Adventure walks were always a favorite for the little Indian, big eyed, pig-tailed girl. It was a time of exploration, cutting the string that harbored her to the safety of her home. Her father and her would walk side by side, every Sunday, from 5-7 pm. They never knew where they were walking, they just followed the paths in front of them and prayed they were going the right way. The little girl loved adventure walks, because every adventure walk was a new story. The sun was hiding behind the trees, the wind was strong but not strong enough to blow the adventures away.

Daddy, tell me another story about your boarding school, she said. Her father laughed, 

We already went over so many stories, were going to run out at one point! he said. Actually, there is one more story I haven’t told you, the story of the headless horseman. 

What is the headless horseman? She shuddered as a gust of wind almost blew her off her feet. The sky grew dimmer, but the sun was still awake. 

You see, the headless horseman was a myth back at boarding school. The school used to be a fort during war. It had great big, strong walls, and an intimidating gate. There were these three little boys, maybe in 6th or 7th grade, who loved reading about the stories of how the fort was used during war. One day, cooped over a book of myths in the library, the three boys found a story that spoke out to them. 

He paused, Am I going too fast? The father asked. 

No, keep going, the little girl responded. 

A long time ago, when the school was still being used during wars there was a brave soldier that dedicated his life to protecting the queen that lived in the fort. He would ride around on his horse, thump thump thump, killing any British enemies who dared to try to get in. Tragically during battle, an enemy defeated him, chopping his head off, and killing the queen as well. However, this valiant soldier didn’t know about the passing of the queen, and it is said that he still roams around the castle today on his horse trying to protect the queen and hurting anyone that stands in his way. We should try finding the headless horseman, one of the boys said. 

As the sky grew bruised and beaten the three boys set into the night, squeezing through the large holes in the gate. They found a small bush and the three of them hid behind it. Minutes passed but the three of them held their ground. It began to grow cold and pitch black. One of the boys said, I need to go to the bathroom I’ll be right back. The two friends nodded as they watched the boy slip back through the gate and scurry to their dorms. An hour and a half passed, the friend didn’t come back. I’m a little hungry I’m going to get a snack, the other boy said. He left as well, leaving only a single boy alone hiding under the lonesome bush. The boy sat there shivering in the cold, waiting for his friends arrivals, but they never came. After a while, the boy heard sounds of horses footsteps and saw the white outline of the headless horseman. 

What happened to the friend?, the little girl said, squeezing her father’s hand as not to be blown away by the wind. The sky was now streaked purple and blue. A pine leaf fell right next to her. We’ll never know what the friend did when he left, but he’s alive and well right now, the father responded. Let me continue, the father said. 

The boy stood up and ran as fast as possible away from the horse’s footsteps. He spotted the launder carrying clothes, but he was too scared to care. His legs never carried him faster than they carried him at that moment. He sprinted back to his dorm, and didn’t take the covers off all night. 

The next day, it was told that none of the boys had their laundry, since the launder had dropped them because something had scared him. The small, sun-tanned Indian boys groaned out of frustration and wore their old clothes, but the sensible boy knew why the launder dropped the clothes. That boy carried that story with him his whole life, letting nobody else know the secret of the headless horseman. 

It’s not a secret anymore, the little girl said. Their walk was coming to an end, the familiar safety harbor of a home showing up in the distance. I guess not, the dad said. Was it real? the girl asked. That’s up for you to decide, the dad replied. 

In life, the answer is not always given to you. Sometimes it’s under your control, and sometimes it isn’t. When it’s under your control, the answers can be anything you want them to be. Remember this. What do you want the answer to be? 

I want the story to be real, the girl responded. 

Great decision, the father said. When there is a boulder in your path, you don’t run. 

What does that mean? the girl asked. If you don’t run then won’t you get crushed?

You’ll see as you get older,” the dad said. They approached their house, greeted by a little boy, the girl’s brother, and a beautiful petite lady, the girl’s mother. Everything was simple back then, the headless horseman was still in the shadows.