The wooden lid slammed shut. "No!" Crane screamed, "Don't do this! Please!" He could hear dirt being placed upon the box in which he lay, restrained by strong vines. The dirt was being dumped into the hole at a very rapid pace, no doubt being manipulated by Henry. By Jeremy. His son, the Horseman of War. He struggled against the vines but each time he did they clenched even tighter around his whole body; his chest, his neck. He began to feel lightheaded...
Ichabod awoke to a scratching sound above him. It took him a moment to remember where he was. Underground, again. He didn't know why he had lost consciousness or how much time had passed, but thought it couldn't have been very long since he was still able to breathe. "Hello?" He tried to call out but was barely able to make a sound. The vines were still tight around his throat. After a few moments he began to see a bit of light flickering through the small spaces between the wooden slats. That's not the sun. Is that...a flashlight? More scratching noises. Then, he heard someone.
"I'm here! I've almost got you! Hold on!"
Is that Ms. O'Connor's voice? Impossible. Your brain is obviously deprived of oxygen causing you to hallucinate. She couldn't be here.
"Crane? Abbie? Hello? Do you hear me? I'm almost there!"
It is her. He tried to call to her, "Julie." It came out as a whisper. Once more, a little louder, "Julie." The straining of his throat against the vines made him cough.
"Hello? Ichabod? Is that you?"
She heard me. "Yes."
"Oh thank God! I've almost got you out of there! If I climb out can you push the lid open?"
He could only manage a faint, "No. Re- *cough* -strained."
"OK. Alright. Umm...Plan B." After a few moments, she called to him, "I'll have to get more of this dirt out before I can lift it from the outside. Will you be OK in there just a little longer?"
"Yes," he croaked. He wished he could say more but he just didn't have the ability. He wanted to say that his lungs were beginning to fill with clean air coming in through the small spaces between the boards and it felt wonderful. He wanted to ask her how she knew to come here and retrieve him. He wanted to say that when he heard her voice he was so overwhelmed with joy and relief that he felt like crying. He wanted to say thank you. Another time, perhaps.
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Julie hurried to remove the rest of the dirt, except for a small pile she kept in one corner so she could climb high enough to hoist herself out. She stepped back onto the solid ground and started to look for something she could use to pry the coffin open. She found a long branch with a tapered end that she hoped she would be able to wedge in to lift the lid. She didn't know what else was going on yet but what she did know was that Crane was alive. Despite the fact that this was just the beginning of a much bigger war, for the moment she had won this battle, and it felt like a sublime victory.
She maneuvered the branch down and tried to slip it between the lid and the edge of the box. It took her several tries but then, "I've got it!" Slowly she tried to lift the top up enough that she could wedge the branch inside. Again it took a few tries, as the leverage at this angle was very awkward. On her fourth try, she managed to flip the lid up high enough that so she could slide the branch in between just before it fell back down. Once that was wedged in, she ran and got another branch that had a broken limb protruding from the side of it. She lay on the ground on her stomach near the hinge side of the box, reaching the branch across and down to latch it onto the lid. Finally, something worked on the first try. She carefully pulled it open. She looked down and saw Ichabod, lying there helpless in a terrifying tangle of vines. My God. She immediately slid down into the wooden box and straddled Ichabod's waist, taking out a utility knife. When she put that knife into the pocket of her jeans before she left the house, she thought she may need it for something. She had no idea it would be this.
"Sorry about the less than proper seating arrangement, Crane. There's not a whole lotta room in here for two people and I have to get these off of you."
"Under...stood," he strained.
"I'm going to start with these," she motioned to the vines around his chest. "First to allow you to breathe more easily, and secondly to give me more room to take care of the vines around your neck without severing anything inside your neck." She managed to slide her hand behind one of the vines and began to saw through with her knife. It was not easy. The first one took her about twenty minutes to break completely through. Each one was a little easier than the last, though. It seemed that when one was cut, it slightly loosened the grip of the remaining vines. It must be all one giant creepy plant, Julie thought. When his chest was freed, she wriggled down and lay on top of him so she could get a close look at the restraints around his neck. Her head was leaning on his shoulder as she carefully pricked at the tangled mess. It felt very awkward being this close to Crane, especially without any conversation. She knew he couldn't say anything so she decided to break the silence with some small talk.
"Again, sorry for the close quarters. Gotta say, this isn't exactly what I had in mind when I've thought about being on..."
Even without being able to move his head Ichabod was able to shoot her an unmistakable look of disapproval out of the corner of his eye.
"Never mind." What is the matter with you around this guy? He doesn't think you're the least bit funny. Plus he was just buried alive and the world may be ending. Shut. Up. She continued with her task in silence.
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Julie sat up on Crane's torso. "Well, that's done. How do you feel? Are you able to talk?"
Ichabod stretched his head side to side took a deep breath. "Somewhat better. Yes. Thank you," he said with a bit more strength in his still quieter-than-usual voice.
"I'm sorry I nicked you a couple times."
"Small price to pay considering your task."
She started on his arms. Luckily, the majority of the vines that were holding them were the same ones that held his chest. He could already move them a little bit.
Crane looked up at Julie. She was a mess. Her hair half pulled back and half falling everywhere, her entire body covered in dirt and sweat, cutting at these dreadful vines. He thought about the fact that she spent the last several hours trying to save him with no one to help her. "When I said thank you, I meant thank you for coming. For doing all of this."
She stopped cutting and looked at him. "How could I not? There was no choice to be made here, Ichabod. You're very important to...to this war we've found ourselves in." Crane thought he saw her eyes get a bit glossy as she looked away from him for a moment before saying, "I'm just glad you're OK."
"How did you know I was here?"
"Jenny told me where you guys were headed." She resumed her cutting. "It was actually dumb luck that I noticed the ground here before wandering off."
"Why did Miss Jenny not accompany you?"
"She was in a car accident. She's in the hospital."
"Oh, no. How severe are her injuries?"
"Bad enough. Concussion, broken bones, they're not sure about internal stuff yet. She doesn't remember anything about the accident. She just remembers seeing the Saint's name and trying to warn Abbie."
"The Saint's name? St. Henry's Parish. Of course." He remembered the church from his era and never thought about the connection until that moment.
"So you know about Henry?"
"I know more than I wish to about our Mr. Parrish," Crane answered. In that moment everything came rushing back to Ichabod. He began to struggle to sit up. "My son. Abbie. Katrina. We must hurry!"
Julie held him down. "Crane, calm down. I'm going as fast as I can."
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When Julie was done with cutting Crane's arms loose she helped him to sit. He insisted to her that he release his own legs, over which she was uncomfortably crouched. He reached out his hand to take the knife. "You have done more than enough, Ms. O'Connor. Rest."
She kept the knife in her hand. "Sure, because it's not like you've gone through any physical stress over these past few hours."
He looked at her. He said more with his silent face, raised eyebrow and still-outstretched hand than most people could in a thousand words. He was not taking no for an answer. She handed him the knife and asked, "So what am I supposed to do? Sit on your lap?"
Crane leaned to the side. She stood up and awkwardly maneuvered around and behind him. As weird as it was to be chilling out in a coffin, Crane was right. She needed to rest. She slunk down and sat with her arms resting on her bent legs, facing Crane's back. "So, what happened?"
"We needed a witch to cast a binding spell to prevent the arrival of the second Horseman. Miss Mills and I opened the door to Purgatory with the intention of freeing Katrina. However, once we advised her of our plan Katrina informed us that she was not able to leave unless someone took her place."
"...Abbie?"
Crane nodded. "I left her there. I swore I would return for her but I just left her there, fulfilling the prophecy that I would deliver her into the hands of Moloch." He was beginning to cut a little more harshly into the vines.
Julie knelt behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Did you leave her there or did she choose to stay?"
He glanced back at her for a moment. "Does it matter?"
"Of course it matters, Ichabod. Abbie is a strong woman and wouldn't do anything she didn't want to do. She stayed because you needed Katrina to help end this. That is not your fault. None of this is your fault." She hated to bring it up but, leaving her hand on his shoulder she softly asked, "Where's Katrina?"
He didn't say anything right away, but Julie felt his body shake as if he was holding something back. Tears? Rage? She wasn't sure.
He continued cutting. She could hear anger building in his voice. "Katrina and I came back into this world and she tried to cast the binding spell. It wouldn't work because the second horseman was already there, standing next to us."
"Henry."
"Yes. He had - has - powers. He bound us to these trees. Then he revealed that he was not only the Horseman of War, but..." He dropped his head and swallowed audibly. "...our son, Jeremy."
Julie wanted to do or say something but she couldn't find any words that would possibly be appropriate.
Crane continued, "He hates us for abandoning him and now calls Moloch his true father. He has become…pure evil. He buried me in here, hoping I would die a slow and painful death, no doubt. And Katrina...his mother - he literally handed her over to the Horseman of Death right in front of my eyes. He rode away on his horse and took her God knows where and is doing God knows what..." He was hacking away at the vines so fiercely Julie was afraid he would hurt himself.
"OK Crane." She brought her other hand up and lightly rubbed his shoulders. "Calm down. You'll be no help to her if you sever a major artery with my pocket knife."
"I have to get out of here! I have to...DAMMIT!" He cut his finger and dropped the knife. It wasn't a terrible cut but it was bleeding.
"Alright, that's it." She reached around him and grabbed the knife, squirmed her way past him, and knelt over his thighs, facing his feet.
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When she was done freeing his legs, Julie helped Ichabod to stand.
"What do you say we get the hell out of here?"
"That sounds like a marvelous idea."
"I did have a dirt pile here, but when I opened the lid..."
"I'll hoist you up. Once you are out, you can assist me."
"Sounds like a plan."
Ichabod laced his fingers and Julie stepped up, reaching her arms to the solid ground above.
He glanced toward her. As much as he liked to pretend he was above such thoughts, he couldn't help but notice this was the second time recently that he found himself in close proximity to this part of an attractive female's anatomy. Strange, this era...trousers… He lifted her up and she crawled out. He took her hands to steady himself and used the coffin lid as a step, landing on his stomach on the ground. He squirmed up and Julie helped him to his feet.
"Where do we go from here, Crane?"
"I do not know," he said half under his breath as he looked around him. "He rode off with Katrina in that direction." He began to walk briskly down the path.
Julie followed behind. "Not to question your methods, but do you realize how many hours have gone by? They could be anywhere by now. I have a car you know, if you have any idea where he may have taken her."
"I can't imagine...The cave. Of course! The cave where I awakened. The place where she saved my life. It's only a theory, but I assume he would want to take her there as punishment for her love for me, and a constant reminder to feed his anger. We must hurry."
They rushed toward Julie's car. As they got to the road, Ichabod noticed she was shivering.
"Are you alright, Ms. O'Connor? You are shaking."
"Well, it's pretty chilly out here, I'm covered in sweat, and my hoodie is coated with dirt." She lifted it up as clumps of damp ground fell from it. "I'll be fine once we get in the car."
"Here. Take my coat." He began to slide it off his shoulders.
"Your coat?" Julie's eyes widened. "No, Crane. Really. I'm OK. I…I could never drive while wearing that anyway. It'd be huge on me."
Ichabod suspected there was another basis for her objection, but decided not to press the issue.
They got in the car and Crane instructed Julie where to go. The more he thought about it he was sure this was where he would find them. Julie pulled across the oncoming lane and pulled to the side, at the same place where Ichabod first stepped onto the unfamiliar paved road.
He unbuckled his seat belt. "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me this night, Ms. O'Connor. You have saved my life and possibly the life of my Katrina as well."
"You are very welcome. Now, let's go get your wife." She unbuckled her seat belt and started to open her door.
He grabbed her wrist. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm coming with you, obviously."
"No, you are not!" he said indignantly.
"Crane! Are you out of your mind? You can't go in there by yourself."
"On the contrary, Ms. O'Connor. It is you who cannot put yourself in additional danger. I won't allow it."
"Ichabod! That is my decision!" she contended.
"You are wrong," He tried not to sound as angry as he actually was that she was not heeding his words. "This is not your fight. It is mine. You have two small children who have already lost their father. I will not be responsible for them losing their mother as well."
She shouted, "It won't matter if they have a mother or not if you get yourself killed in there and nobody's left to stop the Horsemen from bringing about the fucking apocalypse! Now, will it!?"
Ichabod looked into her eyes, took a deep breath and spoke calmly. "This is not up for discussion, Ms. O'Connor. Go home." He got out of the car.
He walked around the back of the car and toward the stream that passed across the cave entrance. He heard a car door slam behind him. He paused, closing his eyes and pursing his lips with frustration. He turned on his heel and stomped back to the car, backing Julie up against the car with his body so his head was just inches from hers. He pointed his finger in the small space between their faces and said through clenched teeth, "I will not say this again. Go. Home." He turned and walked back toward the cave.
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Julie watched the light from Crane's flashlight flitter through the stream and disappear down into the cave. She stood there waiting a few minutes, in case he came back out. He didn't. She slid down the driver's side door to the pavement, buried her head in her hands and started to cry. It was the first moment she had to think about everything that had happened. Everything she had been through since she got here tonight, how exhausted she was, how much pain she was in, everything Crane told her about his son and Katrina and Abbie, even the strong feelings she had for Crane - whatever they were - all came streaming down her face. She stayed there for quite a while, purging herself of all the emotions that the adrenaline had repressed over these last several hours. She just sat there and cried. Eventually she stopped. She looked over at the motionless cave. She stood up, got in her car and drove away as instructed.