Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Season 3 Episode 1 The Tale of the Midnight Ride
Tucker tells a tale about a new kid in town who encounters the town legend.
Series Index
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990-2000)
Characters/Groups
Headless Horseman - Francois Gauthier
The Midnight Society
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
_2.png)
_2.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Detailed Synopsis
Gary says that friends come and friends go and tells the rest of the Midnight Society that Kristen's and David's families have moved and so even though they won't be around to listen to the tales, they will always be a part of the Midnight Society. He then says they have room for two new members. Betty Ann says her friend Sam wants to join, but she needs time to come up with an initiation tale. Gary says he has someone he wants to sponsor and then brings someone wearing a burlap sack on his head to the group. Kiki remarks how small the person is and Tucker takes off the sack and threatens to show Kiki how small he is. Frank says not a chance, but Gary tells them that he either has to bring Tucker or he won't be able to come anymore. Frank says they are not babysitters, and Tucker says if they lightened up, he could tell his tale. Gary asks them to give Tucker a chance and then tells Tucker his story better be good or he will let Frank pound him. Tucker starts off by saying that the Midnight Society makes up stories all the time, but there have been some stories that are so old that maybe they might not be made up. He says his story is about a famous ghost and legend that is so popular, it just won't die. He then starts his tale.
Tucker recounts the legend of the Headless Horseman and how night after night he would ride through the town of Sleepy Hollow looking for a victim to steal their head. He continues with how one Halloween night Ichabod Crane took a wrong turn and was chased down by the demon ghost. Ichabod rode quickly towards the Bridge of Souls, a bridge the Headless Horseman couldn't cross, but poor Ichabod was never seen again. Ever since then on Halloween night, the ghosts of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane return to Sleepy Hollow to ride again...or so the legend says.
Tucker says that Ian had just moved to Sleepy Hollow and was trying hard to make friends. But like everything Ian did, sometimes he tried a little too hard.
On the day of the Halloween dance, Ian opens the door for some students and watches as Brad throws a football towards Katie, hitting the box she was carrying and causing her to drop its contents. Ian runs over to help Katie collect her fallen decorations and introduces himself. She recognizes him from Literature class, and he offers to help her decorate for the dance. Brad eventually comes over and says he was going to help, but Ian and Katie leave. Brad's friend thinks Ian is trying to flirt with Katie and Brad threatens to stop Ian. Katie asks Ian how he likes Sleepy Hollow, and he says it is nice, but boring compared to the city. Brad walks over to Katie and grabs her and asks her if they are going to dance and she reminds him that they are broken up. Brad tells her that he will decide when they are broken up and Ian drops an ornament onto Brad's head. Katie smiles and walks away and Ian apologizes to Brad. Brad asks Ian if he is going to the dance and when Ian insinuates Brad was asking him to the dance, Brad pulls away the table Ian was standing on to hang up decorations. Brad then tells Ian to stay away from Katie, or he will knock his teeth out and walks away. Katie pushes the table back and asks Ian if he is going to the dance and offers to dance with him. At the dance, both Ian and Katie dress up in period costumes and then dance.
Tucker says that Ian was kind of goofy, and everyone thought he was funny, well almost everybody. He continues that Ian didn't know it, but he was walking into some dangerous territory.
Ian sees Brad harassing Katie and walks over to intervene. Brad pushes Ian and then drags him outside. Brad asks Ian if he knows the legend of Sleepy Hollow and then tells a shortened version of the legend. He mentions how when Ichabod came to a fork in the road, he should have gone left, but he went to the right, so instead of crossing the Bridge of Souls, he went deeper into the woods. Brad says they have a tradition that when new people show up, they have to be initiated. He tells Ian that the initiate has to cross the bridge and bring back the pumpkin of the Headless Horseman's head. Katie tells Ian he doesn't have to do the initiation, but Brad threatens Ian and says he either gets the pumpkin, or they fight. Ian agrees to get the pumpkin and as he is walking in the woods, he hears a horse neigh. He continues over the bridge and finds a pumpkin lit up from the inside with a green glow from a glow stick. He hears a stick snap and someone laughing and when he turns around a headless person is standing before him holding a sword. Ian tries to run away, but falls down and starts pleading for the person not to take his head. Brad then reveals it was just him wearing a costume and a group of classmates gather around including Katie. Brad makes fun of Ian for pleading for his head and then tells Katie to come with him, but she stays with Ian. Katie asks Ian to walk her home and as they are walking Katie tells Ian that he is brave and Brad never would have gone after the pumpkin by himself.
They hear a horse neigh and when they turn around, Ichabod Crane is sitting on his horse in front of them. He asks them how to get to the Bridge of Souls and they give him directions and he rides away. Katie and Ian arrive at her house and Ian asks Katie if he can see her again. As they are about to kiss, the porch light comes on and Ian tells Katie he forgot his bike at school and runs off. As he is walking back to school he sees the Headless Horseman and he starts to run. Ian gets to the school, but realizes he left his bike lock key in his jacket he gave to Katie. He turns around and Katie is there with her bike. She gives him his bike key and they start to ride back to her house. They see a shadow and Ian assumes it is Brad pulling another prank, but the shadow jumps out of the wall and starts to pursue Ian and Katie who ride away on their bikes. Ian figures out that by giving the correct directions to Ichabod Crane they changed the story and now the Headless Horseman is after them. Katie figures out they need to play out the story, and they head for the Bridge of Souls. The Headless Horseman tracks them down and Katie runs to distract it but falls down. Ian grabs the pumpkin from Brad's prank and tosses it at the Headless Horseman who catches it with its sword. Ian runs towards the bridge, and the Headless Horseman explodes in a fireball when he crosses the bridge. Katie runs to the bridge and helps Ian up. Ichabod Crane rides up to them and says he is going back the way he came and is going to take the right fork which should set things right. He tells them Happy Halloween and then disappears.
Tucker ends his tale and the members of Midnight Society vote on letting him join them. The vote is unanimous including a reluctant Frank and Gary wonders if he is going to regret letting Tucker join.