"If you quiet down, we can have a conversation," Sheriff Walker said, his voice raised as he held his hands up. "If you can't, then we're going to have a problem."
The crowd looked at one another and began to quiet down, though murmuring still occurred.
"That's better," the sheriff said and he nodded as he looked at Mulder. "I know that you all have questions and the answers that I could give you will not be sufficient-"
"We want the truth!" Cassie Quinn shouted, the megaphone hanging by her side, the crowd agreeing with her.
"I know that you do," the sheriff said, raising his voice again. "And I have been honest with you all since the beginning of this investigation. I don't know what happened to those men. I also don't know where they are. I don't understand why one of them was returned, and the others are still missing. There are a lot of unknowns, and we, the officers and detectives, are doing all we can to find them."
"It's not good enough," Ashley Harvey said, her voice shaking. "That other guy came back."
"I know, Ashley," he said softly and she started to cry. An older woman put her arm around her and shook her head at the sheriff. "We're looking, doing all we can, but I know it's not enough for those worried about their loved ones. So, we've asked for help from the FBI."
"FBI?" the crowd murmured and the sheriff nodded.
"These are Agents Mulder and Scully and they have come to offer their help." He gestured to Mulder who stepped beside him, nodding to him and then the crowd.
"Like the sheriff said, I'm Agent Mulder and this is my partner Agent Scully. We're familiar with the case of the disappearances. We've visited locations around town and also with Peter, the man who has been returned." He looked at Scully and she nodded imperceptibly. "There are things we haven't done yet, however, and that is to speak to more of you to gain a better understanding."
"We've all given statements," Cassie said, crossing her arms. "They were quite detailed."
"They were," he agreed. "But often, a memory or some information may be triggered as a convenience is taking place. It can be something small that makes all the difference."
"Talking won't do anything. We need to be searching," Cassie said, shaking her head.
"Where do you feel we need to be looking?" Mulder asked her and she exhaled as she looked at the others around her.
"The forest. On the edge of the cemetery," she said as the crowd murmured its agreement.
"Why?" he asked, a thrill of excitement going through him.
"Because… that has to be where they are. They couldn't have just disappeared and…" She stopped talking, her lip quivering. "We've all heard stories about the forest. We've heard sounds as we've had gatherings-"
"Parties," Detective Nuñez said from behind Mulder. Cassie looked at her and exhaled loudly.
"Parties," Cassie agreed, raising her eyebrows at the detective.
"You're saying you think the forest is haunted?" Mulder asked Cassie.
"I… I wouldn't say haunted, but…" She looked at the other people around her and they nodded. "There is something to it."
"But it's been searched," Scully stated and Mulder turned his head to look at her. "Have you not all been involved in the search?"
"Yes, we have. It's just… have you been out there? Have you seen the forest?"
"I have," Scully said with a nod.
"And you didn't feel anything?"
"No. I didn't."
"Well, maybe you weren't there long enough."
"Or maybe it's not haunted, or whatever you may think. Perhaps because of the fact that you've heard stories about it all your life, you have preconceived notions that there is something living in the forest."
"Whatever's in there," Cassie said, shaking her head, her eyes angry. "It's not alive. It's…"
"Show me," Mulder said, looking at Cassie as he heard Scully sigh. "Anyone who wants to, come with us and we'll search the forest."
He saw some people look uncomfortable, but the majority of them nodded and he smiled, the thrill of excitement growing.
"You've been quiet," he said to Scully as they drove to the cemetery for the agreed upon meeting time, having quickly warmed up and eaten their lunch, sharing a Coke between them. "The food didn't help?"
"Mulder," she said quietly and shook her head.
"Scully-"
"Please, just…" She held up her hand and sighed. "While I do not agree with the idea of a spirit residing within a forest, people have gone missing. Men have gone missing. From the exact location to which we are heading. I can't say I'm overjoyed at the thought of walking into the forest."
"I think we'll be okay."
"Just like every other time you thought things would be fine and something happened?" she asked, looking at him as she drew in a deep breath. "You've already experienced something. I don't want you… minimal injuries, remember?"
"I do," he said with a smile and a nod. "I promise I won't do anything crazy."
"Ha!" she said, turning her head to look out the window. "I don't think you could ever promise me that. Jump on any trains recently?"
"No. Not recently."
"Break into any government facilities?"
"Not for nearly a year, I don't think. I mean, I did steal some mail from Padgett, but it helped to peg him as the killer… sort of. So does that count?" He grinned as he pulled up to a stoplight and watched her sigh as she shook her head.
"It's probably the safest crime you've committed." She looked at him again and gave him a small smile. "Let's keep it that kind of minimal tonight, okay?"
"I can do that," he said and she hummed in a disbelieving tone. He laughed quietly as the light turned green and they made a left towards the cemetery.
There were no other cars or people yet, or so they thought as they stepped out and walked through the grass toward Sarah's headstone, though they had not discussed it ahead of time.
"What?" Scully said, looking down onto the grass in front of the headstone, which was now covered in white flowers in a loose spiral shape, each one laid perfectly.
"Uh, who?" Mulder said, looking around and seeing something in the distance, the afternoon sun almost blinding as he squinted. "What is that over there?"
"Where?"
"There," he said, touching her shoulder and turning her toward the movement behind them. "Just beyond the cemetery. Do you see it?"
"Maybe some of the group? They got here ahead of us?" she said and he shook his head.
"Moving like that? I don't think so," he stated, watching the people moving. "It looks like… like they're dancing. Or swaying?" He took a step toward them and Scully stopped him. "What?"
"What if… what if it's a private moment? Maybe a… maybe something they do when they visit the cemetery? Maybe it's a religious thing. You don't need to be bothering them."
"You don't need to be scared," he said, giving her a lopsided grin.
"I'm not scared, asshole," she said hotly and he laughed. "I just want you to think before you act."
"This place is about to be crawling with people. I'm sure they'd appreciate a heads up about that, don't you?" He raised his eyebrows and she sighed as she fell in step beside him and walked through the tall grass.
Having to watch intently on where to step, he only glanced up a few times and as they drew nearer, he stopped walking and turned his head to look at the forest.
"What is it?" Scully asked as she caught up, a couple of steps behind him, breathing heavily. "Did you see something?"
"Oh yeah," he said with a nod and she looked where he was facing. "No. Look towards the people."
"The people… why? What? Oh… oh my God. It's…"
"A bunch of naked women," he said with a nod.
"I think… yeah… one of them is Fauna."
"What?" he asked, glancing over again before quickly looking away. "So it is. Ummm…"
"Maybe you should wait here?" she said and he could hear a smile in her voice.
"Yeah," he said, completely turning his back on the group of naked women dancing in a wide circle.
"I mean if you're scared," she said and he glared at her before she walked away, laughing softly.
He heard her greeting them, sounds of surprise and laughter, then voices as they began to come closer.
Turning around, his eyes bugged open before he turned around again, his cheeks burning.
Not one of them, save for Scully, was dressed in anything aside from black rain boots. They were walking toward him, caring not one whit about their state of undress.
"Agent Mulder, it's nice to see you again," Fauna said, laughter bubbling out. "Or the back of you, anyway."
"Hello again, Fauna," he said, keeping his eyes straight ahead as they began to walk back towards the cemetery. "Sorry to interrupt your…"
"Our coven," Fauna said and the women laughed as they agreed.
"Your coven?" he asked, turning to look at her and stopping halfway as he saw a flash of naked skin.
"Oh yes," Fauna stated. "A group of likeminded women-"
"Who love women," one of Fauna's companions interjected and they all cheered.
"Exactly. Likeminded, middle aged women, who love women and found that creating a coven would be as close to a life of magic as we would ever have."
"Well that's…" he said.
"Fucking fantastic," another companion said as she stepped ahead of him, spun in a circle, and then kept walking, right in his eyeline. "Have you ever danced completely naked beside a cemetery?"
"Danced? No," he said, looking down at his feet in the grass.
"Just, uh… frolicked," Scully said in a teasing tone to his right and when he turned to look at her, he saw Fauna and two other women before he quickly looked away.
"Ah, look at him," one of the women said with a chuckle. "The poor man doesn't know where to look. Bless him."
"Just wasn't what I was expecting when we arrived."
"Eight naked, dancing lesbians celebrating the life of Sarah Blackwell as we do every month?" the same woman asked and his eyes widened as he continued looking at his feet. "Can one ever truly prepare for that?"
"Sure. Come over on Saturday and bring some wine. There I prepared for it," Fauna said and they all cackled.
They had reached the cemetery and only once there, did he see that their clothes had been left in an faded old red wagon two rows down from Sarah's headstone.
"I'll leave you to it," he said, continuing towards the car.
"Slow down," Scully said, giggling softly as she took a hold of his arm. "Your legs are longer than mine."
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Yes. Very much," she replied, laughing again.
"Yeah, well," he said as they reached the car and he leaned against the side of it with a sigh and she stood in front of him with a smile. "That was a lot of flesh."
"Coming from a man with an extensive video collection, I'd wager you've seen more flesh there than here tonight."
"Yeah, well," he said with a grin. "Different viewing settings, I suppose. Privately versus publicly."
"Hmm," Scully hummed, headlights shining across them faintly as a car pulled in and parked beside them.
"Hope the coven is decent, there are about to be a lot more people gathering here."
"I'll go see. Tell them you're missing them."
"Shut up," he laughed and she smiled as she walked away and he went to welcome the people in the car.
Fifteen minutes later, the group of once again mostly women, the sheriff, Detectives Nuñez and Plewett, the coven of now fully dressed women, and Scully stood at the edge of the cemetery in a long line. Flashlights in hand, or in backpacks, Mulder gave the signal and they stepped into the forest.
It was not quiet, the group too large to be completely silent, but it was quieter as the trees were thick. Looking behind him, he saw the late afternoon sun shining brighter outside of the forest and he waited to see if he felt anything this time.
"It's different," Fauna said beside him, breaking into his thoughts. He looked at her and she shook her head. "I've been in this forest hundreds of times and I've never felt this way before."
"In a bad way or a good way?" he asked, the forest feeling different for him too.
"Neither. Just… not the same. I don't think you'll find what you're searching for… not tonight anyway."
"Why?"
She put her hand out and wiggled her fingers slowly, just as Peter had done at the hospital and just as he himself felt like doing with her now, but he refrained. Twice more she did it and then she dropped her hand.
"It's not here."
"What isn't?" he asked, vaguely aware that the others had moved on and they were the only ones left behind.
"The feeling. The calm. For lack of a better word… the magic. It's not here."
"It's never felt this way?"
"No. Not once. Maybe… maybe it's too many people and she's gone into hiding."
"You mean Sarah?"
"I do. I told you that I felt her presence years ago. And I continue to feel it whenever I'm here. Never has it felt bad, only calm. But right now…" She looked around and shook her head. "I don't know where she is, but she's not here. Not right now..."
