Shadows of the Hollow: A Tale Reimgine

Brom Bones

Ten years have passed since that night. Van Tassal had hired me as a stable hand until I could make a homestead for myself. With his help I was able to build a fine cabin. Not as fine as Van Tassel but enough for me. The large central fireplace took a great deal of time but the bricks appealed to the eye. I made the roof steeper than average to help combat the heavy snowfall. I hired Nathaniel to make the diamond pane windows. All five are a work of art, beautifully crafted and sturdy. Having lived by myself there was no reason to build an upstairs. The kitchen is small but the master bedroom is massive. The floors are made of natural planks. Elias brought me the best wood from his mill. It does pay to have good friends. That and a bit of knowledge in magic to help. With the house completed I made a fairly sized barn for the livestock.

Abraham Van Brunt was my Christian name but most of the locals called me Bron Bones. A charming name for a charming fellow I would dare say. The town knows me and adores me. Whenever a person is in need of having something done the townsfolk come to me. Being a man of all trades the locals always need help with something. Having a stronger physique than most people would hire me to do most of the heavy lifting.

Most of the people are afraid to use folk medicine. Using magic or even mentioning it was dangerous. Of course unknown to many of them is my knowledge of magic and many other unnatural things the mortals would not understand. The events of Salem are still spoken about in hushed tones. For many years I kept my magic a secret. The news of the events of Salem have long reached the sleepy little town. Not wishing to involve or endanger anyone I made sure to only use my magic when I was alone. On dark foggy nights, when the wind rustled the trees and the people bared their doors afraid of the shadows I would do what needed to be done. The last thing anyone wants is for Sleepy Hollow to end just like Salem and frankly I wish for the witch hunts to stay far away from here. Here in the sleepy little town I am living a full life. A happy life compared to some. I would be happy as if the woman I love would agree to marry me.The town has some beautiful women but only one has my interest.

The pride of her family and the only child of old Baltus, Katrina grew into a fine young woman. The wealth of her family had met nothing for she was often seen with women of all financial pedigrees. Faithful and the service of her church she would help those in need whether it be with gardening or with the children. Many of the men would try and woo her but she was untamable, a wild cat at heart.

I guess all those lessons with me made her that way.

With her spirited personally I would often call her Kat for short. The name suited her perfectly. For seven years I worked for her father tending to the horses and livestock accompanying him to the market when they were ready to be sold. Katrina would often come with us during those trips. While old Baltus rested in the back of the cart Kat and I would often talk. Kat is fine horsewoman much to her fathers desmain. If not sitting beside me on the carriage Kat would ride along beside us. It was during one of those trips to the market town of Manhattan that he purchased a fine stallion. The first mare he bred produces a wild colt. He had bright eyes and alert ears, his coat black as the night made him an even more magnificent creature to behold. None but me could handle the colt. Van Tassel gave me the colt when he threw the fifth rider from his back.

Under my care the colt grew into a fine stub. Kat would often be seen with me breaking in the horse or handling the others on the farm. The time came when her father gave her a horse of her own. We started taking rides together, returning close to dark. Having no rich man to marry her off Baltus let his daughter choose who would take her hand. Kat is flirtatious with all the men and boys. Kat knew how I felt about her and I had a very good feeling that she had equal feelings for me. The flirting was just her way of having fun. Among all the women in the village Kat is the rebel. She even wore a petticoat that showed off her ankles and rode a horse as a man would. Something I taught her and wasn't ashamed to admit it.

However my happy carefree life was interrupted. The whole town was turned upside down by something I never anticipated. My troubles began when he arrived early one spring morning.