Page 2 of Halloween in Sleepy Hollow (Heroes of Sleepy Hollow #7)

“No. Because I came straight from work, and I know I had it there.” Thea taps her lips with her finger as she thinks. “I must have left it in my office. I was hurrying, trying to get into my costume before Ben came to pick me up. So it’s probably still sitting on my desk.”

“I’m sure Laila will try Ben if there’s a problem,” Scarlett says. She pats Thea’s arm and offers her a consoling smile. “You guys can just swing by the library to get it on your way home.”

“Except Laila might not want to tell Ben if it’s something boy related,” Thea replies. “She goes to me with that sort of thing. So if a boy is bothering her and that’s why she wants to leave…”

I can tell from the tight grip on her purse strap that Thea’s really concerned. So I suggest, “How about if we head to the library to get it?” Angling my chin at the craft table, I add, “They seem fine on their own. So if we’re gone for fifteen, twenty minutes, it won’t be a problem.”

Thea stares at Ben and Elias for a second. They’re both painting their pumpkins silver, and I’m assuming the intention is to make two pumpkin-robots. She smiles. “I suppose you’re right. It shouldn’t take too long to walk over there.”

“I can go with you,” Shea offers. “If you want the company. Oliver is over at the safety station, just checking on things. So I’m on my own until he’s done.”

Thea glances at me. “If you want to stay, Ari, I can go with Shea.”

“No, it’ll be fun. We’ll go on a little adventure. And maybe on the way back, we can swing by Greta’s Goodies to pick up some desserts for later.”

Grant chuckles. “Don’t you have enough candy already?”

I shake my head. “No. You can never have too much sugar. That’s a proven fact.”

“Well, that’s not quite how it works,” Scarlett starts.

Shea playfully swats at her. “On Halloween, it does.”

“Okay.” Thea lifts her chin. “Let me just tell Ben. Then we’ll make a trip to the library. ”

After a quick farewell, with Winnie barely giving me a second glance as she meticulously covers every square inch of her pumpkin with sequins, we’re on our way to the library.

It’s not a long walk, maybe a quarter mile from the town park to the library, which is located at the other end of Sleepy Hollow’s small downtown district.

During the day, I wouldn’t think twice of making the walk on my own.

And honestly, on a night like tonight, with a good quarter of Sleepy Hollow in attendance for the Halloween Fright Fest, it’s probably safer than daytime.

Still. There are some memories that cling harder than others.

Memories of being trapped in the dark.

Memories that still creep back into my dreams, even five years later.

And I’m not the only one with sticky memories. Thea has them, too. So does Shea.

“Thanks for coming with me, you guys,” Thea says as we leave the park and start heading towards the library. “I know I could have gone on my own. Or waited until later. But?—”

“It’s not a problem.” I loop my arm around hers. “I wouldn’t want you walking to the library on your own at night. No matter how safe it is. And I’m sure Ben wouldn’t want you to, either.”

Thea shakes her head quickly. “No. He would most definitely not want me walking by myself.”

“Oliver would flip,” Shea says. Following my lead, she locks arms with Thea, so now we’re walking side-by-side as a linked trio. “He doesn’t even like me to go shopping on my own. In Sleepy Hollow. So walking to the library on my own at night? On Halloween, no less? I don’t think so.”

We all fall silent as we dodge a chattering group of teenagers, resuming the conversation once we’re past them. “Nothing wrong with being careful,” I reply. “Although—” I give Shea a teasing smile. “Oliver might be a little overprotective.”

Shea laughs. “A little?”

“Well, I can understand,” Thea says. “With his background, especially. Being in the CIA, and now a cop…”

Shea’s expression sobers. “Yeah. I get it, too. That’s why I don’t give him a hard time about it. Most of the time, at least.”

Once we pass the line of food trucks parked all along Main Street, the crowd begins to thin. The lively sounds—musicians and giggling teenagers and children shrieking with excitement—fade. The street grows darker, with many of the businesses shuttered for the night.

By the time we reach Irving Street, the narrow road that leads to the Sleepy Hollow Public Library, the noise from the festival is little more than a low buzz behind us.

Our footsteps are loud on the concrete. The fall breeze feels crisper.

Colder. Goosebumps erupt across my skin, despite the thermal layers I’m wearing beneath my costume.

As we turn onto Irving Street, Shea says quietly, “There’s just something about Halloween night, don’t you think? Even as an adult, it still gets to me sometimes.”

“Yeah.” Icy fingertips tickle the back of my neck.

“I know what you mean. I stayed up late watching a movie the other night. It was about the monster under the bed. And even though I knew it wasn’t real, I couldn’t help peeking under the bed with a flashlight before I went to sleep. I felt silly doing it, but…”

Thea tightens her arm around mine. “It’s not silly. Just because we’re grown up doesn’t mean we can’t get scared sometimes.”

We all fall silent after that.

If Thea and Shea are anything like myself, they’re probably thinking about the reasons why they might get scared. Not from movies or TV shows, but from the horrors of real life. Horrors we all fortunately escaped from, but won’t likely forget.

As the library comes into sight, Shea says brightly, “Anyway. Never mind about monsters under the bed and things that creep in the night. Let’s talk about what we’re going to buy at Greta’s Goodies. I’m thinking maybe some of those salted caramel blondies for Oliver and some snickerdoodles for me.”

“Mmm.” My stomach rumbles in eager anticipation. “I could go for some of those pumpkin pie macarons. I tried one the other day and it was incredible.”

“I’m sad Laila isn’t trick or treating this year,” Thea adds mournfully. “Partly because it was fun going with her. And partly”—she smirks—“because Ben and I would eat some of the candy, too.”

Instead of using the front entrance to the library, Thea leads us around the to the back. “It’s easier to disarm the alarm at the back entrance,” she explains. “With the double doors at the front, sometimes they don’t close quite right and it triggers a call to the police.”

“Well, we don’t want that,” I reply. As we walk down the alley that leads the parking lot around back, I cast a quick glance at the darkened buildings around us.

Across the way is a laundromat, flanked on one side by a law office and the other, the newly constructed bank.

Opposite the library, on the other side of the alley, is the old Sleepy Hollow Bank, which has stood empty for the last year since they changed locations.

Shea looks at abandoned bank and asks, “Are they ever going to do something with the building? It seems a pity to leave it empty like that. Especially when it has so many cool features inside. Those old vaults, and the stained glass windows…”

Thea reaches into her purse to retrieve her keys.

I don’t miss how she positions them between her fingers so a key is pointing out.

Or the little alert whistle that dangles from the chain; almost an identical match to the one I carry.

“Actually, they’re turning it into a restaurant.

It’s going to be called The Vault. I’m not sure what the theme will be yet. ”

I study the old bank more closely. “I could see that. Eating in one of the old vaults would be pretty cool. Maybe they could put some fake gold bars around.”

“Or some stacks of fake money,” Shea adds. “They could give the menu items money themed names. Like…” She pauses to think. “The Billion Dollar Bolognese.”

“The Billion Dollar Bolognese?” I bump Shea with my arm. “I don’t know?—”

A sharp cry splits the night.

It’s high pitched. Feminine.

Frightened.

My heart stutters.

Then the night goes silent again, save for the harsh sounds of our breaths .

Thea freezes mid-step, jerking Shea and me back along with her. “What was that?”

Shea’s voice wobbles a little. “Kids maybe. Teenagers. Trying to scare each other, you know?”

I grab hold of Shea’s explanation and cling to it. “I’m sure that’s it. I mean, it’s Halloween after all. Of course people are going to be screaming.”

Thea releases a shaky sigh. “Right. Of course.” A beat, and then more uneasily, “But… it didn’t sound like it came from Main Street. It sounded like it came from… closer.”

My pulse jumps. “Kids messing around the dark, maybe? Playing hide and seek?”

“Maybe,” Shea agrees. She leans against me. “But let’s get into the library, anyway. Like… now? Okay?”

Thea nods emphatically. “Yes. That sounds like an excellent idea.”

Her arm locks around mine as she practically drags me towards the back of the library.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I assure her. But I would probably sound more convincing if my own voice wasn’t shaking. “Like Shea said, just kids messing?—”

[“Help!”

From the shadows, a woman emerges.

She’s dressed as a witch, with a tight black corset and a ragged skirt that wraps around her ankles as she runs towards us. Upon closer inspection, her makeup is streaked with tears and her mascara is smudged in dark crescents beneath her eyes.

She’s young. Maybe mid-twenties at the most. But her terrified expression makes her appear even younger than that.

“Help me,” she pleads. “I—” With a stumbling step, she trips on the uneven sidewalk and pitches forward to land on her hands and knees.

Shea lets go of my arm and rushes forward to her. “What happened?” she asks. “Did someone hurt you?”

The woman looks up at Shea and lets out a shuddering sob. “I was supposed to meet up with my friends. At O’Henry’s. But I heard a sound in the alley. Like a cat crying. And—” Her voice breaks.

I drag Thea along with me as I hurry to join Shea.

A sick feeling builds in my stomach.

Poisonous memories worm their way to the surface.

Of the dizziness. The nausea. The claustrophobia.

The terror.

Did someone drug this poor woman but miscalculate the dosage, just like what happened to me?

Did someone—a man, a bigger man, maybe one dressed all in black so he could lurk in the shadows—grab her? Threaten her? Hurt her?

Dropping to my knees in front of the crying woman, I try to keep my voice steady despite the fear surging through me. “It’s okay,” I soothe. “We’ll help you. Whatever happened, you’re safe now.”

Thea clutches my arm to the point of pain. Her breaths come in shallow, uneven bursts. “I can’t call for help,” she says quietly. “My phone…”

Shea rubs the woman’s arm gently. “We can go into the library. It’ll be safe there. And we’ll call for help. Okay?”

The woman lifts her gaze to meet Shea’s. Panic flashes in her eyes. “What if he… he…” Another sob slips out and she buries her face in her hands.

Shea glances at me. Even in the darkness, her worry is clear. “I need to call Oliver. Have him come right away. ”

Thea moves to the young woman’s side and reaches her hand out to her. “Come on. Let’s get to the library. I’m one of the librarians there, so I can get us in.”

My heart is thundering; the sound almost deafening in the night’s stillness.

As Thea grasps the woman’s hand, I loop my arm around her waist, helping her to stand. She sways for a moment before regaining her balance. Her tearful gaze turns to me. “I… I know you. You were my English teacher. Senior year. Ms. Quinn. Right?”

“Yes.” I hug her to my side. “And you’re Emily.”

Relief washes across her face. “Yeah. Emily Warren. You were one of my favorite?—”

“Let’s get inside,” Shea interrupts. Tension strains her voice. She pulls her phone from her purse and adds, “And I need to call Oll. Now .”

“Okay,” Thea replies. Her arm joins mine as we support Emily. “Let’s?—”

“Don’t. Move.”

The unexpected male voice seems to come out of nowhere.

It’s rough. Angry. Threatening.

Amid the darkness, metal glints dully in the moonlight.

And then behind it, a figure all in black.

“If you move, I’ll shoot you,” the man says. To Shea he adds, “Drop your phone. Now.”

Oh.

God.

A soft, distinctive click follows.

My heart lodges in my throat.

Shea makes a soft, scared sound. A second later, her phone drops to the ground with a clatter.

“Hands down. Where I can see them,” the man snaps. “And don’t make a sound.”

As he advances, the metal becomes clearer.

My fear is confirmed.

It’s a gun. Aimed at us.

“Don’t try anything funny,” he hisses.

Thea flashes a frightened look in my direction.

For a moment, all I can think about is my family back in the park.

How badly I wish I was right there with them.

How desperately I don’t want to leave them.

“Let’s go,” the man growls. He gestures with the gun for us to move in front of him. Apparently Shea isn’t moving fast enough for his liking, so he gives her a hard shove.

“Get your hands off me,” Shea snaps.

The man jabs the gun into her back. “Shut your bitch mouth. Or I’ll do it for you.”

Thea whimpers.

Shea flashes a scared, tearful look over her shoulder before hurrying ahead.

My lungs seize.

Amid the terror, determination sets in.

Whatever he’s doing, whatever his plan, I won’t let him succeed.

I survived before. We all did. And we’ll do it again.