Sleepy Hollow (for girls) part 2

Your teacher clearly didn't like you bothering the locals.
"This is a unique oportunity for us!" he said. "It isn't every day that a school is allowed to come here. The town of Sleepy Hollow is on the FN's conservation list!"
"We were just asking for a map of the town!" You protested.
Your teacher sighed, stuck his hand into his own backpack and pulled out a map. "If you had paid attention before we left school this morning, you could have gotten the map there." He said as he handed it to you. "Now off with you, and remember: A) no trips into the woods, B) don't bother anyone, and C) dinner at the 'Headless Horseman' in three and a half hours' time."
You smiled as you accepted the map, and your teacher walked off to another group of students that didn't look like they were up to any good.
"Let me see the map!" Jane demanded and ripped it out of your hands. "Right! So, we are HERE, and that is THERE, and this thing is THERE..." she mumbled as she looked at the map. "Hmm, nothing much of historical interest to look at, though there are a few places where a person supposed lost their head - in the literal sense."
You looked at the map over her shoulder. "How about that there, the van Tassel mansion. Should we visit it first?"
"How about The old mill?" Nina suggested. "It seems quite far off from the town."
Click! --->
"No, wait!" Jane said as she looked closer at the map. "There's a little hut here that's further away than the mill. How about we check that one out first, then the mill and lastly the rest of the town. If we time it right we might be finished just in time for dinner, and then have the entire afternoon off to check out the shops and whatnot."
You and Nina nodded. That sounded like a good plan, and your teacher wouldn't be able to complain about you not having checked out anything of historical value. Not only that, but you would get four hours of goofing after that. Couldn't get any better, could it?
"I wonder if we'll come across the Headless Horseman's grave." Nina muttered.
Jane scoffed. "Of course not! That is west of the town," she pointed, "and we are going east!" she pointed again.
"It's a valid question! He can suddenly decide that he wants my head, and come riding after it!"
"As if! I wouldn't want your head if I were him."
"But you're not him!"
You sighed. This arguing between your two friends was completely normal, and you were very used to it by now. "Lets just get going instead of wasting time here."
Clickety-click! --->
With a course of action decided, the three of you headed off down an old, small path towards the old hut. You had to walk quickly if you were going to check this out along with the mill and some of the town before dinner, and it didn't take long before all three of you were warm. So you simply took off your thick jumper and tied it around your waist before hurrying to catch up with Jane and Nina.
After half an hour of quick walking you finally spotted the ruins of the house. It stood in the middle of a meadow and was surrounded by tall, thick, pale, yellowish grass that clung to you when you walked through and made it difficult to move.
After fighting bravely trhough the grass, you reached the ruins and started to check them out. Jane took a few pictures of you and Nina walking about for the report you were supposed to do of this trip, then Nina took a few of Jane as well.
You walked over to what was once the fireplace and sat down on your heels. The whole place was overgrown with grass and moss, but at the back of the fireplace you thought you saw something. Reaching out you pulled away grass, moss and wild ivy, and gasped. The figure of an archer was carved into the stone, and although worse for wear it was still a nice piece of work.
"Jane, get over here with your photo camera!" you shouted and both she and Nina hurried over to you.
"Would you look at that!" Jane exclaimed and quickly took a few pictures. "We're definitely getting an A+ for this report!"
Nina looked at her watch. "Guys, we better move on. We've lingered here long enough."
Agreeing, the three of you set off towards the mill.
Please click!
The mill had burnt down and there wasn't much left of it. A few ancient planks here and there, a few scattered stones and the stone foundations of the building was all that was left. Otherwise there wasn't much to see here, but you still went around and once again took pictures.
Once Jane's film ran out, Nina took out her own camera to continue the documentation.
You entered the ruins of the old mill and looked about. An old lamp, rusty and burnt and nearly covered by the wild grass, caught your attention and you walked over and picked it up to examine it.
"Smile!" Nina exclaimed and took a picture of you with it.
You rolled your eyes and put the lamp back down and went on. You couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the mill and why it had burned down.
'It was probably struck by lightning, or something,' you reasoned. 'Or someone was careless, and it burned down.'
Click again!
The three of you started heading back towards Sleepy Hollow. And after only taking one wrong turn you reached the 'Headless Horseman' just in time for dinner.
Your teacher between the tables and asked the students what they had seen so far, and what they found interesting. You, Jane and Nina eat and talk, and at the same time start putting down notes for your report. Your teacher just grins as he passes you three and says: "Good work, keep it up," before moving off to another table.
Some of the locals have started to wander in for a small dinner or drink as well, and they watch you students with either thinly veiled amusement, or just ignore you.
"Right," you mumble as you finish your dinner. "Where are we going now? We still have about three hours left before the bus is to leave."
"How about a bookstore or a souvenir shop or something?" Nina suggests. "I mean, the town is practically famous and they have to have some tourists at least."
You nod and Jane agrees as well. "So, now we're going to start shopping with the occasional picture." She sums up and the three of you head out again.
"Which store do we visit first?" Nina asks.
"We'll spend most of our time in the bookstore, knowing Jane," you say with a grin. "So we better head there first."
Jane pushed you. "You aren't totally blameless, you know."
Once again, clicky!
"Children!" Nina mocked the teacher's sternest voice.
In the bookshop each of you pick up Washington Irving's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', plus a few other pamphlets about the town and a post card or two just for fun. In the souvenir shop you find those T-shirts with 'Sleepy Hollow' written in creepy letters on the front/back, a few rings, medallions, and even a true replica of what was said to have been the Hessian's sword. The pommel was a snake, its mouth open, ready to strike, and the blade was sharp like a real blade.
"It's magnificent," Jane said. "If I only had enough money I'd buy it, and then cosplay as the Hessian! It would be so much fun!"
"You just like to dress up." Nina said.
"Yeah, so?"
You shook your head fondly, and picked up a statue of the Headless Horseman. 'Who believes in these things anyway?'
Putting it back down, you move on to another statue. It was the Disney version of Ichabod Crane, and the movie version (which had been played by Johnny Depp) stood beside it. You had to admit that the movie version was much better, although the Disney version of the film had a pretty cool song.
"When he goes a-joggin' 'cross the land,
Holdin' his noggin in his hand,
Demons take one look and groan,
And they hit the road for parts unknown." You hum to yourself as you continue to look through the shelves.
Time flies by, and, before you know it, you're all back on the bus and on your way home. You, Nina and Jane sit at the very back of the bus along with another couple of girls you had worked with before on projects.
"Well, that was interesting," Jane said. "We really ought to take trips like that more often."
"Yep!" Nina agreed and brought out her Headless Horseman statue. "Too bad we didn't sneak of and try to find his grave, ey?"
You rolled your eyes. "Oh come on, people have probably dug him up already and placed him in the cemetery to keep folk from digging all over the woods. And if they didn't, you wouldn't get me to dig up some skeleton without a very good reason."
Jane nodded. "You wouldn't get me to touch a dead dude with a ten-foot pole even if you paid me! That's just gross!"
Click!
Your teacher had been right. You didn't reach the school until past midnight, and after saying a quick goodbye to Jane and Nina, you jumped into your mother's waiting car and you were off on the road home.
"How was the trip, dear?" your mother asked and smiled at you from the driver seat.
"It was cool enough, not a very big town so there wasn't too much to look at, but the atmosphere was definitely there." You reply with a yawn and curse the gods that you have to go to school tomorrow. You were too tired, dammit!
"That's good to hear. Was it like the movie?"
"Yeah, I suppose they made the movie there, only adding a few things or something. It was almost a complete replica."
It didn't take long for you to get home, and after saying a quick hello to your father, you went up to your room and collapsed on the bed. The last thing you heard before you fell asleep was a strong whooshing sound and the room became a bit chillier, but you ignore it and fall asleep.
Clicky once more!
You were dreaming about the Headless Horseman. He was chasing you down, but no matter how fast or far you ran, you simply couldn't get away. Your heart beat fast and hard, but you didn't dare to stop or look behind you.
'Wish I had paid more attention in P.E.!' was the silly thought that ran through your head.
You continued running until something suddenly tripped you up, sending you face-first to the ground. You spluttered and scrambled up again, but the metallic sound of a sword being drawn froze you completely. From the corner of your eye you could see enormous hooves standing beside you, and you could hear the horse's heavy breathing.
Slowly you turned your head, and squeaked in terror just as the sword came down and chopped off your head.