The ground beneath him was not the soil he expected, but a cold white floor. He did not know where he was or how he got there, but Mulder knew that he was in the presence of an old acquaintance.
"Nice of you to finally join us, Agent Mulder."
"Butch."
Mulder pushed himself off the ground only to be greeted by an intense case of vertigo.
"Where am I? How did I get here? What happened to …"
"Agent Scully?"
Mulder was silenced for a second. He was thinking of the Red Mole.
"I have no intention in harming you Agent Mulder, if you comply with me. I will gladly show you where Agent Scully is."
Butch walked across the room. Mulder did not take his eyes off him. Butch knocked on what Mulder supposed was door of some sort. The entire room was white, from ceiling to floor, and there was no sign of any entrance of exit. Everything was perfectly blended together.
A small hole in the wall opened, and a box was slipped through. Butch thanked the man and returned to Mulder. He handed him the box. Mulder did not open it.
"What do I have to do?"
Mulder now switched his focus between Butch and the box. Seeing that Mulder would not open the box, Butch did it for him. Inside was a gun.
"All you have to do is shot her."
Mulder nearly dropped the box.
"What?"
"All you have to do is kill her. That shouldn't be too hard for you Agent Mulder. You know where to aim."
"I can't."
Mulder lifted the weapon out of the box, thinking for a moment that perhaps, he should aim it at Butch. But before he could act, there was a buzz and this time a full length door opened.
A sorry excuse for a body was pushed through the door, which closed as soon as it was through. At first Mulder did not recognize who it was, and if it were not for the red hair, he doubted if he would have ever recognized Scully. She had thinned beyond recognition – a walking skeleton. Her bones showed painfully through her skin, eyes sunken in and devoid of life. The color was gone her but her hair had managed to stay as vibrant as ever.
Upon seeing Mulder, Scully's immediate response was to try and cover up what was left with her. All she wore was a hospital gown, ten sizes too big.
"Mulder?"
Even her voice had weakened, but it was her, Mulder had no doubt. It was still Scully.
"Do it Agent Mulder."
"Do what?"
Scully looked wildly around before she noticed the gun in Mulder's hand. Then she saw Butch reach to his back and pull out another gun that he aimed at Mulder.
"Do it."
Mulder gazed intently upon Scully. He had barely gotten her back and now Butch was asking him to take her away again.
Butch cocked his weapon.
"I can't."
"Mulder, do it."
"What?"
Scully's eyes pleaded with Mulder. Just as Mulder could not watch Scully die before him, she could not watch him fall victim to Butch.
"Trust me."
"Do it Agent Mulder!"
"Trust me."
Mulder lifted his weapon and closed his eyes. The shot rang throughout the white room and a body collapsed to the floor.