A fat full moon shone down on the fishpond outside Old Man Cokey's vast ramshackle townhouse All was quiet, apart from the occasional chirp of a cricket.

Billy Tompkins was up way past his bedtime, and out to steal some apples. His mom had told him not to go anywhere near Old Man Cokey or his scary old house, and most of his friends wouldn't dare climb the gate even to get a ball back, but Billy knew the best apples grew here, and he had it on good authority that Cokey had gone out of town for a week or so. And so, under cover of night, he squeezed his rather tubby form through a patchy-looking section of hedge to stand in the forbidden garden.

In and out, Billy, he told himself. Just grab what you can carry and get back home to your bed. Then the huge moon's unbroken reflection in the pond caught his eye, and he found himself wandering over for a closer look.

Two pinpricks of light stared at him from the other side of the pond caught Billy's eye, and he stood at the very edge of the water and leant forward to get a better view. Tiny twin moons shone in the beady eyes of a squat, fat frog sitting at the other side of the pond, staring directly at him. It looked accusing, like it knew he was here to steal apples and it didn't like it.

And then it happened. The frog rose into the air, and hovered there! Billy blinked, and rubbed his eyes. It was still there! Was this some kind of trick? He leaned closer still – and toppled into the fishpond with a resounding splash.

When he extracted himself, the frog was gone, and someone was at the gate, hollering at him to get out of there. Must be a neigbour watching the place, thought Billy. He made a mad dash for the gap he'd left in the hedge, and didn't stop running till he reached home.

*

"Scully! Hey Scully, wait up!"

Mulder dashed across the playground, other pupils leaving off their games of tag and hopscotch to avoid the weird shouting kid. Scully had been playing truth or dare with Susie Grahams and Kelly Travis, and turned away to greet the over-excited boy.

"Hi, Mulder," said Scully. "Let me introduce you. This is -" Here she turned, but Susie and Kelly had disappeared. "Oh."

"No time, Scully. Have you heard the news?"

"That Claire Parker kissed Adam Law? Well of course I heard, Mulder, but I don't see how -"

"Not that, I mean what happened to Billy Tompkins up at Old Man Cokey's place."

Scully raised an eyebrow. "What happened, Mulder, was Billy Tompkins' extremely active imagination."

Mulder attempted a derisive snort, and tossed his floppy brown hair back out of his eyes. "Of course, Scully. I'm sure that's what they want you to think."

She was confused, and starting to understand why the other kids stayed away from Fox Mulder. Things were easier that way. "They? Who are you talking about?"

Mulder wasn't entirely sure of the answer, and could see that the conversation, as usual, wasn't going his way. "I'll explain it all later. After school, we're going to investigate. Meet me at the gate, OK?"

"Mulder, I..." started Scully, but he'd already set off. As he took long strides across the playground his head turned this way and that, as if he was scanning the horizon for signs of them, whoever they were. The bell rang, and Scully hurried inside to class.