From: tangential thinker Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2004 00:33:44 GMT Subject: NEW: Dark Heart by tangential thinker Source: atxc Title: Dark Heart Author: tangential thinker Feedback: tangential_thinker@att.net Spoiler: Only in regards to William's existence and a general "be aware that Scully is worried for her child" sort of spoiler Rating: D for Dark Archive: Yes, let me know. Gossamer okay. Notes: If William were a real child, he would have been born in January, not May, so I am altering the timeline to fit real life. Other notes at end of piece. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scully's apartment May 19, 2001 2:36 A.M. This time last year she was disconsolate and weeping. Mulder was gone again, abducted by the aliens he had pursued so eagerly in their short years together. This time last year he had hitched a ride to the Pleiades or Cassiopeia or wherever They were from. Last year she had gasped and cried and tried to console herself with the knowledge that Mulder always managed to sidestep death. That he had more lives than a cat. That he'd return, somehow. In her heart, though, pessimism planted a dark seed with roots which grew deeper every passing day, growing stronger, eventually bearing bitter fruit. Mulder never did return. Mulder was never found. A year later and she was weeping again, stuck in some kind of cruel loop of sharply defined misery. Stuck with a flagging career and possessing no real interest in its resurrection, William had been the only real thing keeping her moving one foot in front of the other every day. Then the headaches returned. "Cancer," the doctor said. "Your cancer is back, Dana. It's spread more aggressively this time. We need to do biopsies and tests..." The rest of it had washed over her; she hadn't really listened to him after that. Not until he asked, " What do you want to do?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Five Minute Fin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Notes: Written a few months ago in response to a five minute writing challenge on the emuse discussion list. We were given several starter sentences from which to choose and a five minute time limit on writing. This is my five minute product.