Shh. It's starting. There are kids in this world who are different. Special. I think it's a hoverboard. They look like us and they act like us. But they are not us. You're Mother Nature. Who wants a selfie with the Grim Reaper? There's a girl flying in the water. Find her treasure. She belongs to the world of good. You can lock it exactly like mine. Tom, run! Every town has its ghosts. But in Sleepy Hollow, as Halloween draws near, the wall between the land of the living and the dead comes down.
That's when he rides again. The ghost of the Headless Horseman. Gen Z Media presents The Hollow, an eight-part audio adventure inspired by Washington Irving's timeless Halloween tale in honor of its 200th anniversary. Episode 1, The School Teacher. Don't scare her, Michael. It's okay, Kate. Jill loves to be scared. Don't you, Jilly? Horseman! Horseman! Horseman! Okay.
It was a dark and gloomy Halloween night long ago, right here in Sleepy Hollow. The moon was full, the wind was howling, and so were the wolves. And that's when the horsemen came riding, right, Daddy? Don't rush the story, Jilly. First, we have to meet the tall, fussy Ichabod Crane, the new schoolteacher who fell in love with Katrina.
Katrina Van Tassel, I, Ichabod Crane, worship the ground you walk on. And don't forget that braggart Ron Bones who loved her too and decided to teach old Ichabod Crane a lesson. Ichabod Crane. You'll be sorry you ever cast an eye on my Katrina! Tell about the Horseman! Okay, here we go. Ichabod Crane was walking home that Halloween night when he suddenly smelled fire and brimstone. What is that smell? And the sound?
Yes, it was the clip-clop, clip-clop of a horse and a rider. But it was no ordinary horse and no ordinary rider, for they galloped as if on the wings of the wind. They say he was searching for his lost head. Removed by a cannonball in the Revolutionary War, the hoofbeats grew louder. Oh, dear me. Here he comes, here he comes! Poor Ichabod picked up the pace, but suddenly from out of the darkness appeared the horseman with a pumpkin where his head should be. Help! Help me!
Ichabod, if he could just make it across the bridge, he would be safe. Oh, the bridge! I must make it to the bridge. But there would be no safety that night, for when the horsemen reach the bridge... He removed the pumpkin from atop his neck as if to hurl it at Ichabod. And then? The pumpkin instantly burst into flames of every color.
In the bathroom, Mom. You're up already. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Been up for 45 minutes. You think I want to be late to my first day of middle school? My little Jilly is about to enter Sleepy Hollow Middle. Yeah. Mom, do me a favor, okay? You want me to walk you to your homeroom? Um, no. I was actually going to say... I know. I'm kidding.
You don't want everyone to know your mom is the guidance counselor. Don't worry. I'll pretend I don't know you. Jillian Mathers? Does she go here? We don't have to be strangers. Just maybe no big hugs. No hugs. Got it. You're gonna do gangbusters, Jilly. I'll finish making your breakfast. Mom? What is it? The stories about Sleepy Hollow Middle?
You mean sixth graders getting stuffed into lockers? Not true. The lockers are too small to fit a human. No, the other stories. The ones Dad used to tell. about how it was built on the old Revolutionary War Cemetery, how the basement archives housed secrets about the dead, and... Are you asking if Sleepy Hollow Middle School is haunted by the ghosts of the Headless Horseman? Is it?
Probably not. How about some waffles? Hi there! It's Jess from GCM Shows. Right now, we're running a listener survey to make sure we're bringing you ads and partnerships that you actually like. We ran a survey last year and it helped us so much. I'm not even joking. We learned that a lot of our listeners have pets and that helped us get sponsorships for pet owners. And that's just one example of how you've helped us already and how you can help us again. So.
Help us out by going to gzmshows.com survey and taking a super quick survey to tell us more about yourself and what you like. Once again, that's gzmshows.com survey. Thank you. Morning, Jack. You should get dressed for school. I am dressed, Mom. These are your school clothes? What's wrong with them? Jack, come outside, will you? Coming, Dad.
What's going on, Dad? I really need to get ready for- Very scary. You like the new witch decoration? I purchased a dozen of them for the haunted hayride. You can rig them up to spray mist, too. Nice! Getting started on Halloween even earlier this year, huh? It's the 200th anniversary of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow!
Tourists are going to be flocking to Van Buren's Haunted Hollow. It's our time to shine, Jacko. And shine we will, Dad. Jack, we're going to be late. Jill's here. Gotta go. Okay. Have a great first day, kid. Thanks. Oh, and Jack. Later, Dad. Witch. See you after school. I don't know. Middle school doesn't seem that scary. You sound disappointed. No, I just... Oh, sorry. Hey, you're Katie's daughter, uh, Miss Mather's daughter. Yeah? I'm Coach Bones, Phys Ed and JV Football.
Tell your mom I said hi. Okay. That was weird. I don't even want to know. Hey, at lunchtime, you want to check out the archives room in the basement? Why would I want to do that? Rumor is... It's haunted. The only ghosts in Sleepy Hollow are the battery-operated ones on our farm. Don't you ever wonder if... Excuse me. Do you two know where I can find the guidance counselor, Ms. Mathers?
Every night at my house. Sorry, what? Ms. Mathers is her mom. Oh. Are you a new student teacher? Uh, no. I'm in sixth grade. You are? How tall are you? Kind of a personal question, don't you think? Sorry about that. I'm Jill. He's Jack. Jack and Jill, huh? Go ahead. Go ahead with what? You don't want to make a joke? No. No up a hill? No pail of water? Uh, I'll pass. Let me see your schedule. You're in Miss Bradley's homeroom? So are we! Really? Um...
Do you know if she makes people speak in front of the class? A little nervous. What? Just because I'm big for my age means I can't be nervous about starting a new school? In a new town? A school with... The Headless Horseman as its mascot? All part of the charm. What's your name? Uh, Adam. Adam Nelson. Stick with us, Adam. And welcome to Sleepy Hollow.
Where's Miss Bradley? She's already five minutes late. If she doesn't show up soon, it's going to be a war zone in here. It is? Maybe something happened to her. Should we call Jill's mom? Or the principal? Adam, it's cool. Is it me, or are the lights flickering? Must be a storm. It's not supposed to rain today. Ooh, they say that paranormal activity can cause a disruption in the electrical signals. Paranormal? You mean like...
Ghosts? Well, here goes the lights. What is happening? Do you really think it's parable? Hopefully dark in here, class. Ah, that's better. Generator must have kicked in. Who's the guy in the man bun? Looks like a yoga teacher. I think that's what you call a hipster. Hello, sleepy hollow sixth graders. As you can see, I am not Ms. Bradley.
For reasons unknown, she informed the district yesterday that she would not be returning this year. Luckily, for all involved, I had just moved to Sleepy Hollow, and, well, here I am. I don't think she knew. My name is Mr. Crane. Ichabod Crane. Yes, yes, that's right. My mother loved a good ghost story. She also had a wicked sense of humor. Obviously. Obviously.
Ms. Mathers? You know my name? I like to do my homework. Feel free to quiz me on your names and what background you chose for your fifth grade yearbook photos. That's okay. I met your mother in the guidance office, by the way. Cool lady. She said I should make sure you sit up front. You know, so you don't miss out on any of my math learning. I think I'm okay right here. Your call. So, tell me, Jillian.
What is the difference between rational and irrational numbers? Oh, well, I mean, rational numbers are so rational, and irrational numbers are... Let me write the word rational on the board. Jill, here. Adam, read my note. Now, does anyone see another word inside the word rational? Um... A rational number is any number that can be written as a ratio, like a over b, where a and b are integers and b does not equal zero. Well done. Thanks to your friend.
Mr... Oh, uh, Nelson. Adam. My picture wasn't in the yearbook. I'm new to Sleepy Hollow. As am I, Mr. Nelson. It's an interesting place, but I can already tell you'll do well. I can see that you have a solid head on your shoulders. Take a tray, and stick to the veggie burgers. You mean they don't serve Eye of Toad and Wolfsbane at Sleepy Hollow Middle? Only on Fridays. Mind if I join you, Ms. Maddox?
Don't look now. Our new teacher sat down next to your mom. Mr. Crane? Ick. Really? I know, I know. You'll get used to it. Please tell me he's not flirting with my mom. Not if Coach Bones has a say. Look! Excuse me, Green. That's my seat. My bad. I didn't realize Mr... Bones. Coach Bones. Ugh, gross. It's bad enough she works at my school. Isn't that right, Katie? He called your mom Katie. She hates that. Your mom seems popular. Ugh, not gonna happen. Jill, where are you going?
I don't want to do this, Jill. Hello, Mom. Jill, I'm keeping my distance like you asked. It's fine. Hello, Mr. Crane. Coach Bones. Hello, Jillian. Hey, kid. How about that storm earlier? Good thing that generator kicked in, huh? That was more than a storm, Katie. Something in the air. You of all people must feel it, Crane. Me? Why do you say that? Are you talking about ghosts, Coach?
Jill? I'm just saying a man named Ichabod Crane should know better. The legend of Sleepy Hollow is pure fiction. Even my mother knew that. Is it? Because those of us who have lived here our whole lives, we know the history. The kind you won't find in a textbook. Don't say I didn't warn you. See you around, Katie. I hope it wasn't something I said. I'm a numbers guy. Not a big fan of superstition and ghost stories. I'll meet you after school, Mom. Jilly!
I made ziti. Just heat it up when you're ready for dinner. You're going somewhere on a school night? I offered to give Ick, Mr. Crane, a quick tour of Sleepy Hollow. Mom, you're going out with my math teacher? He's a new member of the staff, just trying to be welcoming. We're taking two cars. Uh-huh. Don't you uh-huh me. See you in an hour or two. Fine. Then I'll just go visit Dad. Hey, Dad. It's me, Jill.
Mom probably wouldn't be happy that I came to see you after dark, but then she doesn't have to know, does she? Brought some fresh flowers for you. Pick them myself. I'll put them right here. Right next to your headstone. The leaves are already starting to change. You always said it was nature's way of turning the page. It's different with people.
I mean, I want Mom to be happy, but not with someone like Coach Bones or Mr. Crane. Remember how you used to tell me those ghost stories? About how around Halloween, the wall between the living and the dead comes down? It's still almost two months away. But I want it to be true. I want it to be true so bad. I miss you. Forever and a day. Dad? Dad? Is that... Find your next adventure at gzmshows.com. Shh. It's starting. GZM Shows. Imagination.
Are you a fan of teen spy action-adventure podcasts? Then you'll love six minutes. But don't take my word for it. The New York Times said, children and their adults who love the X-Men and other tales of youths with innate powers will get lost in the six minutes fictional saga. And we're not just in the news. We've got over 15,000 reviews on Apple Podcasts alone. Look for 6 Minutes on Apple Podcasts and for more information on gzmshows.com.