SOMEWHERE IN CANNONFODDERVILLE, USA

            5:46:12 PM, 3/16/03 –

            Agent Mulder and Scully pulled slowly to a stop in front of the apartment building in the obscure town. The exited, both standing and looking up at the apartment before them.

            "We should go in and talk to the residents" said Mulder, beginning a walk towards the front door, with Scully right behind. They entered, as it were, to a dark area, but before any surveying might be done, the scene would be immediately cut to the two in a hallway, with Mulder knocking on a door.

            "Who's out der?!" came a voice from the inside, a sole eyeball appearing the in peephole.

            "FBI, open up." said Mulder, raising his voice so he could be heard.

            "Ehkay" they heard from within as the door opened, revealing an obese man in a white tank-top and boxer shorts with crumbs littering his mouth.

            "Come in!" he said, gesturing the agents into a room cluttered with piles of magazines, a filthy couch and a small TV on blaring an auto insurance commercial. At the other end of the room was a small table, and a noisy refrigerator, wide open and filled with some of the most disgusting substances seen by either of the agents in all their years in the investigation of the super-natural.

            "So, we hear there've been some murders around here." Began Mulder

            "Eh? Oh..yeh..some peoples, have been dyin', yeh know." Began the man

            "Right. Well, I believe they may have been killed by--"

            Before Mulder could finish, there was a loud rustling sound. The man cursed loudly, running to his air conditioner and pressing his back against the half-open hatch that linked with the rest of the ventilation system. He pressed his large mass against the thing, the whole activity seeming sort of strange.

            Mulder looked at the man questioningly, and then continued, "Anyway..so, we believe they may be being mauled by rats which are being controlled by a peculiar man in the basement."

            "That—that's ridiculous!" exclaimed the man, pressing a bit harder on the shaft behind him, as the rustling noise grew louder.

            Mulder sighed and turned to Scully,

            "Why do they always have to try and cover up the supernatural problem?"

            "Fox, maybe they aren't. Ever considered that everyone denies it because there isn't any supernatural phenomenon going on?!"

            "That's possible, Dana, but personally, I think it's because the Puppet master Writers need to prolong our investigation so it conveniently meets the 60-minute fiasco summary."

            "Oh not this again…" started Scully. Mulder turned to the obese man again,

            "Thank you for your time sir." And with that he turned and headed for the door, Scully right behind him.

            "Watch yourself!" called the man, as the two exited the room and closed the door.

From outside in the hall, Agent Mulder and Scully assessed what had just transpired between themselves when I high-pitched scream of pure blood-curdling agony came from within the apartment they'd just exited.

            "We've got to help him!" cried Mulder, "It must be the rats!"

            "Oh please, Fox. It's probably just him realizing how disgusting his refrigerator is."

            "Eh…well..I guess, for once, I'll give in to your realism, Dana. Some…force..feels like it's urging me not to figure things out right now..eh..I don't know. Let's just go."

            And the two headed back down the hall, to the elevator, to continue to investigation.