The Headless Horseman's Menacing
Velocity"Fifty coins for the headless horseman!"
"Eighty!" said another voice.
"Ninety-five and you've got a deal," said Icabod calmly.
"Alright," said the voice.
"Want me to go get him now?" asked Icabod in a drunken slur.
"Yup!" said another drunk.
"How cold is it outside?" asked Icabod more nervously.
"32 degrees," someone answered.
Icabod stumbled outside to find that the man had meant °F not °C. A big yell escaped him for the wind was almost frozen. He ran back inside and got his jacket, then ran to get his weak little pony. The night was cold and clouds swirled around the round, full moon. Barely a breeze swam through the thick branches of leafless trees. He rode into the forest nervously. Suddenly, Icabod Crane heard a far off whinny; then hoof beats.
"Oh no!" cried Icabod Crane as a horse and horseman rounded the corner and the velocity of the horseman coming toward him was menacing. Negative acceleration started and the horseman slowed down. Finally, the huge black horse stopped because of friction.
Always good at seeing what kinds of metal things are made of, Icabod saw the searing hot aluminum sword coming at him while the jack-o-lantern contorted into a crooked grin and an evil laugh somehow escaped the horseman. Icabod Crane jumped off his horse just as the sword slashed his hat just above his head. Icabod fell to the ground at 9.8 m/s2 and landed on the dirt with a thud. As he looked, he saw the ghost horse rearing. He pulled out his cross and began to pray under the sanctuary of his horse's nervous hooves. When he was done, he pulled his sword out and brandished it at the horseman menacingly. The horrible laugh became louder and louder as the horseman fruitlessly jabbed with his sword. Finally, Icabod hit the sword out of the horseman's hands. The searing sword flew and stabbed Icabod's leg. As it hit, his leg felt like water boiling at a temperature of 94.5ºC (after all, they were at an altitude of a kilometer). At the same time, Icabod heard screams for help and feelings of fear, anger, and sadness blew over him like a typhoon of terror.
"What happened to him?" said a woman's scared voice.
"Devil's work only could have done this," said a man's cold and angry rasp of a voice.
Icabod slowly opened his eyes to see the blurred figures of people crowded around him, their faces as white as Mr. Brugge's pearl white Lexus. A crow's caw in the distance was the sound that suddenly broke the horrific silence. Everyone jumped at the sound and the wind blew gently through the gnarled and naked trees. Slowly Icabod sat up causing the circle of people to jump back. Icabod felt a horrible, burning pain in his leg. He looked down to see a deep, large, Grand Canyon-like gash surrounded by red and brown burns on his leg. Thankfully, he thought, the evil feeling and screaming in his head was gone. He looked around nervously and saw hoof marks leading towards the town. Looking more closely, there were two sets of hooves. Had the horseman chased his frail, little pony back to town?
"Took a hard fall there, Sonny," said an old, creaky voice. An old man had quietly emerged from the crowd. "You alright? Horrible stuff you's got there on your leg. Did he do that?"
"Did who do what, sir?" asked Icabod, his eyes wide with fear.
"The Headless Horseman! Did he do that to you? Took a life last night too. Ran clear into town, broke into McGregor's."
"Tomas McGregor?" Icabod was now terrified for Tom had been his best friend.
"Yes," said the old man. "Left everything but the head. Had the same burns on his neck as you have on your leg." Icabod gasps and tries to hide his fear and sadness. "Mistress called in today, said you never came home after last night at the bar. Was pretty worried. Then we saw McGregor's door beaten down and decided to go see. We thought maybe we could find answers in the forest. Look what we found! You! Now let's go back into town, let the Doc straighten you up, and get this whole thing sorted out so everyone can start over, againÉ"