Headless (12 page)

     It turns towards the stairs, a new, worthy, head on it's shoulders, and it's eyes open to reveal pitch black corneas. As the building goes up in flames, the Horseman makes it's way up the stairs, the trophy heads, Dougie's body, and the Horseman's original skull, left to the flames.

CHAPTER XXI

     Katerina buttons up her pants, sitting on the arm of the dusty couch. She grabs her shirt, pulling it over her head, and clears her throat, looking back at Amir, who is still resting his head on the back of the dusty old couch. A content and rested look on his face. He looks her way out of the corner of his eye, and grins. Neither saying a word.

     She brushes her hair back, and leans back, kissing him. He props her up with one hand, and rests the other on her hip. Katerina loves the feeling of his hands on her body. Strong, rough hands, but gentle and warm as well.

     “Did you enjoy it?” She whispered, pulling away. Kat wasn't often self-conscious, but like most people, sex has a way of bringing it out in her.

     “The best I've ever had,” he spoke softly in return, making sure to look in her eyes when he said it.

     He leaned forward and kissed her collar bone, as she smiled widely. She was glad that it had started raining. Too much tension, and too much drama tonight. This alone time was what she wanted more than drunk friends and ridiculous squabbles. To her satisfaction, Amir seemed to be just as pleased.

     She laid her head on his shoulder, as he ran his fingers gently through her hair, brushing it out. She could tell just from the feeling of it that their sexual activities had messed it up a bit, but she really didn't care. She could always throw it back in a ponytail and go on about her business, if her friends were going to pester her about why it was a mess. These types of things weren't worth getting worked up about.

    
Tonight was a good night,
she thought.

     The rain was pounding a rhythm on the roof above them. Kat was impressed with how few leaks there were. These people could build a sturdy house. She was certain if her childhood home had been left for at least a hundred years unattended, it would be in complete shambles. At least that's what her father complained about with every trip to the hardware store on his days off.

     Amir suddenly, and quickly perked up as thunder crashed outside. She flinched at his sudden reaction, but even being startled, he was mindful enough to grab her waist, so she didn't fall. She began to laugh at him being spooked by the storm, before she registered his face in the low-light, and saw the look of confusion.

     “What's wrong? It's just a storm.”

     “You don't smell that?” He looked around, before turning his attention to her.

     “Smell what?”

     The house they took shelter in was full of old dead things. Dirt, dust and grime, that had made it through two World Wars. And a faint rotting scent filled the air that could have been basically anything. It smelled wet, old and dead. B
ut there was something new,
she sensed.  Not quite able to make it out from the rest of the smells filling her nose, and memory bank, but it seemed familiar...

     “It's fire,” Amir noted.

     She nodded. That's what it was; wood burning. Memories of high school campfires after Football on Friday nights, camp-outs, and the night she lost her virginity...
no, we won’t be remembering that one.

    
“Do you think I should go check it out?” He inquired, looking up at her.

     “It's probably just Harold or Danny fucking something up. Or Jackie saw a spider and said fuck these woods, didn't need them anyways. We're alone, I'd like it to stay that way.”

     She turned, straddling him and kissing him. He returned the kiss, resting his hands on her ass as she slowly ground herself into his groin. She felt him start to harden again against her thigh, and her kiss intensified, as she grabbed his face with each hand. He gasped and pulled away, shaking his head.

     “I need to go out and make sure they're alright.”

     “Probably a good idea,” she conceded.

     She knew she wasn't going to get his attention for the next round until he did he fulfilled his good-guy nature. He leaned up and kissed her once more, hoping to keep her satisfied enough before lifting her up, and scooting her back so he had enough room to get up.

     Katerina let him pass, and he was out the door in a flash.

     She fell back against the chair, and it returned a cracking sound, as the old wood gave way. If it was going to break on her sitting back on it, she questioned just how did it survive what she, and Amir had done? Kat reached out and patted the old piece of furniture, thanking it for not falling apart. She yelped out when the door burst open, and a soaked Amir, ran back in.

     “What the hell happened?”

     “We need to go, now.”

     “Did they get the van unstuck?”

     “Would you just come the fuck on? Please!” He screamed, extremely alarmed.

     She leapt to her feet at how scared he seemed. What happened? What did he see? She suddenly had a dozen questions, and had no time to ask a single one of them, as Amir grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her out of the old home.

     The town center was lit brightly now. At first glance, her mind took it as the moon being out. But it was still pouring rain. Amir whipped her around, and they found the very next house in a blazing inferno. The wall falling away and hitting the house they were just occupying.

     The flames licked at the old wood, and soon it was starting to burn. That's why he was in such a hurry. He saw the fire and knew it could spread. She hugged him tightly, staring at the flames as they reached up to the dark clouds looming low overhead. He placed an arm around her hip, and pulled her close to himself, as they watched the house burn.

     “What do you think caused it? Lightning hit it?”

     “Or one of the idiots. CALEB! DOUGIE! JACKIE! DANNY!” Katerina screamed out, as she looked around.

     Suddenly she realized they were very alone. No laughing friends. No joking about
“bro, that's so awesome! Burn!”
Where was everyone? The entire area was lit up brightly by the fire, and the smell of smoke was too thick in the air to ignore. Why were they the only ones who had noticed? Well, Amir noticed. She was too busy trying to get laid. Maybe that's where they all were?

     There was an uneven number, though. Images of Dougie and Caleb double-teaming Jackie popped in her head, and she shook the images from her head. It was the Freshman Christmas Party all over again. Kat pushed the wet hair out of her face, and raised her hand over her brow, shielding from the growing brightness, and the rain pouring down on them.

     “You think I should try to go in and make sure there's nobody in there?”

     Katerina looked at Amir. Was he really willing to run into a burning house for people he didn't know, or even particularly like? She had a whole new respect for him being willing to do this, even as she shook her head in the negative. He stared at her out of the corner of his eye, and she could tell he was weighing whether or not to go with her recommendation.

     The sound of wood bursting caught both of their attention. Surely the house had collapsed in on itself. She found herself grateful that he didn't decide to rush into the house and play hero. Truthfully, some part of Amir was happy about this decision as well, but he tried to force that down in an effort to maintain his air of confidence, and bravery.

     What they saw wasn't just the house collapsing in on itself, though. A beam had fallen across the doorway, certainly, but it was the figure making its way out of the house that caught their attention. The axe cut through the beam with such force that it echoed even over the roaring fire, and pounding rain. The figure kicked the wood out of the doorway and onto the muddy ground.

     “Is that Dougie?” She whispered, staring at the form, as it comes out of the flames.

     “I don't think so...”

     As big as her more tolerable friend was, Amir knew this person made him look small. He shook his head, watching the form outlined in flames, as it stepped out into the rain. They weren't on fire. How did they not catch on fire? Amir was both fascinated, and frightened at this massive individual. He raised his hand, as the flames were nearly blinding, and all they could make out was the figure's silhouette.

     “They look familiar to you?” He asked.

     “I can't see shit. There's just someone standing there,” she grumbles. “Hey! Dougie, is that you?”

     The figure turns towards them, and starts to advance. Each step is taken in a long stride, and it makes its way towards them. Katerina steps in the direction of the figure, trying to get a better look and she grins, looking back over her shoulder at Amir, “It is Dougie! DOUGIE!”

     “I don't think so...”

     Kat attempts to pull away from him, but Amir grabs her arm, and holds her back. She looks back at him angrily, and he yanks her back, turning and pushing her to the ground. She hears the whistling pass over her head, but never sees what causes it, until the blade of the axe sticks into the wood of a pillar. She stares up at it in confusion, but Amir pushes her off him, and climbs to his feet. He pulls her up out of the mud, and pulls her away as the Horseman advances on them.

     “Who the hell is that? It looks like Doug!” Kat yells at Amir, as he pulls her along.

     Amir shakes his head. “I don't know, but it's not him. Run!”

     She looks back over her shoulder, seeing the figure still pursue them, as they run. It yanks the axe out of the wood, as it walks past, the wood splintering into pieces from the force of its strength. They stumble along together about fifty yards ahead, and opening, as their shoes dig through the mud.

     “Where are we going?” She yells out, running out of breath quickly.

     “Away from here!”

     He didn't have a plan, at the moment. Other than to run, that is. Which she was more than fine with, until they could figure out who it was that just tried to take her head off.

CHAPTER XXII

     Katerina and Amir run through the mud as the rain washes down over them. The fire from the house behind them still lighting the entire area. The fire blazes too strong for rain to put it out. At least right now. They run deeper into the town, Amir still pulling her by the hand.

     “Slow down! I can't breathe!” she gasps out.

     “We have to keep running, come on!”

     She shakes her head no, pulling her hand away and slides to a stop in the mud, bending over to rest her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. Amir slides to a stop a few feet in front of her, and turns back, first checking on her, then looking past her. The Horseman is nowhere to be seen. Amir instinctually looks to the tree line, trying to see if anything, or anyone, is moving.

     “Kat, we have to get out of here, now.”

     “We can't go anywhere that way, remember? Harold said this place is a peninsula. There's no way to get out of here that way. We have to go back over the bridge!”

     The realization of what she's saying is setting in. He lowers his head, frustrated. She stands upright, still breathing heavily, but not seeing white spots any longer. He nods, as he catches his breath as well. Amir looks around, still trying to see where the Horseman disappeared too.

     “Where do you think the others are at?” She asked, turning from him to look at the town.

     Why hadn't any of them popped up? Amir knew the answer, or at least felt he did, but he didn't want to say it to her. Not right now. Surviving was all that mattered. He took another glance around, and spotting a barn, grabbed her hand and takes off for it.

     “Come on, let's move!” he pulls her along towards the barn.

     “Alright, alright!” She gasps out as she's jerked in his direction.

      The barn door creaks open slightly. A pale orange glow seeping in through the door crack from the fire, and Amir pulls Katerina in through the gap, and closes the door. After a moment, the flashlight on his phone lights up, and they peer around the barn. Old farming equipment, dried out bales of hay and dust fill the room. Even after all these years the barnyard smell still reeks through the air.

     “Here, hold this,” Amir extends the phone to her, and she takes it. She looks down at it, and holds it up as he starts moving around. He grabs an old piece of wood, and places it in the metal hooks at the edges of the door, locking it off. He steps back, and reaches behind himself, not looking where he's grabbing, but Kat sees him reaching, and extends her hand out to meet his, as he backs away from the door. He takes the phone back from her, and looks around, leading her behind some of the hay.

     “Let's turn this off,” he whispers, shutting off the cell phone light.

     They both sit there in silence. The rain pounding off the wood is the only sound filling the air. Kat breathes through her nose, staring into the darkness and waiting for her eyes to adjust. She could have sworn that was Dougie she saw. But why would he throw an axe at them like that? Why would he set a building on fire? She didn't understand, and she couldn't fully comprehend what was going on. But it seemed Amir was just as confused.

     “Who do you think that was?” She asked, looking in his general direction in the darkness.

     “I really, truly have no idea Kat.”

     “Well, it's none of my friends! It's too big, and you said it wasn't Doug.”

     “Not anymore.”

     “What is that supposed to mean?”

     Amir shook his head. He couldn't have seen what he thought he did. But that didn't change the fact he was certain whatever, or whoever that was, wasn't the same guy that drove them to Sleepy Hollow that evening.

     “Amir!” She raises her voice, snapping him back to the moment.

     “I don't know who it is. Maybe it was the Horseman Harold was talking about? Maybe this place really is cursed?”

     “You're kidding, right? A ghost killer? Are you high?”

     “Irrelevant, but probably still a little bit. That fucking thing came walking out of a burning house, through flames. And not so much as a burn. Completely unfazed. So either they're wearing
really
expensive flame retardant, or it's not a fucking human being!” Amir raised his voice a bit.

     “You don't have to yell at me. Jesus,” she whispered.

     She rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the hay. Amir sighed, lowering his eyes to the ground. He started to say he was sorry, but it was pointless for such a trivial thing in this instance. Emotions were running high, and the only thing that mattered was that both of them stayed alive. She looked over the hay, towards the door as they hid there. Were they going to have to wait all night? Would someone see the fire or smoke and come to help?
Doubtful. We're in the middle of nowhere,
she retorted to herself.

     “I don't want to be here,” she exhaled sadly.

     He rested a hand on her shoulder, and nodded. He felt very much the same way, but was trying to hide whatever fear was hiding beneath the surface, so he could be supportive for her. Thunder filled the air outside the barn, so loud that it vibrated the building around them.

     Kat jumped at this, and pulled back into Amir's arms who held her there, and they sat, in the dark and quiet, with only the storm to keep them company. He rubbed her arm gently, trying to be as reassuring as possible. An indeterminate amount of time passed, but it may as well have been forever. Amir had actually dozed off, sitting there. She was fighting to stay awake herself, staring at the door. The rain continued to pound and its rhythmic sound was enough to make anyone want to take a nap.

     She yawned, stretched, and stood up. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark by this point, and she could see relatively well inside the barn. She examined things as she walked around it quietly.

     “What the hell is going on?” she groaned silently to herself, as she placed her hands on her hips in frustration.

     Her eyes came to an old scythe on the wall, and she looked back at Amir who was still asleep, and she reached up, pulling it down. She examined the old rusty tool, and worked to pull some cobwebs off it. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. A hand grabbed her shoulder from behind and she jumped, turning and swinging the scythe.

     “What the fuck!” Amir yells, ducking.

     She came within centimeters of removing his head. He fell back on the dirt, and slid back from her a bit. Kat gasped, and dropped the scythe putting her hands to her mouth. Amir looked at her in shock and fear.

     “Oh my God, I'm so, so, so sorry. It was completely an accident!”

     “Are you trying to kill me?”

     “No! I didn't know who you were. I found this,” she motioned to the scythe. “And then you snuck up behind me. And, and...” she stumbled back to the post she pulled the scythe down off of and leaned against it in shock.

     Amir leaned down and picked the scythe up. He couldn't stay too mad at her. She was just defending herself. He rested a hand on her shoulder, as she began crying, trying to console her. He knew she didn't mean too, and after the initial problem of almost being decapitated had passed, he was able to move on. He gripped the scythe tightly in one hand, and hugged her head tightly as she sobbed softly into his shoulder.

     Rustling caught them both off guard. Amir holds a finger to Kat's lips as she startles, looking around in the darkness. The sounds are coming from the back of the barn. Amir holds the scythe up and back, ready to strike, as he steps slowly towards the rustling. Kat clings one hand to his shoulder, walking alongside him.

     “How did he get in here? Is there another door?” She whispers.

     “Shh. Just stay behind me, it's alright,” Amir responds, not taking his eyes off their destination.

     They come to the fence, and Amir reaches forward, pulling the gate open. Amir jumps in, and the horse neighs, being startled. Kat gasps out, seeing the animal, and they stare at it in confusion, as it snorts back at them. Kat reaches up and touches its mane, petting it. The horse shakes its head, and she flinches away.

     “It's okay, buddy,” she whispers to it. “Where did you come from?” Amir takes a step back, and she pets it again. “It's weird...”

     “What is?” Amir whispers, looking back at the door.

     “The poor thing is ice cold. Like it's...”

     “Dead?” Amir looks back over his shoulder.

     She looks from him to the horse, and for the first time notices it's red eyes. She gasps, flinching back away from it. The horse neighs out loudly and clops its hooves into the dirt. The animal's sounds are deafening at such a close range. Kat raises her hands to her ears, muffling the sound and Amir grabs her arm, pulling her away from the animal.

     Only a couple moments pass, and banging starts at the front barn door. Heavy, hard pounding. Violent and rage-filled. The entire old barn seems to vibrate with each hit. The wood of the door cracks, but so far the cross beam holds. This is only for a moment longer, as the cross beam splinters and shatters at the center, the Horseman kicking in the door from the other side. Rain pours in from outside, and the Horseman stares in at them. Lightning flashes and for the first time they make out Dougie's pale head on the body.

     “Doug!” Kat yells, stepping forward. Amir catches her by the arm. He stares the monstrous mercenary down, noticing the black veins, the black eyes, the pale skin. Something is very, very wrong. This is too good for some make-up job for a prank. “What are you doing? Let go of me!”

     “Look...” Amir nods at their attacker.

     She examines it for the first time, and the Horseman reaches up, pulling the head from its shoulders, the black ooze attaching it at the neck to the body receding. As a gap forms between the head and body, the Horseman curtsies, before placing the head back on itself.

     Katerina turns, throwing up, as Amir's breath quickens. This can't be real. It was just a story; an urban legend. Neither of them were prepared for the reality standing before them, and neither were prepared for handling such a threat in any way shape or form. Amir grabs Kat, holding her up.

     “Stay with me, alright. Listen, I need you to focus. Are you listening?”

     “Yeah,” she nods.

     “When I distract him, I want you to run. Run as fast as you can back towards the bridge, alright?”

     “But what about y --”

     “I'll catch up to you. Got it? I'm just going to distract him long enough for you to get out of here. Are you ready?” She looks from him to their attacker, and lowers her eyes to the ground, nodding. “Good...”