burn them

he missed him ok

The witching hour fell upon the cathedral, souls resting in the nooks and crannies of the crumbling stone silently as the deathsinger reclined in his armchair in a room off to the left of the main hall. His half moon reading glasses perched on the very upper bridge of his nose, Karthus was utterly lost in the tome he had resting on his lap, legs crossed as the sound of the pages flickering was the only noise in the entire cathedral.

It wasn’t until there was a knock or two at the door and a heavy, echoing creak that Karthus was dragged back to reality, placing a bookmark made from a stray rag in the tome, snapping it shut. Reading glasses still on, he took them off and placed them on top of the tome before heading out into the main chamber to investigate. A wide smile graced his hollowed and withered face as he floated silently towards his unexpected guest, the warden.

“I did not expect to see you here at this time, dear.”

there it is, 

87 starters feel free to change gender pronouns content warning: violence

“Help here! Lend a hand here!”

“Burn it.”

“Just a moment, if I may. We do not yet know the cause of death.”

“I stand up for sense and justice.”

“It is a place called Sleepy Hollow. Have you heard of it?”

“Three persons have been murdered there, all within a fortnight. Each one found with the head lopped off.”

“Remember, it is you, _____, who is now put to the test.”

“And who are you, friend? We have not heard your name yet.”

“You need some manners!”

“It is only to raise spirits during this dark time that I and my dear wife are giving this little party.”

“Thank God you’re here.”

“Their heads were not found severed. Their heads were not found at all.”

“Perhaps you had better sit down.”

“They chopped off his head with his own sword. Even today, the western woods is a haunted place where brave men will not venture, for what was planted in the ground that day was a seed of evil.”

“Are you saying—is that what you believe?”

“Seeing is believing.”

“Murder needs no ghost to come from the grave.”

“Come out, devil.”

“If you need any help, you call my name.”

“Now don’t you worry about a thing. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

“Murder! The horseman’s killed again!”

“You must never move the body!”

“I’m sorry for your loss, young _____.”

“Something you should know. _____ was not the fourth victim, but the fifth.”

“I hope you have a strong stomach.”

“To what is your purpose is the question.”

“Thank you very, very much, _____.”

“My concentration suffers greatly when I’m observed.”

“What, in the name of God, have you done to her?”

“We are dealing with a madman.”

“What did you find out, _____?”

“Oh. Pardon my intrusion. I saw a light.”

“I come here to read when I am wakeful.”

“My father believes tales of romance cause the brain fever that killed my mother.”

“I owe my happiness to him.”

“Take this. It is my gift for you.”

“Are you so certain of everything?”

“Keep it close to your heart. It is sure protection against harm.”

“I used to play by this hearth as a child.”

“A cardinal. My favorite. I’d love to have a tame one, but I wouldn’t have the heart to cage him.”

“You can do magic. Teach me.”

“It is no magic. It is what we call optics.”

“What are you running from, _____?”

“It was a headless horseman!”

“I hear nothing.”

“No birds. No crickets. It’s all gone so quiet.”

“You seek knowledge of the netherworld? I can show you.”

“Halt and turn. I have a pistol aimed.”

“I think you’d better come and look at this.”

“This tree is a gateway. A gateway between two worlds.”

“The skull is gone. Taken.”

“Come on. Let’s get ready for bed.”

“Wait! He’s not after you.”

“We cannot win this.”

“Remarkable. A wound like this should’ve killed him.”

“You must be still. The fever is on you.”

“Shh. Drink this down. It’ll make you sleep.”

“Tell me what you dreamt.”

“What do you believe in?”

“I should not have come to this place where my rational mind has been so controverted by the spirit world.”

“I have shed my tears for _____. And yet my heart is not broken.”

“Do you think me wicked?”

“You slept like the dead.”

“You’re too kind to me.”

“Well, I’m fit to face another day, I think. Fit enough to face a mortal adversary.”

“We must proceed by a process of elimination.”

“I feel we’re getting very close.”

“_____? Why are you in my room?”

“There’s something under here…”

“The evil eye! It is someone casting spells against you.”

“_____, you took the evidence and burned it.”

“I accuse no one. But if there is guilt, I cannot alter it no matter how much it grieves me.”

“I think you have no heart. And I had a mind once to give you mine.”

“If you are wise, you will leave this place.”

“You’ll kill us all! You’re the one the horseman wants!”

“Why should we die for you?”

“We have to save ourselves!”

“There is a conspiracy here, and I will shake it out!”

“It wan evil spirit possessed you. I pray God it is satisfied now, and that you find peace.”

“Villainy wears many masks. None so dangerous as the mask of virtue.”

“You look as if you’d seen a ghost.”

“Awake at last. Did you think it was all a nasty dream?”

“No one in this godforsaken town would take us in because my mother was accused of witchcraft.”

“I get everything in the event of your death!”

“You’re just in time to have your head cut off.”

“Tonight, the horseman comes, and he comes for you!”