Sleepy Hollow
In the distance, Lady Van Tassel’s white horse roams free.
ICHABOD (as this registers) Oh, no…
Young Masbath and Katrina are just past the cart when Lady Van Tassel rises from behind it, swings a plank…
SLAMS Ichabod in the chest and sends him down.
Lady Van Tassel grabs Katrina’s hair, drags her.
LADY VAN TASSEL Should have stayed away, Constable.
Ichabod gets up slow, furious, reaches to his holster, only to find it empty. He moves forward.
LADY VAN TASSEL Keep back, or I kill her.
She takes out scissors, holds them to Katrina’s neck. Katrina ceases struggling.
Ichabod keeps Masbath behind him, keeps his distance. Lady Van Tassel shoots a glance…
LADY VAN TASSEL See him…
Par off, the Horseman strides from the wreckage.
LADY VAN TASSEL You cannot kill what is already dead.
ICHABOD Let her go!
LADY VAN TASSEL Yes… yes. I think I will…
Lady Van Tassel spins and throws Katrina in the cart, shoving against it.
ICHABOD No!
The cart rolls downhill. Ichabod moves forward.
Lady Van Tassel turns, brandishing the scissors, slashing and missing. Ichabod backs off.
DOWNHILL, the cart picks up speed, headed for the Horseman.
The Horseman starts running to meet it.
UPHILL, Lady Van Tassel grins.
LADY VAN TASSEL Say goodbye to her.
Lady Van Tassel lunges, stabbing. Ichabod avoids, puts all his fury behind his fist-punches her in the face.
Lady Van Tassel hits the ground and her bag falls open, sending the Horseman’s skull rolling out…
The skull rolls… rolls… landing far away.
DOWNHILL, Katrina leaps out from the cart…
She lands hard…
The Horseman shoves the empty cart aside, still on the move.
UPHILL, Ichabod sees the skull. He runs towards it.
Lady van Tassel grabs Ichabod by the ankle. He falls.
DOWNHILL, Katrina runs back. The Horseman is catching up.
UPHILL, Ichabod tries to pull f ree from Lady Van Tassel.
Young Masbath comes behind her – BAM – hits her in the head with the wooden plank. She’s out.
Ichabod scrambles to his feet.
DOWNHILL, the Horseman catches Katrina, taking her by the hair as she falls to her knees and screams.
UPHILL, Ichabod runs… grasps the Horseman’s skull.
He runs towards the Horseman and Katrina.
DOWNHILL, Katrina struggles, but the Horseman holds her ready by her hair… raises his sword…
UPHILL, Ichabod throws the skull…
ICHABOD Horseman!
The skull spins through the air…
The Horseman drops Katrina, reaches up…
Catches the skull.
Katrina runs.
Ichabod runs to meet her, grabs her as she falls, exhausted. Together, they back away from the Horseman.
The Horseman holds the skull out, then brings it to his shoulders, to its rightful place. THUNDER POUNDS.
TRANSFORMATION begins-blood and flesh rise up from the Horseman’s throat and grip the skull.
Young Masbath drops the plank, watching in awe.
The Horseman’s reformation continues. Muscle forms. Liquids become solids. He is made whole once more, the same evil, human face we saw in Baltus’ stories.
He looks to Ichabod and Katrina, touches his restored face.
Daredevil rides up, SCREECHING. The Horseman replaces his sward and climbs into the saddle.
He rides towards Katrina and Ichabod, but passes them by. They are so exhausted they fall down.
Young Masbath backs up as the Horseman comes, but the Horseman does not want him either.
The Horseman leans to grab Lady Van Tassel’s unconscious form, pulls her up across Daredevil’s back.
He rides away with her.
Ichabod and Katrina watch him go. They look at each other, then kiss gratefully.
Ichabod looks to Young Masbath.
ICHABOD How are you?
YOUNG MASBATH Tired.
Ichabod smiles and holds out his arm. Masbath comes over. Group hug. Lightning brightens the farmland around them.
EXT. WESTERN WOODS, BURIAL GROUND-NIGHT
HOOFBEATS. The Horseman enters the clearing, keeping a hand on Lady Van Tassel. Ahead, the twisted tree awaits.
Lady Van Tassel is awakening, face bloody. She turns her head and looks forward. She screams.
The twisted tree’s wound opens, wide and glowing.
Daredevil picks up speed…
Daredevil leaps just as a lightning bolt blasts down, striking the Horseman.
For an instant, Horseman and horse are transformed, SKELETONS OF LIGHT, entering the tree.
Silence and smoke. At the tree, Lady Van Tassel’s hand sticks out from the tight-shut suture.
The sewn wound on her palm seeps blood.
EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREET, ICHABOD’S HOME-DAY
A bright, busy day in New York. A coach pulls up to Ichabod’s home. Ichabod is the driver. He gets off, goes and opens the coach door. He helps Katrina down. Next, Young Masbath sticks his head out.
Ichabod goes about unloading bags. Katrina holds Young Masbath’s hand, and they look down the street in wonder.
THE END
