Christopher was a boy of many dreams. When his
mother read him the story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by
Washington Irving, he swore to find the "Headless Horseman". Even when he died, he kept
on searching. He would keep his promise, even if it was in the
afterlife.
The Haunted Couple
by E
Valerie rushed out of the door. “Oh no!” The bus
was just pulling off from the corner. Valerie started to run after
the bus, hoping they would notice her and stop. The bus just kept on
going. “I guess I’ll just have to walk to the store.”
Valerie was 24 and had recently married. Her
husband had the one car that they had, and she usually took the bus
to the store, unless a friend happened to show up. Today was not one
of those lucky days. She started toward the grocery, Small-Go-Mart.
It was in walking distance, only 9 blocks, but when she had all of
her groceries with her she would need to take a bus back. Valerie
wouldn’t miss it on the way back, though.
Valerie purchased all of her groceries, and was
standing on the corner waiting for the bus. Finally, the bus showed
up. “Miss, may I help you with your bags?”
Valerie whirled around to see an old man. “Oh,
yes, thank you…,” said Valerie surprised. “What is your name?”
“Christopher, what’s yours?” answered the old man.
“My name is Valerie, you can just call me Val,”
said Valerie passing some of her bags to the man.
Christopher took the bags to one of the soft
cushioned seats of the bus. “Thank you, Christopher. It’s very nice
of you to help me.”
“It was no problem. Though, could you please help
me with something?” asked Christopher.
“Of course I will, what is it?” answered Valerie.
“Well Miss Val, I have been searching for
something. I’ve been looking for it, for quite a long time.”
“What is it?”
“It is called the Headless Horseman. Please
believe, it is true, I have been getting closer,” whispered
Christopher.
“You’re crazy! That’s just in an old book,”
Valerie replied. “You must be out of your mind!”
“You gave me your word,” he answered, and then
walked through the front of the bus, as if it was thin air.
Valerie, after she recovered from her shock, let
out a scream. “Did you see that? He walked right through the front
of the bus!”
All the people just stared as if she was crazy.
Valerie ran up to the front of the bus. Every one there must have
seen him. “Didn’t you see that man walk right through the wall?”
“Miss, you must have drunk a little too much,”
said the bus driver. “Good thing you didn’t drive yourself.”
“Watch out!!!!” Valerie suddenly yelled. “You’re
about to hit a car!”
Valerie screamed again. The car that they were
rapidly rolling toward was her husband’s. “Jon! I can’t kill you, I
really can’t!” The young woman fainted. The people on the bus rushed
to her aid. Right then they hit the car. With a large boom, the bus
rolled over. Everyone was slipping to the side. The bus fell right
on the car.
Valerie recovered right as the bus fell. “Jon is
sure to be dead…my life is ruined.” She crawled to the front of the
bus. She could hear a siren wailing, coming toward them. All the
people were alive, some were unconscious. Valerie reached the door
and crawled out. She wanted to get to Jon, even though her condition
was weak. With a thud, the bus smashed the car a little bit more.
Valerie started to cry. A normal day had turned
into a disaster. Just then she remembered Christopher. “Perhaps he
was punishing me for thinking he was crazy,” she thought.
The paramedics jumped out of the fire truck.
“Ma’am, could you please get out of the way? We’d like to get to the
driver of the vehicle that was hit. Are you a
victim of the accident?”
“Yes, I am,” Valerie replied. “My husband is in
the car.” Valerie said this last thing with a sob.
“I understand lady,” said the man. “We’ll try to
save him, but it may be too late.”
After a lot of trouble, they pulled out Jon’s
body. “Is he dead?” asked Valerie.
“He’s unconscious, but alive. His pulse and
breathing is normal,” answered the paramedic.
Another man came running with a stretcher. Valerie
insisted to be taken to the hospital with him.
“Anyway, you need hospitalization for a few days
too,” said the man. “You can hardly walk, and you’ve got a big
bruise on your head.”
Valerie got to stay in the same hospital room as
her husband. The doctor told her that it was very unusual to have a
car wreck with your husband. He also said it was blessing that Jon
lived.
Valerie’s and Jon’s relatives were always coming
over with flowers and questions about the accident. Jon was now well
enough to sit up in bed and talk. But one day a stranger came to see
them. It was Christopher. He came in and sat down on Valerie’s bed.
Jon stared at him, as if there was something that he couldn’t place.
“Christopher…,” Valerie stammered. “I saw you walk
through the wall.”
“You’ve met this man before, too?” asked Jon,
suddenly placing what he had forgotten. “I recall his face right
before the wreck.”
Christopher turned toward Jon. “I saved you. If I
wasn’t there, you’d be dead, just like me right now. I’ve saved you
many times, like when you fell down the stairs.”
“You’re, uh, dead? And how did you know about
that?”
“I did die some time ago, but I’m still searching.
I can feel in the air that I’m getting closer. Your wife already
agreed to help me search, would you?”
“Well, if Val did I guess I can, what is it for?
And you didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m your guardian angel,” Christopher replied. “I
am searching for the Headless Horseman.”
Epilogue
The couple searched for a long time after that,
even after their death, just like Christopher. Every once in a while
they ask another person to join them. They feel as if they’re
getting closer every day now. You may be the next person they pick!