From: njamos@mBox.com.au Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 12:04:34 +0800 Subject: xfc: Island of Insanity Source: xfc THE X-FILES Chapter One (revised) TITLE: Island of Insanity AUTHOR: N.J.AMOS E-MAIL ADDRESS: njamos@mBox.com.au DISTRIBUTION: Xemplary and on the mailing list. SPOILER: None RATING: NC-17-graphical violence, coarse language, etc. CLASSIFICATION: X-File. DISCLAIMER: All regular characters belong to Fox & C.C. and not me so don't sue. But Kelly Rainer and other characters you don't recognize belong to me. Permission to use my characters denied to other writers- sorry! NOTES: This isn't part of my Cancerman Files series. Also, sorry about any minor spelling mistakes as the spelling processor doesn't pick up all words. Plus I have change the name of the author. FEEDBACK: I'd love some feedback so send it to the email address above. SUMMARY: Mulder, Scully, Skinner, Kelly Rainer and the Cancerman are shipwrecked on a mysterious island. Will they survive or drive each other insane...literally? CHAPTER ONE Kelly Rainer's Resident Washington D.C. 11.30 am The window-faced enveloped was addressed to Kelly Rainer and she opened it reluctantly, thinking it was bill. There was no return address or a company's logo on the front. She unfolded the letter and quickly scanned it, her face lit up in a surprised smile, " I can't believe it!" she exclaimed out loud, " I actually...won?" she ran a hand through her shoulder-length, blonde-streaked, brown hair, her solemn hazel eyes sparkled happily. A few weeks ago she had entered a competition via the Internet to win an all-expense paid trip for her and four friends to Hawaii-along with the other winners. I never thought I'd win; she mused to herself, according to his letter I have to take the trip in under three months. I wonder if Skinner would let me have two weeks off, she grinned slyly, especially if I invited him? Kelly Rainer was a special agent with the FBI having being recruited by Skinner over a month ago when Agent Fox Mulder needed a temporary partner while Agent Dana Scully was away. Her first assignment was to investigate the villain of the X-Files-the man they called the Cancerman. But there was a twist of fate when Kelly and the Cancerman fell in love. This was why Mulder found it hard to trust her. Now that Scully was back, Kelly worked on her own and resigned from her assignment and sometimes helped the agents with their work. She was now good friends with the two agents and even A.D. Skinner; although it was obvious Skinner was in love with her. She picked up her phone and began dialing Skinner's number. She argued with him for awhile until Skinner gave in and agreed to the vacation, " Don't think Agent Mulder and Scully will come if the Cancerman is invited too," Skinner warned, " You might have to think about inviting two other friends." " I don't think they'll say no. At least Agent Mulder won't. It's Agent Scully I'm not sure about. The charter leaves the jetty next Monday morning at nine a.m." they made arrangements to meet and hung- up. Then she dialed the Cancerman who she calls Spender because his name was C.G.B Spender. For some reason he refused to tell her what his initials stood for. Spender refused to come at first but she reminded him they wouldn't have to see Skinner or the agents at all-Hawaii was a big island. " C'mon, you wouldn't want to miss this opportunity would you?" she asked sweetly, " to spend two weeks with me...in a hotel?" The Cancerman finally sighed and agreed/ It didn't take much to convince Agent Mulder. He jumped at the chance. And she couldn't get Scully to come. " Agent Mulder," she said after hanging up with Scully, " Scully refuses to come." " Don't worry," Mulder assured her, " She'll be there." End of Chapter One CHAPTER TWO Three hours to Hawaii 1.30 p.m. " It's a nice day for a boat ride ain't it?" a tall, gangly young man of about twenty asked the Cancerman conversationally. The young man had spiky bleached blonde hair and deep green eyes set in a pale complexion. He had an English accent-a loud one at that. The young man wore black jeans, and a ripped black t-shirt, " Boy I'm glad Tim won this trip. " the young man jerked his thumb towards a another young man with long brown hair, " That's him over there. He's my best mate and he's also invited his sister and my brother along." Not that I care, the Cancerman thought getting bored. He gently took Kelly's hand in his and she smiled distractedly at him. She had been immersed in a book she had started reading since the beginning of the ride. " I'm Nate Oliver by the way," the man added, " And you are?" Not interested, " Spender," the Cancerman answered automatically, "And this is my girlfriend special agent Kelly Rainer-with the FBI." " An FBI agent eh?" Nate looked impressed, " Cool. I'm a college student majoring in multimedia." Nate finally got the impression the Cancerman and Kelly weren't interested and moved away. XXXXXXXXXXXX " God, that guy is a hunk," Amanda Pratt commented, twirling a strand of silky blonde hair around a finger. She pushed her sunglasses up and eyed him. " Which one? The boat is full of them. With the exception of that creepy guy smoking a cigarette who seems to be with the brunette." her identical twin sister Tara answered. " I was referring to that guy with the brown hair and puppy-dog green eyes." " The one with that short red-haired chick?" Tara nodded, " yes,= he is a hunk. But the guy with the glasses and almost bald head is just begging me to run my hands over his washboard abs." " Nah, he's too old for you," Amanda told Tara, " You're only twenty two and he must be in his forties at least." She squared her shoulders, " I'm going to go over and introduce myself to Mr. Green Eyes." Mulder looked up as a pretty blonde joined him and Scully on the bench. She was tall with long, shapely legs protruding from tiny white shorts. " I'm Amanda Pratt," the girl said, " What's your name?" " Fox Mulder. This is my partner Dana Scully," he replied and Scully nodded at her. " Oh, you guys are...together?" " In a way...we're FBI agents," Mulder explained. " Is that your twin sister over there?" he asked curiously. " Yeah, that's Tara," Amanda replied, wondering why Agent Mulder noticed her sister and not her, " We're also here with our older sister Melissa. She won this trip." She indicted to a taller, older version of the twins. All three sisters had long blonde hair and blue eyes. If Melissa wasn't taller, she could have been their triplet. " Nice to meet you," Amanda said finally before rejoining Tara. Tara glanced over at Mulder who seemed to be staring at her intensely. " Why does he keep staring at me?" Tara asked feeling slightly pleased that a cute guy has noticed her. She had never been as popular with the guys like her sister. Most of the time Amanda was the one who got the cute guy and Tara was left with nothing. What does Amanda have that Tara doesn't? Tara looked exactly like her twin, but the differences were Amanda was the more outgoing, flirty, confident one, while Tara was serious, quiet and slightly bookish. Amanda sometimes called her a 'nerd'. " He asked about you," Amada grumbled feeling pissed that Mulder noticed geeky Tara and not her. " Really? What did he say?" " He just asked about your name. There's no need to get excited,"= Amanda warned, " Besides it's not if he's gonna get up from where's he's sitting and ask you out." " True," Tara mumbled, but as she gazed at Agent Mulder, he gazed right back-and winked. CHAPTER THREE Half way... 1.30 pm " Look at those clouds," Kelly said suddenly, pointing to the sky.= Dark storm clouds had rolled in, covering the blue sky, " it doesn't look too good," she said nervously. " Attention passengers," the skipper's voice came over the PA system, " It looks like we're in for a storm. When it occurs, please don't panic. You are sheltered from the rain and remember to hold if it becomes rocky. Over and out." " Do you want to go downstairs?" she asked the Cancerman and he shook his head. " We are quite safe under this shelter." He told her, " And besides I don't really want to join Mulder's party downstairs." As soon as he said that, there was a rumble of thunder and lightning streaked the sky. Then the heavens opened up and it started to pour. Kelly felt thankful that it was raining straight down and not blowing sideways or they would have gotten soaked. The boat rocked sideways and Kelly gripped the rails. " Don't worry, it's just a storm," the Cancerman assured her calmly lighting another cigarette, " it will pass." " It's amazing how a storm could come so quickly. Just minutes ago the sky was blue." " I noticed a few clouds coming in from the east," he remarked, "= But they didn't look threatening." The wind changed direction and rain splattered against Kelly's face. She wiped the water form her eyes, " I wonder how everyone's going downstairs," she said, " I'll go check on them." " Hurry back," the Cancerman said. She smiled and kissed his cheek before standing up and heading for the stairs. " Hey Kelly," Mulder grinned at her, " getting bored with the Cancerman?" " No," she retorted, " I was just seeing how you guys were doing." " We're fine. At least we're sheltered. How is it on top?" " Steadier than down here." She glanced at Scully who was gripping the rails so hard her knuckles were turning white, " want to join us?" " I'm okay...here." Scully said through gritted teeth, " Mulder, why did I ever let you talk me into this?" " Just hang on Scully. In a few more hours we'll be on Hawaii." Mulder patted her hand. " It's gong to be the longest five hours of my life," Scully grumbled as a strand of red hair blew into her eyes. " Stop complaining," Skinner said suddenly, speaking for the first time since they left the jetty, " Kelly could have invited other friends and not us." He gave her a half-smile, " Thanks for inviting us. You don't know how much I need this vacation." " You're welcome," Kelly smiled at him. Skinner didn't seem bothered by the storm. He seemed quite contented just sitting there staring out at the ocean, lost in his thoughts. " I'll be upstairs. Feel free to join us anytime," Kelly offered knowing they wouldn't. If she had come alone, maybe. They all jumped when there was a loud clap of thunder. Then a huge wave slammed into the side of the boat, making her sway and loose balance. She fell to the floor with a thud, banging her head. The world spun dizzily and she blinked, trying to focus. " Are you okay Kelly?" she heard Skinner ask in concern but she couldn't reply. There was another loud thunder blast and the boat teetered sideways threateningly. " We're going to tip over," Scully said in alarm. Kelly glanced up and saw the Cancerman peering down the stairs at her, looking worried. Skinner helped her up, " Are you sure you're all right?" he asked her again, running a finger along her cheek tenderly. " I'm fine." She answered, " I just fell." Skinner didn't let go of her arm as another wave slammed against them. She lost he grip on Skinner and she felt herself flying through the air. She heard Skinner shout her name as she went over the side and landed in the water. Then everything went black. The Cancerman didn't know how it happened, but a wave came along and slammed into his body, the impact making him dizzy. He shook his head, trying to focus on the screaming downstairs. He saw Kelly disappear over the side as the boat lurched. He didn't have anything to hold onto as the boat made contact with the ocean. The world disappeared and blackness swamped him. XXXXXXXXXXXX The island Several hours later Birds were chirping, the sun was peeking through the dark clouds. The still figure on the beach moved slightly. Kelly felt as though she had been run over by a truck. Her arms and legs felt leaden, her head was pounding and her throat was burning. She opened her eyes slowly and found herself lying on a beach. She felt a trickle of blood run down her forehead and she touched it gingerly. She sat up and the world titled. Kelly inspected her arms and legs. Her legs were covered with scratches and her arms looked sunburned. Her sweater and shorts were torn to shreds. Am I alive or dead? She wondered as she stared around her. She had washed up on an island-but it clearly wasn't Hawaii. Behind her were the woods and she was sitting on the beach. Was this heaven...or hell? Kelly felt alive...but wished she were dead. She couldn't stand up, she felt so weak. And alone. She sat there for a while until she forced herself to stand. She wavered slightly and began walking, heading in no particular direction. She kept on walking until she saw footprints in the sand. Her heart quickened-either someone was living on this island or one of her friends had survived. She heard someone call out her name. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Agent Mulder. " Mulder!" she shouted as relief coursed through her. Mulder ran towards her and engulfed her in a hug. " Thank God someone is alive," she murmured as tears ran down her face. He held for a while until she stepped back and studied him. Mulder had lost his shirt and there were cuts on his body. His pants were torn and there was seaweed in his hair. His eyes looked tired and bloodshot, but otherwise he looked okay. " Do you think everyone else washed up here?" She asked as Mulder ran his hand through his hair and took out the seaweed. " I doubt it. It would be a miracle if they had. Some of the other passengers might have drowned..." Mulder trailed off. " I hope Spender is okay," she murmured, " he once told me he's a good swimmer, but that ocean was treacherous." " Spender?" Mulder looked confused for a minute then realized she was talking about the Cancerman. The bastard probably told her to call him Spender. He won't even tell his own girlfriend his real name. They have one bizarre relationship. I hope he drowned, Mulder thought fervently. " let's go and see if we can find anyone else," he suggested. " And some water. My throat is burning. I must have swallowed some sea water during my...swim." She said clearing her throat. They began walking and Mulder wondered what lay ahead of them... XXXXXXXXXXXX " My head," Tara muttered, " It's killing me." She sat up and shielded her eyes form the glaring sun. The sky was blue again and the dark storm clods were now heading west. Her clothes were torn and she had lost her shoes and her watch. Her hair was a tangled mess and she had scratches on her legs and arms. " At least someone is alive." someone exclaimed behind her. She whirled around to see the creepy guy who smoked Morley cigarettes. He looked as bedraggled as she did and his suit as torn as her own clothes. " Have you seen my sisters?" Tara asked him. " I haven't seen anyone...apart from you." The cigarette-smoking man replied, " What was your name?" " Tara Pratt," Tara answered, " I was with my identical twin Amanda and my older sister Melissa. We got separated when the boat threw us into the ocean. Then I think I lost consciousness because I don't remember anything else." She wrapped her arms around herself and tears ran down her face, " Amanda can't swim and I'm afraid she could be dead...." The man didn't make any move to comfort her. Tara suspected he wasn't the warm, loving type. She could definitely feel the coldness that surrounded him. " What about your older sister?" " She can swim-sort of." Tara's body racked with sobs and she sat down in the sand. The man hesitated before putting a hand on her shoulder, " we'll find someone," he assured her, " If we survive then I'm sure the others did too. Perhaps this island wasn't far from where we were in the boat." " Maybe," she agreed half-heartedly, " I-I guess we better go and look then." The man nodded and patted his pockets and his eyes lit up when he found his soaked box of cigarettes and lighter. The two started walking. Tara noticed the man was limping, " You're hurt. Are you okay?" " It's nothing," he insisted, " Don't worry about me. I just got a cut on my foot that's all." They continued walking and Tara started shivering uncontrollably. She couldn't decide whether she was better off alive...or dead. End of Chapter three CHAPTER FOUR " Scully, you're bleeding," Mulder said alarmed. He and Kelly had found Scully lying on the beach further down then Kelly had been. Blood was streaming down the side of Scully's head. Mulder ripped his shirt and pressed it against Scully's wound, " How did it happen?" Scully looked worse then Mulder and Kelly put together. She was barely recognizable with cuts all over her face plus the ugly wound on the side of her head. " I had been sitting next to a window on the boat and the glass smashed and went into my face," Scully explained tiredly as she took the ripped shirt form Mulder and pressed it against her wound, " They will heal. How are you guys feeling?" she asked, noticing the gash on Kelly's forehead. " I'm fine," Mulder, answered, " I got off lightly. I don't even remember being tossed about in the ocean. I must lost consciousness." " I remember," Scully, said softly, " I was awake for the most part of it." " Really? What happened?" Kelly sat down on the sand and the two agents joined her; Mulder was glad to get off his sore feet. Scully fiddled with a strand of hair, her eyes clouded over, " it's something I want to forget...." XXXXXXXXXXXX Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean... As Scully fell into the ocean, she could hear the screams coming from above mingling with her own. She tried to tred water, but wave after wave made her tumble over...and over. Someone bumped into her and she grabbed at the person. Through her watery vision she could see it was Mulder. His eyes were closed-he was clearly unconscious. She tugged at his arm, trying to jostle him awake to no avail. She lost her grip on his shirt and he disappeared. " Mulder!" she shouted only to get a mouthful of seawater in return. She kicked her legs and her head broke the surface and she gazed around her. Te bodies of her friends were nowhere in sight including the other passengers or the skipper. The boat was sinking, in just a few minutes it would disappear into it's grave. I knew something bad would happen, she thought, but this isn't bad... it's a nightmare. She tred water with her legs and looked around to decide where to swim. There was nothing ahead of her but the ocean. I'll either drown or get eaten by a shark, Scully predicted but she wasn't about to give up. The waves were even rougher and she tried to swim against them but got tired quickly. Her arms and legs simply wouldn't cooperate and she gave in to let the ocean carry her to wherever it wished for her to go. She began to sink and she welcomed the blackness that shrouded her... Scully opened her eyes and glanced at Kelly and Mulder. Mulder's eyes were big, " So you actually bumped into me in the ocean?" " I tred to wake you, but you were too far gone. Then you slipped through my fingers." " Apart from Agent Mulder you didn't see the rest of us?" Kelly asked and Scully shook her head, " It doesn't matter now since the two of you are alive." " We need to look for Skinner," Mulder reminded them. " And Spender," Kelly added. " Can't we rest for another minute?" Scully pleaded, " I feel so tired..." " Now that you mention it...so do I," Kelly murmured, " I can hardly keep my eyes open." " Why don't the two of you rest here while I go look for other survivors?" Mulder suggested. " Sounds fine with me," Scully agreed, " And while you're at it, look for some fruit to eat." " Maybe our packs got washed up too," Kelly suggested hopefully. " I'll look out for them," Mulder assured them before walking down the beach. Scully and Kelly headed for the shade of some trees and lay down on the sand. Scully immediately dozed off while Kelly stared at the ocean, Spender; I hope you are still alive. She thought, because I miss you like crazy... " My feet hurt," Tara Pratt whined, " Let's rest for a second." Tara's whining was getting on the Cancerman's nerves. " You rest, I'll keep going," he replied, determined to find Kelly. Tara didn't want to be left alone," No, it's okay." She moved a little faster, " my feet don't hurt that much..." she trailed when she saw something ahead of them. She quickly headed for it and picked it up, " It's Amanda's shoe," she exclaimed holding up the leather sandal for the Cancerman to see, " Which means she's still alive." The Cancerman nodded feeling discouraged. If Tara could find evidence that her twin sister was alive, then why hasn't he found any to tell him Kelly was? He loved Kelly and would be devastated if she hadn't survived. He never really expressed his love for Kelly in words and wished he had told her he loved her on the boat. Then Kelly wouldn't die without knowing if he truly loved her. Don't give up old man, he told himself sternly, it's the worse thing you can do. " I see someone!" Tara suddenly shouted rudely interrupting his thoughts. He glared darkly at the young girl but she was oblivious. Forgetting about her sore feet, she began running towards some trees where two people were lying on the sand under some shade. Tara's shoulder slumped in disappointment when she discovered the two people were that redhead FBI Agent what's-her-name and the Cancerman's girlfriend. " Wake up Kelly," Scully shook her friend awake, " Look's who's here." Kelly opened her eyes and peered at her. She gazed at the direction Scully was pointing her eyes lit up. Kelly jumped up and ran down the beach and threw her arms around the Cancerman. " You're alive," she greeted him tears of joy filled her eyes. The Cancerman was speechless with happiness as Kelly buried her face into his chest. " Agent Mulder is alive," Scully told Tara, " But we haven't seen anyone else...including your sisters." " But I know Amanda is alive," Tara answered, " I found her sandal," she explained holding it up, " By the way, what was your name?" " Dana Scully." She glanced at the Cancerman, " I see you're still alive." " Of course," the Cancerman retorted holding Kelly protectively. Half an hour later, Mulder returned with more survivors-Nate Oliver, his older sister Rachel, Amanda and Melissa minus Skinner, the skipper, Nate's brother and friend. . The Pratt sisters reunited joyously in a three-person hug. Nate couldn't believe his brother and best friend hadn't been found but wasn't surprised to learn the skipper was nowhere to be seen. " You know the saying-the captain always goes down with the ship,"= He quoted. " That's a terrible thing to say!" Melissa chided him, " the skipper could be alive. We were all on the other side of the island. We haven't even been in the forest yet. He could be in there...along with your brother and friend." " Maybe," Nate conceded, " We haven't looked in there either...let's go then." He started off and his sister followed him. After awhile, the Pratt sisters disappeared into the grove of trees. End of Chapter Four... CHAPTER FIVE " Stop walking," Walter Skinner commanded David Oliver, " I heard something." They had been walking around in the forest for hours after been washed up on this island, sore, bleeding and tired. Skinner had also found four suitcases and the Pratt's cooler of food. David was the older brother of Nate and he was worried about his safety as well as his sister. The twosome stopped and listened intently. They heard voices and David's green eyes lit up when he saw Nate and Rachel appear. Behind them were the three Pratt sisters. " David!" Rachel cried out throwing herself into his arms, " You're alive!" " Where's Timmy?" Nate asked them. Skinner and David looked at each other uneasily, " Nate, we have some bad news," David began in his husky voice, " We found Tim's body on the beach...he didn't make it." Nate looked pale, " But Tim's always been a strong swimmer..." " I know. But even Tim couldn't handle the ocean." David explained, " We are so sorry. We tried CPR, but it was too late to save him." There was no expression on the Englishman's face. Nate turned away, " We should go back and tell everyone." Skinner gripped his arm, " Everyone? Are the three agents still alive?" his voice was full of hope. " Yes. All three of them are," Nate said-he didn't give a fuck about the agents or anything else now. It was fault that Tim died. If he hadn't dragged Tim along this trip, then Tim would still be alive today. Oh Tim, I'm sorry, he thought, I'll miss you. We had great times together... Skinner was reunited with the three agents happily. He was less happy when he learned the Cancerman had also survived. He pointedly ignored him throughout the reunion until Agent Mulder asked for everybody's attention. " I am sorry to hear about Nate's friend," he said, " And we can't give up on the skipper. This island is big and he could be around. We need to keep a look out for him or any evidence suggesting he's alive. In the meantime, we need to build a fire and find some shelter because in a couple of hours it will get dark." He paused, " And thanks Mr. Skinner for finding Kelly's, Scully's and my clothes. And the Pratt's cooler." " How can we build a fire without any matches?" Nate sneered at him. Clearly the loss of his best friend was making him uncooperative and sullen. Everyone all looked at Cancerman who was lighting up another cigarette. Without a word he threw Mulder his lighter and Mulder nodded at him. They gathered wood and Mulder flicked the lighter and a sparkle of fire came alight. Soon, they had a nice fire going. Then Mulder opened the cooler and passed some sandwiches around. " We have food, but they are rations until we are rescued. We have to make sure they last." He warned the group, " So no sneaking food during the night." He opened a thermos of water and handed it around, "= Everyone take a drink-and no guzzling." Everyone took a drink to quench his or her thirst and Mulder packed it away. Scully finished her cheese and ham sandwich and stood up, " I'm going to look for some fruit trees," she announced, " Anyone want to come?" " I will," Amanda volunteered and Melissa agreed to come too. Mulder declined-he wanted to keep an eye on the food. " How are you supposed to find fruit in the dark?" Kelly asked them. Scully smiled and fond her flashlight in her suitcase-one of the suitcases Skinner and David had found. Among the suitcases were Mulder's, Tara's, and Kelly's. She flicked it on and it cast a weak beam, " The batteries are running low," she said, " but it will do." " If you had that, why did we need a fire?" Nate asked annoyed. " To keep warm stupid," Amanda reminded him. " Don't call him stupid," David glared at Amanda. " I can defend myself David," Nate shot back. " Stop arguing guys," Kelly ordered, " We all need to cooperate as a team. If we don't, how do you expect to survive?" Nate glared at her, " Stay out of this girl scout." " She's right though Nathan," David was the only sibling to call him by his full name, " We have to stick together." " I don't need any of you," Nate growled before turning his back on the group and stared sullenly out at the sea, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his muscular arms around them. " Are you coming?" Scully asked Amanda and Melissa impatiently. They followed her into the trees. Mulder watched the light from the flashlight disappear. " That Nate sure is a jerk," Amanda remarked angrily, " A stupid,= useless jerk." " Tara, he's acting this way because he's just lost someone dear to him. People express emotions regarding loss of loved ones in different ways. If you lost your twin, or me you'd be acting differently too." Amanda groaned, " Stop with your psychobabble already," she turned to Scully, " Don't mind my sister. She's a shrink for a mental hospital and forgets not all of us need counseling." " And what do your and your sister do?" " Do? We're seniors at Washington State College. I'm majoring in fashion design while my sister is a wanna-be journalist. For a newspaper, not on TV. She says being on TV is degrading to her abilities as a journalist. Whatever that means." Amanda continued talking and Scully tuned her out. That girl sure was a chatterbox. Scully preferred her quieter twin Tara. " Look!" Scully aimed her flashlight at a tree where they could see oranges, " An orange tree." " Great," Amanda said sarcastically, " when our rations run out, we can live on oranges." " At least I found something," Scully shot back, " You seem more interested in talking than in looking." And that made her shut up- finally. " I see a lemon tree," Melissa said, " Imagine living on lemons.= Yecch." " We can't afford to be choosy," Scully chided her even though she didn't fancy eating lemons either. They found bushes with poisonous berries. " let's give one to Nate and see if he'll eat it," Amanda suggested slyly. " Don't be mean," Melissa answered. They found bushes with blueberries and more orange trees. Melissa started getting spooked by the forest. " Let's go back. We found fruit. That's all we came for." She pleaded. " Wimp," Amanda teased but she too was sick of the forest. There was nothing to see but trees, bushes and more trees. The only wildlife were birds and she was glad-she didn't want to have a run in with a bear. They turned and began retracing their footsteps when Scully noticed her necklace of a gold cross was missing. She felt bitterly disappointed. It could have fallen off while she in was the ocean. Wherever it was it was long gone now. As they neared their camp, Scully could hear screaming. She, Amanda, and Melissa ran for the group in time to see Nate pinning Tara to the ground and strangling her. " Tara!" Amanda cried, " let go of her!" she hit at Nate but he just pushed her away. His blue eyes were wild with fury and hate. Mulder and David grasped Nate's arms and hauled him off the frightened girl. She sat up gasping for breath. " What were you trying to do?" Amanda yelled at him before slapping him squarely across the face. " She was whispering about me behind my back," Nate answered as he struggled to get out of Mulder's hold, " I heard her!" " I wasn't!" Tara exclaimed, " He's gone nuts." Nate growled and Mulder threw him to the ground, " You get a hold of yourself," he ordered Nate, " Or we'll tie you up." Nate panted, trying to get his breath back, " I'm watching you," he threatened Tara, " if you make wrong move, I'll kill you." Then he stood up, brushed himself off and stormed off down the beach. Mulder started to follow but David held him back, " let him go. He's got a nasty temper and he's better off alone. He'll come back and apologize." " Don't let him near me again," Tara said and burst into tears. End of Chapter Five CHAPTER SIX " I knew we should have given him a poisonous berry," Amanda whispered hotly to Melissa the next morning, " That would have killed him for sure." " Ssh," Melissa hissed, " People are trying to sleep." She threw some sand onto the fire that had died during the night. Tara shivered under the clothes she used as a blanket. She sat up and looked around. The group had formed a circle around the fire. Kelly was lying huddled next to the Cancerman and he had his arm around her shoulders as he slept. Melissa shuddered. She didn't like the man and. " Yup. Rise and shine!" Melissa said brightly knew he was the one to keep an eye on. " Is it morning already?" Mulder asked sleepily. " It's too early," Tara whined, " Go back to sleep 'Lisa."= " It's not early-it's almost nine," Melissa glanced at her watch. " Nine a.m.?" Scully sounded incredulous from her spot; " I almost never sleep in this late when I'm at home. The sea air must make me sleepy." " Well, the sea air makes me hungry," David stretched his arms above his hair. His brown hair was tangled mess, " Anyone got a comb?" Scully rummaged in her suitcase. She wore about four long-sleeved sweaters to make her warm. She threw her comb to David. " I see Nate hasn't come back," Amanda remarked. " Good," Tara muttered, " I had nightmares that he came and stabbed me to death in my sleep." " Someone wake up the love birds," Mulder said gesturing to the Cancerman and Kelly who were still asleep. " Don't worry, we're awake," Kelly replied sitting up. Skinner gazed at her. She looked beautiful all disheveled. Skinner, you've got it bad, he told himself. He longed to reach over and tuck a strand of blonde-streaked/brown hair behind her ear, but the Cancerman was doing it right now. Jealously boiled up inside Skinner. After having breakfast of museli bars and oat bran cookies, David and Rachel left the group to find their AWOL brother. They found him sitting on the sand underneath a large tree that provided him a little shelter. Nate had made himself a small fire that was long dead. He was just sitting there, glaring at nothing. " Nathan?" David put a hand on his shoulder, " Do you want to come back with us? Everyone had forgotten last night." " No," Nate shook off his hand, " I told you, I don't need any of you guys. I'm staying here 'til we get rescued." " But, mate," Rachel, said softly, twirling a strand of auburn hair around her finger. Her green eyes looked sad, " We don't know how long that will be." " I don't care." Nate muttered sullenly, " I don't want to go back to that group." Rachel and David shook their heads. Nate could be incredibly stubborn and there was no way they could talk him into going back to camp with them. They would just have to let him go back on his own when he's ready. " All right," Rachel said before grabbing David's arm and leading him back to their camp. Nate watched them go before digging a knife out of the sand he had buried when he saw his siblings coming. He had found it last night and it would be useful. He ran a finger along the sharp blade, his eyes dark with fury. XXXXXXXXXXXX " Where are Mr. Skinner and Agent Mulder?" Rachel asked Tara once they got back to camp. " Sitting on those boulders over there," Tara gestured to the two men sitting on a nearby pile of boulders with fishing lines, " They decided some fish would make a nice lunch." " Think I'll go and join them," David decided and started towards them. " What are they fishing with?" Rachel asked curiously. " I had some fishing gear in my suitcase," Tara explained, " Fishing is one of my hobbies." She smiled shyly. " Is that so?" Rachel studied the younger girl. She was the type of person who might like to fish and do the other quieter water sports while her sister probably hated sports and regarding dancing and flirting with guys as a sport. " I brought along some prawns as bait. Fish love prawns," Tara paused, " As a matter of fact so do I." She sighed, " Wouldn't I give to be in a seafood restaurant right now." " By looking at those two, they don't seem to care where they are- as long as they're with each other." Rachel commented glancing over at the smoking man and Kelly. They were wrapped up in each other, ignoring the group around them. " I don't know what an attractive girl like her sees in that creepy guy," Tara added making a face, " he was the first survivor I came across yesterday." " I'm sorry about my brother," Rachel apologized, " he's always had a violent temper. Even as a little kid." " You don't need to apologize on your brother's behalf," Tara said stiffly, " he can do that himself." Rachel nodded, " I know, but I'm forever defending him." " I'm going to join those guys on the rocks." Tara threw Rachel a smile before loping towards the fishing group. " Am I safe here?" a voice asked behind her and she jumped. " Of course you are. Like I said everyone's forgotten about it- except for Tara." She reminded her brother. Nate looked calm now. He sat down on the sand and began making patterns using his fingers. Later that evening, Tara, Scully and Skinner went into the forest to hunt for wood. They agreed to split up and Tara went in one direction, while the other two vanished from sight. She shivered. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to split up after all. She kicked up some branches and found a nice looking piece of bark when she heard footsteps behind her. Tara whirled around, expecting to see Scully or Skinner. " It's you," she gasped staring at Nate's hate-filled face, " What do you you're doing sneaking up on me like that?" Nate didn't say a word. He brandished his weapon and her eyes widened, " Nate, I'm sorry for whatever I did last night, but you don't need to kill me." " Yes I do," he answered, his voice calm and controlled, " You're plotting to turn everyone against me and I have to stop you." " You're paranoid," Tara said backing away, " I'm not plotting against you. I hardly know you." " That doesn't matter. I heard you whispering about me to that sister of yours last night," Nate stepped closer, his finger running along the blade. Then without warning he leaped forward and tackled her to the ground. She screamed but he clapped a hand to her mouth, " Shut up," he hissed, " You've got relies this is for your own good." She struggled but he pinned her down, " I should have stabbed you while you were sleeping," Nate said, his eyes wild, " It would have been easier." Nate wielded the knife high in the air and plunged it into Tara's chest-and kept stabbing her until blood streamed down her chest and onto the ground. He yanked the knife out and grinned in triumph, " One down," he said, " eight more to go." End of Chapter Six CHAPTER SEVEN " Drink sea water?" Amanda stared at Scully as if she had lost her mind, " That would taste so salty...are you sure you're a doctor?" " If we use up our water, then what else are we supposed to drink? Mud?" Scully retorted. " Maybe we should look for water pools in the forest," David suggested. Amanda pouted, " Whatever, but I'll bet there wouldn't be any." " You're such an optimist," David grumbled. Mulder shook his head. This group had been squabbling ever since Scully, Tara and Melissa got back. Suddenly, Mulder frowned and looked around. He didn't see Tara with them. In fact, he didn't remember Tara coming back with Scully and Melissa. " Scully, did Tara come back with you?" he asked his partner and she looked surprised, " I don't know. Melissa, did she?" Melissa looked as surprised as Scully did, " I don't remember her being with us," she admitted, " She's so quiet you forget she's around." " Did you guys split up in the forest?" Amanda demanded as a horrible feeling came over her. " Yes we did," Scully nodded. " Then she must have gotten lost," Amanda leapt up, " I'm going to look for her. Has anyone noticed Nate is missing too? He did threaten to kill Tara." She grabbed Scully's flashlight. " Nate wouldn't kill anyone," David defended his brother. " I'll come with you," Melissa said, " I feel guilty for not realizing Tara is missing." The two began their search for their lost sister. " Look for footprints," Amanda suggested, " I have this horrible feeling that something bad happen to Tara." " Is it the twin thing?" Melissa asked gently and Amanda nodded. The 'twin thing' was what they called whenever one of the twins has a feeling that something bad has happen to the other. " Sssh," Amanda hissed, " I hear someone." They stopped walking and listened carefully. They heard footsteps crunching in the leaves. " Tara?" Amanda called out, " Is that you?" there was no answer and she took Melissa's arm, " C'mon," she whispered. Melissa was getting spooked. Goosebumps popped out onto her arms and she shuddered. They resumed walking when suddenly a body hanging from a rope dropped down from a tree branch in front of them. The sisters screamed and fell over each other trying to get out of the way. Melissa aimed the flashlight at the body. " Oh My God, it's Nate," she exclaimed horrified. The rope was around his neck and it appeared broken. Nate's face was severely mutilated as if someone had butchered it and he was missing an eye and his tongue protruded from his mouth. " Think I'm going to be sick," Amanda groaned as she started to retch. " At least we know he didn't kill Tara," Melissa tried to assure her. Amanda stood up, " C'mon, we've got to find her." She urged Melissa and they ran from the body and went deeper into the forest. Amanda tripped over something and went sprawling again. " Amanda, we've found her," Melissa said in a tearful voce while Amanda tried to get her breath back. Amanda shined her light on the lump and tears welled in her eyes. " Tara!" she cried out. The corpse of Tara lay on the ground with a bloody stump where her head used to be... End of Chapter Seven CHAPTER EIGHT The Pratt sisters had been gone an awfully long time-an hour and half to be more precise. Mulder was getting worried about them and he and Scully had began searching for them five minutes ago. Mulder waved his flashlight among the trees, " Melissa!" Scully shouted, " Amanda!" her voice echoed eerily through the trees. " I think we should split up," Mulder suggested. " I am not going anywhere without a flashlight. The sisters have mine remember?" Scully reminded him and Mulder grinned. " Scared Scully?" " No," she snapped, " I'm tired of this island. Why hasn't anyone rescued us?" " You know, Nate used to be a normal person before we landed. And now Kelly showing signs of paranoia," he paused thoughtfully, " There's something about this island that's making normal people act different." Scully groaned, " Mulder, we are shipwrecked on a deserted island, and you think this is an X-File. It's so typical of you. This is just an island." " I don't think so," Mulder argued, " I have heard of an island that is dubbed as 'Insanity island' because whenever humans land on the island, they become insane. And I think this is the island." " Please," Scully scoffed, " An island with powers?" she rolled her eyes, grabbed the flashlight from his hand and disappeared into some trees Then he heard a loud thump and her yelp in surprise. Then there was silence. " Scully?" he called out, " Are you okay?" there was no answer and Mulder ran towards the trees and found himself falling through an abyss. He landed hard on the ground and his head banged against the ground. The world went dizzy and everything went black. XXXXXXXXXXXX Scully left Mulder where he was and inspected the hole. She couldn't believe how stupid she was to have fallen down a hole but reminded herself leaves had covered it. She discovered the hole was actually a tunnel. The end of the tunnel curved sharply to the right ad she was curious to see where it took her. Forgetting about the unconscious Mulder she moved deeper into the tunnel... Skinner stood up and headed for the forest. The agents had been gone for an hour, and the sisters two hours. " Kel, did you bring a flashlight?" he asked Kelly. " In my suitcase," she answered and he located her flashlight. She grabbed his arm and glared at him, " I've seen you watching me," she said, " Are you thinking of trying to come between me and Spender?" " Of course not. What makes you think that?" " I know you're in love with me," Kelly said, " So don't try making any moves to separate me and Spender. Got that?" " You are being paranoid," Skinner shook his head, " do you want to come with me to find Mulder and Scully?" " Why should I? You're probably hoping to get us somewhere and seduce me." " Kelly, what's wrong with you?" Skinner demanded, " I have no intentions of meddling in with your relationship to the Cancerman." Then he turned and left. " I know you are!" he heard her shout after him, " Don't try to deny it!" What's going on here? Skinner wondered, First the Pratt sisters disappear, Nate is nowhere to be found and now the agents are gone too. " Scully!" he shouted, " Agent Mulder?" after awhile he came across the corpse of Nate Oliver, Well, at least that's answered my question about him, he thought wryly, we've got a killer on our hands. Then he found the body of Tara without it's head. He knelt down and inspected it for any clues. He found a piece of white material stuck on Tara's torso and he frowned. White material... He stood up, " Scully! Mulder!" he shouted once again. " Down here!" he heard Mulder shout in reply. " Where?" he followed Mulder's voice until he fell through empty space and landed on the ground next to Mulder, " Ouch," Skinner groaned as he landed on his ankle. " Are you okay sir?" Mulder asked. " I can't believe I fell through a hole," Skinner cursed, " Where's Agent Scully?" " She fell through this hole too. She left me here and went exploring I think." Mulder rubbed his aching head, " This is a tunnel,= not a hole." " A tunnel?" Skinner aimed his flashlight towards the end of the tunnel, " Let's follow it then. It could lead somewhere." " Yeah, a dead end." Mulder grumbled. " I found Nate Oliver," Skinner said, " And Tara Pratt." " How are they?" " They're dead," Skinner, confirmed, " Mutilated. We've got a killer on the loose." CHAPTER NINE " I saw you talking to Skinner," Spender said to Kelly, " Is there something going on between the the two of you?" " No," Kelly answered, " But I know Skinner wants something to happen. He's been watching me a lot lately." " Maybe it's not you he's after," the Cancerman said thoughtfully, " It could be me. Don't forget I'm an enemy of Skinner's... and the agents." " We could do something about it then," Kelly suggested a malicious gleam in her eyes. " I was thinking the same thing," the Cancerman took out something from his pocket-his lighter, " We could send the whole forest on fire." " Brilliant," Kelly grabbed the lighter, " But I'll do the honors." " But it was my idea," the Cancerman protested glaring after her. They are all out to get me, the Cancerman thought as he followed his girlfriend, maybe the disappearances of the agents is a set up to get me in there...so they can kill me. And not only that, Kelly is involved with their plot. She's betrayed me... The Cancerman squared his shoulders, I cant let them beat me. Melissa Pratt sat in the cave, huddled against the wall, waiting for him to come back-the killer. He had left with Amanda and she could hear her sister's terrifying screams nearby and they had stopped abruptly. Melissa's eyes widened with terror as a shadow loomed over her. " I am going to make your death long and painful," the killer greeted her. He grabbed her arm, his hands slick with Amanda's blood. " You killed my sisters and Nate," Melissa sobbed, " Are you planning to kill everyone one this island?" The killer grinned, " No, they'll kill each other." " What do you mean by that?" Melissa demanded as the killer took out his weapon-a long, bladed knife stained with blood. " This island is called Island of Insanity. Whenever someone lands on this island, he or she becomes insane," the killer explained, " the island has great powers." " I don't believe you. There's no such thing as an island with powers," Melissa retorted. " Then why has Nathan Oliver suddenly turned against the lot of you and killed your sister for no reason?" the killer demanded. " Maybe Nate was already insane. I don't know him very well," Melissa suggested. The killer snorted, " He was as normal as you and your sisters were." Then without warning he lashed downward with the knife and stabbed it in her arm. She screamed and tried to struggle but the killer was far too strong. Then he stabbed her in the ribs and she almost fainted with agony. " Enjoying this?" the killer asked as he pushed the knife in further. A trickle of blood seeped out and dripped down her body. She moaned and her knees buckled, " Please st-stop," she gasped out, " I'll do anything you say! Just no more. " " Please st-stop," the killer mimicked cruelly, " No way. Why should I stop my fun?" Melissa grasped the knife and tried in vain to yank it form the man's grip. It only succeeded him pushing it even further. Then he yanked it out and pushed her to the floor. She fell down with a thud and cried out in pain. She looked up just in time to see the knife come down... " Stop or we'll shoot!" XXXXXXXXXXXX Melissa started crying with relief when she saw Agent Mulder and Skinner standing in the entrance of the cave, weapons drawn, pointing right at the killer. " Well, well," the killer sneered, " Come to rescue her have we?" " Jeremy Sikes. I should have known," Mulder replied, " This whole shipwreck was all a set up wasn't it?" The skipper tipped his hat, " Yes it was. I heard about this island powers and I wanted to see it for myself. This island turned me insane and gave the raving to kill and torture," he paused, " I never really intended to become a killer." " You think we actually believe your story?" Mulder sneered, " In fact, I think you and Skinner were on in this-together." " What? Mulder, you don't know what you're saying. This island has affected you," Skinner said as the agent turned his gun on the a.d. " Then why hasn't it affected you?" Mulder demanded, " You're the only sane person." Skinner shrugged, " Please point your gun at the skipper. He's the real enemy not me." The skipper laughed, " This is funny-seeing two friends turn against each other. Pull the trigger Mulder," he coaxed the agent. Mulder's finger moved towards the trigger, his mind whirling with confusing thoughts. He kenw the skipper was the enemy, but Skinner? " Shoot him Mulder!" the skipper shouted, " Shoot him now!" There was a loud gun-shot and the skipper collapsed to the floor in a heap. Blood poured from the gunshot wound in his chest. Skinner checked for a pulse-he was dead. He turned to see who had shot him. Scully was standing in the entrance, he gun now trained on Mulder. " Scully," Skinner said, " he's your partner. You've been affected by the island. Put your gun down." He slowly approached the agent who backed away, her blue eyes wide with fear and confusion. Skinner took his hand out os his pocket and held up her necklace, " is this what you've been looking for Scully?" he asked, " This cross has shielded me form the island," he threw it to Scully and she caught it. She dropped her gun, " I-I'm sorry," she stammered as she put it around her neck, " I don't know what came over me." Now that the cross was in full view, everyone would be shielded by the island-as least that was Skinner's theory. The island's only enemy the cross of Jesus. " Um, can I have help down here?" Melissa asked weakly and they hurried over to the bleeding girl. CHAPTER TEN The following afternoon Washington State Hospital " So you think Scully's cross protected you-that was why you weren't affected?" Kelly asked the a.d. They were sitting in Skinner'=s hospital the day they finally got rescued form the island. The only one who wasn't present was Mulder. He was downstairs in his office hunting for any information about the island. " Yes," Skinner answered, " It's bizarre, but that's the only theory I could think of." " It's a good thing we were rescued before Rachel and David Oliver started getting affected," Scully commented. " What did that tunnel lead to?" Kelly asked. " To a cave behind a waterfall," Mulder replied as he entered the office with a book in his hand, " I found some info about the island,"= he put the book down, " Apparently it's dubbed as 'Insanity island' and whenever someone lands there he or she becomes slowly insane and doesn't leave the island. The island' only enemy is the cross of Jesus.= Any sort of cross can give a victim protection of the island's powers. But as long as there is no cross whatsoever, the island will continue to manipulate a human's mind." Mulder finished. " So you were right Mr. Skinner," Kelly said, " the cross gave you protection." Several hours later Return to the island The helicopter landed on the island and Walter Skinner climbed out. He headed for e nearby tree with a knife in his hand. Skinner was going to make the island with a cross so no one can be affected again. He began the task of carving the cross into the trunk. Then he stood back and admirered his handi-work. As long as the tree is not knocked down, the island remained powerless. He headed back towards the helicopter. THE END at this point is where I'd love some feedback. What did you guys think???