The Hollow (28 page)

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I'm going to follow the other path up to the main gate an-" A noise from behind me interrupted us, and I turned to see what it was. It sounded like something had been thrown.

Caspian stepped out from the shadows of a mausoleum to the left of me, and my jaw dropped in surprise. I wasn't expecting to see
him
there.

"Walk away, Abbey. Walk away from him now." His tone shocked me, and his green eyes were cold. Everything grew crystal clear when I saw a rock in his hand, and I felt all my senses shift. A tiny ribbon of fear ran down my back, and I snapped my spinestraighter. This was very real now, and I had to deal with it.

Turning my back to Nikolas, I moved to stand in front of him and held out a hand to Caspian, taking a cautious step forward. "What are you doing here, Caspian? What's wrong?"

His grip visibly tightened on the rock, but what confused me were his eyes. They were fixed hard on Nikolas, but when they shifted to me, they softened, almost pleadingly. I stopped and stared.
What is going on here?

He held out a hand, the one not holding the rock, and beckoned me to his side. His voice was very, very soft. "Just come over here by me, Abbey."

I took an automatic step toward him, but then stopped again. The rock frightened me, and I couldn't make sense of anything. My head was spinning, and I put my hands out to try to get some control of the situation.

"Why do you have a rock, Caspian? I don't know if you think I'm in some type of danger here, but I'm not. This is Nikolas, and he's-" The next interruption came in a form that I was not expecting.

A hand grabbed my wrist from the side-gently, but the grip was solid and strong. I looked behind me in surprise.

It was Nikolas.

There was something different about him, an undercurrent of power and authority, and for the tiniest second I wasn't sure who tobe more afraid of. I shook that feeling off, and glanced down at my arm. Caspian shouted something, but I couldn't hear him. Nikolas was speaking now, and it was for my ears only.

"Don't be afraid of him, or me," he said quietly. "The young man thinks he is protecting you. He feels very strongly about you. I know you don't understand all that is going on here, Abigail, but you will. The time has come."

He released my arm and took a stand by my side. "Don't worry," he called out to Caspian. "She isn't in any danger. I promise."

Caspian tossed the rock from hand to hand and took a step closer. "Back off, old man. If she's not in any danger, then why don't you let her come to me?"

Nikolas turned and gave me a gentle push forward. "Go on," he whispered. "Show the young fool that I am not a liar."

I stepped closer to Caspian and stood less than a foot away from him. His eyes were anguished, and I searched them, looking for answers.

"Astrid, please. Please come over here. I'll protect you. I promise," he pleaded with me.

For a moment I wavered. I pictured him scooping me up in his strong arms and carrying me safely home. We'd get to the front door, and he would gently lower me to the ground as we-

Suddenly I whacked myself on the forehead.
Focus, girl.Focus.
I didn't need rescuing. I was with
Nikolas.
The man I thought of as a grandfather. Something was very, very wrong here, and I needed to fix it.
Immediately.

After making a time-out gesture with my hands, I put both fists on my hips and turned to Caspian. "First of all, you need to put down that stupid rock.
Now."

I crossed my arms and waited for him to listen to me. When he hesitated, I tapped my foot against the ground until he complied with my orders. "Thank you," I said sweetly. Then I got down to business. "Now, I don't know how things are between
us
right now, Caspian, but you sure as hell are
not
going to come here and frighten me half to death, and then threaten a friend of mine."

Nikolas took a step forward, and I whirled on him. "In a minute, Nikolas. I'll get to you next." He shuffled back to his spot with a chastised look on his face.

I turned back to Caspian. "I didn't get to make the proper introductions before, but this is Nikolas. He and his wife Katy live near here. They used to be caretakers, and they have both become good friends of mine. And Nikolas, this is Caspian. He's my, well he used to be… He's just a friend. Now, why were you holding a rock in your hand like that, Caspian?"

He looked agitated, and ran both of his hands through his hair before speaking. "They're not what they seem, Abbey. There's more to whatever bogus story he told you. He's dangerous."

I snorted in disbelief and turned to face Nikolas. "Are you dangerous, Nikolas?"

He bowed his head, looking for all the world like a frail old man, and then he looked up at me. "Have I ever hurt you, Abbey?"

"Point taken," I replied. "Now, will you please explain to Caspian here, who has taken some kind of crazy pill today, that you are just a caretaker who lives in the woods."

Nikolas inclined his head again and spoke to Caspian. "No matter who, or what, we may have been in another lifetime, everything we have told her about us is true."

"That's a lie," Caspian spat. "I know the truth. I've seen the horse. And I've seen you talking to
them"

My mind was positively spinning now, and I was starting to feel the bite of the cold night air. I had no idea what Caspian's words meant.

"I am nothing more than a man," countered Nikolas, "and right now I am a man who needs to get home to see his beloved."

I shook my head and gave each of them a disgusted look. "Wait. Just wait a minute. I don't know what's going on here between the two of you, but when you feel like you're ready to stop talking in a secret code, then you'll know where to find me."

Caspian spoke before I could stomp away in a dignified manner. "I'm sorry, Abbey. I didn't want you to get caught in the middle of this."

''This?
What is
this,
Caspian?" I asked angrily. "I never know what I'm doing with you. You're never where I can find you; you're keeping things from me all the time… I just can't wrap my head around any of this. I can't keep it all straight. And now you're
here,
with a
rock?
What were you going to do? Throw the rock at a horse, at Nikolas… or at me?"

He looked sad, like his feelings had been hurt, and that just made me mad. / was the one with the hurt feelings here.

Caspian shook his head. "I would never hurt you, Abbey. You know that." I felt a pang of guilt, because somewhere deep down I
did
know that. "I threw that rock to get your attention. To get you away from
him.
I aimed for the bushes over there." He pointed to a clump of shrubs that were at least twenty feet away from where Nikolas and I had been standing.

"Still," I said, "you really frightened me, Caspian. I can't deal with that on top of everything else weird going on here. I have to… I just have to go."

"Let me walk you." He started forward.

I put out a hand to stop him. "I think you should leave me alone for right now. Let me be alone."

I looked back over my shoulder as I strode away from all the confusion, and I couldn't see Caspian at all. Even his bright hair had melted into the darkness.

But Nikolas was there, and I swear I saw the dark outline of ahorse nuzzle up from behind him, while he patted its head. And that made the scariest thing of all happen. I started to question myself, and just how sane /really was.

Chapter Twenty-four

The Legend

Ichabod was horror-struck, on perceiving that he was headless!-but his horror was still more increased, on observing that the head, which should have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the pommel of the saddle…

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

My concentration was blown for the weekend and the following week. But I guess a nighttime stroll through a graveyard with the crazy people showdown would do that to anyone.

Ben really stepped up to the plate and helped hold down my end of the science project, though. He even refrained from asking me any questions, and I was grateful for small favors. Especially since I didn't have any answers to the questions I was already asking myself.

When Thursday afternoon finally came around, I bolstered up my courage to stop by his locker for some advice. He was chatting with a couple of friends, but they quickly dispersed when they saw me approaching. Ben slammed his locker door shut and waited for me.

I didn't know where to begin. "Ben, I wanted to tell you that…" I hesitated.
Do I tell him everything? Or nothing at all?
"Look, I know I've been a big flake this week, and I'm sorry about that. Next week will be better. I promise. I'm going to take care of something today that I think will help."

He didn't seem to know how to respond, but just fiddled with the bottom of his dark brown shirt. "Don't worry about it, Abbey," he said after a moment. "It's cool. You deal with it and make sure everything's good on your end. I'll cover for you."

I looked down at my boots, embarrassed that it had come to this.

"Some partner I've been, huh?"

He shook his head. "I'm not playing the Blame Abbey game. Just deal with it, move on, and come be my partner again, okay?"

"Agreed," I replied. "And, hey, I'm sorry about shooting down your ideas before about the space and time travel thing."

Someone called his name from the opposite end of the hallway, and he yelled out a greeting. "Not a problem," he said to me. "I've already forgotten about it."

"Can I just ask you one more thing?" I said suddenly. "Shoot."

"Do you and Amanda trust each other? I mean, if you found out she was keeping secrets from you, would you ask her about it?"

He looked puzzled by my questions, but answered anyway. "Amanda and I trust each other, I guess, to an extent. Our relationship isn't, like, all deep and meaningful, but I trust that she's not going to cheat on me. As far as whether or not I would ask her about something I thought she might be hiding… yeah, I would." He shrugged. "Without trust, what kind of relationship can you hope to have with anyone?"

I nodded. His words were exactly what I needed to hear, and they echoed my own thoughts on the matter. "Thanks, Ben. I'll see you later. I know your friends are waiting for you."

I turned away, but he caught my hand and looked me directly in the eye.

"Don't let that boyfriend of yours give you any shit, Abbey. There are a lot of other guys out there. You don't need a loser."

I sighed, and pulled my hand from his as I started to take slow steps away from his locker. "That's the problem. He's not a loser… and he's the only one I want." Ben gave me a sad smile. "I know what you mean," he said softly.

Shrugging hopelessly, I waved good-bye as I headed to the opposite end of the hall. It was time to go see Nikolas and Katy, and get some answers to these questions once and for all.

I rehearsed what I was going to say the entire walk over to their house. As I wandered along the pathway, I told myself to relax and play it cool. Stepping up to the front door, I nervously gave it a knock. Katy came to answer, and greeted me with a warm smile as she opened the door to let me in. Nikolas was seated in his rocking chair in the corner, and I gave a little wave to him before taking off my red scarf and gloves and setting them down on the table.

The teapot was already bubbling over the fire, and three place settings had been arranged at the table. I seated myself at the spot I'd sat in last time, and glanced around the cottage. Nothing had changed; it still felt warm and cozy inside.

"We're glad you came," Katy said, sitting down at the table, with her knitting needles in hand.

I gestured to the pile of yarn in front of her. "I'm glad to seeyou're feeling better. Did Nikolas pass along my well wishes and words of thanks to you?"

She beamed. "He did, and I'm so happy that you liked the gifts. Something just told me red was your color."

I smiled at her. I didn't know when, or how, to start asking my questions, so I turned to face Nikolas in the corner and plunged in. "I'm really sorry about what happened the other night. I don't know why Caspian was acting that way. Did you get a chance to tell Katy about it yet?"

He nodded once as he spoke. "I've told her everything. I'm sure you must have some questions for us."

I nodded in return. "Yeah, I do."

"Before you begin, though," he said, "I want to let you know that Katy and I have come to admire you a great deal in this short amount of time, and we think of you as we would our own granddaughter."

I couldn't contain my megawatt grin. "Really? I'm honored. I think of you the same way. It feels like we've known each other for much longer than we actually have."

"That may be because in some ways we share a very special bond."

I stared at him, wondering what that might be exactly.

"You see, Abbey, there is something… unique about you, and your young man sees it too."

"His name is Caspian, and I certainly hope he sees something special in me." I grinned at Katy, but she didn't smile back. It was then that I got the faintest twinge of uneasiness in my stomach.

"Go on," I urged Nikolas. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

He turned to watch the fire as he continued speaking. "The other night, when your-when Caspian was trying to defend you, he only thought he was doing what was right. Like I said, there are strong feelings there, and I think that might be the reason behind his actions."

I was getting frustrated now and wanted him to get to the point, instead of telling me things I already knew. I barely managed to keep my mouth closed and my thoughts to myself.

He picked up again. "When I first met you at Washington living's grave, I was surprised when you talked to me. Other people… don't. Do you understand at all where I'm going with this?"

Impatience reared its ugly head, and I sighed. "I really want to, but I don't. What do you mean?"

"Your ability to see me and talk to me, when no one else can. It's because we're all a part of this place… We have a connection to Washington Irving and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.'"

I began panicking, but stubbornly clung to the small hope that he was joking for some strange reason. "I don't get what you mean, Nikolas. You're talking gibberish here." I looked to Katy forsome sort of confirmation, but she was looking back at me without an ounce of expression on her face.

"Don't you see, dear?" she said. "Caspian was afraid of Nikolas because he still doesn't fully understand us."

I felt my heart start to beat harder, and my breath came quicker. Was I hyperventilating? Was this what a heart attack felt like? I tried to keep calm, but the crazy talk in the room was starting to go to my head.

"What's there to understand?" I asked Katy. "He's just a harmless old man, and you're harmless too, right?" I immediately thought back to the peppermint tea I had consumed here.
Good God, do these people put crazy leaves in their tea?

I stood up and paced around the room. Nikolas and Katy seemed to be waiting for me to calm down. They were watching me with guarded expressions, and I heard Caspian's words in the back of my head.
They're not what they seem, Abbey. There's more to whatever bogus story he told you.

I stopped pacing midthought and turned back to them with a big smile on my face. "I get it. You two are like some of those people who pretend they're part of living history or something, right? You get dressed up and go to battlefields and stuff like that. Only, since we live in Sleepy Hollow, you pretend you're a part of that. I get it." Relief flowed through me when I'd figured it out. They just took their acting a bit too far.

Katy shook her head at me. "We don't pretend we're from the legend. We
are
the legend."

Rolling my eyes, I looked over at Nikolas. "Seriously. Come on, guys. I need you to be straight with me."

Nikolas rose from his chair and stepped closer to me. I felt that change happening again, and power filled the air.

"I know its hard, Abbey, but you must believe us," he said gently. "Katy's full name is Katrina Van Tassel. We have proof. A birth record, pictures, and more…"

I scoffed at him. This was going too far. "And who are you supposed to be? Ichabod Crane? Or Brom Bones? The legend says that she married Brom, but I always had my suspicions that Ichabod came back into the story."

"Neither. I'm the Headless Horseman."

My jaw dropped to the ground. I actually looked down to see if I needed to pick it back up. "The Headless Horseman?" I repeated with a gulp. "But you… you… have… well, a
head"

I mentally chastised myself as I came up with that lame logic, but apparently I was in the land of crazies now, so hopefully it was anything goes.

"Appearances aren't always what they seem, Abbey," Nikolas said softly.

At this point I started eyeing the door and calculating how far it was to the only exit. If I started moving closer, I could make a runfor it.

"Okay," I admitted, humoring them while I started my slow advances. "So if you're the Headless Horseman, the
real
one, from the legend, how did you end up here?"

"Well, the legend is true," said Nikolas. "Up to the point that I was a soldier, and
did
die in battle. But then I fell in love with Katrina. She could see me when no one else could."

I nodded like I was following along, and turned to Katy. "So the Headless Horseman was a ghost who fell in love with you. But what about Brom Bones? The end of the legend says…" I was moving closer and closer to the door, and I nodded at her to finish.

She got an excited expression on her face, and I felt a tiny sliver of guilt for making them think I believed their craziness. "Washington Irving wrote the legend that way to protect us. He changed the ending."

Reaching behind me, I felt for the doorknob and twisted it slowly.

"So you really ended up with him-the Headless Horseman- instead, and you both decided to stay in Sleepy Hollow together forever?"

Katy smiled. "Yes, dear, we've been caretakers for the cemetery ever since. I'm so glad you believe us."

Pushing the door open, I stood framed in the afternoon sunlight slanting in on us. "Actually," I said, "I think you're a niceold couple who have deluded yourselves into thinking these things because you don't want to face reality. I'm sorry if things got too strange and too busy for you, out there in the real world, but that's where I live, and that's where I'm going back to."

I turned and sprinted down the path for all I was worth. Leaving my gloves and scarf behind. Leaving behind the warmth and friendship I'd thought I had. And leaving a piece of my broken heart behind for those poor lonely people.