Sleepy Hollow
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, KITCHEN-DAY
Killian grabs an iron skewer from the fireplace, swings it to fend off a blow from the Horseman.
The Horseman swings the other axe. Killian ducks. The axe cracks fireplace stone, throwing sparks.
Killian lunges, jamming the skewer into the Horseman.
The skewer comes through the Horseman’s back. The Horseman swipes with the flat of one axe-pounding Killian aside.
Killian hits the wall, bashing his head. Hits the floor.
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, WHITE ROOM-DAY
Beth kicks a carpet to reveal a trap door.
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, KITCHEN-DAY
The Horseman pulls the skewer out of his body, throws it. He goes to lift Killian by the hair with one hand, brings back the axe in the other…
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, WHITE ROOM-DAY
At the trap door, Beth lowers Thomas to stairs leading to the cellar. Thomas is crying.
BETH Don’t let him get you.
THOMAS Mommy…
BETH You hide now… go…
Beth closes the trap door, frantically replacing the carpet. The room’s door flies open and the Horseman strides in, carrying Killian’s severed head. Beth shrieks.
The Horseman steps forward, knocks over the magic lantern.
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, CELLAR-DAY
Beth’s SCREAMS are abruptly CUT OFF. Her BODY is HEARD HITTING the floor above. Thomas crosses the cellar, stumbles. He scurries into the shelter of a wheelbarrow propped against the wall. FOOTSTEPS are HEARD.
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, THE WHITE ROOM-DAY
The Horseman’s hands place Killian’s and Beth’s heads in a sack, cinching the sack shut.
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, KITCHEN-DAY
The Headless Horseman enters, bends to retrieve the battle axe he left. He stands. Pause.
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, CELLAR-DAY
Thomas’ trembling hands pull the wheelbarrow closer. QUIET. He tries to control his sobbing.
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, KITCHEN-DAY
The Horseman turns, falls to his knees. He starts to chop at the floor with both axes. CHOPping, CHOPping, CHOPping… making quick work of it…
INT. KILLIAN’S HOME, CELLAR-DAY
A hole appears in the ceiling as debris falls.
Thomas looks up, terrified. He gets up to run away…
The Horseman’s arm shoves through above, grasping Thomas and yanking him up.
EXT. KILLIAN’S FARM-DAY
Brom rides from the forest, charging across Killian’s field.
At Killian’s house, Daredevil rides up as the Headless Horseman walks out with his sack of heads. The Horseman ties the sack to the saddle and leaps up.
Brom puts his reins in his mouth, raising his rifle.
The Horseman heads away, past the barn, as Brom gains.
Brom aims… FIRES!
BOOM-the slug EXPLODES, blowing the Horseman off Daredevil. Daredevil keeps going. The Horseman’s smoldering body is left “face down.”
Brom halts his horse. He climbs down, pleased.
The Horseman moves.
Brom backs away, satisfaction diminishing.
The Horseman gets on his knees.
Brom falls to one knee, begins reloading. He fills the gun from his powder horn.
The Horseman stands, unsheathes his sword and turns. The blast has blown apart his uniform at the chest and shoulder, exposing rotten flesh and maggot-infested muscle.
Brom readies his ramrod, jamming powder in the barrel.
The Horseman charges.
Brom stands, pulling out the ramrod. The Horseman is on him. Brom swings the rifle, blocking. Sparks fly.
The battle is on, with Brom fending off the Horseman’s sword with the gun-CLANK-CLANK-CLANK.
ACROSS THE FIELD, Ichabod and Gunpowder break into the open.
UP THE FIELD, the Horseman makes a backhanded swing. Brom goes down, his rifle sent flying.
Brom rolls to avoid as the Horseman slashes.
Brom flees. The Horseman pulls and throws a knife…
THWAP-the knife imbeds in Brom’s thigh.
The Horseman runs towards Brom.
Ichabod closes in, pulling an unlit lantern off his saddle.
Brom tries to get up, bends to extract the knife.
The Horseman, mid-run, changes his sword grip, blade down.
He plants one foot on Brom’s back, raising his sword, about to skewer…
Ichabod arrives full gallop, SMASHES the lantern into the Horseman-knocking the Horseman off Brom.
AT THE EDGE OF THE FOREST, Theodore and Glen arrive on horseback. They hold a moment, watching.
Brom runs, limping, to the barn, goal in sight: farm implements propped there. Brom grabs SCYTHES with long curved blades, one in per hand.
The Horseman rises.
Ichabod turns Gunpowder and leaps off, runs to Brom.
The Horseman moves towards them, hefting a battle axe in his free hand. Ichabod steps up, pistol aimed, furious.
ICHABOD For what it’s worth…
FIRES-the bullet rips through the Horseman’s stomach to reveal putrid innards as he keeps advancing.
At the forest, Theodore looks to Glenn, turns and flees.
Brom steps up, scythes ready. He and the Horseman go at it. Brom blocks axe and sword, catching and deflecting blows.
At the forest, Glenn follows Theodore away.
Ichabod grabs a long handled SICKLE.
Brom swings the scythes. The Horseman avoids.
Ichabod moves to the side, looking for an opening. He swings the sickle. The Horseman blocks.
The Horseman battles both at once, catching blows… countering every strike, METAL RINGING.
Brom catches the Horseman’s sword in one scythe, holding it off. Catches the axe handle in the other scythe.
The Horseman flatfoot KICKS Brom’s chest, sending him down.
Ichabod swings the sickle blade…
Hits the Horseman, the blade embedding to the hilt.
The Horseman drops his axe and grasps the sickle, jerking…
The sickle handle SLAMS Ichabod’s, knocking him away.
Ichabod crawls, tries to shake off the blow.
He looks up. The Horseman staggers, spastically trying to pull the blade from his body.
Brom limps to Ichabod, yanks him to his feet.
BROM We cannot win this.
They head towards the forest.
Behind, the Horseman extracts the sickle, throws it. He strides after them, picks up his axe on the way.
EXT. RIVERBANK-DAY
Ichabod and Brom stumble down a hillside. Brom points.
BROM There…
They run to a DOCK at the edge of a wide, rapid river. They jump into a FLAT BOAT barge.
BROM Go to the front and guide it.
