The Legend of Sleepy Hollow The wind was blowing from the north, a cold and chilly wind which crept into bones and under the skin, although it was summer. The leaves on the trees were green, as green as an emerald. The sun would decorate them with its light, but the sun was covered by dark and gloomy and grey clouds which did not allow the sun to give its golden beams to the leaves and crown them with golden light. The road to Tarrytown was long and exhausting and Ichabod Crane was not in the mood for long and exhausting travels. He never was. He was a tall, skinny and thin man, who had as mud brown hair, and most of the time he wore dark and grey clothes, rarely any colour lighter. Despite his thinness he preferred to eat and devour large amounts of food and drinks. He was a man very, very interested in superstitious stories, but his mind was very paranoid and terrified, and so he believed in them and feared them. He disliked this awful wind which blew from the north with such strength the he actually believed that it could knock down a pine or an oak. This wind is not natural, something terrible
is drawing near, thought he. Of course, he was wrong.
But due to his very superstitious mind, he hurried his horse, and he started to go faster. His horse was a dark grey stallion, as thin as himself, which he called Fear. The trees danced with the wind, bending against its will. Fear ran faster and faster, obeying his master. The fear grew inside Ichabod, driving him to the edge of madness. At last, he screamed and hurried his horse to gallop. Fear started to run as fast as he could, while the trees were watching and observing them.
Ichabod looked around him, watching the trees with fear in his eyes. His horse ran and ran escaping the unknown force that hunted his master. The night fell soon, and Ichabod was still terrified of the trees and the howling, cold wind which came from the north. The wolves were howling at the moon which was floating in the dark sky as black as coal. The hellhounds are roaring at me, they will hunt me down, thought he. His hands were shaking from fear, as was the rest of his body. Again, he hurried his horse, but Fear was tired, no matter how much Ichabod hurried him, he continued to run very, very slowly. Ichabod feared that the wolves would catch them, so he got of his horse and started to run as fast as he could, leaving Fear behind. His strength did not last for long, and so he stopped. He sat on the cold ground of the forest, alone, without a horse or any food. The wind was still howling and blowing stronger and harder with every passing moment. After a few long and exhausting hours of waiting on the cold and wet ground of the forest, he heard a chariot pulled by horses on the road. He stood up and yelled at the coachman, who stopped the horses after he had heard him. ''What are you doing in woods in a middle of the night, Crane?'', asked the coachman.
''My horse left me here, Will. Would you take me to Tarrytown, please?'' ''Alright. Come here and sit.'' ''Thank you very much, Will.'' He did not respond. The silence followed them all the way from the forest to Tarrytown. They came to Tarrytown at dawn. The sun was still covered by the black and grey clouds. Ichabod left all his things on the horse, so he did not have money, or food, or paper, or ink, or goose quill. He did not have anything, and so he decided to go back to his horse on foot, despite his fears. By the time he arrived at the forest, it was midday. As he ventured deeper and deeper into the woods that wind started to blow stronger and stronger. This wind blows only in this forest. That
is a curse of hell, thought he. The night covered the sky and suddenly it was colder. Again he heard the wolves howling. And again he feared them as well as the tall and dark pines and oaks. He heard a raven flying and shrieking. He feared ravens more than any other animals. They were the heralds of dead and of hell, and of pain and disease. He always dressed in black clothes, but he could change it if he wanted to, but the ravens were bound to their black coats, and they were as black as night, and he feared the night and the dark more than anything else.
The night was warm but he felt only the chilly wind and his hands were as cold as ice. His face was pale and cold, his hair wet from sweat which leaked from his forehead and fell to the cold forest ground. Fear grew inside him and he started to shiver, his lips turned purple and his eyes looked around the forest looking for something or someone in the shadows of tall trees. He heard the hooves of a horse striking against the stones and branches which laid on the forest ground. In that moment the wind stopped blowing, and a man dressed in black clothes rode out from the shadows of trees on Fear. Ichabod screamed. The raven sat on the man's shoulder. Icabod screamed again. The man had black moustache and short black hair. He had a crimson collar with details as white as snow. "You stole my horse!",yelled Ichabod, with strange fear in his voice. But the man did not respond. "Who are you?," asked Ichabod, but the man did not answer. "Where and how did you find my horse?",asked Ichabod, and this time the man spoke. "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten loreWhile I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. Tis some visitor- I muttered-tapping at my chamber door-only this and nothing more." "Sir, so you are saying that my horse came and knocked at your chamber door?", the man nodded, or so Ichabod saw. "Ah, distinctly I remember it was in bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor‌" "December? But it is August, not December," Ichabod responded. "Nevermore," said the raven sitting on man's shoulder. Ichabod screamed and started to yell: "A spawn of hell is amongst us. It is devil's works. That bird on your shoulder, Sir, is devil's herald, the devil has sent us his servants. That raven surely brought us plague and cholera, and many other diseases. We do not know if you are infected." "Calm down, Sir, that raven is my animal companion," answered he. "Animal companion? Who are you?" "I am, my good sir, Edgar Allan Poe." "I have never heard of you before. Can you now please return my horse to me, all of my possessions are tied up to his saddle," said Ichabod.
"Very well," said Edgar Allan Poe, and gave Fear to Ichabod. Together they went back to Tarrytown, rarely talking. The morning sun was crimson red with orange and yellow mingled with it. They came to Tarrytown very late, the moon was already floating on the night sky, as bright as sun but silver instead of gold. Edgar Allan Poe went to someone he knew who lived in Tarrytown, while Ichabod went to the inn, and paid for a meal and a room. The meal consisted of a tough pork and elk meat, with crimson red tomato soup with pepper, and many other vegetables. The meat was too salty, black bread was old, wine was mixed with too much water and pie was too dry and not at all juicy, even though it consisted of apples, pears, cinnamon and rum. The 'bard' had very odd clothes and long curly hair. When he asked the innkeeper what his name was, he told him that he introduced himself as 'Weird Al' Yankovic. He was singing some song called Word Crimes. Ichabod could not listen to his music so he went to bed. He was very tired, so he quickly fell asleep. The bed was not very comfortable, so he woke up feeling pain in his spine and bones.
He paid for another meal which consisted of salted pork, cheese, black bread, tomatoes and wine. 'Weird Al' was singing another one of his songs. When Ichabod finished eating, he went to Baltus Van Tassel, his friend who had a daughter called Katrina. He wanted to marry Katrina, but he had a rival: Abraham 'Brom Bones' Van Brunt. He was a town rowdy, strong and brave, not at all afraid of things Ichabod was. Katrina preferred Abraham, but her father wanted her to marry Ichabod, because of his education and decency, Ichabod also constantly tried to charm
Baltus. The main reason why Ichabot and Abraham wanted to marry Katrina was the fact that Baltus had a lot of money, gold, silver and all other kinds of wealth and both Ichabod and Abraham were greedy. Baltus was waiting for Katrina to choose her future husband, but she did not want to hurt her father by picking Abraham, so she delayed her decision. Ichabod went to the house of Baltus Van Tassel, and when he entered, Baltus stood before him as if he was waiting for him. He was a short man with grey hair and a beard. He wore dark green clothes with black and gold decorations. He was very fat. He walked very slowly, but walking he rarely went. He welcomed Ichabod to his house and invited him to join him in the parlour. Katrina brought them apple and pear pie, tea with honey and sugar, salted pretzels, cakes with cinnamon or marzipan, red wine, cakes with whipped cream and nuts, cakes with nuts, honey and briar jam‌ She also brought her father an oaken pipe and tobacco pouch. Ichabod took one of the many cakes and greedily ate it. Baltus was smoking his pipe which he overloaded with tobacco. Katrina went back, and she did not return. She had long brown hair, almost as brown as mud, and a long dress made of dark blue silk, with silver and grey decorations. "My daughter surely wants to marry that loose cannon Abraham Van Brunt instead of you when she begs me to give her a little more time to think. I will not leave all of my wealth to this unintelligent vandal. You must convince her to marry you instead of him," said Baltus. "Yes, I know, but how? She fell in love with Abraham, and I cannot do anything about it," responded Ichabod. "You can. And this is what you will do: the day after today I will have a meeting with some of my old friends. Many people will be here, and so will you. Come and seduce my daughter. Abraham will not be here. That is your only chance," said Baltus. "Alright. I will give my best to accomplish that task," responded Ichabod. He took one more cake and started to chew it loudly. They talked for another few hours, until the night came. Ichabod then returned to the inn. 'Weird Al' Yankovic was still singing. Ichabod went to his bed and quickly fell asleep. He was very tired, yet he needed a few minutes to completely go to the sweet land of dreams. He dreamed of hellhounds. They were chasing him through the woods while he ran as quickly as he could. The sky was as black as coal, and the cold wind was blowing. Dark clouds have covered the shining silver-white moon, and its light could not pierce through the clouds. The ravens with their black coats were flying across the night sky, shrieking and watching Ichabod trying to grab a piece of his flesh with their claws and peaks of dark steel. Ichabod screamed
and started to run even faster. Then suddenly, vast red flames appeared in front of him and a maid with a crimson dress and red hair appeared in front of him. She had a necklace made of gold and a hand sized ruby was placed on it. "The night is dark and full of terrors," said she and disappeared into the very night that she came from. The burning red flames were dancing at the place where she had stood. The hellhounds were just behind him. They were a size of a wild boar, heavy and massive. They had dark red skin, covered with flames. Their mouth were covered with long, sharp and spiky teeth, and red flames burned in their mouths. The steel chains were attached at the dark steel necklaces, decorated with spikes, around their necks. They scorched the ground when they stepped on it, leaving the trail of cinder and burnt grass.
Then in front of him appeared a black rider on a horse as dark as night. The man wore a black armour, and a long torn black cloak. A sword he had in his hands, of black steel the blade was made, yet it shined and reflected the light of the moon, which finally pierced the black clouds that surrounded it. A helm he had, of black steel made as well, but decorated with white gold and silver. The rest of his armour was also decorated by it. The eyes of his horse were as red as blood, and his hair was covered with green flames that did not go out, or in any way damage the horse. The horseman laughed and ordered his hellhounds to attack Ichabod. He screamed. He did not try to run, because he knew that Death had come for him. He felt sharp teeth biting him and tearing him apart, yet he could not die and taste the peace of the grave.
He woke up all covered in sweat. His face was pale and cold. His hair wet and attached to his face. He stood up and went outside to get some fresh air. When he got down, no one was there, except the innkeeper. " Where is everyone?," Ichabod asked. "'Weird Al' went to Baltus's house. He was invited as a singer. And everyone else left this morning," the innkeeper responded. "This morning? What time is it then?" "Soon the sun will set." Ichabod screamed. He was late. Baltus invited him, hoping that he would arrive first, and he was late. He quickly ran out of the inn, and started to run to Baltus's house as fast as he could. When he had finally arrived to his house, Katrina was serving her father and some other people that he did not recognize, except Edgar Allan Poe, the man from the woods. Baltus smoked his pipe, as usual. He looked at Ichabod, and nodded. Ichabod did not respond. He went to Katrina, who sat on the wooden chair in front of the house. The soft pillow made out of wool and samite, was sewed on the chair. Katrina was wearing a long crimson dress, decorated with ermine fur as white as snow and golden details sewn into the dress. Her long mud-brown hair was straight and soft. In her hands, she held a goblet made out of silver, gold, white gold and bronze. Ichabod did not see what she was drinking, but he suspected that she was drinking red wine. He came to her.
"Can I join you milady?," asked Ichabod. "Of course," responded Katrina. "What are you drinking, milady?" "Red wine," responded she. Just as I thought. "I need to know Katrina, if you will marry me or Abraham," asked Ichabod. I should not have
asked her that. Now she will marry that vandal Abraham, and Baltus will never forgive me. "Well, I do not know. I want to marry you, I really do, but Abraham…he…he is stronger, and he can protect me from danger. Yet my father has given me council, and he said that it should be better if I marry you instead of him. I found Abraham more attractive than you, Ichabod. My children with him would be both strong and beautiful. But I do not want to hurt my father, he has been in this world longer than me, and he knows better. So I will listen to his council. I will marry you." Ichabod's heart started to beat faster and faster. He thought of all the wealth that his children would inherit. He will have, in his possession, all the gold, silver, jewels, gems, money and other kinds of wealth which are now in the possession of Baltus Van Tassel. "Thank you, Katrina. I will be a good husband to you", said Ichabod, and went into the house to inform Baltus about it. Baltus and his guests talked for a very long time. The moon appeared on the sky and yet another night full of nightmares came for Ichabod. Baltus and Ichabod agreed that he would go with Edgar Allan Poe and 'Weird Al' through the forest to his mansion on the north, and he would meet them there. And so Ichabod, 'Weird Al' and Edgar Allan Poe went through the forest, which Ichabod feared almost more than hellhounds in his dreams. Baltus gave them horses, food and gold as well as some ink, quills and paper. Edgar Allan Poe and his raven were at the front, 'Weird Al' was at the end, and Ichabod was in the middle. 'Weird Al' was singing Fat, Amish Paradise, Eat it and I lost on Jeopardy. Edgar Allan Poe and his raven spoke, and Ichabod realized that 'Nevermore' was the only word that this raven could say. Again he heard wolves howling, and again he thought that hellhounds were after him. The cold wind again started to blow from the north, and again he saw the ravens with steel claws and peaks flying above the forest. He thought he smelt sulphur in the air, but he was not sure anymore. His dreams were so real that he could smell sulphur in them too, and yet his life was a
living nightmare from which he could not awake. He did not know if he was dreaming or if he was awake. After a few hours of riding, a strange mist appeared in the forest and fell over it like an invisible curtain. They had to slow down because of the mist. Ichabod was frightened. He feared this forest more than anything, and now, with this white mist in it, he feared it more than hell itself. Ironically Fear was not afraid. Again he smelt sulphur in the air, but now he saw a torch behind him. Surely Baltus has sent some of his men to help us, thought he, but he was wrong. He was so wrong. From the mist jumped a hellhound, the same hellhound that hunted him in his dreams. He screamed. 'Weird Al' and Edgar Allan Poe turned around to see what was happening. When they saw the hellhound, they did not scream. Edgar Allan Poe drew his sword made out of steel and decorated by gold and brass. 'Weird Al' took his gun, took some black powder (gunpowder) and prepared to kill the beast. But the hellhound was faster. He jumped at 'Weird Al' killing his horse immediately, and crushing his bones. He killed the man in a second, and now he feasted with his lungs and internal organs. Edgar Allan Poe prepared to attack the beast while it was feasting, but a laughter stopped him. He turned around, and behind him stood a horseman on a horse as black as night. The Horseman had a dark steel armour, decorated with silver. His cloak was black and it was blowing in the wind. In one hand he held a reins of a horse, and in the other a flaming pumpkin that resembled a head. Ichabod looked at the horseman. He did not have a head, but he held one in his hand. The Headless Horseman threw the pumpkin at Edgar Allan Poe, and he fell of his horse. He quickly stood up, but the hellhound was faster again. The Horseman laughed.
Too late Ichabod realized that horse's hair was torched by green flames, and that his eyes were as red as blood. He screamed. His dreams were real. The Headless Horseman laughed. More hellhounds started to come out of the mist. This is not real. This is not real. He heard a voice inside his head: “Fool. There is a small difference between the real and the unreal." The
Horseman. He whispers to me, Ichabod thought. The Horseman pushed him of his horse, and he fell on the cold forest ground. Hellhounds surrounded him. The Horseman was still laughing. His words, and his laughter echoed through Ichabod’s head. ''Life is an illusion, death is a life. You cannot fight the vast armies of my masters. We will break you in body and spirit,'' Ichabod heard. The voice of the Horseman was terrifying. ''Bow down to my masters, fool.'' Never. I will never be a servant to the spawn of hell
itself, responded Ichabod. The Headless Horseman laughed, louder than ever. ''I am not a servant or the spawn of hell. Hell is nothing compared to the infinite powers of my masters. Hell is nothing when compared to The Void.'' Ichabod screamed, but little did he know that it was his last scream.
"Ywaq maq oou; ywaq maq ssaggh. Ywaq ma shg'fhn."- Herald Volazj* [''They do not die; they do not live. They are outside the cycle.'' – Herald Volazj]