Authors Note
Next bit up now. I'd say one more chapter to go, maybe 2, depending on how much I ramble.
Enjoy!
"New one's jus' come in." The Pathologists Assistant wheeled a body through, before triumphantly uncovering it, as if it was some particularly well-known trophy on display.
Scully took the documents, and scanned them quickly. Mulder, meanwhile, took time to glance over the body. It had taken a bluish tint, and water pooled onto the morgue trolley.
"Well Mulder," Scully clipped the multiple pages back into place, "'John Doe' here died of cardiac arrest brought on from drowning. Nothing suspicious, nothing other worldly," She sighed, "so what is your hypothesis now?"
Mulder didn't answer her, however, looking towards the body's neck. A small bite mark could be seen on the pale skin.
"Here Scully," he murmured, beckoning her over to have a look, "what's this?"
"Well he was found in a lake Mulder, any small mammal or amphibian could have supplied that mark."
"Yes," Mulder replied, looking Scully in the eyes, "but how many mammals do you know that have human bite marks?"
"Are you seriously suggesting that we are dealing with some sort of … 'water zombie' now?" Scully raised her eyebrow sceptically, "because this would be your most implausible theory yet, Mulder, and that's saying something."
Mulder grinned at Scully, before leaning close to her ear and whispering, "not at all partner, I'm merely pointing out that this bite mark could have been pre-death."
With that, he stood straight and walked towards the door, "Something to investigate Scully, beware, it is said that being bitten by a zombie could turn you into one. I hope you're not scared. I'll go talk with sheriff. As Tarbuck would say … 'y'all have fun now.'" He winked, grinned and slowly exited the room.
"Geez that guy needs some better lines." Scully muttered, pulling on some plastic gloves.
Mulder entered the Sheriff's office and briskly walked towards the only desk occupying the room. The office was cluttered with antique guns and filing cabinets, with plenty of forms stacked on top precariously, waiting for the slightest wind to send them fluttering out the window. But that isn't going to happen, Mulder thought bitterly, the only wind in this town would be coming from the citizens and one too many dinners of beans.
The noise of Mulder's pacing brought the Sheriff into the room, sweating profusely.
"Sorry 'bout tha'" He said in his southern drawl, mopping the sweat from his forehead, "Damn Andersons reportin' a disturbance. Third time this month!"
Mulder forced a smile, before settling himself in a seat and cutting to the chase.
"Listen Tarbuck, I could do with your vast knowledge of this town."
Tarbuck looked interestedly towards Mulder and his chest puffed out slightly with pride.
"Well you sure come to the right man, mister Mulder. What can I help ya with?" Pulling out a notepad, he stood, pen poised, waiting for Mulder to speak.
"Are there any …." Mulder tried to grasp for words, "supernatural people in this town?"
"'Supernatural' mister Mulder?"
"Yes. Anyone who has come to your attention as trouble, maybe claiming supernatural powers of some sort?"
"Well," Tarbuck considered his words carefully, "We did have some guy claimin' to have super powers alright."
"Oh yes?" Mulder eagerly leant forward in his seat, "what happened? Where is he?"
"In the cemetery over there," Tarbuck thumbed behind him, pointing out the window, "he got so annoyed with our not believin' him an' all tha' he went and jumped off a buildin' to prove he could fly."
Sighing with disappointment, Mulder sat back, "not quite what I was looking for Sheriff. Are you sure there's no-one else? No-one claiming to practice witchcraft or dark magic?"
"Witchcraft? Well why didn't you say so? We got a woman jus' a couple of doors away claimin' to be one of them. We keep an eye out of course, but I don't think she's doin' no-one any harm." He wrote down an address and name and handed it to Mulder.
Looking at the note, Mulder read the name;
Samantha Brookby.
"Samantha was my sister's name," He said, smiling, picturing her in his mind.
"well tha' sure is spooky, eh mister Mulder?"
"Yes," Mulder murmured quietly, "spooky."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Scully slowly got up from her chair and walked towards the door. The motel in which she was situated was a good twenty minute walk from the town itself, and after standing over a corpse all day and having to walk in such heat, she was in no mood to have guests.
Looking through the eyehole, she sighed as she recognised the man on the other side of the door. Slipping back the bolt, she walked back over towards the chair, and the table where her report was laying, spread out.
Mulder slowly sauntered in, before saying;
"Aww now come on Scully, it's considered impolite here to leave your friends to let themselves in."
"I see Mulder," Scully replied, taking off her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose, "and what is it considered to be if I put a bullet in you, because I swear I may just."
"Ooo I love it when you talk dirty like that Scully." Mulder winked and grinned at her, before settling himself down opposite her in a vacant chair.
Sighing with defeat, Scully sat back down with him, and asked;
"What have you found out Mulder? Anything? A water zombie? Maybe a vampire that loves the sunlight? Oh no wait let me think …. How about a plausible theory?"
"ouch, you hurt me Scully," Mulder said, clutching his heart dramatically, "I actually have found someone who could be behind these strange events and-"
"strange events?" Scully interrupted, standing up but leaning against the table, "Mulder, there's nothing strange, irregular, supernatural or extraordinary about these events!"
She breathed slowly, before continuing in a dangerous low tone, "I have been working for the past eight hours Mulder, going over the last corpse. There was nothing that even points towards a death other than drowning!"
"what about the bite marks?" Mulder asked, unperturbed by her annoyed state.
"They were pre-death Mulder, yes. But who could say what happened? He could have gotten into a fight with a weaker person who found no other way to defend themselves than to go for an exposed throat. Who knows? We shouldn't just jump to the conclusion that its some magical occurrence!"
With that said, she sighed heavily and sat back down, placing her forehead on the tables surface. Mulder softly put his hand over Scully's, and was relieved when she didn't pull away.
"I know that there is a very plausible explanation for the fact that four bodies have gone missing Scully … whether it's for a purpose, or just a good old fashioned morgue robbing," at that Scully smiled tiredly, causing Mulder to break out into a big grin, "but we must investigate all the possibilities, and I know there's more to this than just the want of a dead corpse or a 'drunken biting fight'."
"so where do we go from here then Mulder?" Scully asked, yawning, as she tucked her documents away into a folder.
"It depends, have you remembered your torch and manacles Scully?" At this question, Scully raised her eyebrows, before Mulder replied;
"Because we're going on a good ol' fashioned Witch Hunt."