Sleepy Hollow Page #3

The Horseman flees, cloak flowing, chased by FIVE rag-tag

REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS. Ahead, a steep, rocky area prevents

escape. Soldier one aims a rifle and FIRES...

Blood explodes from the Horseman's arm as he runs. His sword

falls from his now functionless hand.

Soldier Two grabs the sword.

At the rocks, the Horseman faces the men. Another Rifleman

raises his rifle. The Horseman reaches over his shoulder to

grasp a sheathed knife, THROWS --

THOCK! The Rifleman jerks back, knife in his eye socket.

The Horseman readies an axe. The Revolutionaries move in

with swords. They battle, STEEL AGAINST STEEL. The Horseman

fends off blows from all sides.

Soldier Three lunges, stabs his blade deep into the

Horseman's side. The Horseman roars, brings his axe DOWN...

BREAKS the sword at the hilt...

An UPWARDS stroke sends Soldier Three head over heels in a

fountain of blood.

The Horseman staggers, howling, trying to pull the blade from

his ribs. The remaining soldiers close in.

INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, SITTING ROOM -- NIGHT

Pipe smoke wafts from Philipse's mouth.

PHILIPSE:

Cut off his head with his own sword.

It's a legend told for twenty years.

BALTUS:

But, only recently has the Headless

Hessian been seen prowling the

Hollow, in search of a head to suit

his shoulders.

ICHABOD:

Just a moment...

(sits back, incredulous)

Are you saying it is he?

HARDENBROOK:

(aggravated, loud)

When a goblin leaps from the nether

world, others follow. Poltergeists

of the air, water and earth follow

and cheer his desecrations!

Hardenbrook BANGS his cane on a table. Baltus puts a calming

hand on senile Hardenbrook's shoulder.

DOCTOR LANCASTER

No one knows why he chose to now to

climb out from his grave.

FATHER STEENWYCK

It is very clear why. Citizens

here have long tried to hide sins

behind closed doors. Their failed

faith has saturated the soil and

called forth one of Satan's own.

ICHABOD:

Excuse me, gentlemen, but... who

has seen this Horseman?

BALTUS:

Many have.

ICHABOD:

Then, name one person who has seen

him with their own eyes.

A long wait. No reply from the elders. Ichabod rises.

ICHABOD:

While I will do everything I can

to find your assassin, I will look

for a man of flesh and blood. Not

some goblin-demon from hell.

EXT. BELLTOWER FIELD -- EARLY EVENING

The Belltower is covered in defensive spikes. A man climbs

down a rope ladder. Below, many ARMED MEN gather. Everyone

grim. Philipse moves to the center, on horseback.

PHILIPSE:

Gather round! Gather and quiet!

The hour has come to choose for

this night. Each man's name is

in this box and has been checked.

A box is handed up. Ichabod and Baltus arrive on foot at the

back of the mob. Ichabod looks...

At a nearby forest, men light TORCH POSTS in a line bordering

the forest edge for at least a half mile.

Philipse draws a folded paper from the box, holds it up.

PHILIPSE:

May the Lord watch over him...

(unfolds paper)

"Jonathan Masbath." Are you here?

JONATHAN (o.s.)

I am. I take my responsibility.

The crowd parts as JONATHAN MASBATH, a dirt-poor farmer with

a bow and quiver of arrows, moves forward. His son, YOUNG

MASBATH, 14, grips his arm.

YOUNG MASBATH:

No, father. Wait...

(up to Philipse)

He's already been up once. Why

does he go again?

JONATHAN:

It is a lottery, son. It just as

easily might have been one of them.

YOUNG MASBATH:

Then... I go with you.

JONATHAN:

No. You obey my wishes.

(looks to crowd)

Brom. Look after him, will you?

Brom steps up, nodding. Jonathan kisses his son's cheek,

then heads to the rope ladder. Men pat him on the back.

PHILIPSE:

Someone leave him a horse.

Young Masbath watches his father go. Brom coaxes him away.

At the back of the crowd, Ichabod watches skeptically, looks

to Young Masbath as he and Brom pass.

ICHABOD:

You worry for naught, little man.

Nothing will harm him there.

(looks up, sotto)

It is problems here on the ground

you people need begin to worry

about.

Ichabod watches Jonathan climb, very high above.

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

Ichabod makes notations in a LEDGER BOOK.

KATRINA (v.o.)

You will dream.

Katrina strolls in, sits on the bed. Ichabod is nervous.

KATRINA:

Did they tell? It is something in

the air so that dreams come to

everyone. According to the elders,

an Indian prophet held powwows here

before the land was taken, and

spells cast then still linger to

this day.

ICHABOD:

Do you often make a habit of

sitting on strange men's beds?

KATRINA:

You are horribly old-fashioned,

aren't you?

ICHABOD:

Feel free to form your own opinion.

(facing his ledger)

Though it appears you already have.

KATRINA:

Well, I intended to apologize for

the behavior of my friend Brom Van

Brunt, but it seems I've made

matters worse.

(getting up to go)

I'll leave you to your business.

ICHABOD:

Excuse me... I should apologize. I,

um... I... have no great love of...

KATRINA:

Other people?

ICHABOD:

Small talk.

KATRINA:

It might have been more. Might have

been positively grand talk.

Ichabod offers his chair, backing away. Seeing it is the

only one, he remains standing. Katrina sits.

KATRINA:

Is it me, or are you this nervous

around all women?

ICHABOD:

Perhaps it is because your suitor's

hands were recently very nearly

wrapped around my throat.

KATRINA:

My suitor?

ICHABOD:

The massive fellow... Brom. For

someone you call "friend," he

misplaces a good portion of jealousy.

KATRINA:

He has proposed to me twice.

ICHABOD:

Which may explain his temperament.

To have asked twice means the answer

was "no" at least once.

Katrina looks down, discards this with a smile.

KATRINA:

I've read a great deal about your

New York City. Do be a dear and tell

me all about it. Sounds like an

extraordinary place to live a life.

ICHABOD:

Extra ordinary, yes. But first, you

tell me about the Headless Horseman.

EXT. BELLTOWER FIELD -- NIGHT

The torches burn bright. ABOVE, in the Belltower, Jonathan

Masbath loads a rifle. THUNDER BOOMS.

Jonathan stands, looking to a sky that is all stars and moon.

A HORSE is HEARD SHRIEKING. Below, the horse tied at the

base of the tower is spooked.

A COMMOTION is HEARD, ground rumbling. Jonathan grips a

rifle, c*cks it and moves to look...

At the forest edge, a herd of deer stampedes out. They

sprint past the tower and across the field.

Jonathan crosses to watch the herd scatter. He crosses back

to peer at the forest. Bad news...

A thick FOG creeps from the woods.

As the fog overtakes the base of each torch, a tentacle of

mist snakes up to the flame, killing it. All along the

forest, arms of vapor snuff torches... one by one by one...

Above, Jonathan sights the rifle along the trees.

JONATHAN:

Come out, devil... come....

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

Ichabod leans on a dresser. Katrina's still seated.

KATRINA:

Not all think it is the Horseman.

Many say witches come from the

Western Woods to steal skulls for

their cauldrons. Some believe a

person in this very town kneels

before Lucifer, offering death as

tribute. And, still others believe

none of it.

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