Sleepy Hollow Page #14

Ichabod and Brom are thrown. The barge is trapped.

The Horseman nears.

Brom runs to the rear to retrieve his scythe. Ichabod holds

up the only weapon he has, his guide pole.

The Horseman steps on board. Ichabod swings. The Horseman's

axe cracks the pole in half...

The Horseman thrusts with sword -- into Ichabod's chest --

clean through. It SIZZLES as Ichabod screams.

The Horseman lifts Ichabod up, flips him, pulling the sword

out as Ichabod goes...

SMASHING through the ice and under.

UNDERWATER:
water carries Ichabod, slams him against ice

above. He's pulled down by undertow.

ABOVE WATER, beyond the edge of the ice bridge: Ichabod comes

up, gasping, choking on rain.

He treads water, looking to the barge.

ICHABOD'S P.O.V. -- FROM THE WATER

Aboard the barge, the Horseman cuts Brom down... stands over

him, chopping with sword. Our VIEW grows BLURRY, and...

FADES OUT/IN

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

Candlelight. Ichabod, shirtless, feverish, opens his eyes.

The wound at the top of his chest is raw. Katrina inserts a

needle in the skin around it.

KATRINA:

Lay still, Ichabod. Do not move.

LADY VAN TASSEL:

Doctor, he is awake.

Ichabod tries to sit. Pain stops him. Lady Van Tassel helps

bleed the wound with the needle and a tube leading to a

SUCTION JAR of blood.

ICHABOD:

(barely a voice)

What... what are you doing... ?

KATRINA:

I'm drawing bad blood from the wound.

Doctor Lancaster comes to the bed.

DOCTOR LANCASTER

Keep still, Constable. You were

half-drowned when they found you.

ICHABOD:

... Brom Bones...

DOCTOR LANCASTER

He is dead. You would be also, if

your wound had not somehow shut.

ICHABOD:

Bring Young Masbath here.

DOCTOR LANCASTER

You need to sleep.

ICHABOD:

Bring him.

DOCTOR LANCASTER

You need rest.

Ichabod gives up, closes his eyes. Katrina, needle in one

hand, brings her other hand to hold Ichabod's.

Blood drips into the suction jar.

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

Ichabod is soundly asleep. Across the room, Katrina is at

his work table. Ichabod stirs. Katrina looks to him.

Once she is satisfied he will not wake, she returns to what

she was doing, turning a page. She is reading his ledger.

EXT. SERVANT'S QUARTER'S, MASBATH'S ROOM -- NIGHT

Young Masbath lies awake. A glint of light crosses the

window. Masbath looks to it, gets up, peers out.

THROUGH THE WINDOW, he can see the Van Tassel Manor House in

the distance. Lantern LIGHT crosses the lawn.

EXT. VAN TASSEL ESTATE, ORCHARD -- NIGHT

The lantern light moves through the orchard, away from the

house. We cannot make out the person.

Elsewhere, Young Masbath runs in pursuit. He hides against

one tree, leans to look...

The light enters forest. Young Masbath follows.

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

Ichabod's hurting. Masbath helps with a shirt.

YOUNG MASBATH:

Someone left last night. Looked

like they headed to the square, but

I lost them in the forest.

ICHABOD:

Man or woman?

YOUNG MASBATH:

All I saw was their lantern.

ICHABOD:

Business, best hidden is hidden best

at night.

Ichabod goes to his work table, organizing his satchel.

YOUNG MASBATH:

If someone has the Horseman's skull...

if they control the Horseman, then why

haven't they sent him for your head

yet?

ICHABOD:

Because, I serve a fine purpose alive.

It is perfection for our murderer if I

return to New York City with nothing

more than tales of a galloping ghoul.

(pause)

We must uncover the reason these

victims were targeted. What was taken

from them... other than their lives?

Who benefits by their deaths?

Ichabod fumbles the bottle of white powder.

It bounces, cork popping out... rolls under the bed.

ICHABOD:

Damn it.

Ichabod kneels, pained. A trail of the blood-detecting

powder has spilled. The bottle is out of reach.

YOUNG MASBATH:

I'll get it.

Young Masbath gets down, ready to crawl for it, but Ichabod

stops him, peering under.

ICHABOD:

Wait...

Far under, near the bottle, some powder is bubbling.

Ichabod moves to the end of the bed and lifts, in pain.

Young Masbath helps. They drag the bed to one side.

Under the bed:
a Satanic PENTAGRAM has been DRAWN IN BLOOD.

Ichabod stares, trying to grasp the implication. Masbath is

about to speak, but Ichabod puts a finger to his lips.

Ichabod moves to lock the door.

YOUNG MASBATH:

(whispers)

Who did this?

Ichabod does not answer. He picks up a wash basin and dumps

the water to wash the Pentagram away.

EXT. TOWN SQUARE/CHURCH -- DAY

WAGONS, HORSES and TOWNSPEOPLE swarm. A CROWD loots the

town's general store. Provisions are passed along man to man

and loaded on wheelbarrows.

All up and down the long straight road, home owners board up

windows with lumber.

Ichabod and Young Masbath ride, passing many angry faces.

ICHABOD:

Panic has set in.

They stop, tying their horses and climbing stairs to the door

of the "NOTARY." Ichabod looks off...

DOWN THE ROAD, at the far end, people head to the church.

Much activity there as well.

ICHABOD:

Sanctuary. Or, so they hope.

Families put up tents all around the church within the

bordering wrought-iron fence. Supplies abound.

People work to build and erect massive wooden crosses.

INT. NOTARY PUBLIC, HARDENBROOK'S OFFICES -- DAY

Tidy room. Young Masbath watches Ichabod hand a slip of

paper to the elderly Notary, Hardenbrook.

ICHABOD:

Do you have these persons' wills?

HARDENBROOK:

I have everything... last testaments...

birth certificates, death certificates...

deeds.

ICHABOD:

Yes, sir... but, do you have these?

Hardenbrook studies the paper with his one good eye.

HARDENBROOK:

Certainly... certainly.

Hardenbrook nods, handing the list back, grinning. Ichabod

stands waiting. Hardenbrook is still nodding.

ICHABOD:

May I see them, Master Hardenbrook?

HARDENBROOK:

Hmm? See them?

ICHABOD:

May we look at them now?

HARDENBROOK:

Of course. You want them... it shall

not take long. Wait here.

Hardenbrook heads across the room. Ichabod offers the list.

ICHABOD:

Maybe you should take this.

HARDENBROOK:

A fine idea.

Hardenbrook takes it and exits. Young Masbath sits.

YOUNG MASBATH:

What good is this?

ICHABOD:

To discover what might have been taken

from those who died, it will help to

know what was there that could be

taken in the first place.

Ichabod waits. After a moment, he looks uncertain. He

crosses to the half-open door...

INT. NOTARY PUBLIC, RECORDS ROOM -- DAY

Ichabod sticks his head in, not liking what he sees.

Hardenbrook's amidst unbelievable disarray. Tables, shelves,

and baskets of unevenly piled documents.

Hardenbrook looks on a shelf, confused, then goes to a table,

lifting papers, mumbling.

HARDENBROOK:

Damn... damn... damn...

ICHABOD:

Master Hardenbrook...

Hardenbrook turns, a bit startled.

ICHABOD:

Perhaps, I could assist in finding them?

HARDENBROOK:

Well... that might be... helpful.

INT. NOTARY PUBLIC, RECORDS ROOM (TIME CUT) -- DAY

Hardenbrook is asleep in a chair, snoring, blind eye open.

Ichabod and Young Masbath face official-looking documents,

with Ichabod focused on one will in hand.

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