Wake the Hollow

Chapter One

Her gaze had gripped me, hazel eyes welling up, burning through pain. "Selfish, like your father," she'd said. "Go. You two deserve each other." Then she'd turned and left. 

I remember standing there shaking, not knowing what to do, what to think, whether I was making a mistake by leaving. But I needed to go. I needed a parent. Sorrow crushing me, I stepped onto the train, and when I reached my father's arms three thousand miles later, I cried for days. 

Yet, despite it all, I'm here. Because she asked me to come. Because I want to make things right with her. 

Because I need closure before I can move on with my life. 

I wipe my eyes with my sleeve and head outside to find Abraham Derant, my best friend from Sleepy Hollow Past. He'll probably be the only person happy to see me back. We reconnected online recently, where I had the chance to browse through his selfies and discover that everyone now calls him "Bram," which makes me laugh, because he always hated his name. But it suits him, too. He's changed a lot since we were twelve—now he's big and brawny and athletic—a fact that knots my stomach. I can't start anything romantic with him, though. One, he'll always be just Abraham—the boy who grew up with me at Sunnyside, the historic home in town where both our moms worked. He did always try too hard, joke too much...plus he didn't bathe every day. So, yeah. 

And two, I won't be staying long anyway. 

Get in, get out, go home.

All around me, trees rustle in the feisty October breeze. I close my eyes and take in the sounds, breathing deeply. When I reopen them, I spot headlights coming down the hill, then a car turns out of my view and heads into the adjacent parking lot. Nerves flutter in my stomach. In a minute, Abraham—Bram—will be live in front of me again after all these years. 

Around the corner of the station, a car door slams shut, and heavy boots step onto the wooden walkway leading to the building. I get my friendliest smile ready. "Hey, you." 

The sound stops. No one appears. But I heard someone. I know I did. "Hello?"

With my bags, I trudge to the other side of the station where the parking lot is. There's an old blue Eclipse, ticking as its engine cools off in the chilly night, but no Bram. Maybe I should've asked what car he'd be driving. I call him, but it goes straight to voicemail—Greetings, I'm being held captive by an army of Amazons. Don't try to find me. Beep..."

Hey. I'm at the station. Call me." I hang up, about to text him, when another text comes in from Nina, my dad's assistant, telling me the townhouse key won't be available until tomorrow, so I should check into a Days Inn instead. 

"Ugh." Hell no. I'll ask Bram if I can stay with him before I stay in some cheap motel by myself. 

I'm a few letters into my reply when I hear it— "Lela." A whisper.

Nobody calls me that anymore. Only Mami—my mom. Sometimes Bram did, a long time ago. To everyone else, I've always been Micaela or Mica. The chill in the air deepens. I pocket my phone and hug my bags tightly to fight off the cold. Suddenly, I hear something even weirder than the whisper—the clop of a horse's hoof. 

But why would... I smirk. Sleepy Hollow, boots, horseman. Okay, I get it. 

"Cut it out, I know it's you," I tell the emptiness. It's a small town. In small towns, people make up their own entertainment. And Bram Derant has always been king of entertainment around here. "Where are you?"

I head to the shadowy recesses behind the station, bracing for his surprise attack, but I don't see him. Then, in on the breeze comes mumbling near my ear. I can't understand what it's saying. I swallow softly. The voices are back, torturing me again. Jesus, I've been here less than five minutes, and already, this town is haunting me.