Page 24 of Hollow

“Nothing much.” Jack pointed to a nearby alleyway where the woman stood petrified, hands clutching the brick walls for safety.

“What did you do?”

“Just sent her on her way…quickly.”

“What if someone saw?”

“Crowded place like this with so much going on, doubtful. And what are they going to do if they did?” Jack stood boldly, unfazed by the presence of so many people around him. “And I don’t think she’s going to say anything. Not that anyone would believe her.”

Dimitri blushed a bit. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Jack smiled.

They continued making their way through the crowded Halloween festival, but the longer they ventured, the more difficulty Dimitri had. His senses were sharper than most, and the noise, the smells, the behavior all around him became a whirlwind of exhaustion.

“Do you want to go back?” Jack eyed Dimitri. There was a softness in his shadowy expression.

“No, I wish to see your performance.” Dimitri frowned. “I just do not wish to see all of these people.”

“Well, I can’t get rid of them all…without causing a scene.” Jack winked. “But I might be able to help make them disappear. Not entirely, just enough to get through the crowd.”

Jack reached into his pockets, retrieving a small device. He opened it and pulled out two tiny earbuds. When Jack brought them close to Dimitri’s ears, he recoiled a bit, unsure what these devices did.

“Trust me, please.”

Dimitri relaxed, allowing Jack to stick them in his ears. It did help lessen the noise. Part of Dimitri hoped to cancel out the sounds altogether, but he would settle for this small reprieve.

“Put everyone else out of your mind,” Jack said before turning on his music.

A soft piano’s melody played in Dimitri’s ears and drowned out the world around him. Every awful noise was replaced by this calming music. Dimitri smiled at Jack, grateful for every little thing he did to help him adjust to this strange new world.

“Now, follow me, and ignore the chaos.”

Dimitri did just that, trailing behind Jack. Dimitri lost himself in the swagger in Jack’s steps, following the swish of his hips as he effortlessly parted the crowd and led the way downtown.

When they arrived at a large outdoor auditorium, Jack cut through the edge of the crowd and brought Dimitri to a quieter location.

“My show’s starting up soon, so I’m going to leave you with my phone. Keep the music jamming as long as you need, and if you want to head out early, Astaroth can lead you back to the woods.”

“I better be getting paid for my services,” the dog huffed.

Dimitri smiled at Jack and watched him disappear backstage. People chanted and cheered, awaiting the start of the performance. When an old man entered from stage left, Dimitri turned off the music. The crowd quieted as a spotlight fell onto the man. He wore face paint resembling a skeleton.

“I’m Daxter Winston,” he said, tipping his top hat to the crowd. “And tonight, I’m going to give you the history behind the Horseless Headsman, while he gives you a hell of a show. If you came to the quiet town of Sleepy Hollow in hopes of seeing the Headless Horseman, let me just say you’re about to get an upgrade.”

Jack Whoa Lantern entered the stage, and Dimitri knew it was the persona who entered, not the monster he’d come to know. As Jack Whoa Lantern, he possessed an air of cockiness, a bravado for entertainment. Dimitri enjoyed the flair of Jack Whoa Lantern, but he preferred the kindness of Jack.

Casting shadows, Jack began conjuring silhouettes to match Daxter’s story.

It seemed bizarre learning that Jack was the child of the Headless Horseman. If the Headless Horseman was also a Nuckelavee, that didn’t make sense. They were spirits. They shouldn’t be able to procreate. Still, Jack’s mother was a witch, so perhaps she played a role in the birth.

“Wait, he killed his mother, too?” Dimitri asked, very confused by the chronology of the story. “As a little baby? That would be difficult even for Jack.”

“The story behind the legend of the Horseless Headsman is all fake,” Astaroth replied.

“Really?”

“Absolutely. Humans love their falsehoods. It brings them joy to lie to others, to lie to themselves, to be lied to. I’m not certain why, but I think it has to do with the fact that so many of them are inanely stupid.”