A Place in the Mortal Kingdom

Sleepy Hollow was an idyllic, small New England town nestled in the Blue Hill region. The gently rolling hills, the dappled sunlight, and soft breezes of this part of the country were all perfect for a town of this size.

Civilization did not reach this picturesque hamlet. The town had managed to avoid the plague that had hit the rest of the country over a century before. That fact was a blessing, because it meant the townspeople had managed to save the town's history and customs.

Nowadays, the residents treasured their old history and maintained the ways of their forefathers.

The year was 1957.

The town was hosting its annual carnival as they did every year. The carnival was the main event of the town's year. Families would come from all around to see the spectacle, making the town a central hub of activity.

The event was always a success, and many families looked forward to this time of the year with anticipation. Today would be no different. However, in a small corner of the carnival, trouble lurked.

There was a man. He sat on the top of the tallest ride of the carnival. He watched the merry-go-round spin round and round, and he smiled. He then began to muse to himself. "A carnival is a place of fun, of fun without consequences, without justice. It is a time to indulge our desires and enjoy a time of peace, when we are weak and vulnerable. I will look forward to watching this carnival's destruction as I bring a time of no fun! My time will come, soon."

The carnival rolled onward, giving the townspeople no idea of the evil that lurked within the fairgrounds.

As evening fell, the family of that town was fast asleep.

All of a sudden, a mysterious, hooded figure appeared from the clouds. It was night, and the silvery light of the moon provided the only light. The figure's face was hidden in shadow, as were its hands.

The figure floated down to marvel at the sleeping town, and it noticed its first victim. The figure floated over to a house, and it looked on at a sleeping child within. It grinned, revealing razor sharp teeth. The figure then floated outside the window, but something unexpected happened!

A man, sitting on a chair, saw the light and woke up. He caught the figure by surprise, and the figure crashed into the house. A sharp, metallic sound rang through the air, and the figure was furious.

The man kicked open the door, and went to go confront the mysterious figure.

The two were now face to face, but they were startled when they saw each other. They eyed each other and stood there, but then the figure snarled, revealing pointy-sharp teeth, and grabbed the man.

The man struggled, but the figure then began to lick the man's face with its tongue.

The man screamed, "Get off of me! What are you?!" The man managed to grab the figure's tongue, then twisted it until it snapped. The figure dropped the man and yelled out in pain.

The figure then went to attack the man, but the man managed to knock the creature out by scratching it in the face.

The man was surprised to discover that this was not a man. He was then reminded when the strange entity attacked him with a wave of blinding, orange electricity. Pain rushed through his body, and the figure then tossed the man into a ditch.

The figure then ran away, and disappeared into the night, leaving the man alone in his dazed state.

The man stumbled back home and told his wife of his encounter. Becoming frightened, she called the police, and the authorities who arrived at the house soon found the man, still disoriented but alive. Said a representative, "We managed to get a description of the perpetrator. He was a tall man, with a long cloak, and a bushy tail."

The police, although unnerved, were left with no other explanation. Another sicko, just like the reports labeled him. The police were not prepared for what the town would bring them the next day.

The next morning, the man, who was now healed from the night before, went down the street to find the residents of Sleepy Hollow up in arms. It seemed a young boy got kidnapped while on the way to school.

The man listened to the police's radio, and heard the unsettling news. "We have received word of a kidnapping. The man who reported said that a man with a bushy tail grabbed his 8-year-old son and ran off. The boy was later found by a man in a nearby town. He reported that the man, who he dubbed the 'Kelpie', was lying in a ditch. The boy was nowhere to be found."

The man was surprised to hear this report, "What? A man with a bushy tail? I suppose she could have been referring to that strange green hedgehog-like creature we saw last night. Then again, I think it's more likely that she's just looking for something to file away. A shepherd, who was walking his sheep nearby, said, "I was pausing in the middle of my day, when the strange creature popped into existence, grabbed that boy and ran off. It could not disappear again, so I went after it, but I lost it." I wish I had more information, but that's all I know."

The man listened to the report until a shock came through. A police officer told them, "I found the rough location of the creature, but it seems to have vanished. The creature seemed to be in a fight with an unknown person. The report I got explains that the person managed to get in a few scratches. It seems like a tall, lanky man. It's hard to say if this new information has some relation to the case, but we will investigate."

The man turned to the other concerned citizens and said to them, "We heard of a tall, furry thing that had abducted a child, and then possibly engaging in a struggle. I am a detective, and I suspect someone's behind this. I'm going to prove who is responsible for this. What's your name?"

One of the citizens responded, "I'm Samuel, sir. Pleasure to meet you. I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of this, sir."

The man nodded, "I am positive of that. Please, I need to get to the bottom of this. I will solve this case."

Samuel nodded, and called out "My wife and I loves kids, and if someone has hurt our friends' son, then I swear we'll make them pay!"

The man nodded, "I understand. We need to track down all leads."

The man then went on a search for leads. He started by visiting the victim's family.

The man knocked on the door, and the door was immediately answered by the mother of the missing son. She gasped and said, "Oh, it's you! Come in! I have something to tell you!"

The man came in, sat down and said, "I'm on the case! There's not much time, but we need to sort out leads!"

The mother told the man, "Well, I've only one lead for you, actually... Something weird happened yesterday. When my son was on his way to school, he noticed a girl holding hands with two men. When he got closer, the men disappeared and the girl ran off. I'm sure that there's something strange afoot, detective..."

The man looked at the mother, and pursued the lead. He noted the girl's attire, then reminded himself that she looked like the girl he had seen at Freddy's bar. When he recalled the encounter with the girl, he was astounded.

The girl from the bar, who he had misjudged, seemed to pass on by, so he searched for her by heading to her general location. He saw her tearing through the woods, and tagged along to her current escape.

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