Page 3 of Bewitched By the Headless Horseman
Stevie’s eyes widened, and she stumbled forward. Had the ghost heard her? No. Impossible. It had to have been a coincidence—it always was.
“Miss,” the hostess called, drawing Stevie away from her thoughts. Bright cherry gloss stained the older woman’s lips and her gray hair hung in a straight bob just past her chin. “The gentleman told me to give you this and to apologize again for his sudden departure.” She then handed Stevie a pie box.
“Thank you.” Stevie glanced down at the clear square top while heading toward the exit. An orange creamsicle pie rested inside and she pressed her lips together, fighting a smile when she read the words written in black ink on the edge of the box.
Sorry it’s not your favorite shade of orange.
Stevie bit her lip—she loved orange creamsicle and would gladly eat the whole beautiful thing like a ravenous ogre.
As the crisp fall breeze hit her, Stevie stared up at the night sky, the stars flickering like tiny watchful eyes. The new moon was somewhere up there, its silvery hue hidden, unable to cast its eerie glow down amongst the town of Sleepy Hollow.
Stevie took the path beside the woods, the restaurant not far from her home. The bushes beside her rustled, and she stopped in her tracks just as something that hadn’t been alive in quite some time darted out from the tree line.
And ran straight toward her.
Chapter Two
Stevie knelt against the cool pavement, a wide grin spreading her cheeks as she watched the white-furred animal barrel toward her. The fox barked in excitement while circling her, then leaped through her body. It was true that ghosts couldn’t see Stevie, but it wasn’t a fact thatallghosts couldn’t. At some point in a seer’s life, they were meant to have a ghost animal sidekick, AKA a familiar, who also held the ability to see both the living and the dead. A bouncy little fox she’d named Roxy had staked claim to her when a seven-year-old Stevie had been at the park with Gideon. Since then, the ghost was akin to a guardian.
“Did you really have to trail me here, Foxy Roxy?” Stevie’s hand followed the curve of the ghost’s form in an attempt to pet her sidekick. Her fingertips felt nothing but air, not even coldness or warmth surrounding the animal’s essence.
Roxy sat on her haunches, her mouth pulled back into a smile, exposing her sharp teeth. The fox purred, swatting the air with her paw.
“Look, we’re on what? Year fourteen here of knowing one another? In the next five years, I will make it a point for Lucia to figure out a spell so you’ll feel me.” Stevie laughed, passing her hand through the fox once more.
Roxy perked up, nudging her nose toward the pie box in Stevie’s grasp.
“Oh, this?” She brought the box closer to the fox. “It’s from my new friend. He knows how much I like orange.”
The fox cocked her head, her ears perking straight up, wanting to hear more.
Even though there’d been a few friends by Stevie’s side back in school, Roxy had always been the one she’d revealed her secrets to. “Right, so you know how I told you about Reese? Itseems baby sparks might’ve flown.Maybe. But with my luck, he’ll end up most likely becoming an acquaintance or someone I used to know. You know my history of keeping people around outside of family.”
Roxy released a shrill bark, then took off into the woods, disappearing behind the bushes and trees toward their neighborhood.
“I can’t race you with this food in my hands or these stupid boots!” she shouted while smiling. “I’ll see you soon!”
A young couple with their arms linked stared at Stevie curiously as they stepped around her. Stevie shrugged at them and gave her go-to response when someone caught what looked to be her talking to herself. “I’m just chatting to my other personality.”
They nodded like it was no big deal and cuddled each other closer before crossing the street. The people of Sleepy Hollow were used to a good number of residents holding some sort of supernatural ability, usually witchy. Some outsiders would consider them cursed, while others would shout from the rooftops that they were blessed. Stevie’s mom once believed herself to be cursed, but after coming to Sleepy Hollow well before popping out Gideon and Stevie, her ability proved to be, while not quite a blessing, at least an unfortunate ailment that could be maintained. Anyone who lived in the town, regardless if they were paranormal-less, knew to keep Sleepy Hollow’s secrets sealed behind tightened lips to outsiders or face the council’s wrath.
Stevie resumed her walk home down the pavement since going through the darkened woods would be nothing but a hazard—she didn’t have Roxy’s superhero eyesight. As a gust of chilly air ruffled her orange locks and tickled her skin, she cursed herself for not bringing a sweater.
Up ahead, in the middle of the street, a white translucent form shook his fist in the air. “Where is my fucking car?” the young guy screamed, his short hair stuck up around his head like a mad scientist. His suit looked like it was straight out of an old seventies catalog with bell-bottom pants and a button-up shirt tucked into the waist.
“It’s long gone now, buddy,” she hollered.
The ghost glanced her way, his lips twisted into a snarl as he yelled, “It isn’t. It’s coming this way, missy.”
Stevie stilled, sucking in a sharp breath, her lungs tight while her gaze glued to the back of his head. This wasnota coincidence. He’dheardher,seenher. She’d chalked up the girl at the restaurant as nothing, but it had beensomething. Unless … he’d been a seer before he’d died and the other ghost at the restaurant really hadn’t seen her.
Stevie peered up toward the star-filled sky, where the new moon should’ve been. A cloud drifted toward the west, revealing a flash of red and she gasped.No way. It couldn’t finally be … but it was! Giddiness seeped further toward her bones with each pound of her heart. TheEyeof Sleepy Hollow had opened!
A story had been passed down from generation to generation that one day—no one knew when—two magical new moons would fall a cycle apart. During the first new moon, one Eye of the Hollow would open, and the dead would see the living. It was said that for an entire month the veil over the departed would remain lifted, until the following new moon when the second Eye opened and all the living would see the dead for a single night before the Eyes sealed once again, separating the two worlds.
Stevie cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone. “So you can see me?”
The ghost scowled at her. “Of course I can. We knew this day would eventually come. It’s a fucking curse I can’t return to notseeing you, though,” he grumbled just as a car came around the curve and passed through him.
