I ride past the old abandoned school house and slow Wild Flower down to an easy trot. Ever since the loss of Ichabod Crane the school house had fallen into shambles. Wild grass protruded from the windows and cracks in the wall. The ancient pine wood logs were starting to decompose, leaving the area with an eerie aroma of decay. The school house, which used to be the symbol of my childhood, is now a place of scary stories and a place for young boys to show off their manliness by going there at night. Now everything is in disarray. Ichabod’s old maple wood desk had collapsed from the over powering weight on the decayed legs. As I rode past the demolished school house I couldn’t help but think of Ichabod, the man who had happened to find a crevice in my heart.
I had always thought that Ichabod was a peculiar type of man. He was different from all the other men, with his loose form and narrow frame, his love of scary stories no matter how gruesome, and his strict demeanor that could change on a whim. He had been my school teacher my whole life growing up. He was quite harsh at times and was known to go on tirades when a kid wouldn’t do his homework. Ever since I turned 15, he seemed to have a thing for me, but I didn’t care much since I have a lot of admirers. Not to be arrogant, but I’m one of the prettiest and most popular girls in all of Tarry Town. Ever since I was five years old, I had realized boys fighting for my attention. The first time I remember a fight over me was in Kindergarten, when Alex punched Jonathan because they both liked me. Since then, the fights have escalated to the point where Ichabod Crane, my school teacher, has gone missing. Some suspect foul play by Brom Bones; some others (mainly the house wives) believe it was the Headless Horseman.
It all started when Ichabod Crane started liking me and competing against Brom Bones. I don’t think I ever really gave Ichabod much of a chance. Maybe it was his lanky body and low paying job, but I just didn’t find him very attractive. On the other hand, Brom Bones was the complete opposite. He was a strong man, a skilled horse rider, and the town hero. Brom was liked by many and scared off most of his other opponents. He was capable of making even the biggest man abhor being in his presence. When other men approached, they would speak to him in a tremulous voice. I don’t quite understand why Ichabod wasn’t ever intimidated by Brom. Maybe it could have been that he tried to avoid him, but I believe that it was because he felt something more for me, something that Brom didn’t, and this impelled him to keep fighting.
The time was coming for me to marry, and I could tell that my dad was beginning to feel impatient. So he sent out invitations for a party the next night at our house. The plan was for me to choose the man I wanted to marry. Ichabod didn’t conceal his excitement when he got the invitation. I think he may have forgotten that I was in the classroom because he started rushing the class and doing things as fast as possible, eager to get ready for the party. We finished about an hour early that day; the room was in shambles and everything was amiss.
When I got home I helped Father oversee the set-up of the party. Golden ribbons streamed from one corner to another, and a delicious roast was prepared to feed 50 people. When everything was done Father prepped me on the kind of guy he wanted. Basically he described Brom; it was obvious who he wanted. The guests started arriving and the musician started playing. Right at seven ‘o’clock Ichabod walked in clad in his best suit. Ichabod seemed mesmerized by the sheer size of my house. He stood there for an awkward second taking on the house before greeting us. Throughout the night I danced with many men. Ichabod was by far the best dancer, making sure to move every part of his body. Brom came in his finest tailored suit; he had very nicely combed hair, and what I recognized as very expensive French shoes. I was wearing a new pink and yellow ball gown that had little roses sewed onto it. The gown was made out of the finest material in all of Tarry Town and was tailored just for me.
The night went on and guests slowly started to fade until finally only Ichabod was left. I knew that my final choice would be Brom Bones, so I decided to have some fun and started flirting with Ichabod. He started getting very into it. He entreated for me to love him, but I decided to tell the poor man that I didn’t want his love. I suppose I may have been a little harsh, for he stormed out in quite a flurry. Ichabod was quite the irascible man when he lost something.
The next day at school we sat outside of the school house for almost three hours. What began as an idle wait soon escalated to insults and fighting without the supervision of an adult. Finally a dad of one of the kids told us that Ichabod had gone missing and that school would be cancelled for the day. I instantly felt a wave of guiltiness, fearing that I had been the source of the problem. Later that day his horse was found wandering aimlessly at his front gate without a saddle and it appeared much shaken up. A group of the strongest men went out searching for him. Though I’ve never told anyone, I’ve had a secret side of me that loves gruesomeness and scary things. I secretly went out later that day when I heard accounts of the men finding his saddle by the edge of the ravine with a smashed pumpkin lying next to it. I personally saw where the saddle and pumpkin were found and I came to my own conclusion. I doubt the existence of the Headless Horseman and I don’t really believe that Major Andre’s Tree and the bridge are haunted. I believe that Brom had dressed up as the Headless Horseman and had killed Ichabod so that he could have my love. To this day, Brom still finds so much satisfaction in hearing the story and at the part where they find the pumpkin he begins to laugh. I ended up marrying Brom as I planned, but every now and then I do wonder how my life would have been with Ichabod. I guess love can kill.
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