Sleepy Hollow Page #10

FATHER STEENWYCK

You all stand idle, while this man

goes about with a book of secrets and

a bag filled with magic. You all

stand idle, while the shadow of the

Devil falls over our town.

Baltus, Lady Van Tassel and Katrina watch at safe distance.

FATHER STEENWYCK

I say, if you do nothing, you share

in the blasphemy of Ichabod Crane!

Killian, on horseback beside his wife, BETH, and son, Thomas,

rides to one side of the shouting crowd.

KILLIAN:

Listen to me! Do you want to save

your crops? Or would you rather see

your farms go to ruin?

FATHER STEENWYCK

How is he saving our farms? How?

Ichabod Crane has brought into our

midst the soulless, moldering corpse

of a heretic!

INT. DOCTOR'S RESIDENCE, MEDICAL ROOM -- NIGHT

Ichabod examines the Crone's neck wound with magnification

spectacles. Young Masbath is seated, ledger in his lap.

ICHABOD:

The wound is neither smooth nor

cauterized, but jagged. She bleeds

like a fountain.

Ichabod lifts her dead hand to show bruises and cuts.

ICHABOD:

She did not go quietly.

INT. DOCTOR'S RESIDENCE, PARLOR -- NIGHT

Doctor Lancaster wrings his hands. His WIFE rocks nervously

in a rocking chair. The CROWD outside ROARS as a bonfire

lights up the curtained windows.

The front door is POUNDED open. ANGRY MEN enter. Lancaster

stands, lips quivering. He points insistently to a door.

INT. DOCTOR'S RESIDENCE, MEDICAL ROOM -- NIGHT

Angry men break in. Ichabod looks up.

ANGRY MAN:

Step aside, Constable. Step aside...

Ichabod is shoved aside, spectacles knocked off.

The group grasps the Crone. Masbath stands on his chair,

clutching the ledger. Ichabod grabs one man.

ICHABOD:

What are you doing?

The man slams Ichabod back.

Magnification spectacles are crushed under foot.

EXT. TOWN SQUARE -- NIGHT

Angry men carry the corpse to a raging bonfire. The mob

makes way. Steenwyck cheers them.

FATHER STEENWYCK

Let her burn! Let her burn!

Ichabod comes out, followed by Young Masbath. The Crone's

corpse is thrown in the fire. Cheers all around.

At Ichabod's side, a man tries to grab the ledger Young

Masbath holds. Young Masbath cries out, hanging on to the

book. Ichabod joins the struggle.

Katrina watches, emotions conflicting.

Other men grab Ichabod. One punches Ichabod in the face.

Katrina rides forward as Baltus calls for her to stop.

Katrina leaps down, into the crowd, pulls men off Ichabod.

KATRINA:

Stop this! Leave them alone!

A SHOT RINGS OUT. Chaos halts. Everyone turns, quieting.

The men around Masbath and Ichabod turn to face Brom Bones.

Brom holds a smoking pistol, flanked by Theodore and Glenn.

BROM:

Let them go

(pointing)

Are you going to beat an orphaned

child, imbecile?

Masbath is released, along with the ledger. Steenwyck moves

forward, pushing people aside.

FATHER STEENWYCK

Are you Ichabod Crane's protector,

Brom Bones?

BROM:

Only for the moment.

FATHER STEENWYCK

You side with him in this?

BROM:

No. I agree he has only made matters

worse. But, that will change, if you

listen.

He trades with Theodore, pistol for a long rifle. Brom hefts

the rifle, taking a round slug from his pocket.

BROM:

Theodore, Glenn and I offer to ride

each day and night to watch over the

Hollow. We will stalk the border of

the Western Woods and haunt the

Horseman for a change, with rifles

like this... and slugs like this...

Brom brings the slug to his lips, blows. It WHISTLES.

BROM:

Hollowed out and filled with powder.

Brom smiles at Katrina, who watches unimpressed.

BROM:

Constable Crane is not the only one

who fights with science on his side.

ICHABOD:

I fired upon the Horseman and the

bullet did nothing.

BROM:

You must have missed your mark.

ICHABOD:

I hit him square.

BROM:

(to the crowd)

I say... if the Horseman is solid

enough to take the lives of our

people, he's solid enough to feel

this...

Brom aims the rifle at a BARREL down the road. FIRES.

PLUNK -- the barrel is hit -- EXPLODES. Smoke wafts.

INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, ICHABOD'S ROOM -- NIGHT

In bed, Ichabod is having unpleasant dreams once more.

FREAKISH WOMAN (v.o.)

The night of the great storm, I saw

her cross my windows.

ICHABOD'S DREAM -- COURTROOM -- DAY

Young Ichabod is seated beside Father, eyes tearful. We are

back in the court where Mother stands trial.

FREAKISH WOMAN:

In the lightning, I did see her.

(points to Mother)

Her. Lady Crane... I will never

forget it. The next moment, I found

my infant son was dead, with the

blood welt on his breast.

The evil Third Man turns to a jury of TWELVE MEN.

THIRD MAN:

You have heard it. The blood welt

is the mark of Satan's touch.

As the crowd murmurs in fear, Young Ichabod looks to Father,

who sits with hands clenched, emotionless.

ICHABOD'S DREAM -- YOUNG ICHABOD'S HOME -- NIGHT

In the quiet kitchen, Young Ichabod looks across the table.

Father stares into his food.

YOUNG ICHABOD:

She was with me, father.

FATHER:

Nothing can be done against them.

YOUNG ICHABOD:

She was with me that night.

Father doesn't even look up.

ICHABOD'S DREAM -- CHURCH -- NIGHT

Empty church. Young Ichabod carries a lantern past pews. A

soldier is seated near the altar with a rifle.

YOUNG ICHABOD:

May I see her?

The soldier exits through a white door. Young Ichabod waits,

looking up at the vast church. The white door opens and the

Third Man steps out.

THIRD MAN:

Go home.

YOUNG ICHABOD:

May I see my mother?

THIRD MAN:

You do not want to be here. Go home

to your father.

YOUNG ICHABOD:

She did not do it... please listen...

THIRD MAN:

She is guilty.

YOUNG ICHABOD:

No, sir, please... she is innocent...

THIRD MAN:

She has confessed.

YOUNG ICHABOD:

No.

THIRD MAN:

She has admitted to her evil and

signed a written confession. Do

you know what confession is?

(off Ichabod's nod)

All that is left for you now is to

pray for her soul.

The Third Man leaves through the white door.

ICHABOD'S DREAM -- YOUNG ICHABOD'S BEDROOM -- MORNING

Young Ichabod buttons his shirt.

ICHABOD'S DREAM -- YOUNG ICHABOD'S YARD -- MORNING

Young Ichabod comes out, looks to the lawn, not

understanding. Father loads a wagon full of belongings.

FATHER:

We are leaving.

(long pause)

She has gone away.

Realization comes to Young Ichabod. He runs, away across the

lawn as Father calls after him.

ICHABOD'S DREAM -- FOREST TRAIL -- MORNING

Young Ichabod runs, weeping.

THIRD MAN (v.o.)

She has confessed.

ICHABOD'S DREAM -- CHURCH -- MORNING

Empty. Doors are thrown open and Young Ichabod enters. He

goes down the aisle, towards the white door.

THIRD MAN (v.o.)

She has admitted to her evil and

signed a written confession.

YOUNG ICHABOD:

Mother.

ICHABOD'S DREAM -- CHURCH, BEYOND WHITE DOOR -- MORNING

Young Ichabod enters, halting. The room contains TORTURE

DEVICES:
iron cuffs, thumb screws, knifes and needles.

THIRD MAN (v.o.)

Do you know what confession is?

He walks, numb, eyes locked forward...

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