Chapter 28

Well, to put it as easily as possible. I have risen from the grave. On with the story! BUT as I type away this chapter, I'm also watching Sleepy Hollow to perhaps give me ideas to finish off the rest of the story and to help me with the sequel that I PLAN to write. I apologize once more. Please review, you know how much I love it.

The End of it all

The wind mill rotors began to slowly move as the creaking grew louder and louder. Ichabod turned away from the banging door towards the girls and Masbath.

"Ichabod come on…", Selena cried out.

"Keep climbing. I will follow…"

"Hopefully", he whispered as he returned to the bags of grain continually placing them on the small doors from leading the Horseman to them. The banging continued as a large axe began cutting shards of wood from the door.

Ichabod yelped in realization that this was his time to go. Quickly he climbed up the stairs as the headless horseman broke through the door, noticing Ichabod and quickly followed up. The headless horseman made a slash with his sword as he tried to connect it to any part of Ichabods body.

Ichabod slowed down a bit and kicked the headless horseman knocking him out for a few seconds giving Ichabod just enough time to finish the climb. Selena and Masbath grabbed each of his hands helping him up.

Ichabod turned around realizing the Horseman was just a few steps away. Grabbing the latern from within Katrina's hand he threw it down into the room, as the latern shattered setting the bags of grain ablaze.

Shutting the small trap door to keep the headless horseman locked inside he turned to the small group.

"Get to the crest of the roof and be ready to jump".

"Jump? Jump from where!", they yelled in surprise.

Slowly they climbed as the continuation of the Horsemans axe broke through the wood.

"Jump for the sails! Wait till I give the word!"

"Oh lord..", Selena whispered.

"Ichabod I don't think I can do this!", Katrina yelled in fear.

"Have no fear Katrina…", as he turned to Selena in need of help.

Coming closer to Ichabod, "Ichabod help hold onto Katrina and both of you go down togther".

"Are you positive..?"

"I will be fine. Just watch over Katrina".

He nodded.

Masbath went first. Jumping he reached the sail and held on tighty, as he heard the fire growing quickly shattering the small windows.

"Go next Selena!"

"No Ichabod! You and Katrina go first! I will follow!"

Worried crossed his face, but he swallowed his uneasiness and he jumped with Katrina. Both hit the sail with a loud thud. A look of discomfort crossed Ichabods face. Turning his head to see Selena he noticed her to be missing.

"SELENA!"

Nothing. Silence reached his ears.

Once Ichabod and Katrina had hit the bottom immediately Ichabod began running around different parts of the WindMill trying to catch a glimpse of Selena. Nothing. She had disapeered into thin air.

The Windmill not a few seconds later blew up into a large flame. Dispair grew in the pit of his stomach as his eyes glossed over with tears.

"Ichabod!", he heard Katrina screaming as she ran towards him grabbing his hand.

Pulling him farther into the field.

Lady Van Tassel sat on her horse, Selena unconscious sitting in front of her. She smiled taunting him. Ichabod saw red at that moment.

"Return her to me!"

"Catch her if you can Constable", she laughed as she road away into the Western Woods her laughter echoing in the darkness.

Suddenly a large banging could be heard, as the Horseman broke through the wooden doors.

"We must leave at once!", as they ran towards the carriage.

"I thought he was dead?", Katrina murmered while running.

"That's the problem! He was dead to begin with!", climbing up Ichabod snaps the reins. They were off!

"Where are we going!"

"Into the Western Woods! We must get Selena back!"

"He's right behind us!", Masbath yelled.

"Grab the reins Masbath! Head for the Tree of the Dead!", as Ichabod slowly moved up climbing his way to the back of the carriage. Grabbing his Satchel he was prepared to fight back if necessary.

"Look out..!", Katrina screamed as Ichabod looked up to find the Horseman about to bring down his sword. Clang!

Ichabod recoiled just saving himself from being shredded.

The Horseman drew himself back reaching up to the side of he carriage speeding up.

"Masbath! You must not let him get ahead of us!", as Masbath slowly moved the carriage to the side of the of where the horseman rode. The Horseman slowed back once more reaching the back of the carriage. As Ichabod just reached his balance, the carriage had hit a rock causing the carriage to bump up.

Ichabod fell over as he held onto the side of the carriage as branches and leaves hit him everywhere. He holds on for his dear life, trying to hold back his random yells.

The Horseman falls behind.

They had finally reached the Tree of the Dead. Selena lay there in a pile amongst the dead leaves. Ichabod immediately jumped off of the moving carriage and ran as quickly as his legs could to her side.

Falling to his knee's he reached out and pulled her into his arms. Slowly and gently as he could he removed some of the random pieces of hair that covered her face.

"No…", he whispered.

Opening her eyes, Lady Van Tassel smiled.

"My savoir…", as she slapped him in the face with all her might. Ichabod ignored the burning sensation in his face as he turned back to her grabbing her arms yelling in anger.

"What have you done with her!"

"Oh no worries Constable, the Horseman will have her soon enough".

As she released herself from his hold.

"I will have you dead for this", Ichabod whispered with as much hate as possible wyst he searched for his pistol.

"Looking for this Constable?", he heard Lady Van Tassel sing sweetly.

He looked up.

She held his pistol in her hands.

Katrina and Masbath slowly exited the carriage.

"Still alive? How suprising!", she screamed with delight.

"Run Katrina..", Ichabod murmured.

Cocking her pistol she smiled in joy.

"Yes,do run. And jump. And skip. And now lets see a somersault!", as she aimed.

"But wait…", she whispered.

"Ha, ha, ha…he comes now", as she pointed her pistol in the direction of the dark woods. Katrina stopped running and Ichabod looked up. The Horseman sword raised walked into the opening.

"Run!", as he got up to take down the Lady Van Tassel. Lady Van Tassel immediately turned around, took aim and fired hitting Ichabod in the chest.

"Ichabod!", Katrina screamed running back towards him.

Lady Van Tassel let out a large laugh, as she quickly moved towards the grave of the Horseman. Jumping down into the grave, she grabbed Selena's unconscious body and dragged her out.

Selena lets out a quiet moan, grabbing her head in pain. Suddenly she winces in pain, as her hair is grabbed and pulled as she is pushed up to stand.

"HERE SHE IS! TAKE HER! SHES YOURS!", she screams as the Horseman began to quickly move. Pushing Selena down to the grown harshly, she ran towards her horse.

Ichabod moans in pain grabbing his chest.

"Sir, you're…you're not dead..?"

"Not…yet…"

Ichabod looked up trying to comprehend what was going on. Weary and tired he noticed that Selena was alright. But not for long, as the Horseman stood just a few feet in front of her sword raised.

Getting up, he ran full force towards Lady Van Tassel tackles her down to the floor as the small bag containing the horseman's skull rolled out.

Ichabod crawled as quickly as he could towards the skull, but Ichabod was held back by Lady Van Tassel. Climbing farther upon him she grabbed his hair pulling with all her might, as he yelled out in pain.

He struggled with all his might to escape her grasp. Masbath, grabbed a large branch from the ground raised it above his head as he brought it down about to hit Lady Van Tassels head.

Moaning in pain, Selena stood up quickly but stumbled in pain as everything grew blurry before her eyes. Before she knew it, the horseman was before her. Grabbing a fistful of her hair he pulled her head back extending her neck.

"This is it…my death before evil", Selena thought to herself as she confessed her love to Ichabod once more.

Bam! Lady Van Tassel was out cold as she fell over in a heap.

Selena closed her eyes holding her own as she whispered, "Ichabod, thank you.."

Ichabod scrambled to his feet with immense speed.

"HORSEMAN!", as the Horseman brought his sword down to Selena neck drawing a bit of blood but stopped the moment Ichabod called his name.

Ichabod held up the skull in his hand. The Horseman immediately dropped Selena and raised his hand. Ichabod threw the skull as it spun in the air.

Ichabod ran as quickly as he could to Selena's side picking her up into his arms. She opened her eyes slowly, breathing deeply.

"Some adventure if I do say so myself…", she whispered as he hugged her closely to his side. As gently as he could he placed her on her feet, as he gave her a small smile opening up his jacket to the inside of his pocket. Inside was the book she had given him, the bullet loged inside of it. She hugged him once again.

Both of them turning around they looked over to the Horseman to find him reattaching his skull. The moment he did, veins and muscles began to grow over his skull. Skin covered and once again his face was back to the way it once was.

Looking over to them, Selena immediately stood in front of Ichabod as if threatening the Horseman to do him no harm or he would have to deal with her himself.

The Horseman seemed to give her a knowing glance as he returned to his horse, climbing up the saddle. Trotting away, he comes across Lady Van Tassels body. Bending over he grabs her arm and pulls her up into his saddle. Looking over once again he notices Selena holding Katrina in her arms, Masbath on her other side and Ichabod behind all three of them staying as close as possible.

Lady Van Tassel awakens in pain, looks up to find the Horseman staring into her eyes. She lets out a whimper as he bends down and touches his lips with hers. She screams in pain, for his teeth were so sharp he cut up the inside of her mouth. Blood poured from her lips as she gives out a cry.

The Horseman gave out a large growl as he pulled the reigns of his horse as they galloped head first into the tree. Slowly through the blood, and the heads they made it through.

Ichabod and Selena, slowly holding each up came up to the tree to find nothing but Lady Van Tassels hand standing out of the tree. Her fingers slowly moving, curling until they stopped moving.

"Well, you don't see that everyday now do you…?", she whispered to Ichabod, as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he toppled over.

"Sweetheart..", she cried out as she fell to her knees.

"Is he going to be alright Lady Selena?"

She lovingly smiled in Ichabod direction, as she moved away a strand of his hair from his face.

"I believe he will be just fine. More then happy that is all over."

"It really is, isn't it? It truly is over", Katrina whispered.

BUM BUM BUM! AND THERE YOU GO! THAT'S THE END OF "THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM". I hope you enjoyed this story, but don't fret a sequel is on its way as we speak. I'm still at the moment sorta brainstorming. I wanna make the sequel a lot different. A lot more darker. Slighty more depressing, and at the moment I'm not sure where I wanna take this yet. But I have an idea. Thankyou to everyone for reading this story. It has meant the world to me. I hope you'll stay around for the sequel!