December 8 - Night
Spurned by the man she loved more than anything or anyone else in the whole world, Lillian had decided that if the Hessian would not accept her as a lover, let alone for a bride, then she would inspire herself to follow in his footsteps and commit murder. It stood against everything she was ever taught, but with nowhere else to go and no one to turn to, Lillian viewed herself as an outcast. Nobody in Sleepy Hollow would help her once they heard of what she said to the reverend, but being that she was without warm clothing or provisions, Lillian took the risk of trying to return to town and gather only the things she needed to survive out in the Western Woods, leaving behind anything else that was unnecessary. In order to do this, she would have to wait until nightfall, when everybody was sound asleep.
Under the cover of darkness, Lillian managed to sneak back into Sleepy Hollow. It was snowing outside, and if anyone were to look out their window, they would almost mistake her for a ghost. Sinatra did not accompany her mistress when she returned to town, for the raven had gone towards the direction of the Hessian's encampment. Lillian hoped that whenever Simara came back that she would present her with one of the mercenary's eyeballs, perhaps even both. Dark were her thoughts on everything, yet she did not care what anyone would have to say or think about her anymore. If people were in fear of her, then Lillian would embrace it. The idea of the townsfolk believing her to be a sorceress or a witch was riveting, malevolent as it were. Evil had taken control of her emotions, yet Lillian had no fear of where the beginning of this dark path would lead her to.
Walking upstairs to her bedroom above the tavern, Lillian opened the door and stifled a gasp, shocked to find Cassandra was lying in her bed, sleeping. Quietly, she closed the door behind her and slowly approached the bed, careful not to wake up the sleeping redhead. Leaning over to make sure she really was asleep or not, Lillian heard soft breathing from Cassandra, then straightened up before reaching a hand underneath the pillow, producing the silver dagger. She was surprised that Cassandra hadn't discovered it, but even if she had, that didn't matter to Lillian, as she raised the knife and made ready to plunge the dagger into the woman's breast.
Suddenly, Cassandra started to turn, moaning uncomfortably in her sleep as though she were having a nightmare. Lillian froze, watching the woman who had once been her friend. It wasn't very often she saw her in a vulnerable state such as this. Normally, it was Lillian who had to be comforted when having bad dreams, which she remembered having a lot of when she was a child. Back then, Cassandra and her shared a room together, and the little redhead was always there to console Lillian and remind her that nothing in her sleep could ever harm her. Thinking on this, Lillian shied away from committing the sin of murder, her eyes softening as she decided to lower the dagger and place it on the floor, sliding it under the bed to hide the would-be murder weapon.
"Evil spirits...Dark magic...", Cassandra said in her sleep, sounding frightened. "They're all around us...God in Heaven, save me!"
Placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, Lillian shook her gently and tried to rouse the redhead out of her slumber, saying, "Cassandra, wake up. You're dreaming."
Gasping, Cassandra opened her eyes and sat up right away, trying to catch her breath as a comforting hand placed itself onto her back. Looking to her left, Cassandra was surprised to see who was there to greet her.
"Lillian?"
"Yes, Cassandra. It's me. I came back."
"Where did you go? Why did you leave?" Cassandra asked.
"I had to leave", Lillian told her. "I insulted Reverend Steenwyck and thought he was going to murder me, so I ran away in fear."
Cassandra tucked a strand of hair behind Lillian's left ear, tracing her fingers down along the lining of her friend's jaw and bringing them to rest underneath her chin.
"I'm happy you came back", Cassandra whispered. "If anything had happened to you-"
"I didn't return for you, Cassandra", Lillian informed her. "I returned because I was thinking about going away. I did some thinking while I was in the Western Woods, and during that time, I fear an evil spirit might have had some influence over me. I'm ashamed of the things I thought about doing and no longer wish to act upon them. If God's will be done, I shall receive the consequences of my actions. I advise you do the same."
Cassandra said nothing at first, as she got off of Lillian's bed and folded her arms across her chest as she walked over to the window, staring out into the snowy night. "I know I should, but I don't want to", she said at last, looking over at the dark-haired maiden. "I'm not a normal woman, Lillian. You know that. My father will never accept me for who I am, and neither will you."
Standing up, Lillian walked over to the fiery-haired woman and said, "I do accept you, Cassandra, but only as a friend and a sister. Nothing more. If you valued our friendship, you would marry Albert Vaughn."
"I'm not hearing this", said Cassandra, turning around and walking three steps away from Lillian, who tried to reason with her.
"Cassandra, you don't understand. I think you would learn to love Albert, if only you would give him a chance."
Cassandra turned again to look back at Lillian and said furiously, "If you care so much for Albert, then you marry him!"
"But he doesn't love me!"
"Good! I'd rather you live out the rest of your life in celibacy, anyway. If you're so desperate for a husband and you want to marry Albert, go ahead. See how long it takes for you to discover him breaking his marriage vows, just like my father."
Lillian furrowed her eyebrows, glaring at the redhead woman. "How dare you say that. Not all men are like your father, Cassandra. Neither are all men like the three rapists who nearly killed me. Maybe you can't learn to let go of the past, but I can. Otherwise, I would be as bitter and resentful as you. The only difference between us is that you don't trust anyone."
Cassandra paused for a moment, then she said, "I trusted you, Lillian."
Lillian closed her eyes and turned around, sighing in frustration as she walked to the middle of the room, running her fingers through her hair, grabbing a handful in each palm.
"You went back to see him again, didn't you?" Cassandra asked. "The man who saved you that night? I think it's amazing how you continue to reprimand me for wanting to be with someone else, yet you are the one who is a hypocrite by doing the exact same thing with a man who I have yet to see!"
Releasing her hair as she lowered her hands back down to her sides, Lillian turned around and looked back at Cassandra. "Don't you know who I am?" She asked.
"Yes, Lillian, I know who you are...", said Cassandra. "You're depressing. You're a rain cloud that comes in the middle of a sunny day and ruins everything. Now that I know where your loyalties lie, I trust you no more."
"Then you and I no longer have a place here", Lillian stated. "What is it you think you and I should do?"
Looking back at the window, Cassandra pondered for a moment about what they should do. "Come with me."
Lillian blinked, looking surprised. "Pardon?"
"Run away with me tonight", said Cassandra, looking over at Lillian again. "I've heard stories from the outside world about women who have joined the cause under false names. We can do the same."
"No! Cassandra, it's too dangerous", Lillian objected. "We could get into serious trouble for impersonating soldiers."
"I don't care. I will do whatever I have to to serve my country, even if I die trying to fight for it. I know you're afraid, Lily, but think of what a great victory it will be when we defeat these people. Please, Lily, I beg you!"
Lillian stepped back, shaking her head. "No. No, I won't fight."
Cassandra stared at her, a horrified expression on her face. "You're a coward", she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I am not a coward!" Lillian protested, defensively.
"Then do what your father did. Join up with the rest of the colonies and fight!"
"I can't! Don't you understand that? My father was allowed to fight because he was a man. Men like him who are strong and brave are the ones who are allowed to fight, not foolish women like us who fill their heads with dreams of love and hope and fantasy."
"Then from this moment on, I refuse to be called a woman", Cassandra declared. "From here on out, I shall live and die like a man!"
"Don't even think about saying something so blasphemous", Lillian warned her.
"I am no more blasphemous than you are, you traitor. I'm leaving Sleepy Hollow tonight, and there's nothing you can do about it. Goodbye, Lillian Waise. Good luck with your sad, pathetic life."
Walking over to the door, Cassandra purposely bumped her shoulder against Lillian's, and the dark-haired maiden found she had no more patience or tolerance for the stubborn woman. Cassandra was only one step away from walking towards her death. Lillian could feel it in her bones. She didn't want Cassandra to die, but then again, Lillian was disgusted with the red-headed woman and couldn't care any more or less if anything happened to her. Indeed, it was complicated.
"Cassandra!" Lillian called out, to which the redhead turned back to look at her. Lillian turned around and stared at the redhead before making her own prediction. "Heed my warning, Cassandra Mortner. If you leave this place tonight, you will die."
Cassandra was silent, then she said, "So be it." Having nothing more to say, the red-headed woman turned to open the door and walked out, slamming it behind her.
Lillian remained standing where she was as she listened to the receding sound of Cassandra's footsteps. She felt like crying or breaking down, but before she could decide which to choose, Lillian heard a tapping sound on her window and turned around, seeing Simara was perched on the sill outside. The young woman went over to open the window and let Simara inside, stroking her feathered friend on the top of her head, then Lillian turned her attention back outside her window, looking towards the Western Woods.
Suddenly, the temperature in the room turned deadly cold, and not just because the window was left open by Lillian. "Go away, phantom", she said out loud.
"Are you referring to me or the woman about to leave town?" A male voice questioned. Lillian turned around, seeing the ghost of her father standing behind her. Simara spread her wings and flew over to land on his left shoulder. Nikolas turned his head to look at the raven, who rubbed her head against his short-bearded face.
"What are you doing here, Father?" Lillian asked.
"Simara summoned me here to talk to you", Nikolas answered, looking back at his daughter as he addressed her. "Ravens have the power to travel between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead, remember?"
"Did you come here to warn me again?" Lillian inquired.
"Yes, I did, but before I repeat what I have already told you, there's something I need to show you", said Nikolas. "You may not like what you see, but I assure you that what I am about to reveal to you is for your own good, so you have a better understanding of the man you still long for."
Although she was reluctant, Lillian knew she couldn't say no to her father and asked him, "What is it you want me to know about the Hessian?"
Raising his right hand, Nikolas covered his daughter's eyes, which Lillian closed before his fingers placed themselves over her eyelids. After that, everything changed.
Opening her eyes again, Lillian found herself lost in total darkness. Looking around, she saw a dim, orange light in the distance and felt her father's hand place itself upon her shoulder.
"Where am I? What is this place?" Lillian questioned.
"It's not a place, it's a memory", said Nikolas. "Just remember, Lillian, what I am about to show you is everything you need to know about him." Keeping his hands on her shoulders, Nikolas led his daughter towards the light, showing her into an elaborate bedroom that might have been in a mansion. The orange light came from the flames burning in the fireplace, bathing the room in a soft, warm glow, but the sight they came upon was anything but comforting or pleasant. Two servants were standing next to a bed, trying hard not to weep as the doctor checked the pulse of a dark-haired woman, who was lying very still, her skin pale as snow, and if Lillian wasn't mistaken, there was blood on her legs, the crimson color staining the bedsheets from the many hours of labor the poor woman had endured before her untimely demise.
Suddenly, the doors burst open. Lillian and her father looked to the left, recognizing the man who entered as he gazed in horror upon seeing the dead woman. Much like his wife, his skin was also pale, his dark hair combed back from his face. His mouth hung open in shock, showing two rows of teeth that were perfectly straight. His blue eyes were filled with sadness, failing to hold back tears as he approached the bed. The doctor stepped aside, allowing the man to take hold of the dead woman's body. The husband held her close as he wept into her shoulder, begging in his native German for her to come back to him. The doctor placed a hand on the man's shoulder, showing a sympathetic expression on his face before he looked over at the two servants, one of them holding a bundle in her arms, a miniature figure wrapped in a bloodied cloth. The doctor ordered them to take it away and burn the body of the infant who never once drew breath. The husband didn't even notice they had gone, and even if he had, he wouldn't have tried to stop them, for he was too consumed with his grief to care, as he continued crying over the loss of his wife.
"Why are you showing me this?" Lillian questioned her father.
"Because you needed to see the Hessian as he was before he became the man he is now", said Nikolas. "There are some things he would rather not remember, but those things are not so easily forgotten when his heart is still a prisoner of the past. With her death, the Hessian transformed himself into something fearsome and pledged his loyalty to the British before leaving his country. They may have his service and devotion, but they hold no ownership over his heart. He lost it a long time ago, on the night he lost his wife and child. He's lost sight of the man he used to be."
"Is that why he's so...savage?" Lillian asked.
"Yes", Nikolas answered. "As long as her memory lives in his heart, the Hessian will never love you. His blood lust is insatiable, and he will not stop killing until he draws his last breath."
"There has to be a way to stop him", said Lillian, turning around to face her father. "Tell me whatever it is that must be done. I can stop him before it's too late."
"It's already too late for him. You and I both know that. The future holds nothing for the Hessian, because there is no future for him."
"Are you saying he must die?"
Nikolas cupped his right hand to his daughter's left cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "To bear the gift of foresight is a complicated thing. There are misfortunes that come with the ability to see the future, but there is also reward in it. The Hessian does not see his death as a misfortune, but as a reward to leave this world and enter into the next one, where he hopes to reunite with his wife and daughter."
"Then you will not help me?" Lillian asked.
"No, I will not", Nikolas answered. "The people whose fates you were shown have one chance to repent and live a decent life, but if they choose not to be content with the lives that God has chosen for them, then the consequences of their actions will be entirely on them. You are not to interfere in their lives anymore. This is my last warning to you. Your time is running out, Lillian. If you do not leave Sleepy Hollow soon, it will be too late for you."
"I don't have anywhere else to go."
"Yes, you do. You just have to take the first step. We will talk again soon. For now, you must sleep. Do not worry about the reverend. The threat he made towards you was an empty one. I promise you will be safe here for the night. Until next time, my child."
Sensing that someone was approaching outside, Lillian turned around and walked over to the window, looking down as she watched a figure in a black-hooded cloak heading out of town. The figure stopped and turned their head left, gazing up at the young woman looking down from the window of the room above the tavern. It was Cassandra. Lillian stared back at the redhead, who showed disappointment on her face before she looked away and left town forever. Lillian knew it would be the death of her friend by letting her go, but Cassandra's mind was made up. The strong-minded woman could no longer stand back and let the British army or the Hessian Horseman kill anymore Americans.
Closing her window, Lillian turned back to look at her father, only to discover that he had already vanished. Emotionally drained from the unpleasant events of the day, Lillian walked over to her bed and sat down before she lifted her legs up to lie herself flat on the mattress, then she closed her eyes and waited to fall asleep.
