Headless

by Robert Thompson

  “Oh yeah, how's that?” Dougie asks, interested in cutting down on the drive time.

  “You go out to this road right here, and instead of left to go back to the highway, you take a right. Take the road down about oh, fifteen miles? You'll see a sign saying 'Sleepy Hollow'. It's the old town. You can cut right through there across the bridge. You gonna spend half the time driving that way. It'll be another twenty minutes past that, and there you are. It'll be almost an hour back the way you came.”

  The college kids all looked at one another. Caleb and Dougie nodded to each other.

  “Sure, that'll do just fine. Thanks Sheriff,” Katerina said, smiling to him.

  “Not a problem, you kids enjoy yourselves. And have a Happy Halloween.”

  Williams and Mrs. Jenkins watched as the kids all filed out, and climbed back into the van, driving off in the direction that the Sheriff had told them to follow.

  “You do know it's Halloween, Sheriff?” Mrs. Jenkins asked.

  “Yep.”

  “And you sendin' 'em to the old Sleepy Hollow?”

  “Yep.”

  “Folks go there on Halloween, ain't likely to ever come back.”

  “That little bitch'll learn not to call an officer of the law a Pig then, wont she?”

  “Fair enough, Sheriff. What can I do ya for, anyways?”

  For the first time, Williams' disposition changes, as he removes his hat, leaning on the counter and clearing his throat. “Well, speaking of going up in that area. There was something I wanted to stop by and let you know personally...”

  CHAPTER XIII

  The van winds down the desolate road, as the pavement blends more and more with the dirt, until they get the sensation they've truly left civilization behind. Katerina had found her way to the back of the van, and watched as all signs of society faded in the distance. Trees, and road were all they had now, and the sun was fading faster and faster. Amir noticed her staring off in the distance, and moved to join her.

  “Hey, you alright?” He asked, resting his hands on his lap.

  “Yeah, just thinking,” she nodded.

  “What's on your mind?”

  Kat shrugged, before looking at the floorboard. She wasn't one for talking about her darker thoughts up front with a guy she was just getting to know. Kat had a long history of battling depression, and something about the solitude of this place was quickly bringing that darkness to the surface. He noticed that she didn't seem interested in talking about whatever was bothering her, and quickly changed the topic.

  “So that cop was kind of an asshole.”

  She smiled, appreciating that he didn't push the subject. “Yeah, he was. Are you alright? He was kind of rude to you?”

  “Me? Oh yeah, totally fine,” he grinned as he puffed out his chest, with a sense of false bravado. “Truthfully, he's not the first asshole to talk to me like that. Won’t be the last either. Some people are just dickheads.”

  “It doesn't bother you?”

  “Used too, but why let it? People are going to say shit regardless. What does getting pissed off about it accomplish, besides building up negativity inside?”

  “I like how you think,” she nodded, smiling.

  He grinned in return. Danny watched their conversation from the side of the van, pissed off. He wasn't impressed with Kat's choice in men. One way or another, he was going to fuck this girl tonight. He scoffed at Amir' pseudo-hippy nonsense, and rolled his eyes.

  “That cop was a dick to me too, you didn't ask me how I was doing,” Danny chimed in.

  “That's because he caught you fucking stealing candy bars. Are you eight?” Katerina shot back.

  “The mark up on those things is ridiculous, alright? I ain't paying a dollar for a candy bar.”

  “No, you're right Robin Hood. A dollar is way too expensive. Way to fight the man!” Katerina joked, at his expense. The rest of the van laughed, as well. Danny crossed his arms over his chest, frowning hard. “I tell you what, next time you want a candy bar, and don't want to spend a dollar on it. Ask me for a dollar. I'm a big girl, I have this thing called a job. I'll give you a dollar, m'kay pumpkin?”

  His face burned red with anger, and embarrassment as the occupants of the van laughed at his expense. Danny glared at Katerina, and clicks his tongue against his teeth before turning away, looking at the front of the van. Caleb reaches back and pats him on the shoulder, trying to console him, but Danny pulls his shoulder away.

  “Fuck off of me,” Danny grumbles.

  “Aw, someone got their wittle few'wins hurt,” Caleb mocked, laughing at his friend.

  Danny didn't think it was funny.

  “Look...” Dougie pointed off to the passenger side of the window. Sleepy Hollow, 5 Miles. “Guess the old pig wasn't lying after all?”

  “Sweet, cause I'm ready to get out of this fucking van,” Jackie groaned, pulling a dildo out from between her legs she had been sitting on uncomfortably.

  “Do you think there will be some fine ass bitches at this party, though?” Harold spoke up out of the blue. Everyone looked at him confused. Sam seemed particularly perturbed by this. He looked around at each of them, unsure of what he said wrong. “What'd I say?”

  “Why do they have to be bitches?” Sam inquired.

  “What?” Harold looked at her confused.

  “Why do you have to refer to women as bitches? Why are they bitches? Because they won’t fuck you?”

  “No. I don't know their names, so I just – it's a broad term.”

  “Oh, so now they're broads too?”

  “What? No!”

  “Do you call your mom bitch? Sister? Girlfriend?”

  “I'm just fucking saying, alright?”

  “What? What are you trying to say? That you'd rather demean a woman before you even meet her, and objectify her, rather than referring to her as a fucking human being?”

  “Dude, I'm just sayin'...”

  “Do I look like a dude to you?”

  “I – kind of?”

  Dougie, Danny, Jackie and Caleb can't suppress their laughter. Sam's eyes burn a hole through Harold as he shrugs, still confused by what she's so worked up about.

  “Hair, just apologize man,” Amir spoke up to break the tension.

  “Apologize for what? I didn't do anything!” Harold shrugged, looking at his friend with both shock, and confusion.

  “No, you were born a problem. Fucking men,” Sam snapped and turned away.

  “...you want me to apologize for having a dick?” Harold shakes his head.

  “Just – stop talking,” Kat whispered to him. She shook her head, knowing he didn't particularly mean anything by what he said, but she also knew this wasn't a battle he was going to win. “Just, stop.”

  Harold sighed heavily, and threw his hands up, dropping them to his lap hard in frustration.

  Officer Hadley's police cruiser still sat at the corner of the road leading to the bridge, when the van turned off the main dirt road on to the side road.

  “Was there a cop sitting in there?” Dougie asked, looking in the rearview mirror.

  “Nah, he's probably out on foot looking for something,” Caleb shook his head, staring back out of his window.

  They continued on towards the bridge, and Dougie slowed to a creeping roll, looking at the car sitting there off to the side.

  “What is it?” Caleb asked, noticing Dougie's interest.

  “Nothing, just looking to see if someone's in the car.”

  “Maybe that's what the cop's out here doing, looking for whoever was in the car?”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  The van kept on, and Dougie drove slowly over the bridge, as it creaked and the wood cracked a bit under the weight of the van. Everyone else in the van stared out at the old bridge, as they passed under it. Most of them were used to skyscrapers, or suburbs. This thing was beyond ancient in their eyes. As the van made it to the other side, Dougie let out a small sigh of relief to himself, watc
hing the bridge in the rearview mirror as they traveled on.

  Less than ten minutes later, the van is creeping through the disserted Sleepy Hollow. The group of students fight to see past each other, staring out at the broken-down town. Danny and Harold fought with each other for a spot, before Sam pushed her way between them, leaning against the window.

  “What the fuck is this place?” Caleb asks, looking around.

  “Fuck if I know,” Dougie shrugged, watching where he was driving. He noticed the cooler as they roll by it. “I think someone's here, though.”

  “Where are all the cars, then?” Jackie leans between them.

  “Where are all the people?” Kat whispers.

  “...where's the fucking road?” Dougie complains.

  He hits the brakes, and both Danny and Harold fall back towards the front of the van from the back doors. Katerina starts to fall as well, but Amir grabs her, pulling her to the side. Everyone else turns looking towards the front of the van, as they stare at nothing but trees. Doug puts the van in park, and both he and Caleb climb out, walking to the tree line.

  “What do you think?” Dougie paces the trees, looking into them. He notes the small path meant for walking, but no way was a vehicle fitting down there. Caleb takes out a cigarette and lights it, inhaling deeply. Lightning flashes across the sky. Dougie looks up at it. “I don't think we're getting anywhere this way.”

  “I think the cop was fucking with us. We wasted a half hour, and sunlight driving to the middle of nowhere,” Caleb complains, exhaling a puff of smoke.

  “Yep,” Dougie nods in agreement. “Let's get the hell out of here.”

  The two young men make their way back to the van, getting in. Neither of which noticed the large black figure of the Horseman watching from the trees. The van backed up, turning around, and headed back the way it came. Another few minutes pass and the van is rolling across the bridge.

  “Wait, so we gotta drive all the way back from where we came?” Tina whimpers, frowning.

  “It'll be all good,” Sam consoles her, hugging her tight.

  “What's your problem anyways?” Dougie looks in the rearview mirror.

  “We're cramped back here, man,” Harold responds.

  “So maybe y'all mother fuckers can just get out and walk then, how about -” Dougie screams, but it cut off as the van jerks hard.

  Wood snaps, and the passenger side of the van drops a couple feet. Everyone goes flying around, except Dougie and Caleb who are wearing their seat belts, but Caleb grabs the dashboard as he finds himself looking a lot closer at the bridge. The sledgehammer that Sam had brought with her, busts Danny in the face, instantly breaking his nose. Blood splatters across the wall of the van as everyone screams in shock.

  “Alright, alright! Everyone stop!” Dougie yells, as the van settles in this spot.

  Everyone holds their breath, as they try to stop moving. Katerina has grabbed Danny putting pressure on his nose, as he gasps through the blood.

  “What the hell happened?” Jackie asks, looking towards the front of the van.

  “Doug can't drive, that's what happened!” Danny screams, pushing Kat's arm out of the way.

  “I think the passenger wheel went through the wood. Everyone get out of the back, slowly. Very slowly,” Dougie orders, looking in the rearview mirror.

  Amir, being the closest to the back door pushes it open, and steps out. He extends his hand back in the van, as Tina grabs ahold, and he helps her out. Danny follows, with Katerina still holding his nose for him, tilting his head back. Sam is next, and she drags the sledgehammer with her. Jackie follows, and Harold jumps out.

  “Go ahead, man,” Dougie nods to Caleb, who unbuckles his seat belt.

  “Alright.”

  Caleb steps out of the back of the van, and Dougie is only a few seconds behind. They all stand there catching their breath as adrenaline courses through each of them. Dougie walks to the passenger side of the van, looking at the damage. He was right, the front passenger wheel broke through the wood.

  “Fuck,” Dougie groans.

  “Alright, should we call for a tow truck, or what?” Jackie speaks up from the back of the group.

  Dougie nods, taking his phone out. “No service. Anyone got any bars?”

  The others check their phones, and all find out very quickly service doesn't reach this far into nowhere. Frustrated, Dougie throws his phone against the wall of the bridge, causing it to break into pieces. Caleb starts to ask him what his problem is, but Dougie holds a hand up walking away.

  “Well, what the hell are we supposed to do now?” Sam snaps.

  “Nobody's small enough to fit past the van. We're stuck here until someone gets service, or someone comes along. Look, there's a cop car out there, right? And someone else's car. Somebody is bound to come by. We'll get some help then,” Kat points out.

  “That's all well and good, but I'm not sitting here waiting for that fucking thing to fall through the bridge,” Harold scoffs, pointing at the van.

  “I agree,” Amir nods, as thunder rumbles.

  “Let's head back to the buildings then? Can't be what? A twenty-minute walk? If it starts raining, we'll have a roof or two at least,” Katerina speaks up.

  After a few moments, the others all agree, and they grab a couple bags from the back of the van, heading out for the town.

  Twenty minutes later the group has made their way back into the town square. Caleb walks to the cooler still sitting there and opens it, checking it out. “Someone's here, or was here. The cooler is full of booze, but the ice is melted.”

  “Maybe they got lost out here, and that's what the cop's doing?” Tina considers out loud.

  “Maybe. Or maybe they left in a hurry,” Kat retorts, hugging herself as there's another thunder crash.

  Amir notices her chill, and puts an arm around her shoulder. She smiles at him. Danny glares over their back at this. Dougie walks around in a small circle, looking at the buildings. Tina hugs tightly to Sam. Harold lights a joint, and takes a long drag before passing it to Jackie.

  “What do we do?” Harold coughs out, gagging from the smoke.

  “I'm cold,” Tina complains.

  “We can build a fire. If it rains, we'll move inside,” Caleb nods, throwing his cigarette down, putting it out.

  He, Dougie and Amir spread out gathering firewood. After a period, they've got a nice warm fire blazing. Amir finishes moving a couple stumps close to the fire, for people to sit on. Kat takes one of them, and he sits next to her.

  “This was not the way I wanted to party,” Jackie grumbles.

  “Are you kidding me? This is perfect,” Harold speaks up, holding his hands to the fire. They all look at him, confused. He notices, and takes the joint from Jackie, taking another hit, before grinning. “You guys don't know what this place is?”

  “Sleepy Hollow?” Sam asks, sarcastically.

  “Yeah, it's the original town. But do you know what happened here?” Another moment of everyone shrugging and looking at each other confused, before Harold shakes his head, frustrated. “People have no sense of adventure these days. Alright, so back during the Revolutionary War the British would hire mercenaries out of other Countries. They had a really specific way of doing things, and sometimes a job needed to be done that wasn't exactly gentlemanly for a British soldier to do. So their way around this was getting someone else to do the deed. But there was one in particular that even the British feared...”

  CHAPTER XIV

  October 31st, 1783.

  Private Jimmy Taft runs as fast as his feet will carry him in the uncomfortable shoes he wears. He gasps for breath, as he pushes through the woods, along the small path. The heavy adornments on his uniform, and the metal of his gun rattles with each step that pounds into the dirt, as he grunts and groans each time a branch whips him in the face.

  “He's coming! He's coming! The Hessian rides!” Jimmy screams out, pointing behind him as he hauls ass.

  A dirty hand gr
abs him by the collar and yanks him to the side, slamming him to the ground. His commander puts a hand over Jimmy's mouth and holds a finger to his lips as the young man looks up to see who attacked him. Jimmy coughs out behind the commander's hand, having the wind knocked out of him.

  “You're too damn loud, boy,” the commander whispered, pulling his hand away from Jimmy's mouth. “Now what news?”

  “The – Hessian – is coming,” Jimmy gasped, still trying to catch his breath. “

  “The Devil? You saw the The Devil?” The commander asks. Jimmy nods frantically. “And he's coming this way?” Another nod. The commander looks around in fear for a moment, trying to sort out a plan. He lets out a rhythmic whistle, and the bushes move a couple hundred feet down the path. Another young soldier, Thomas, runs to his commander, sliding to a stop.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “I want you to run now, let all the men know along this path that The Devil is coming this way. This is our chance to remove the last real threat from the British in the area. I want them to line the path. He's not to make it to the next road. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir!” And Thomas is off running.

  “How far back was he?” The commander inquires, turning back to Jimmy.

  Jimmy shook his head, still trying to calm down from the adrenaline rush. “I'm not sure, sir. A half mile, maybe? A few minutes? Not sure. He wasn't in a hurry.”

  “Good. We're going to finally kill that sonofabitch. He's killed thirty of our men since the Treaty of Paris. He enjoys it. Killin'. Take a man's head clean off you know?”

  Jimmy nods. He'd heard the stories. Everyone had heard the stories of The Devil. All in black, atop his massive horse. A sword in one hand, an axe in the other. Rumor had it he once took off four men’s' heads with a single swipe of his axe. Jimmy had to admit, he liked his head where it was at. But the worst of it was, nobody seemed to ever be able to hurt the Hessian. Gun fire, stabbing, none of it made a difference.