henri ignored Ichabod and drew his attention to an elderly couple that had just exited a bakery. He was hungry and they looked like an easy meal. Henri rubbed his fangs and said, "I have to go now, my stomach is starting to grumble. After all breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Or in my case it would be dinner. Tell Abbie that I'm thinking of her."
Before Ichabod could think of a witty response, Henri was gone. Ichabod lowered his head and continued walking down the brick sidewalk. He immediately realized the dilemma he faced. Should he tell Abbie about his meeting with Henri or keep this to himself? The last thing he wanted was to keep more secrets from his friend.