Hey all! I didn't really like the way this chapter turned out, so I
decided to revise it. It just didn't seem to click with the rest of the
story to me. The same basic story line is there, I just changed some of
the details. ~ATX~
One Year Later October
Mulder slammed the door of his apartment as he entered and went immediately to his bedroom to throw on some jogging clothes. He slammed the door once again as he exited and brushed through the stairs and foyer so briskly that he almost knocked an old woman off her feet. Without paying attention to anyone or anything except the street before him, Mulder started jogging to the park near his apartment complex. The sound of his feet smacking the pavement reverberated his ears, the only sound that registered.
She was gone. His Scully was truly gone. As if marriage wasn't bad enough, now there was a baby, a boy named Ethan Alexander. It seemed so final now. There had always been the small flame of hope that burned inside him that thought that maybe she would leave Josh and come back, but now... Included in the letter was an invitation to come for Christmas. He wouldn't go. He wouldn't want to intrude on baby's first Christmas. As if he wasn't stressed enough, he had a green agent as his new partner, the third in ten months, who never seemed to do anything right.
He barely noticed the rain that now thumped along with him on the tarmac path. Putting on a burst of speed, he charged full force against the wind that blew the raindrops into his bloodshot eyes and wet his hair so that it plastered against his forehead. The rain fell harder and faster now, stinging a little as the large drops hit his clammy skin. One of his shoelaces came untied and he tripped over it, landing in the muddy grass next to the track. Instead of getting up, Mulder simply lay there, looking up to the sky, watching the rain until he had to close his eyes to keep the rain out. His thought became rapid, streaming by him so fast he could barely keep up with them. There were so many things running through his head he almost didn't hear the voice, but it became louder until it rose above everything else.
"Run Dana! Get out of here!"
Mulder's eyes snapped open and he sat up, looking around for the source of the cry.
"NO! Josh! Josh!"
He turned his head the other direction. No one was around. The only sounds were from the cars passing by and the steady beat of the rain. He got up and rubbed the water out of his eyes.
"We gather here to commit the body of Josh Williams to the earth..."
Mulder began jogging home, looking all around, trying in vain to discover where the voices were coming from.
"He won't know his father..."
He jogged a little faster.
"Why?"
The volume of the voice was increasing.
"Why?"
Mulder arrived at his building
"WHY?!"
The voice became deafening. Mulder ran up the stairs and down the hall.
"NO!"
He opened the door to his apartment.
Silence.
******************* I like this version better, but let me know what you think if you read the original. Chapter four is almost done. ~ATX~
One Year Later October
Mulder slammed the door of his apartment as he entered and went immediately to his bedroom to throw on some jogging clothes. He slammed the door once again as he exited and brushed through the stairs and foyer so briskly that he almost knocked an old woman off her feet. Without paying attention to anyone or anything except the street before him, Mulder started jogging to the park near his apartment complex. The sound of his feet smacking the pavement reverberated his ears, the only sound that registered.
She was gone. His Scully was truly gone. As if marriage wasn't bad enough, now there was a baby, a boy named Ethan Alexander. It seemed so final now. There had always been the small flame of hope that burned inside him that thought that maybe she would leave Josh and come back, but now... Included in the letter was an invitation to come for Christmas. He wouldn't go. He wouldn't want to intrude on baby's first Christmas. As if he wasn't stressed enough, he had a green agent as his new partner, the third in ten months, who never seemed to do anything right.
He barely noticed the rain that now thumped along with him on the tarmac path. Putting on a burst of speed, he charged full force against the wind that blew the raindrops into his bloodshot eyes and wet his hair so that it plastered against his forehead. The rain fell harder and faster now, stinging a little as the large drops hit his clammy skin. One of his shoelaces came untied and he tripped over it, landing in the muddy grass next to the track. Instead of getting up, Mulder simply lay there, looking up to the sky, watching the rain until he had to close his eyes to keep the rain out. His thought became rapid, streaming by him so fast he could barely keep up with them. There were so many things running through his head he almost didn't hear the voice, but it became louder until it rose above everything else.
"Run Dana! Get out of here!"
Mulder's eyes snapped open and he sat up, looking around for the source of the cry.
"NO! Josh! Josh!"
He turned his head the other direction. No one was around. The only sounds were from the cars passing by and the steady beat of the rain. He got up and rubbed the water out of his eyes.
"We gather here to commit the body of Josh Williams to the earth..."
Mulder began jogging home, looking all around, trying in vain to discover where the voices were coming from.
"He won't know his father..."
He jogged a little faster.
"Why?"
The volume of the voice was increasing.
"Why?"
Mulder arrived at his building
"WHY?!"
The voice became deafening. Mulder ran up the stairs and down the hall.
"NO!"
He opened the door to his apartment.
Silence.
******************* I like this version better, but let me know what you think if you read the original. Chapter four is almost done. ~ATX~