By: Alyza Van Tassel
Inspired by Tim Burton's 1999 film, "Sleepy Hollow,"
and Washington Irving's original tale.
All suggestions welcome. Please do not
sue me, this is just MY version of the story!!!!!!, and I am certainly not
profiting in any way by this, other than having the pleasure of knowing that
other people will read and like my writing. Please ask me for permission before
using this story anywhere and do not plagiarize, or I'll chop your head off like
a tulip! :) Hee hee, I'm kidding…but don't you DARE copy without permission! (If
you ask me to let you put it on your site or something, I'm pretty sure I'll say
yes…but ASK first! K? PLEEEEEASE?? :) (E-mail me at: Alyza_@excite.com) Alyza,
Eliot (as MY character), and all other people who do not appear in the originals
belong to me. A couple of things about the story. No, at first, the Headless
Horseman is not ghastly-looking in the BEGINNING like in the movie (sharp teeth,
I mean) I'll let you know how he changes as the story progresses. K? And
remember..... NO PLAGIARISM!!! Or else!!!
Chapter the Third
New York City
Darkness slowly descended onto the city, yet the streets were still bustling
with activity.
Alyza glanced out the window of the carriage.
"This city
never sleeps, does it?"
"Ma'am, you are SO right," the coachman replied.
"But every person here wishes he could sleep."
Alyza smiled. "Take me to the
nearest inn, sir," she said.
"Will do."
Thunder blasted outside. Alyza set her things on the bedside table. She
missed home already.
A knock sounded on her door.
"Miss Holmes?"
For
a second she forgot that Janet Holmes was supposed to be her name.
"Oh,
enter," she called out. The door opened and a short but stout woman came in
carrying a tray with a glass and a jug of water on it.
"Such a horrid
night," the maid said. "One more minute out there, miss, and you would have been
soaked!" She set the tray on the table and began to straighten the curtains.
"Yes, I am glad of my good fortune," Alyza replied. "You may leave to rest
now, I'll take care of this by myself."
"Thank you, Miss Holmes." The maid
curtseyed and walked out.
Alyza sighed and took out the black quill pen that she always carried with her. In the light of the small candle, she wrote on a piece of elegant stationery:
My Dearest Father,
Forgive me for causing you such heartache. You
understand that I could not marry the baron, and therefore had to feign my
death. I am doing very well, and wish to be an independent woman, young as I am.
I shall not let my disgrace taint my family. Therefore, I shall not reveal
myself in writing except to those who are close to me. This may be the last
letter that you receive from me, for I shall probably leave the state for a
while. I still hope to return in pride. Until I gain that pride, I shall remain
on the wings of the wind. I assure you, my skills are good enough to fare in the
cities or anywhere.
Forgive me.
Either way, I love you always.
Your
loving
Alyza Van Tassel.
She folded the letter carefully and put it on the drawer. She had a long way ahead of her. A very long way.
The next morning...
"Sir?"
The man turned at Alyza's voice. "Yes?"
"You are the long-way
postal carrier, are you not?"
"Yeh, I be he."
"Wonderful. You are
leaving now?"
"Yeh, upstate."
"Is Sleepy Hollow one of your stops?"
"The Hollow? It is."
"Excellent," she said. "Would you kindly take this
letter to Baltus Van Tassel?"
"Certainly, madam."
"Very well, thank
you," Alyza said and handed him the piece of paper with extra payment. He bowed.
"Goodbye, sir," she said, and headed toward the sidewalk with her suitcase
of things.
Alyza suddenly turned around. "Sir?"
"Eh?"
"Where is the
nearest port?"
"There's a harbor about a mile from here. Walk west."
"Do
you know where the ship is going?"
"Oh, there are many. Most to Europe."
"Oh...thank you," Alyza said.
"No problem," the mailman said and put the
whip on his horse. "Farewell...YAH!"
Alyza watched him drive away. She then
turned to the west. The sun soaked the morning skies.
"Well, here I go," she
said to herself. "God knows what awaits me."
With that, she began to walk
towards the harbor.
A few hours later...
The road to the Hollow
"Great day, eh?" Mr. Kilwell remarked questioningly as he passed by the
postal cart on the gravel road. The sun shone brightly; birds chirped, and
everything was singing.
"Oh yes, very," the postman replied. "Well, I shall
see you on the way back, soon."
"You bet," Mr. Kilwell said, and the postman
drove his carriage farther as the two parted in opposite directions.
As he was talking to his friend, the mailman did not notice a tiny letter
slowly sail out of one of his bags and land softly onto the roadside.
It was
addressed to Mister Van Tassel of Sleepy Hollow.