| Scully reached a highway. She stopped crying, but her eyes were red. 'What happened?' She thought. Her mind was racing. She started to go into shock. Everything was turned upside-down. Mulder was dead. But now he was here. Was he really dead? Why did she find him now? Was her communication with him just a dream? How did she go so far in her sleep? As the questions hung in her mind, she saw the faint neon lights of a convinence store. She decided to just run through the rain to get there. The bell on the door rang as she entered. The stout woman behind the counter looked up from her copy of the 'Enquirer'. Scully stepped up to the counter drenched from the rain. Cashier Whoa, miss, what happened to you? Scully (almost robotically) Can I use you phone? Cashier (confused) Sure, honey, it's over there. The woman pointed over to a phone on the wall. Scully nodded and went to it. She picked up the reciever and with a shakey hand, dialed Skinner's home number. Skinner was sound asleep in bed. The patter of the rain was very relaxing. The ringing of the phone cut through the calm like a knife. He sat up grumpily and put on his glasses. In a very annoyed voice, he answered. Skinner Hello? Scully Sir? Skinner (sits up straighter) Agent Scully? Scully I found him, sir. He's here. Skinner Who's here? Agent, what are you talking about? Scully (starting to cry again) Mulder. Skinner is shocked. He would act so, but he can hear in Scully's voice that something is terribly wrong. Instead of pushing even further on her fragile mind, he acts calm and asks only one question. Skinner Where are you? Scully is unprepared for this question. She has no idea where she is or how she got there. She turns to the chubby woman again. Scully Where are we? Cashier Off of I-95, miss. At the Kwik-Stop near Old Country Road. Scully What state? Scully surprised herself with that. It was asked unconsciously. She could feel herself slipping deeper into shock. Cashier Why, we're in Virginia, ma'am. She nodded in thanks again and relayed the information to Skinner. He told her he'd be right there, and she said she'd wait. Scully hung up the phone and wiped her eyes. The woman merely stared at her in disbelief. Scully didn't even stop to think of what the cashier thought of the mysterious woman out in the woods in her pajamas. She had too much on her mind already. Instead of waiting inside and feeling the woman's inquiring eyes, Scully stepped outside the shop. She sat down on the only bench in front of the store. Eventually, her mind melted with the soft glow of the neon lights as she waited for Skinner's car to pull up. |