Hello there!

First of all, I really would like to thank the past reviewers of this story. I know it takes me forever to upload but I assure you, I will try my best to finish it up, and your reviews really give me the motivation to continue on.

Thank you for reading!


Chapter 7

This time a soft layer of damp earth and dead leaves cushioned the violent blow with which I was thrown into the middle of the woods. The ropes barely let me hold the book, and this time I chose to protect the stone and the grimoire at the cost of smashing my face against the ground. As I could I turned my back to look at the site I had arrived to, I recognized a few mounds and rocks here and there, some trees looked familiar. I tried with difficulty to stand up but was only able to sit up. Slowly my adrenaline subsided and the stabbing pain in my shoulder made my teeth grind, then I heard them: hesitant footsteps behind me. I snapped my head around and widened my eyes as I saw the scene unfolding before me.

The first thing that caught my attention was the immense tree that loomed huge and incomparable over the dense forest of bare trees. I had never seen a tree like that. Its trunk twisted in a spiral and seemed to rise sinisterly to a disproportionate height. Its dead branches looked like claws petrified by time. My eyes lowered until they reached the thick and twisted roots and for some reason, a vestige of affection, of longing came over me, giving a slight respite to the mass of fear, anxiety and anguish that I carried in my chest for what now seemed centuries. The precious instant of lightness was immediately cut off when I noticed the three figures slowly approaching, the tallest of them pointing a weapon at me. I had to restrain myself not to let out a sigh of resignation and impatience.

- "Don't shoot, please." - I begged out loud.

The man was as taken so aback to see me as I was to see him. His pale hand trembled as he tried to hold the pistol up. I was afraid to say anything else since I realized that this man seemed unable to control his nerves and I was not willing to receive another bullet in my body.

- "Ichabod, there is no need for weapons. She is a defenseless woman."

The young woman who intervened in my aid put a delicate hand on the man's arm and he lowered his weapon somewhat flushed.

The girl approached me, her long blonde hair framing a kind and innocent face, her rich golden dress denoting her high social position. A hint of curiosity crossed her face as she saw the book. I grabbed it even tighter if I could and felt my knuckles dangerously losing sensation.

- "We will not harm you." - She said smiling slightly. - "How did you get here? Was it the Horseman who did this to you? "

- "Katrina, don't go near her!" - Ichabod's trembling voice resounded in the silence of the woods and then I noticed the third person, a young man with short hair dark as coal, his huge black eyes were the same as that soldier who looked at me with fear while reciting the enchantment moments ago. I forced my memory and remembered his name.

- "Jonathan?" - I asked suddenly. -"It's me. Remember me?"

The boy's eyes widened, and he shook his head sharply from side to side. No, it wasn't him, I noticed small changes in his face, in his movements, he also seemed to be a few inches shorter than I remembered. Then I understood.

-"What year is?" - The three looked at each other surprised. - "Quick! What year is it ?!"

A burst of energy made me try to get to my feet, but the sudden movement also meant a stabbing pain in my shoulder and a new hemorrhage stained even more, the already dirty gray shirt. I groaned in pain and Katrina knelt next to me examining the open wound.

- "Young Masbath, release this poor woman from her bonds."

The boy hesitated a second, but after ignoring Ichabod's warning look, he went with a knife in hand to cut the ropes. Katrina looked at me worriedly and I couldn't help but feel tremendous gratitude to her.

- "Thank you, thank you so much." - I whispered hastily as I stood up and awkwardly shook my aching body from the lack of circulation.

- "1799-" - She said softly, placing her candid eyes on the book. - "November 5, 1799"

- "Twenty years ..." - I said without realizing it.

The look Katrina gave me was one of absolute understanding. I searched the depths of her black eyes for some valid answer to the maniacal odyssey into which I had been thrown. I was paralyzed, immobilized by the fear of revealing my truth and being branded as insane or on the contrary, to keep silent and losing the opportunity to find an ally in the search for the Hessian. Katrina moved closer to me and in a very low voice she asked:

- "Is the Sun Citrine safe?"

I was dumbfounded, I opened my mouth to answer her, but I was short of breath. Finally, I mumbled:

-"Yes, Yes. I need help, I have to save him. "

- "Is the Horseman wreaking havoc on your timeline too?"

-"No! I must save him. I have to save Klaus. "

Katrina arched a brow in confusion and was about to ask more, but the sound of someone clearing his throat interrupted us.

- "Ahem." - Ichabod approached us, offended. - "Sorry to interrupt, Miss Van Tassel, but I must remind you that I am in the middle of an investigation. If you allow me, I find it pertinent to be the person who interrogates the lady. "

-"Of course, of course." Katrina's sweet voice seemed to melt the stiffness of Ichabod's steps a bit. - "My apologies, Constable Crane."

Constable Ichabod Crane puffed out his chest and in a fastidious voice turned to me saying:

- "You have clearly been attacked in the woods. Tell me right now if the culprit is someone from the village or if you were a victim of the Headless Horseman."

I looked at Katrina hoping to see some sign about what I should answer and she said quickly:

- "The Horseman does not ride during the day, Ichabod."

The man's cheeks turned a deep crimson. - "Katrina, please..."

-"I don't remember." - I said interrupting him. - "I don't remember how I ended up here. But you mention the Headless Horseman. Please tell me where I can find him. "

Ichabod was looking at me like I was crazy. - "Find him? Most of the people in the village try hard to hide from him. Trying to go looking for him is completely irrational and suicidal. But you're not from Sleepy Hollow, are you? No. The village is so small that Miss Van Tassel and Young Masbath would have recognized you at once." - Ichabod looked at them suspiciously. - "Tell me: who are you? A woman dressed like that, clutching an old and worn book... Who taught you to read? Are you a relative of that wit... of that woman who lives in that cave deep in the woods? You have discerned the name of Young Masbath, I would not be surprised if you were dedicated to certain magical arts and I do not judge you for it, until recently I was an absolute skeptic, but looking at the situation now... "

Ichabod's interrogation had turned into a disjointed speech and in no time his words ceased to make sense. I kept my gaze on him trying not to be rude but little by little my eyes drifted to the huge tree and it was as if a magnet was drawing me to it. With quick steps, I reached the base of it and could clearly see the twisted roots that supported a mound of earth and on top of it, the sword of Klaus stuck over his grave. I noticed how the metal had aged, the sharp blade was now rusty and tarnished, the hilt had lost all its splendor and the rubies mounted in the snake's eyes were now dirty and dull. I wanted to get closer and tried to climb the small mound, but when I grabbed the roots my hand was smeared with a warm, thick and sticky liquid. I looked at it in disbelief. "What the hell… blood? Is that blood? "

- "It is the Tree of the Death. The witch showed us the way. "

Jonathan's voice startled me. I hadn't realized that the three of them had followed me.

- "Young Masbath, it is not appropriate to discuss the facts of our investigation with a stranger..." - Ichabod's fastidious voice went to a halt when he saw my hand stained with blood after having touched the roots of the tree.

- "Keep away." - Ichabod ordered as he took an ax that he kept in the saddle of a horse.

I stepped back and waited along with Katrina and Jonathan while Ichabod raised the ax and struck the roots. I made a noise of disgust when I saw how a stream of blood shot out towards his face. To my amazement, Ichabod, whom I had prematurely judged to be a prissy and fussy person, continued this horrible task without uttering any further complaint.

Every blow he struck with the ax caused more and more blood to gush from the tree, drenching his clothes. He finally threw the ax aside and continued to tear off pieces of wood that looked more like pieces of meat, it was as if that tree were a living animal, a horrible being emerged from the bowels of hell. My curiosity made me take a few steps forward, just at the moment when Ichabod tore a huge piece of bark that covered a cavity through which a foul odor filtered and then the vision of at least five severed heads, all in different degrees of decomposition made my legs shake. I had to hold onto Katrina to bear such shock. I closed my eyes, but I still continued to see the deformed heads, some with their eyes already eaten by worms, others still retaining the grimace of terror on their swollen and greenish faces.

At that moment I absolutely lost all strength to continue. Slowly I dropped to the ground avoiding at all costs looking up at the tree, however, the smell of rot was impossible to ignore. I didn't feel able to deal with this, I had already committed the unforgivable act of taking a person's life. Suddenly I remembered the eyes of the man whose neck I had stabbed with a sword, his surprised grimace resembling those on the faces of the poor beheaded. The whole weight of the infamous act collapsed on me; whether he was in the middle of a war or not, whether he was a soldier or not, he had been killed by my hand and it was at that precise moment, looking face to face at the terrifying reality of death, I realized that everything was too much for me. I felt filthy, lost, condemned to have to deal with something beyond my power. I understood the seriousness of the matter. Was Klaus really that German soldier who liked brandy and dreamed of flying back to Frankfurt? Or was he really a ruthless monster that tormented innocent people night after night? Had I sacrificed my integrity and my sanity for someone who was capable of such heinous acts?

"Go back home, Alice." His voice echoed in my head. I covered my face with my hands and stifled a groan.

- "I can't do it; I can't do it."

Katrina and Jonathan put their hands on my shoulders and tried to calm me down. Ichabod gave me a pitying look and asked Katrina to stay with me while he investigated further. I glanced at him as he climbed up with ease and got in front of the sword.

- "This ground has been disturbed! The soil is loose! Masbath, bring the shovel! "

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu as I watched him shovel dirt up. Twenty years. Twenty years had passed, but for me, it was only a couple of hours. However, the current situation was an exact copy: The light of the lanterns illuminating the upcoming twilight, the same cold rock that soldier Jonathan had sat on years ago, the same feeling of uncertainty... I turned my head towards the other Jonathan, and I saw that he was staring at a point between the roots of the tree. I made an effort to look there and after a minute I notice it. Jonathan's head, the Jonathan who had inadvertently saved my life by returning the book to me, his huge black eyes now devoid of any soul the same as his son's. It was clear to me that I was not the only person in that place who carried a huge grief on my shoulders.

- "Jonathan." - I called him with a brittle voice over the noise of the shoveling. - "Come here."

And like his father, young Jonathan was soon next to me.

- "Don't look there anymore, Jonathan." - I said taking his hand in mine. - "Your father wouldn't want you to remember him like that."

- "Did you know my father?"

- "Yes, it was a long time ago, long before you were born. He was a good man, smart. Surely you are as smart as him. "

Jonathan was looking at me with intensity, his eyes got wet but he dried them quickly with his sleeve, and with a slight nod he ran to where Ichabod was to help him dig.

- "He's a good young man." - Katrina said, settling on the rock next to me so she could speak in a low voice. - "It is a pity that now he is an orphan. It's not fair that someone so young has to go through that. "

She let out a sigh and turned to me.

- "We always thought it was a legend." Katrina whispered, making sure Ichabod and Jonathan were busy enough not to hear her. - "The Sun Citrine, my God!

I assumed that my face revealed my ignorance and incompetence because she raised an eyebrow and asked slowly:

- "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

In response I offered her the book and she looked at it in wonder.

-"It's ancient! Where did you get it? Ah, here it is! Hymnus Kronus. My mother used to tell me stories about the few witches who managed to perform this spell. I still not believe it!"

Katrina reread the spell over and over, getting more and more excited, however when she looked at me again her smile faded.

-"I'm sorry." - She said a little embarrassed, giving me the book back. - "I can see that it has not been easy for you."

- "Katrina, I'll be honest with you, until a couple of days ago I had never heard, even dreamed that time travel was possible. I still understand very little of this."- I pointed to the book. - "And much less of this." - I said taking the small yellow stone from my pocket.

Seeing the stone, Katrina let out a little scream that was thankfully drowned out by the ruckus Ichabod made with the shovel.

- "It looks like an ordinary pebble." - She whispered to herself as she turned it between her fingers. -"But still…"

And suddenly she leaned the citrine on my wounded shoulder, saying:

-"Remedium vulnere, carnis vinctum."

I felt as if fiery embers were rising from my open wound, I stifled a groan of pain and smelled the scent of burning skin. I was grateful that it was only for a second, however, Katrina stood up, her face contorted with pain, holding her swollen, red hand. I watched with horror as small blisters began to appear in the palm of her hand and I quickly pulled the stone that was melting with her skin. She just grunted through her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut trying to control the pain.

- "Sorry, Katrina. I didn't think it would cause so much damage. " - I said as I took her by her shoulders and made her sit down again. Katrina barely shook her head and covered her blistered hand with a handkerchief.

- "Thank you." - I continued saying. - "For fixing me. I'm so sorry this happened ... "

I was very nervous, I was worried that Katrina had been so affected by the citrine, I prayed that the burn was not as bad as it seemed.

-"It's my fault. I shouldn't have rushed to use my magic with an object as powerful as the citrine. I'll be fine." - Katrina outlined a weak smile. - "At least now I know that my mother's stories were real."

I let out a breath and sat next to her.

- "My name is Alice by the way." - I said looking towards where Ichabod was. The excavated dirt already formed a large heap. - "The Headless Horseman, the Hessian, his name is Klaus; It was because of him that I have this stone and the grimoire, he was trying to come back to life, you know? He could no longer bear to live as a ghost, wandering alone in the woods. "

Katrina looked at me without understanding and asked

- "I thought you met him when he was still alive? Twenty years ago, right? "

- "Well yes, but the first time I saw him was in 2017. There's where I really come from."

Katrina's jaw dropped and she looked at me apprehensively waiting for my story. I didn't know how to even start explaining the matter to her, but if there was anyone in the world who understood and believed in the situation I was in, that was Katrina Van Tassel. So, I began to tell her about all the troubles I had gone through.

- "So you decided to come to this timeline, instead of going home." - She said after exhaling a sigh. - "But why now? Why not a day before it happened? Now it's a little late to save his life, right? He's been dead for twenty years! "

- "I don't know, I didn't think of a specific date, I couldn't think clearly at that time. The citrine brought me to a random date, I guess. "

- "No, nothing is by chance. The citrine brought you for a reason. You will be very helpful now. And Lord, poor Ichabod needs help. "

We both looked in the direction of the tree where Ichabod was finally emerging from the pit he had dug. I hurried up and reached him, seeing inside the tomb the bare bones of the late Commander Klaus, but something was missing ...

- "The skull is gone. Taken. That is why the Horseman returns from the grave to take heads till his own is restored."

Ichabod was observing the tomb, trying to discover if the person who had desecrated it had left an object that could help identify him. The light from the lanterns cast long shadows in the darkness of the night. I approached Klaus's sword and plucked the dry roots that enveloped it. With force I pulled it out and held it with my hand with difficulty since it was quite heavy.

- "Hey, be careful with that, it's not a toy."

I was about to reply, but suddenly an icy wind blew through the forest and the roar of some distant thunder surprised us all. I felt how the earth shook and watched in horror as the roots of the tree opened with a repulsive noise.

He was before me, Klaus. He looked exactly the same as that first time on that lonely road. Daredevil stood on his hind legs as his master drew a sword exactly as the one I was holding and swung it in the air. I was frozen thinking that I should be fleeing for my life since that monster had a sinister aura, very different from the one Klaus had in life. However, there was no need, the Hessian galloped away ignoring us completely. Ichabod's quick movement was what made me react. He ran to his horse and I went after him, not caring about his disapproving expression, I climbed up behind him.

- "Quick, go!

We went at full gallop trying to catch up with Klaus but Daredevil's speed was supernatural. We finally reached the village and I jumped off the horse before Ichabod brought it to a complete stop and I ran towards the center of the village.

- "Wait, it's dangerous!"

Ichabod's screams were lost in the roar of the approaching storm. I ran with all my might dragging the sword, hoping that a miracle would happen, hoping that, just as I was able to recognize the citrine among a horde of junk in that cave, I would be able to find Klaus in the immense darkness of the town. It was not a magical call that made me go to a cottage at the other end of town, it was the cry of a woman. I felt the seconds turned into hours until I reached the collapsed door and saw Klaus raising his ax, pounding on the wooden floor. A childish scream was bursting my ears.

- "KLAUS! – I yell as loud as possible. - KLAUS, STOP! "

The Horseman reached into the hole with his gloved hand and pulled out a little boy who was crying, screaming, and shaking his legs.

-"NO!"

I drove the sword into his back with all my body weight and it pierced through his chest. Not a single drop of blood emerged from the wound, but he dropped the boy and quickly I picked him up in my arms and bolted out of the cottage.

I listened in horror to the sound of his spurs as he mounted his steed and began to hunt me down. I ran towards a bridge and thanked god a young blonde man was trotting upon his horse, probably alarmed by the screams.

- "The Horseman!" - I screamed. - "The Headless Horseman!"

The young man took aim with his musket and the bullet impact was so strong that Klaus fell backward. I thought for a moment that that was the end. The Headless Horseman was defeated... The tears of the child soaked my chest and a burning in my throat indicated that I was about to cry too, but a second later the Hessian got up and continued walking as if nothing had happened. The young man tried desperately to reload his musket, but the Horseman passed by ignoring him. I turned my back to keep running and collided head-on with Ichabod.

- "Run and hide in the church." - He ordered. - "He will not stop until he ends the life of that child."

And with no more words, Ichabod ran to the aid of the young man who was now fighting hand to hand with the Hessian.

It didn't take me long to find the little church. Relieved, I saw Katrina and young Masbath waiting for me.

- "Alice!" - Katrina exclaimed hugging me. - "Come in, you'll be safe."

I walked into the church with Katrina while Jonathan closed the doors, securing them with heavy wooden beams. I flopped onto the shiny wooden floor, hugging the little boy, and I tried to stop crying.

-"He will not stop." - I thought. - "There is nothing that can stop him."