Chapter 9
1131 Elmhurst Road
1:30 pm
Mollie looked around the darkened living room, unnerved at the silence that permeated the stillness. She had forgotten how quiet the house really was when she was alone. Maybe she should call Leila and see if she wanted to spend the night. No, wait, tomorrow was Friday and Leila couldn't spend the night on school nights, even though she was eighteen.
Oh well, the silence would just have to be ok. She'd just have to deal with it. It shouldn't scare her anyway. Silence had never done anything to hurt her, just things that come in silence. She took off her jacket and tossed it on the couch then headed to her room. She turned on her stereo and was greeted by the heavy drums and guitars of "Nickleback." That was more like it. No more silence.
She set her purse on her desk and reached in and fished out the business card that Scully had given her, telling her to call if she needed her and that she would be at the Omni all night. She set it next to the phone where it could be seen easily.
A yawn rose out of her and she covered her mouth. She was so tired; exhausted from everything that had happened. Maybe she should take a nap. She turned off the radio and switched the stereo to the CD function. The quiet smooth strains of Irish music floated out through the speakers and she sighed.
Another yawn overtook her. She had never been so tired in her life. Foregoing changing into sleepwear, she fell onto the plush bed and threw the covers up over her. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.
St. Vincent's Hospital
2:45
Scully threw the medical records into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. She raised her hands to her head and began to massage her temples in full circles, alternating between light and hard pressure.
Hospital workers could be so stubborn, especially the records people. The man that she had spoken with had really aggravated her. Not only had he given her a hassle about the records, but also he had said some rude and immature comments about her being with the F.B.I.
"A pretty little lady like you shouldn't be in the F.B.I. You should be working at home with the kids." Mr. Congeniality had leered.
Whatever! Some people were just jerks and stuck in their ways. Of course, Scully had kept her cool and not let it show how much it bothered her, as usual. She had stood her ground and finally he had given up and released the records of Mollie's dead relatives.
Now she needed to calm down, otherwise she was going to take out her gun and shoot something, preferably a certain records worker.
Scully took a deep breath and stilled when she heard someone else breathe behind her. She whipped her head around and surveyed the back seat. No one was there. What was going on? It felt as if everywhere she went anymore, someone was watching her. Maybe she needed more sleep, even though last night, when she had slept in Mulder's arms, had been one of the best nights sleep she'd had in a long time. She smiled at the memory and turned the ignition in the car.
She left the parking lot and merged into traffic, looking in her rearview mirror for cars. Another woman's reflection stared back at her from the backseat, her hair covered by a hooded cloak and her green eyes glowing. Scully gasped and looked over her shoulder into the backseat. Seeing no one she looked back into the mirror. The woman was gone. Maybe she had never been there at all.
Scully blinked, shook her head, and dazedly drove back to the hotel, all the while trying to shake the feeling of not being alone.
The Omni
3:00 p.m.
The police car pulled up to the entrance of the hotel.
"Thanks for the ride, Buck." Mulder grinned and shook hands with the man who he had met earlier in the day.
Buck was about 50 years old. He had salt and pepper colored hair. More salt than pepper, though. He was a police officer that worked in the downtown office. Mulder had talked to him when everyone else had gone out. Buck had been roped into watching the office while the rest of the staff had gone to a lunch party for someone's birthday. Mulder had mentioned sometime in the conversation that he needed a ride back to the hotel and Buck had offered to drive him.
"No problem, Mulder. You have a good night. I hope that case goes well." Buck reached out to shake him hand.
Mulder stepped out of the car and waved goodbye to Buck as he drove away. The bellhop opened the glass lobby door for him and tipped his hat. Once again, Mulder was amazed at just how truly fancy hotels could be. As he approached the elevators, he spotted Scully waiting for one.
He walked over to her.
She looked weary. Her shoulders slumped and her head bowed. In her hand she held several files. Must be the medical records.
"Hey." Mulder said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently.
"Hey." Scully looked up at him. She looked so tired.
The elevator dinged, signaling its arrival. Mulder and Scully stepped inside and the doors closed, allowing no other passengers to board.
"You okay?" He asked, expecting to hear the proverbial response, "I'm fine," but was caught off guard when she shook her head no. She really was tired.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. It's just been a really long day."
The elevator dinged again and opened on their floor. The stepped out and he guided her to their rooms.
"Scully, what's the matter? You're shaking." He asked, feeling her back tremble where his hand rested.
She raised her eyes to meet his questioning gaze.
"I don't know, Mulder." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Opening them, she slid the card key in the slot in the door and opened the door. She turned to him.
"Come on in, Mulder." She said and held the door open for him.
"Scully are you propositioning me?" He tried to lighten the mood.
She smiled half-heartedly and replied. "Of course not Mulder. Why would I do that?"
"Because I'm just so darn sexy and you can't keep your mind off me." He quipped and walked in, allowing her to close the door.
"Sure, okay." She kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed.
"Seriously, Scully. What's wrong?" He asked sitting down in the chair at the table.
"Mulder, something really strange is happening. I don't know how or why, but, well, I don't know." She shook her head and closed her eyes. She wasn't terribly tired. She was troubled, Mulder realized.
Mulder opened his mouth to ask her again what was wrong but she continued on, without looking back up at him, without opening her eyes.
"You know how you're always telling her to keep an open mind? Well, I'm trying to right now. Mulder..." She opened her eyes. "I had a dream. It had the women from Mollie's dreams in it."
Mulder was beyond shocked. Of everything he had been expecting her to say, this was the farthest from it. She never told him when something like this happened.
"That's not all." She hesitated. "I've seen things. A woman, one from my dream."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw her in my rearview mirror when I was driving back here. I though I had seen her at the restaurant but when I looked over to where I thought she was, she wasn't there. But now, it's like, wherever I go, I feel her watching me." She drew her brows together. "It scares me, Mulder."
Mulder jumped out of his chair and sat next to her on the bed. He gathered her into his arms and kissed her hair. She never admitted her fear.
"Don't be afraid Scully, we'll find out what's going on. Why don't you take a nap?" He suggested.
"Okay." She lay down on the bed on top of the comforter and snuggled into the pillow.
Mulder gently reached over and smoothed her hair down before standing. "Mulder?" Scully mumbled and reached out her hand.
Mulder took her hand and leaned over to press his lips to her knuckles. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" She blinked slowly. "I don't want to be alone."
Mulder smiled and climbed into bed next to her. He pulled her to him and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Thanks." She yawned.
He gently rubbed her arm that was resting on his chest, and listened to her breathing slow.
"Shhh...pumpkin. Its' okay. It was just a bad dream."
Mollie whimpered and looked up at her mother.
"Do you want me to sleep with you?" Her mother asked as she ran her hands through Mollie's hair, soothing her.
Mollie sniffed and nodded her little head. She scooted over to give her mother room to lie down.
"Mommy? Can you tell me a story?"
"Sure, pumpkin. Just close your eyes, okay."
"K" Mollie sniffed again and snuggled into her mother's side closing her eyes.
"Okay. Your eyes closed?" Mollie nodded. All right, here we go. A long time ago there lived a little girl. She was a beautiful young girl with long curly black hair and sparkling green eyes."
"What was her name?" Mollie yawned and scooted closer to her mother, her hand coming up to rub her mothers ear, a habit she had of calming herself.
"Her name was Morgayne. She was a princess. Her daddy was the king and he was a great warrior. The people all called him "The Dragon" but he wasn't a mean man. Morgayne also had a brother who would be the new king whenever the daddy went away forever. One day they found out that their daddy had gone away and wouldn't be coming back."
"Did he die?" Mollie whispered.
"Yes sweetie, but he went to a better place. Anyway, Morgayne and her brother found out that they had a sister, who lived in a different country. One day the sister came to visit. She felt like an outsider and felt like she deserved to be a princess. When Morgayne told her no, that she didn't have the right to be a princess, the sister turned evil and put a curse on Morgayne and her children. Morgayne's brother was so mad at her for this that, when he became king, he sent her away and she was forbidden to ever return to where Morgayne lived."
"Did Morgayne live happily ever after, Mommy?"
"Of course she did. As a matter of fact, she still lives."
Mollie looked up at her mother and screamed as she saw it wasn't her mother lying with her anymore, but the evil woman, Kiara, from her dreams!
Mollie bolted awake. The room had darkened considerably since she had first lay down to nap. She looked over at the clock.
6:43 p.m.
A 6 hour nap and with a dream like that! She sighed and grabbed her car keys. The Omni was only 15 minutes away. Maybe Scully would be there so she could tell her about her dream...or was it a memory?
She yawned and rolled over onto her back. Raising her arms up over her head, she stretched her back and popped the kinks out of her neck.
"Daaaannnnnaaa," a voice whispered, or was it the wind.
Wait, wind? Why was there wind inside the hotel room?
Scully's eyes flew open. She wasn't in the hotel room anymore. There wasn't a bed in sight, or Mulder. Where was she? It certainly wasn't Florida!
The grass beneath her body was damp and the air around her chilled her neck and hands, everywhere the dress didn't cover. That's when she noticed the dress. It was a beautiful deep purple velvet gown that draped elegantly around her delicate curves. Long slitted flared sleeves fell towards her wrists. The ends of the sleeves and the boxed neckline were adorned with gold thread. The wind caught the dress and it billowed gently as she stood up. Her hair whipped around her face and she pushed the locks behind her ears, noticing that the length now fell past her waist.
This was definitely getting weirder and weirder.
She looked up from her bare feet and surveyed her surroundings. She was on a cliff. Slowly, she walked towards the edge. The ocean below crashed into the rocky outcroppings, foam flying up almost to where she stood. She was so far up and it was a long straight fall down to the torrid sea. Is she were to fall....
"Daaannnnaaaa."
Scully turned around sharply, so fast that she almost fell over the side of the cliff. She gasped and stepped away from the edge quickly.
"Who's there?" Scully screamed into the air. "Who are you?"
The dark-haired beauty from her earlier dream appeared in front of her.
"Dana." She said, barely louder than a whisper.
"Morgayne, right? Your name is Morgayne?" Scully strained.
"Yes."
"What do you want from me?"
"As I said before, your help. I need your help." She stated simply.
"My help." Scully scoffed. "You need my help. How am I supposed to help you? You're not real! You're only part of a dream. Like this, this is a dream, right?"
"Not exactly." Morgayne offered a Mona Lisa smile.
"Then what is this? If this isn't a dream, what is it?" Scully was starting to feel unnerved, curious as to what was happening.
"Let's just call it a history lesson." Morgayne replied, her lips returning to the mysterious smile.
"A history lesson. Why am I going to be learning history?" Scully asked.
"So you can help me, help Mollie, help yourself. You have to know the past. You see, to solve the puzzles of the present, you must first unlock the mysteries of the ages." Morgayne turned and walked away.
"Follow." The breeze whispered to her and pushed her to trail after Morgayne, who was getting ever more and more mysterious as this continued.
Mist began to fall around Scully and fog seeped in on both the women. The fog seemed to have a life of its own, creeping up to them before retreating, as they made their way inland. A dense forest lay before them and Scully had a brief fit of panic and the other woman began to trek into it. Maybe she shouldn't follow her. Maybe this was a stupid thing to do. Morgayne turned to her and smiled. Instantly Scully felt better. She was still a little iffy on everything, but not as anxious anymore. After all Morgayne wasn't the evil woman from Mollie's dreams, was she?
For the better part of an hour, Scully silently trailed behind Morgayne. Suddenly, the woman stopped and Scully stepped up to her side. A large peaceful lake lay in front of them. The fog passed by them and blanketed the lake, almost seeming to sigh and it rested there. The water was a mirror surface, reflecting the fog and giving it an almost ghostlike quality.
Morgayne raised her arm and lifted one finger, bringing it back to curl into her hand in a "come here" gesture. A small wooden boat floated out of the fog towards the shore, bobbing gently on the glassy surface.
"Come." Morgayne said turning toward Scully and stepping into the boat, holding her dark blue dress up so as not to get it wet.
Scully mimicked her movements and climbed into the boat. She sat down on the small bench seat. The boat began drifting back into the dense fog. Morgayne stood at the bow her hands at her sides. She was looking forward so Scully could only see her back. Scully was truly curious as to what was going on. This was most certainly a dream. It had to be.
She distinctly remembered falling asleep in Mulder's arms. This felt so real though. It almost felt as if she had fallen asleep and been transported somewhere else before she awoke. If that were true, Mulder would be frantic. No, she decided, this was definitely a dream.
The boat drifted to a stop. Morgayne turned to her and caught her eyes.
"Watch." She turned to the fog and nodded her head.
The mist receded in a complete circle around the boat, the air around them clear and perfect for five feet until it reached a white wall of dense fog. Scully looked back up to Morgayne. Morgayne pointed towards the fog wall to the left and Scully turned to it.
The fog brightened as if lightning had hit it. It looked like cotton with a bright white light shining behind it. Suddenly a picture of the cliffs of Ireland appeared. Quickly it zoomed in and Scully felt like she was on a 3D ride, like she was flying. She soared over the lush green grasses and gently rolling hills. The scenery flew by so fast she felt she might get sick.
The movement stopped quickly and she was in front of a small cottage.
The door opened and she went inside. A woman lay on he floor next to the fire. She was sweating and looked extremely tired, breathing heavily.
An older woman walked in carrying a small bundle in her arms.
"Miss?" The older woman announced her presence to the other.
The woman laying on the floor looked up at her and smiled. She reached up her arms to the bundle. "Just set her here beside me." The woman said in a thick accent that Scully couldn't identify.
The older woman placed the bundle in the woman's arms. She smiled, revealing a row of filthy brown, decaying teeth. She must be a servant, Scully realized.
"She is a beauty, miss." She turned and left the small room.
The woman looked down at the bundle. Scully peered over the woman's shoulder to see more clearly. A newborn baby lay in the beige cloths, her dark curly hair peeking out from under the swaddling. The baby yawned and blinked her eyes tiredly.
"Ah, go to sleep my sweet daughter. Go to sleep sweet Morgayne." The woman cooed and faded away as Scully gasped in realization of what she was seeing.
Scully was flying again. Back over the hills and lakes. She stopped at a large castle. A young girl with curly black hair and a younger boy with brown hair and brown eyes sat next to a large tree. The boy was crying and clinging to the girl.
"Don't leave me Morgayne!" He cried and buried his face in her arms.
"It's okay, brother. Mother and the Dragon will be here to take care of you."
The boy was not comforted and cried harder.
"Ssshhh...I'll never be far away. I love you but I must go, you know that. Auntie needs me with her and mother needs you here to be a strong boy for her since the Dragon is fighting. Please don't cry."
The boy sniffed and wiped his eyes. He set his chin in defiance and tried to look strong. It would almost have been comical if it wasn't such a sad moment.
"Okay."
"Very good. Now tell me you love me and I will leave so you can go help mother." Morgayne tried to smile.
"I love you." The boy said, one last tear escaping the prison of his eye.
Again Scully was flying, only this time the scenery changed to a small village. Scully stopped at a very small rundown shack. A baby's shrill cry broke the silence. Scully entered the shack.
"Is she ok?" A man's voice boomed.
"The baby?" An old woman asked, twisting her apron in her hands that were covered in blood.
"No, Kiana, is she okay?" The man yelled.
"No, sir, she isn't. Kiana is dead." She replied her head bowed.
The man's shoulders slumped.
"The child was too much for her. She was too weak to survive the birth."
"I see." He sat down.
"She wanted the child to be named Kiara. Do you want to see her?" The woman asked raising her head.
"No, I don't want to see her. No one shall see her, you understand?" The man stood up and yelled.
"No one is to know about this, no one. If you tell anyone..." He trailed off but his threat was obvious.
The woman trembled. "You need to bury Kiana." He continued. "I'll provide the necessary payment."
He turned to leave.
"Sir, wait." The woman called out.
The man turned to her.
"What shall I do with the child? Now that her mother is dead, will you take her?" She twisted her hands again.
"No. I can't. If anyone was to know that she is my child, I'd be ruined. I cannot be linked to a prostitute." The man looked deep in thought for a moment.
"Kiana once mentioned a sister that lives in Ireland. Her name is Geneveive. Send Kiara to her, she will take her." He commanded.
"The sorceress?" The woman gasped, her eyes widening.
"Yes, that's her. Kiara belongs to her now." The man stormed out before the woman could comment again.
The fog faded and Scully closed her eyes.
Continued in Chapter 10
Authors Notes: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback. I'm so happy you are enjoying it. Sorry this was such a long chapter ;)
~Mana
1131 Elmhurst Road
1:30 pm
Mollie looked around the darkened living room, unnerved at the silence that permeated the stillness. She had forgotten how quiet the house really was when she was alone. Maybe she should call Leila and see if she wanted to spend the night. No, wait, tomorrow was Friday and Leila couldn't spend the night on school nights, even though she was eighteen.
Oh well, the silence would just have to be ok. She'd just have to deal with it. It shouldn't scare her anyway. Silence had never done anything to hurt her, just things that come in silence. She took off her jacket and tossed it on the couch then headed to her room. She turned on her stereo and was greeted by the heavy drums and guitars of "Nickleback." That was more like it. No more silence.
She set her purse on her desk and reached in and fished out the business card that Scully had given her, telling her to call if she needed her and that she would be at the Omni all night. She set it next to the phone where it could be seen easily.
A yawn rose out of her and she covered her mouth. She was so tired; exhausted from everything that had happened. Maybe she should take a nap. She turned off the radio and switched the stereo to the CD function. The quiet smooth strains of Irish music floated out through the speakers and she sighed.
Another yawn overtook her. She had never been so tired in her life. Foregoing changing into sleepwear, she fell onto the plush bed and threw the covers up over her. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.
St. Vincent's Hospital
2:45
Scully threw the medical records into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. She raised her hands to her head and began to massage her temples in full circles, alternating between light and hard pressure.
Hospital workers could be so stubborn, especially the records people. The man that she had spoken with had really aggravated her. Not only had he given her a hassle about the records, but also he had said some rude and immature comments about her being with the F.B.I.
"A pretty little lady like you shouldn't be in the F.B.I. You should be working at home with the kids." Mr. Congeniality had leered.
Whatever! Some people were just jerks and stuck in their ways. Of course, Scully had kept her cool and not let it show how much it bothered her, as usual. She had stood her ground and finally he had given up and released the records of Mollie's dead relatives.
Now she needed to calm down, otherwise she was going to take out her gun and shoot something, preferably a certain records worker.
Scully took a deep breath and stilled when she heard someone else breathe behind her. She whipped her head around and surveyed the back seat. No one was there. What was going on? It felt as if everywhere she went anymore, someone was watching her. Maybe she needed more sleep, even though last night, when she had slept in Mulder's arms, had been one of the best nights sleep she'd had in a long time. She smiled at the memory and turned the ignition in the car.
She left the parking lot and merged into traffic, looking in her rearview mirror for cars. Another woman's reflection stared back at her from the backseat, her hair covered by a hooded cloak and her green eyes glowing. Scully gasped and looked over her shoulder into the backseat. Seeing no one she looked back into the mirror. The woman was gone. Maybe she had never been there at all.
Scully blinked, shook her head, and dazedly drove back to the hotel, all the while trying to shake the feeling of not being alone.
The Omni
3:00 p.m.
The police car pulled up to the entrance of the hotel.
"Thanks for the ride, Buck." Mulder grinned and shook hands with the man who he had met earlier in the day.
Buck was about 50 years old. He had salt and pepper colored hair. More salt than pepper, though. He was a police officer that worked in the downtown office. Mulder had talked to him when everyone else had gone out. Buck had been roped into watching the office while the rest of the staff had gone to a lunch party for someone's birthday. Mulder had mentioned sometime in the conversation that he needed a ride back to the hotel and Buck had offered to drive him.
"No problem, Mulder. You have a good night. I hope that case goes well." Buck reached out to shake him hand.
Mulder stepped out of the car and waved goodbye to Buck as he drove away. The bellhop opened the glass lobby door for him and tipped his hat. Once again, Mulder was amazed at just how truly fancy hotels could be. As he approached the elevators, he spotted Scully waiting for one.
He walked over to her.
She looked weary. Her shoulders slumped and her head bowed. In her hand she held several files. Must be the medical records.
"Hey." Mulder said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently.
"Hey." Scully looked up at him. She looked so tired.
The elevator dinged, signaling its arrival. Mulder and Scully stepped inside and the doors closed, allowing no other passengers to board.
"You okay?" He asked, expecting to hear the proverbial response, "I'm fine," but was caught off guard when she shook her head no. She really was tired.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. It's just been a really long day."
The elevator dinged again and opened on their floor. The stepped out and he guided her to their rooms.
"Scully, what's the matter? You're shaking." He asked, feeling her back tremble where his hand rested.
She raised her eyes to meet his questioning gaze.
"I don't know, Mulder." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Opening them, she slid the card key in the slot in the door and opened the door. She turned to him.
"Come on in, Mulder." She said and held the door open for him.
"Scully are you propositioning me?" He tried to lighten the mood.
She smiled half-heartedly and replied. "Of course not Mulder. Why would I do that?"
"Because I'm just so darn sexy and you can't keep your mind off me." He quipped and walked in, allowing her to close the door.
"Sure, okay." She kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed.
"Seriously, Scully. What's wrong?" He asked sitting down in the chair at the table.
"Mulder, something really strange is happening. I don't know how or why, but, well, I don't know." She shook her head and closed her eyes. She wasn't terribly tired. She was troubled, Mulder realized.
Mulder opened his mouth to ask her again what was wrong but she continued on, without looking back up at him, without opening her eyes.
"You know how you're always telling her to keep an open mind? Well, I'm trying to right now. Mulder..." She opened her eyes. "I had a dream. It had the women from Mollie's dreams in it."
Mulder was beyond shocked. Of everything he had been expecting her to say, this was the farthest from it. She never told him when something like this happened.
"That's not all." She hesitated. "I've seen things. A woman, one from my dream."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw her in my rearview mirror when I was driving back here. I though I had seen her at the restaurant but when I looked over to where I thought she was, she wasn't there. But now, it's like, wherever I go, I feel her watching me." She drew her brows together. "It scares me, Mulder."
Mulder jumped out of his chair and sat next to her on the bed. He gathered her into his arms and kissed her hair. She never admitted her fear.
"Don't be afraid Scully, we'll find out what's going on. Why don't you take a nap?" He suggested.
"Okay." She lay down on the bed on top of the comforter and snuggled into the pillow.
Mulder gently reached over and smoothed her hair down before standing. "Mulder?" Scully mumbled and reached out her hand.
Mulder took her hand and leaned over to press his lips to her knuckles. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" She blinked slowly. "I don't want to be alone."
Mulder smiled and climbed into bed next to her. He pulled her to him and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Thanks." She yawned.
He gently rubbed her arm that was resting on his chest, and listened to her breathing slow.
"Shhh...pumpkin. Its' okay. It was just a bad dream."
Mollie whimpered and looked up at her mother.
"Do you want me to sleep with you?" Her mother asked as she ran her hands through Mollie's hair, soothing her.
Mollie sniffed and nodded her little head. She scooted over to give her mother room to lie down.
"Mommy? Can you tell me a story?"
"Sure, pumpkin. Just close your eyes, okay."
"K" Mollie sniffed again and snuggled into her mother's side closing her eyes.
"Okay. Your eyes closed?" Mollie nodded. All right, here we go. A long time ago there lived a little girl. She was a beautiful young girl with long curly black hair and sparkling green eyes."
"What was her name?" Mollie yawned and scooted closer to her mother, her hand coming up to rub her mothers ear, a habit she had of calming herself.
"Her name was Morgayne. She was a princess. Her daddy was the king and he was a great warrior. The people all called him "The Dragon" but he wasn't a mean man. Morgayne also had a brother who would be the new king whenever the daddy went away forever. One day they found out that their daddy had gone away and wouldn't be coming back."
"Did he die?" Mollie whispered.
"Yes sweetie, but he went to a better place. Anyway, Morgayne and her brother found out that they had a sister, who lived in a different country. One day the sister came to visit. She felt like an outsider and felt like she deserved to be a princess. When Morgayne told her no, that she didn't have the right to be a princess, the sister turned evil and put a curse on Morgayne and her children. Morgayne's brother was so mad at her for this that, when he became king, he sent her away and she was forbidden to ever return to where Morgayne lived."
"Did Morgayne live happily ever after, Mommy?"
"Of course she did. As a matter of fact, she still lives."
Mollie looked up at her mother and screamed as she saw it wasn't her mother lying with her anymore, but the evil woman, Kiara, from her dreams!
Mollie bolted awake. The room had darkened considerably since she had first lay down to nap. She looked over at the clock.
6:43 p.m.
A 6 hour nap and with a dream like that! She sighed and grabbed her car keys. The Omni was only 15 minutes away. Maybe Scully would be there so she could tell her about her dream...or was it a memory?
She yawned and rolled over onto her back. Raising her arms up over her head, she stretched her back and popped the kinks out of her neck.
"Daaaannnnnaaa," a voice whispered, or was it the wind.
Wait, wind? Why was there wind inside the hotel room?
Scully's eyes flew open. She wasn't in the hotel room anymore. There wasn't a bed in sight, or Mulder. Where was she? It certainly wasn't Florida!
The grass beneath her body was damp and the air around her chilled her neck and hands, everywhere the dress didn't cover. That's when she noticed the dress. It was a beautiful deep purple velvet gown that draped elegantly around her delicate curves. Long slitted flared sleeves fell towards her wrists. The ends of the sleeves and the boxed neckline were adorned with gold thread. The wind caught the dress and it billowed gently as she stood up. Her hair whipped around her face and she pushed the locks behind her ears, noticing that the length now fell past her waist.
This was definitely getting weirder and weirder.
She looked up from her bare feet and surveyed her surroundings. She was on a cliff. Slowly, she walked towards the edge. The ocean below crashed into the rocky outcroppings, foam flying up almost to where she stood. She was so far up and it was a long straight fall down to the torrid sea. Is she were to fall....
"Daaannnnaaaa."
Scully turned around sharply, so fast that she almost fell over the side of the cliff. She gasped and stepped away from the edge quickly.
"Who's there?" Scully screamed into the air. "Who are you?"
The dark-haired beauty from her earlier dream appeared in front of her.
"Dana." She said, barely louder than a whisper.
"Morgayne, right? Your name is Morgayne?" Scully strained.
"Yes."
"What do you want from me?"
"As I said before, your help. I need your help." She stated simply.
"My help." Scully scoffed. "You need my help. How am I supposed to help you? You're not real! You're only part of a dream. Like this, this is a dream, right?"
"Not exactly." Morgayne offered a Mona Lisa smile.
"Then what is this? If this isn't a dream, what is it?" Scully was starting to feel unnerved, curious as to what was happening.
"Let's just call it a history lesson." Morgayne replied, her lips returning to the mysterious smile.
"A history lesson. Why am I going to be learning history?" Scully asked.
"So you can help me, help Mollie, help yourself. You have to know the past. You see, to solve the puzzles of the present, you must first unlock the mysteries of the ages." Morgayne turned and walked away.
"Follow." The breeze whispered to her and pushed her to trail after Morgayne, who was getting ever more and more mysterious as this continued.
Mist began to fall around Scully and fog seeped in on both the women. The fog seemed to have a life of its own, creeping up to them before retreating, as they made their way inland. A dense forest lay before them and Scully had a brief fit of panic and the other woman began to trek into it. Maybe she shouldn't follow her. Maybe this was a stupid thing to do. Morgayne turned to her and smiled. Instantly Scully felt better. She was still a little iffy on everything, but not as anxious anymore. After all Morgayne wasn't the evil woman from Mollie's dreams, was she?
For the better part of an hour, Scully silently trailed behind Morgayne. Suddenly, the woman stopped and Scully stepped up to her side. A large peaceful lake lay in front of them. The fog passed by them and blanketed the lake, almost seeming to sigh and it rested there. The water was a mirror surface, reflecting the fog and giving it an almost ghostlike quality.
Morgayne raised her arm and lifted one finger, bringing it back to curl into her hand in a "come here" gesture. A small wooden boat floated out of the fog towards the shore, bobbing gently on the glassy surface.
"Come." Morgayne said turning toward Scully and stepping into the boat, holding her dark blue dress up so as not to get it wet.
Scully mimicked her movements and climbed into the boat. She sat down on the small bench seat. The boat began drifting back into the dense fog. Morgayne stood at the bow her hands at her sides. She was looking forward so Scully could only see her back. Scully was truly curious as to what was going on. This was most certainly a dream. It had to be.
She distinctly remembered falling asleep in Mulder's arms. This felt so real though. It almost felt as if she had fallen asleep and been transported somewhere else before she awoke. If that were true, Mulder would be frantic. No, she decided, this was definitely a dream.
The boat drifted to a stop. Morgayne turned to her and caught her eyes.
"Watch." She turned to the fog and nodded her head.
The mist receded in a complete circle around the boat, the air around them clear and perfect for five feet until it reached a white wall of dense fog. Scully looked back up to Morgayne. Morgayne pointed towards the fog wall to the left and Scully turned to it.
The fog brightened as if lightning had hit it. It looked like cotton with a bright white light shining behind it. Suddenly a picture of the cliffs of Ireland appeared. Quickly it zoomed in and Scully felt like she was on a 3D ride, like she was flying. She soared over the lush green grasses and gently rolling hills. The scenery flew by so fast she felt she might get sick.
The movement stopped quickly and she was in front of a small cottage.
The door opened and she went inside. A woman lay on he floor next to the fire. She was sweating and looked extremely tired, breathing heavily.
An older woman walked in carrying a small bundle in her arms.
"Miss?" The older woman announced her presence to the other.
The woman laying on the floor looked up at her and smiled. She reached up her arms to the bundle. "Just set her here beside me." The woman said in a thick accent that Scully couldn't identify.
The older woman placed the bundle in the woman's arms. She smiled, revealing a row of filthy brown, decaying teeth. She must be a servant, Scully realized.
"She is a beauty, miss." She turned and left the small room.
The woman looked down at the bundle. Scully peered over the woman's shoulder to see more clearly. A newborn baby lay in the beige cloths, her dark curly hair peeking out from under the swaddling. The baby yawned and blinked her eyes tiredly.
"Ah, go to sleep my sweet daughter. Go to sleep sweet Morgayne." The woman cooed and faded away as Scully gasped in realization of what she was seeing.
Scully was flying again. Back over the hills and lakes. She stopped at a large castle. A young girl with curly black hair and a younger boy with brown hair and brown eyes sat next to a large tree. The boy was crying and clinging to the girl.
"Don't leave me Morgayne!" He cried and buried his face in her arms.
"It's okay, brother. Mother and the Dragon will be here to take care of you."
The boy was not comforted and cried harder.
"Ssshhh...I'll never be far away. I love you but I must go, you know that. Auntie needs me with her and mother needs you here to be a strong boy for her since the Dragon is fighting. Please don't cry."
The boy sniffed and wiped his eyes. He set his chin in defiance and tried to look strong. It would almost have been comical if it wasn't such a sad moment.
"Okay."
"Very good. Now tell me you love me and I will leave so you can go help mother." Morgayne tried to smile.
"I love you." The boy said, one last tear escaping the prison of his eye.
Again Scully was flying, only this time the scenery changed to a small village. Scully stopped at a very small rundown shack. A baby's shrill cry broke the silence. Scully entered the shack.
"Is she ok?" A man's voice boomed.
"The baby?" An old woman asked, twisting her apron in her hands that were covered in blood.
"No, Kiana, is she okay?" The man yelled.
"No, sir, she isn't. Kiana is dead." She replied her head bowed.
The man's shoulders slumped.
"The child was too much for her. She was too weak to survive the birth."
"I see." He sat down.
"She wanted the child to be named Kiara. Do you want to see her?" The woman asked raising her head.
"No, I don't want to see her. No one shall see her, you understand?" The man stood up and yelled.
"No one is to know about this, no one. If you tell anyone..." He trailed off but his threat was obvious.
The woman trembled. "You need to bury Kiana." He continued. "I'll provide the necessary payment."
He turned to leave.
"Sir, wait." The woman called out.
The man turned to her.
"What shall I do with the child? Now that her mother is dead, will you take her?" She twisted her hands again.
"No. I can't. If anyone was to know that she is my child, I'd be ruined. I cannot be linked to a prostitute." The man looked deep in thought for a moment.
"Kiana once mentioned a sister that lives in Ireland. Her name is Geneveive. Send Kiara to her, she will take her." He commanded.
"The sorceress?" The woman gasped, her eyes widening.
"Yes, that's her. Kiara belongs to her now." The man stormed out before the woman could comment again.
The fog faded and Scully closed her eyes.
Continued in Chapter 10
Authors Notes: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback. I'm so happy you are enjoying it. Sorry this was such a long chapter ;)
~Mana
