Chapter Text
The darkness was nearly absolute. It was all around her, pressing in on her, thick and pulsating like a hungry living thing. A thing that would rip out her soul should she make one little misstep.
Police Lieutenant Abbie Mills could not see her hand in front of her face. She could not see the ground beneath her feet. She could barely move. She could hardly breathe.
She was not afraid. Odd nightmares had become a way of life for her in the last few weeks. And, though the rest of her body felt heavy and tired, there was nothing wrong with her hearing, and what she heard sounded just like a great light in the dark. What she heard was enough to make her want to face any number of evil demons.
�Come on, honey. You gotta keep up.�
Corbin�s voice floated somewhere in front of her, urging her onward, always seeming to be maddeningly out of her grasp.
She struggled towards him. It felt like she was swimming through wet cement.
�She needs to talk to you, Abbie, Now come on, don�t fall behind, little girl.�
�I�m coming, old man,� she panted and pushed forward through the darkness. �Just hold your horses!�
God, he is such a pain, sometimes, Abbie thought as she continued to struggled to reach her mentor�s side. It had temporarily slipped her mind that he had been dead for weeks.
�Corbin! Where are you? Oh, NO!!!"
Abbie caught one terrible glimpse of his headless body. It hovered before her, and then it disappeared. Only his voice remained with her.
�Ah, Abbie. You need to let that image go, honey. Dragging it around with you isn�t good for either of us.�
Former Sheriff of Sleepy Hollow, August Corbin, spoke to her in that gentle way he had when he was alive. Even in her dream, it still could cause a lump in Abbie�s throat.
She kept on going, and still he led her on, deeper and deeper in to the blackness.
�Well, it took you long enough,� Corbin teased her. �Now, don�t worry. I�ll be seeing you again real soon. But, Katrina needs you, now.�
�Corbin, wait!�
Abbie reached out for him, but he was gone. And, in his place, Abbie heard a heart wrenching scream.
�NO! Not her! Where have they taken her? Bring her back now!!!��
Katrina�s voice was crying to her. And, she knew it was a dream, but the agonized tones still tore at Abbie Mills heart.
�Hello!� Abbie called to the shadows. �Katrina, I�m here! who are you talking about?� Abbie tried to scream.
And, it was as if her voice shattered the darkness. It fell away in long black shards. Abbie blinked and Katrina Crane stood before her, her hands twisted together in anguish, her eyes were red, raw, and filled with an endless grief.
�Please, you must tell him,� she implored Abbie tearfully. �Tell him there is another. He must protect her where I could not. Not only from the darkness that threatens us all, but from herself.�
�Another what? Another who?� Abbie tried to ask. �Katrina, who?�
The alarm blared. It jarred Abbie out of her dream world, and in to the present. She opened her eyes and found herself staring in to her sister�s face.
�what�s wrong with you?� her sister Jenny demanded. �Who were you talking to in here?�
Taking a deep breath, Abbie threw off her covers and slowly sat up.
�I wasn�t talking to anyone. Wait, why�d you ask that?�
��Cause I heard another voice in here. She was crying, bring her back, bring her back. First I thought it was you, but--�
Jenny sat down heavily on her older sister�s bed, and waited.
�But, that was in my dream, Jenny,� Abbie insisted. �How did you hear it if you are awake. We are both awake now, right?�
Reaching out, Jenny gave her sister a quick painful pinch on her side.
�Ouch! Hey!�
�Yep, I think that means we�re both awake. So, you�re telling me I�m hearing voices from your dreams now?�
Abbie gave a tired laugh, and the sister�s exchanged a long look.
�Okay,� Jenny said very slowly. �So, just add it to the list of weird, then?�
Abbie nodded. She did not know what else to say.
�Well, if you�re done chatting with your dream girl, Prince Charles is waiting for you. So, get up,� Jenny ordered. She stood up and left the bedroom.
Abbie was about to snap back that she didn�t feel like getting up, but stopped herself. It wasn�t like Jenny had waited around for her to comment, anyway. Besides, she and Jenny were still feeling their way toward being sisters. Abbie did not want their old pattern of bitterness, guilt and hatred to start all over again. She needed Jenny now, and someday, she might even tell her. But, for now she had to go out and tell Crane that she had had another visitation from his wife.