Thanks to Sam, Septemberfall, and FragileBrutality for reviewing! You rock! And yes, for those of you who were wondering…this is a Horseman/OC story. Enjoy!

Chapter Two

The girl became aware that her cheek was sticky, but whether it was from blood or tears, she didn't know. And the fabric of her dress seemed softer than usual, almost like…silk? Her eyes fluttered open, and she found her face a mere two inches away from a black boot. Her eyes trailed up past the boot, taking in the black armor, the tattered black cape, and the high collar around a neck that was the base for no head. She screamed softly, her throat already dry from the yelling she had done…when was that? Had days passed since she had fainted, or hours? And how much longer would she have to live before she joined her parents in the Kingdom of Heaven? She scrambled backwards and away from the man, only stopping when her back pressed against a wall.

"Who are you?" She whispered hoarsely. She got to her feet shakily, her sky blue eyes wide, placing one hand on the wall for support. She stared at the neck of the man in front of her, knowing exactly who he was: the Headless Horseman, a ruthless German mercenary, the terror of Sleepy Hollow, the murderer of her parents…and did he kill her only sibling? "Oh, God, are you going to kill my brother?" She rasped, tears welling up. The Horseman stood in front of her, not moving an inch. He gave no indication that he had heard her. "Can you hear me?" She asked, removing her hand from the wall and taking one step towards him. The Horseman did not move. "Don't you see me?" She wondered softly, daring to move closer to him. She realized that she was not afraid of death, only of her brother's life not being spared. Knowing this man by reputation, it was probably too late for her to do anything about that. He was with her parents in the afterlife, and soon she'd be able to see that. Once she was within an arm's reach of him, the Horseman turned his back on her and left the room. The door locked behind him, and Caitlyn was truly trapped.

Caitlyn was the name of the girl. She was the "Virginal Beauty" of Sleepy Hollow, but she knew that she would have to lose that title eventually, and she planned to lose it to William, the bookkeeper. She loved him so, and believed that he loved her in return. They had made plans for a spring wedding together, and she looked forward to the day where she could give herself to him willingly…but that day would never come, would it? She again sank to the floor, but before she began to weep, she managed to get a good look at the room she was in and the dress that she was wearing. The room was small, humble, and oblong, empty of everything except armchairs in front of a fireplace and a bed pushed against the wall. As for the dress…it was beautiful, to say the least, and the palest shade of pink, made from the softest silk. She shivered under it, and from the thought of someone having to strip her of her previously worn outfit and change her into something that was far too fine for her tastes. She preferred comfort over fashion, unlike the wealthy van Tassel family.

The Horseman entered the room again, carrying the body of her brother in his arms. For a minute, Caitlyn froze, wondering if he had been murdered already. But she saw the boy stir, and she sighed in relief. He was unconscious…he was fine, at least for the moment.

But her relief was short-lived, and she almost screamed again when the boy was dropped unceremoniously to the ground. The Horseman stood over him, looking down at the boy for an instant before he raised his weapon over the neck of his next victim. Caitlyn watched in horror and was almost paralyzed, unable to do anything but watch her brother leave her. He had opened his eyes and was staring at the brute about to murder him, not blinking, not daring to breathe. And she remembered for an instant of how calm her sibling had been when he had faced the Horseman, and she decided that she had to stand up to the murderer on her own.

"Please, please, please don't," she begged, dropping to her knees in front of him, throwing herself over the boy. "Please don't. Do as you wish with my body and head, but don't take the life of Thomas. Please. Keep me here but let him go."

And nobody moved for several more minutes. Time was frozen, and the silence was broken when the Horseman sheathed his sword. No words were said from him, but Caitlyn understood what he was trying to communicate. He had accepted her offer.

She cradled the child in her arms, tears streaming down the sides of her face. Thomas only stared at her with wide eyes, but he listened to her every spoken word.

"Thomas, Tommy, sweetie, listen to me," she whispered frantically, caressing the sides of his face, memorizing every pore. If she was going to die, she wanted the last image to be of her living sibling. The Horseman stood over them, and if he had eyes, they would be observing the scene before him with some interest and amusement. "I'm going to be here for a while, but William will take care of you, do you understand? Go to him and tell him what happened. I don't know when I'll see you again, but remember that I love you and nothing can change that!"

And she fainted when her last living relative was yanked from her grasp and she was sealed in the room alone, perhaps to wilt like a rose, forever alone, until the end of time…

"Caitlyn," the Horseman heard the boy say before he banished this nuisance from his domain. With the name, that single word, lingering by his invisible ears, the Horseman returned to the girl.

Thomas had also fainted when he left Hell, and now woke up on the forest floor, right beside the Tree of the Dead. He gathered his strength and wits about him, and realized that his throat was cramping up. Finally, he unleashed the scream that he had been holding inside for hours. Once he lost his voice, he started sprinting towards his home.

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