Author's note: I forgot to say on the first chapter that I don't own any of the X-Files characters. But I do own Glynis and any other characters you don't recognize. Enjoy! J
Chapter 2: Easterling Minnesota
Glynis sat in the back seat of the rental car watching the darkness slip by. The ride to Easterling Minnesota had been uneventful. Mulder had refused to speak to her and when she did try to talk to Dana, he would let out an irritated sigh. So she had resorted to reading over the case file, again. The file that Skinner had given them wasn't all that interesting. It was your average case of vandalism where the local authorities could not find the culprit. According to the file, the locals have been terrorized by some unknown vandal who was spray painting sides of houses, leaving messages, and pulling up flowers. The part of the case that involved the FBI is the bombing of the new development in the town. Luckily it had been 2: 30 am and no one was there. The people of Easterling were convinced it was the local Native Americans who were upset at the building of a new ski resort that will bring in money for the small town. Because of the pre-existing speculations of the townspeople, there had been many near riots. Glynis shook her head. Society sure was dumb at times, she thought. She continued to look out the window into the black of night. The headlights did little to break the darkness. It gave the illusion of driving to the edge of the world. Glynis was lost thought when Scully cried out, "Mulder! Look out!" A figure had run out from the woods and stopped in the middle of the road. Mulder slammed on the breaks and the car screeched to a halt.
"What in the world?" Scully whispered. The figure was a man in his early thirties, wearing only flannel pants and a white t-shirt. He had on no shoes, and his feet were dirty and cut. He was breathing heavily and had bits of leaves in his hair. He looked around him terrified by some unseen attacker. Mulder and Scully got out of the car.
"Stay away!" shouted the frightened man, "Stay away or the Windego will get you too!"
"Sir, we just want to help you," said Mulder. He reached out to the man saying, "What's your name?"
"Brian Banks. I'm a construction worker at the new resort," he giggled nervously, "Last night, the Windego came into town and claimed 2 of the best workers and is now after me!"
"The Windego?" Scully asked. Just then, the wind blew around them with such force, they all had to take a step to balance themselves. Glynis, still in the car, got out after the wind shook the car mercilessly.
"Brian…"
Glynis walked over to Scully whispering, "Did you hear that? The wind, it sounded like it was calling Mr. Banks." She looked around nervously, biting her lip. Scully, Mulder, Banks, and Glynis stood still, straining their ears, listening. The wind blew again.
"Brian…" Suddenly Brian Banks shrieked and started running down the road at a very high rate of speed. Mulder took off after him. Brian Banks was running so fast it was hard to keep up with him.
"AAAHHHH!!!" Mulder heard Brian scream. Mulder rounded a turn in the road to find Brian Banks lying in a puddle of blood. Mulder bent down to feel for a pulse. There wasn't one. In fact, there didn't seem to be much of Brian Banks left. As Mulder looked closer, it appeared that all his bones had been broken, but by whom? Or what? Just then Scully and Glynis ran up to where Mulder was kneeling on the ground. Glynis gasped at the sight of the dead man. Scully knelt down beside Mulder. She felt one of Brian's wrists and then turned a puzzled look at Mulder.
"What happened? He was out of sight for only a minute and look at him! It looks as if he has fallen from a great height!"
"Glynis, call the police. We can't do anything more," Mulder held out his cell phone. The wind blew around them causing them to shiver nervously.
"What are you going to do?" asked an uneasy Glynis. Mulder looked at her and for a moment saw a frightened little girl.
"I'm going to look around here to see if I can find anything that might suggest what killed this man." Glynis shook herself, and the image of the scared little girl left her face.
"Of course, right. I'll call the police."
After the police had been called, Mulder started to think over what Brian Banks had said.
"What do you suppose the Windego is?"
"I don't know, Mulder. A hallucination?" Scully answered.
"That's what I think," agreed Glynis, "a hallucination caused by his intense fear."
"Fear of what? That is the million dollar question," Mulder replied.
"What's your opinion, Mulder?" asked Scully. She braced herself for the conspiracies that she had gotten so used too hearing.
"Whatever this Windego is. A phantom, or wood spirit angry at the destruction of his home, perhaps. Banks said that he was a construction worker." Scully and Glynis raised questioning eyebrows. Mulder just sighed and shook his head. Scully never believed any of his theories; even after all she had seen. It appeared, too, that Glynis was the same. Just then the familiar red and blue lights of police cars and ambulances lighted up the darkness. One of the cars stopped near the three people. A burly man stepped out of the car. He greeted them with a friendly smile and outstretched hand despite the reason he was there.
"Agents. I'm Sheriff Will Green."
"I'm Agent Mulder and this is Agent Scully." Glynis cleared her throat, "This is Glynis Scully, she is observing the workings of the FBI," Mulder explained with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"It's a pleasure. So Brian Banks is it? That's the third construction worker in two days," said the Sheriff, shaking his head.
"Sheriff, this man looks as if he was picked up and then dropped. Do you have any idea who could have done this to him?" Scully asked.
"Also, if you can answer, he mentioned something about Windego. Do you know anything about it?" Mulder put in. The Sheriff paused for a minute, and responded rather shortly, "I can tell you who I think did this to him, our local Indians. They've been raising hell since the town approved the building of that resort. As to what the Windego is, it's an old Indian legend, but that's all it is, a legend.
I'm sorry we couldn't have met under better circumstances. In the morning I'll bring to you the complete case file. This case is getting difficult. These murders are something you would expect in big cities, not in Easterling," he sighed and continued, "Have a pleasant evening Agents, Miss Scully. Just remember, don't listen to the wind." On that note, Sheriff Green walked to his patrol car and drove back into town. The two FBI agents looked at each other. Glynis watched the car drive away and then commented, "What was that supposed to mean?"
"I have no idea," was the only response.
Chapter 2: Easterling Minnesota
Glynis sat in the back seat of the rental car watching the darkness slip by. The ride to Easterling Minnesota had been uneventful. Mulder had refused to speak to her and when she did try to talk to Dana, he would let out an irritated sigh. So she had resorted to reading over the case file, again. The file that Skinner had given them wasn't all that interesting. It was your average case of vandalism where the local authorities could not find the culprit. According to the file, the locals have been terrorized by some unknown vandal who was spray painting sides of houses, leaving messages, and pulling up flowers. The part of the case that involved the FBI is the bombing of the new development in the town. Luckily it had been 2: 30 am and no one was there. The people of Easterling were convinced it was the local Native Americans who were upset at the building of a new ski resort that will bring in money for the small town. Because of the pre-existing speculations of the townspeople, there had been many near riots. Glynis shook her head. Society sure was dumb at times, she thought. She continued to look out the window into the black of night. The headlights did little to break the darkness. It gave the illusion of driving to the edge of the world. Glynis was lost thought when Scully cried out, "Mulder! Look out!" A figure had run out from the woods and stopped in the middle of the road. Mulder slammed on the breaks and the car screeched to a halt.
"What in the world?" Scully whispered. The figure was a man in his early thirties, wearing only flannel pants and a white t-shirt. He had on no shoes, and his feet were dirty and cut. He was breathing heavily and had bits of leaves in his hair. He looked around him terrified by some unseen attacker. Mulder and Scully got out of the car.
"Stay away!" shouted the frightened man, "Stay away or the Windego will get you too!"
"Sir, we just want to help you," said Mulder. He reached out to the man saying, "What's your name?"
"Brian Banks. I'm a construction worker at the new resort," he giggled nervously, "Last night, the Windego came into town and claimed 2 of the best workers and is now after me!"
"The Windego?" Scully asked. Just then, the wind blew around them with such force, they all had to take a step to balance themselves. Glynis, still in the car, got out after the wind shook the car mercilessly.
"Brian…"
Glynis walked over to Scully whispering, "Did you hear that? The wind, it sounded like it was calling Mr. Banks." She looked around nervously, biting her lip. Scully, Mulder, Banks, and Glynis stood still, straining their ears, listening. The wind blew again.
"Brian…" Suddenly Brian Banks shrieked and started running down the road at a very high rate of speed. Mulder took off after him. Brian Banks was running so fast it was hard to keep up with him.
"AAAHHHH!!!" Mulder heard Brian scream. Mulder rounded a turn in the road to find Brian Banks lying in a puddle of blood. Mulder bent down to feel for a pulse. There wasn't one. In fact, there didn't seem to be much of Brian Banks left. As Mulder looked closer, it appeared that all his bones had been broken, but by whom? Or what? Just then Scully and Glynis ran up to where Mulder was kneeling on the ground. Glynis gasped at the sight of the dead man. Scully knelt down beside Mulder. She felt one of Brian's wrists and then turned a puzzled look at Mulder.
"What happened? He was out of sight for only a minute and look at him! It looks as if he has fallen from a great height!"
"Glynis, call the police. We can't do anything more," Mulder held out his cell phone. The wind blew around them causing them to shiver nervously.
"What are you going to do?" asked an uneasy Glynis. Mulder looked at her and for a moment saw a frightened little girl.
"I'm going to look around here to see if I can find anything that might suggest what killed this man." Glynis shook herself, and the image of the scared little girl left her face.
"Of course, right. I'll call the police."
After the police had been called, Mulder started to think over what Brian Banks had said.
"What do you suppose the Windego is?"
"I don't know, Mulder. A hallucination?" Scully answered.
"That's what I think," agreed Glynis, "a hallucination caused by his intense fear."
"Fear of what? That is the million dollar question," Mulder replied.
"What's your opinion, Mulder?" asked Scully. She braced herself for the conspiracies that she had gotten so used too hearing.
"Whatever this Windego is. A phantom, or wood spirit angry at the destruction of his home, perhaps. Banks said that he was a construction worker." Scully and Glynis raised questioning eyebrows. Mulder just sighed and shook his head. Scully never believed any of his theories; even after all she had seen. It appeared, too, that Glynis was the same. Just then the familiar red and blue lights of police cars and ambulances lighted up the darkness. One of the cars stopped near the three people. A burly man stepped out of the car. He greeted them with a friendly smile and outstretched hand despite the reason he was there.
"Agents. I'm Sheriff Will Green."
"I'm Agent Mulder and this is Agent Scully." Glynis cleared her throat, "This is Glynis Scully, she is observing the workings of the FBI," Mulder explained with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"It's a pleasure. So Brian Banks is it? That's the third construction worker in two days," said the Sheriff, shaking his head.
"Sheriff, this man looks as if he was picked up and then dropped. Do you have any idea who could have done this to him?" Scully asked.
"Also, if you can answer, he mentioned something about Windego. Do you know anything about it?" Mulder put in. The Sheriff paused for a minute, and responded rather shortly, "I can tell you who I think did this to him, our local Indians. They've been raising hell since the town approved the building of that resort. As to what the Windego is, it's an old Indian legend, but that's all it is, a legend.
I'm sorry we couldn't have met under better circumstances. In the morning I'll bring to you the complete case file. This case is getting difficult. These murders are something you would expect in big cities, not in Easterling," he sighed and continued, "Have a pleasant evening Agents, Miss Scully. Just remember, don't listen to the wind." On that note, Sheriff Green walked to his patrol car and drove back into town. The two FBI agents looked at each other. Glynis watched the car drive away and then commented, "What was that supposed to mean?"
"I have no idea," was the only response.