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EXT. FORESTS -- DAY
A black horse runs, hooves pounding the ground. THUNDER is HEARD.
The horse slows and stops... it is Brom's horse, with Brom aboard.
Brom looks skyward.
The storm harshens, roaring through the trees. Distant HOOFBEATS
can be HEARD. POUNDING.
Brom takes his rifle off his shoulder. The HOOFBEATS grow LOUDER
and PASS, far away. Brom turns in the saddle and WHISTLES. He kicks
his horse and rides.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, WHITE ROOM -- DAY
Thomas still watches shadow beasts, but sees something else. He
goes to the crack where hundreds of spiders flee all directions.
Thomas is amused.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, KITCHEN -- DAY
Behind Killian, mantelpiece stones pulse, breathing almost imperceptibly.
Demonic faces form, then disappear and reform again, shifting. WIND
HOWLS.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, WHITE ROOM -- DAY
Beth enters, looking at Thomas.
BETH
What are you doing there?
The magic lantern stops spinning. Shadow creatures freeze.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, KITCHEN -- DAY
The ENTIRE HOUSE CREAKS. Killian looks up. CREAKING STOPS. The
HOWLING WIND is LOUD.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, THE WHITE ROOM -- DAY
Beth comes to Thomas' side as he points.
THOMAS
Spiders.
Beth bends to see the swarming spiders. She looks up, noticing
the FEROCITY of the WIND.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, KITCHEN -- DAY
Killian stands, looking up. The HOUSE CREAKS again, then suddenly
the WIND CEASES. Silence.
KILLIAN
Beth...
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, THE WHITE ROOM -- DAY
Beth picks up Thomas. The magic lantern creatures begin spinning
anew, all around.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, KITCHEN -- DAY
With a ROAR, the fire flares. Killian looks.
WHHOOOSH the fire shoots up the fireplace. Gone.
Behind Killian, the DOOR SPLINTERS INWARDS. The Horseman steps
in, a battle axe in each hand. WIND BLASTS...
The DOOR to the other room SLAMS.
Killian grabs a kitchen chair and hurls it at the Horseman. The
Horseman swings, smashing it aside.
KILLIAN
Beth... run!
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, WHITE ROOM -- DAY
Beth hugs Thomas to her as she backs away.
KILLIAN (o.s.)
(from kitchen)
Get out!
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, KITCHEN -- DAY
Killian grabs an iron skewer from the fireplace, swings it to fend
off a blow from the Horseman.
The Horseman swings the other axe. Killian ducks. The axe cracks
fireplace stone, throwing sparks.
Killian lunges, jamming the skewer into the Horseman.
The skewer comes through the Horseman's back. The Horseman swipes
with the flat of one axe -- pounding Killian aside.
Killian hits the wall, bashing his head. Hits the floor.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, WHITE ROOM -- DAY
Beth kicks a carpet to reveal a trap door.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, KITCHEN -- DAY
The Horseman pulls the skewer out of his body, throws it. He goes
to lift Killian by the hair with one hand, brings back the axe in
the other...
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, WHITE ROOM -- DAY
At the trap door, Beth lowers Thomas to stairs leading to the cellar.
Thomas is crying.
BETH
Don't let him get you.
THOMAS
Mommy...
BETH
You hide now... go...
Beth closes the trap door, frantically replacing the carpet. The
room's door flies open and the Horseman strides in, carrying Killian's
severed head. Beth shrieks.
The Horseman steps forward, knocks over the magic lantern.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, CELLAR -- DAY
Beth's SCREAMS are abruptly CUT OFF. Her BODY is HEARD HITTING
the floor above. Thomas crosses the cellar, stumbles. He scurries
into the shelter of a wheelbarrow propped against the wall. FOOTSTEPS
are HEARD.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, THE WHITE ROOM -- DAY
The Horseman's hands place Killian's and Beth's heads in a sack,
cinching the sack shut.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, KITCHEN -- DAY
The Headless Horseman enters, bends to retrieve the battle axe
he left. He stands. Pause.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, CELLAR -- DAY
Thomas' trembling hands pull the wheelbarrow closer. QUIET. He
tries to control his sobbing.
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, KITCHEN -- DAY
The Horseman turns, falls to his knees. He starts to chop at the
floor with both axes. CHOPping, CHOPping, CHOPping... making quick
work of it...
INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, CELLAR -- DAY
A hole appears in the ceiling as debris falls.
Thomas looks up, terrified. He gets up to run away...
The Horseman's arm shoves through above, grasping Thomas and yanking
him up.
EXT. KILLIAN'S FARM -- DAY
Brom rides from the forest, charging across Killian's field.
At Killian's house, Daredevil rides up as the Headless Horseman
walks out with his sack of heads. The Horseman ties the sack to
the saddle and leaps up-.
Brom puts his reins in his mouth, raising his rifle.
The Horseman heads away, past the barn, as Brom gains.
Brom aims... FIRES!
BOOM -- the slug EXPLODES, blowing the Horseman off Daredevil.
Daredevil keeps going. The Horseman's smoldering body is left "face
down."
Brom halts his horse. He climbs down, pleased.
The Horseman moves.
Brom backs away, satisfaction diminishing.
The Horseman gets on his knees.
Brom falls to one knee, begins reloading. He fills the gun from
his powder horn.
The Horseman stands, unsheathes his sword and turns. The blast
has blown apart his uniform at the chest and shoulder, exposing
rotten flesh and maggot-infested muscle.
Brom readies his ramrod, jamming powder in the barrel.
The Horseman charges.
Brom stands, pulling out the ramrod. The Horseman is on him. Brom
swings the rifle, blocking. Sparks fly.
The battle is on, with Brom fending off the Horseman's sword with
the gun - CLANK - CLANK - CLANK.
ACROSS THE FIELD, Ichabod and Gunpowder break into the open.
UP THE FIELD, the Horseman makes a backhanded swing. Brom goes
down, his rifle sent flying.
Brom rolls to avoid as the Horseman slashes.
Brom flees. The Horseman pulls and throws a knife...
THWAP -- the knife imbeds in Brom's thigh.
The Horseman runs towards Brom.
Ichabod closes in, pulling an unlit lantern off his saddle.
Brom tries to get up, bends to extract the knife.
The Horseman, mid-run, changes his sword grip, blade down.
He plants one foot on Brom's back, raising his sword, about to
skewer...
Ichabod arrives full gallop, SMASHES the lantern into the Horseman
-- knocking the Horseman off Brom.
AT THE EDGE OF THE FOREST, Theodore and Glen arrive on horseback.
They hold a moment, watching.
Brom runs, limping, to the barn, goal in sight: farm implements
propped there. Brom grabs SCYTHES with long curved blades, one in
per hand.
The Horseman rises.
Ichabod turns Gunpowder and leaps off, runs to Brom.
The Horseman moves towards them, hefting a battle axe in his free
hand. Ichabod steps up, pistol aimed, furious.
ICHABOD
For what it's worth...
FIRES -- the bullet rips through the Horseman's stomach to reveal
putrid innards as he keeps advancing.
At the forest, Theodore looks to Glenn, turns and flees.
Brom steps up, scythes ready. He and the Horseman go at it. Brom
blocks axe and sword, catching and deflecting blows.
At the forest, Glenn follows Theodore away.
Ichabod-grabs a long handled SICKLE.
Brom swings the scythes. The Horseman avoids.
Ichabod moves to the side, looking for an opening. He swings the
sickle. The Horseman blocks.
The Horseman battles both at once, catching blows... countering
every strike, METAL RINGING.
Brom catches the Horseman's sword in one scythe, holding it off.
Catches the axe handle in the other scythe.
The Horseman flatfoot KICKS Brom's chest, sending him down.
Ichabod swings the sickle blade...
Hits the Horseman, the blade embedding to the hilt.
The Horseman drops his axe and grasps the sickle, jerking...
The sickle handle SLAMS Ichabod's, knocking him away.
Ichabod crawls, tries to shake off the blow.
He looks up. The Horseman staggers, spastically trying to pull
the blade from his body.
Brom limps to Ichabod, yanks him to his feet.
BROM
We cannot win this.
They head towards the forest.
Behind, the Horseman extracts the sickle, throws it. He strides
after them, picks up his axe on the way.
EXT. RIVERBANK -- DAY
Ichabod and Brom stumble down a hillside. Brom points.
BROM
There...
They run to a DOCK at the edge of a wide, rapid river. They jump
into a FLAT BOAT barge.
BROM
Go to the front and guide it.
Ichabod goes. Brom uses a scythe to slash the ropes.
Ichabod picks up a GUIDE POLE. The barge lurches, set free.
Ichabod struggles to push the boat out. it moves swiftly, caught
in rain swollen current.
Brom looks back. No Horseman. He leaves the scythe and moves to
the front, hefting another pole to help guide.
BROM
Let's see him catch us now.
Ichabod looks to the shore. Horror.
ICHABOD
Look.
LIGHTNING ILLUMINATES -- ahead, the Horseman stands on the bank
with Axe and sword. Daredevil near.
BROM
We'll pass right by the son of a bitch.
Ichabod and Brom push with the poles, trying for speed.
At the bank, the Horseman walks directly to the water...
Just as he takes a step-onto the water, the rain churned surface
TRANSFORMS -- instantly BECOMING a SHEET of ICE...
SPREADING and supporting the Horseman as he advances.
ICE SHOOTS OUT ahead of him, towards a point in the river where
it will intercept the barge.
BROM
My Christ...
The Horseman's ICE BRIDGE engulfs the barge, HALTING IT.
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.
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