Sleepy Hollow
Katrina and Masbath hold on as the coach shakes violently.
KATRINA Where are we going?
ICHABOD I do not know. Away.
YOUNG MASBATH Here he comes!
Behind, the Horseman can be seen on the forest bordered road. Closing fast. Breakneck pace.
ICHABOD We might make it to the church.
Masbath takes a lantern, crawls back to the roof.
KATRINA Masbath… !
He ignores, reaching the rear of the coach and throwing the lantern at the Horseman. It smashes on the trail.
ICHABOD Damn it, boy, get back here!
Young Masbath slides back. Katrina helps him.
YOUNG MASBATH What can we do?
ICHABOD Take the reins.
Young Masbath takes them. Ichabod slings Van Ripper’s rifle over his shoulder and starts back. Katrina grips him.
ICHABOD Masbath is right. We must do something.
She releases. Ichabod gets to the luggage area at the rear, struggling to open a storage box.
Behind, the Horseman draws his sword, closer.
Ichabod opens the box, hefting out a long, jagged SAW.
KATRINA Ichabod!
Ichabod looks. The Horseman rides up, swinging…
Ichabod recoils-THWACK-just missed by sword.
The Horseman lets the coach get ahead, shifting to the other side of the trail… coming along side.
Ichabod backpedals, looking to Masbath.
ICHABOD Keep him off! Block him!
Masbath guides the horses over. The Horseman must fall behind to avoid the wheels.
The coach hits a large, fallen tree trunk.
Ichabod bounces, falling…
He hangs off the side of the coach.
Katrina climbs to offer her hand. Ichabod offers the saw.
ICHABOD Take it!
Katrina takes the saw. Now with both hands, Ichabod tries for better purchase. He grips the coach door. It opens…
Ichabod clings to the open door as branches slam him.
He’s reaching to the coach threshold, reaching…
Ichabod pulls himself inside.
BOOM-the door hits a tree trunk, bashed to pieces.
Ichabod looks out from the coach, dazed. He climbs.
Katrina looks back as Young Masbath guides the coach to block the Horseman again.
The Horseman sheaths his sword, riding… reaching to grip the back corner of the coach.
The Horseman dismounts, clinging, climbing…
Ichabod takes the rifle off his shoulder, aiming…
BANG!-splattering the Horseman’s hand point blank. The Horseman hangs on with his other hand.
The Horseman re-grips with the blasted hand, amazing since it’s now all mush and bone.
Ichabod throws the rifle on his way to the driver’s perch, taking the saw from Katrina.
ICHABOD Move forward!
Katrina looks to the horses, then at Ichabod.
ICHABOD Go!
Ichabod takes the reins from Young Masbath.
ICHABOD Help her.
Reins in one hand and saw in the other, Ichabod waits. The Horseman rises up and moves in, taking out his sword.
Young Masbath climbs down to the wooden pole connecting the coach to the bridles, puts out his hand. Katrina takes it.
Behind, the Horseman swings. Ichabod blocks with the saw.
Young Masbath guides Katrina as she leaps onto one horse. Bareback. Young Masbath straddles the horse beside her.
The Horseman swings, backhanded knocks the sword from Ichabod’s hand as Ichabod falls back…
Ichabod hits the bridle post, hanging onto straps for dear life. His feet drag on the trail.
Above, the Horseman comes to the driver’s perch, close enough to kill Katrina. He raises his sword…
Katrina screams, ducking, helpless…
Below, Ichabod pulls a bolt from the coach’s hitching-rod.
He shoves off with his feet.
The Horseman swings…. missing.
The horses detach from the coach, dragging Ichabod along.
The coach careens out of control.
It flies off the trail, hits an incline and sails off, throwing the Horseman.
The coach hits a tree trunk and SMASHES.
FURTHER DOWN THE TRAIL, the coach horses stop. Young Masbath and Katrina climb off as Ichabod gets to his feet, hurting, clutching his previously wounded shoulder.
YOUNG MASBATH What now?
ICHABOD I doubt that’s the end.
KATRINA The church.
ICHABOD He moves too fast.
Ichabod unhooks a lantern off the bridle rail. The trail behind is silent, till a bone chilling SCREECH is HEARD.
KATRINA What was that?
ICHABOD His horse.
They start moving. Ichabod looks around. He sees…
ICHABOD There…
Through the tree line, the Hollow’s massive windmill can be seen against the sky. Katrina and Young Masbath run.
EXT. WINDMILL FIELD-NIGHT
Ichabod, Katrina and Young Masbath book into this open area, heading to the windmill. Another HORRIBLE SQUEAL echoes.
Ichabod looks over his shoulder.
Heavy, low hanging BRANCHES and VINES at the forest edge creep to life, parting… forming a sort of black tunnel.
ICHABOD He’s coming!
The Horseman gallops out, throwing leaves in his wake.
ICHABOD Hurry!
The Horseman readies a battle axe.
Ichabod gets under the windmill, helping Young Masbath up the ladder and in. Katrina next.
The Horseman is almost there.
Ichabod follows Katrina. He gets in, feet dangling. The Horseman dismounts…
INT. WINDMILL-NIGHT
Ichabod leaps up and struggles with the heavy trap door… slams it. He closes the latch just as the Horseman hits. The door buckles.
YOUNG MASBATH It won’t hold.
Ichabod goes to a large GRINDSTONE against a wall. He struggles to roll it.
Young Masbath helps him roll it to the trap door. It falls on top with a thud. The Horseman’s sword jabs up through the grindstone’s center hole.
