Subj: DS:Legends 8
Date: 2/23/02 12:39:04 PM Central Standard Time
From: Aesgaard

Isaac (johnathan frid) covered his mouth with his handkerchief as he looked over the headless decapitated body of Magistrate Stokes and Lionel Stockbridge. He dropped the sheet covering them as the new community funeral director plotted a cemetery at the land the Indians had called Eagle's Hill.

It was as good a name to use for the first local cemetery and there were already several redskins buried there.

"What do you think ?" Amadeus (john karlen) stood by.

"Takes a pretty powerful man to slice off a head with one strike." The director mumbled.

"I will not have a madman ruin my town!" Isaac stormed back to the docks. "This is my town. My land !"

"But what of your people." Amadeus grabbed his brother. "No, you care only for the work you can squeeze out of them. If you have anything to do with those men's deaths, let me hear it !"

"Why are you trying to ruin me ?!!" Isaac pushed him off. "I have Grace and my son to think of. I cannot worry about this misfortunate details."

"You are no better than the madman who killed these men."

"And you are no different than father !!!" Isaac glared back. "But then he always liked you best ! You were a lawyer, and a judge ! What of I ? A carpenter who built the greatest mansions in England and he looked down on me because I built with my hands while you cavorted with criminals and the scum of the earth. I could never live up to his expectations and now I can't live up to yours !!!"

"At least I never killed to reach my ends." Amadeus spoke then regretted it.

His brother's fist knocked him right off the dock as Ben (david selby) and Joshua (james storm) ran to break up the fight. Amadeus pushed away Ben as he lifted him out of the water.

"I'll see you hang for that." Amadeus spit on the docks as he sloshed angrily out of the waters. Ben and Joshua exchanged glances.

"And what do you want ?!!!" Isaac barked at them.

"Isaac,,,,," Joshua started. "The land is haunted..........."

"A phantom horseman with no head." Ben continued. "He terrorizes the land. Any of us could be next."

"Pour me what you've been having." Isaac smirked.

It was nighttime as Amadeus reached the furthest reaches of the settlement. His horse was keeping a decent stride as the beginning of a road wore through the woods of this new continent. He thought of the vengeance he could take out on his brother as the noble animal scurried a bit, neighed and picked up speed. She seemed frenzied.

"What is it, girl ?" He patted her as out the corner of his eye he noticed the midnight black charger coming at him. It's laughing rider was waving a silver rapier over his................there was no head.

His horse buckling, Amadeus fell to earth and landed on his back. He rolled once and tumbled down several feet into twigs, branches, years of leaves and high weeds. He rolled down an embankment and landed in the hard pebbles of a gulley. He scrambled to his feet as the black horse and its rider slid down after him just several feet from him.

"Curse you, Isaac !" He grabbed a low hanging tree branch and pulled it back until it was taut. "I'll see you behind bars !!" He released it as his brother charged him. Ducking the rapier, he then rethought his killer's identity in a split second. The branch had gone through the horse and its rider, but not the rapier. It flew through space and then froze in mid-air.

The horseman stopped his mount and held his hand out to it as his weapon returned to his hand. Laughing once more, he charged to Amadeus.

"Merciful Heavens !!" He turned and ran for his life through the damp bed of rocks. He couldn't outrun it, but he might be able to lose it. He jumped back into the trees and forced himself painfully through thick briars and thickets. The ground rose and became rocky as he found an opening, and then a deserted cabin front built into the rocks. He jerked the door open on impulse and dove inside. He peered out the glass window as the horseman charged deeper into the trees.

Amadeus gasped. He tried to catch his fatigued breath as he heard another gasp behind him. He turned slowly as his face came inches from that of Hester Bouchard (joan bennett), a witch !!

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.