From: "David Pursglove" Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 11:00:12 -0500 Subject: Talk to the animals by David Pursglove Source: direct Talk to the animals By: David Pursglove Rating: PG Classification: X Keywords: X-File, Scully/Mulder Friendship Spoilers: None to what I know of Summery: Mulder and Scully investigates a strange man who claims he can talk to animals whilst a small town reports local attacks. Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, and The X-Files all belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen and Fox Entertainment. If this anyway relates to any storyline in the X-files it is entirely co-incidental. Any other references to the general Public are also entirely Co-incidental. Author's note: This is my first X-File fan fiction so if anybody has any comments or praise, feel free to send em' to wormo@dot-totally.co.uk Talk to the animals By: David Pursglove The tree's whistled in the woods, it's not peculiar that John Edwards takes his trip home from work through these woods late at night but one night, something was going to happen which would make Mr. Edwards never come home through this route again. "Hello?" he bellowed out, "Is anybody there?" An unusual whistle came through the woods as the leaves blew past his feet; he turned around to continue walking. He could hear footsteps paddling behind far around ten metres away, his eyes were squinted and nothing could be seen through the trees. "If anybody is there, I mean no harm!" John yelled. A Black figure could be seen behind him now, large, both tall and fat, from what could be seen, hair covered all of its body from bottom to top. "Holy Crap, it's a bear," John said to himself as he picked up his pace through the woods. The bear following behind him walked faster as John also did. He decided to face forward and keep running through the woods, maybe there was a chance he could lose the bear. Finding a large bush near a lake, John quickly ducked behind it peeking for the large bear. Nothing could be seen behind him, making as little sound as he could, he manoeuvred his hands carefully in the bush to make a hole to see through, he lay there for five minutes before he decided to turn away. Moving out of the bush he turned to face the lake, he gained his breath and sat up against a rock, to his surprise, huge gaping claws came from above the rock and pulled him away. "Look at this headline Scully, "Five people killed by monstrous animals"" "Wow, monstrous you say Fox, give me a break" "That's not the strange thing, these are all in the town of Hathersage, Oregon" "Hathersage, Hathersage... sounds familiar" "Familiar Dana, because we've been there before, to look for Stephen Eyre" Scully leant forward with her hands placed tightly on her head, thinking to herself "Stephen Eyre... he claimed to be able to talk to animals" Fox Mulder then sat back in his chair holding his hands to his chin, looking at Scully possibly thinking that these two cases could be related in some way. "But Mulder, that Eyre fellow didn't seem the type to be like that, remember, we were just down there and it sprung up." Fox stood up, looking at Scully thinking harder then before, five people had died to these animals and he had a hunch that this man was involved. "Is it really worth travelling that far to look? We have tons of paperwork to do anyway" with that said, Mulder bent over the table with his palm firmly pressed on top of it. "Five people have died Dana, how many more is there to come, even if these are not related cases, we could try find this "Monstrous" animal" Dana Scully sighed to herself, as she knew she had stopped her paperwork, with lunch break over, they both returned to open this case. The next day, Scully and Mulder set off for what was going to be a large trail down to Oregon, the trail was dark and no cars were on the road. *** 11:26pm Crossland Road Hathersage "Mulder, I don't think you should be driving this time of night when you don't know where you are going" "I do know Scully, the trail is cleverly marked" With that said, he suddenly pressed the break. "Jesus Mulder! What's that for?" "Did you not see it Scully? That animal?" "On the road?" "Yes, it was over there" Mulder said quietly whilst leaning over to look through the window "It's gone..." Mulder said bewildered "It probably got scared and ran off Mulder, it's not like it would stay anyway, and you nearly ran it over." "Scully... Look... there it is" he said pausing in between, he pointed his finger in it's direction as the silhouette of the creature became present "What is it?" asked Scully "It's some sort of wolf, quick look!" he said hastily as the wolf ran back into the woods "Come on Mulder, I want some rest" Mulder looked in wonder at the wolf and the location of the woods. With the animal in mind, he drove off down the road. *** 6:15am The Rookery Motel Hathersage "Hello?" Mulder said with a tired voice answering his Cell Phone "Agent Mulder, I know you're down there in Hathersage so I thought I would tell you this report that came in this morning" spoke Assistant Director Walther Skinners voice on the other side of the line "What sort of report?" Fox asked "Another animal attack happened off the west road heading into Hathersage, the Oregon Police Force took the man and gave him an autopsy." "What road?" Mulder questioned "The west road heading straight through Crossland Road, opposite the fire station" "Let me guess, they found wolf marks and scratches on the body?" "Yes, your right Fox, you think you know something?" Skinner questioned "Not something, but someone" *** 9:00am Stephen Eyre Residence Hathersage Mulder headed to the door of the house that belongs to Stephen Eyre, with Scully still waiting in the car he knocked three times. Within a minute, a man came to the door. "May I help you?" the man said, he wasn't old, about thirty one, he had a smooth figure but didn't seem to have had a shave for some time "Special Agent Fox Mulder, my partner, Dana Scully is in the car back there" spoke Mulder showing the man his I.D. "Anything wrong Mr. Mulder?" "Can I speak to Stephen Eyre? I believe he lives here" The man looked in despair, as if he hadn't heard that name spoken in years. "I'm afraid if your looking for him you have the wrong residence and your three years late" "Excuse me?" "Stephen Eyre died two years ago, he developed a problem which he was very keen to keep to himself. He didn't like people knowing what was wrong with him" "Do you Mr...." Mulder said waiting for a name to be spoken "Johnson, Ted Johnson" "Mr. Johnson, do you know what happened to him?" he said looking into the room behind the door "No. He never said what he came up with," Ted said eyeing Fox Mulder look inside his house "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to be left in peace" Ted spoke sharply closing the door slightly "Thank you Mr. Johnson" Mulder said looking back at the man. The door closed in Mulder's face as he turned around to face the car, Dana who was looking through the window had to wonder what they were talking about. Mulder opened the door and got in the car "He's dead Scully" "Who, Stephen? The one you think did all this?" "I think there is more to it than that Scully" Mulder said looking back at the house, "I think we will be seeing this Ted Johnston man again" "Why do you say that?" "He seemed awfully agitated about something..." "Mulder, if you presume that this man in this house had anything to do with these killings then I think your very much mistaken, you are jumping to conclusions, you thought it was this guy who could talk to the animals like some child's film and now you think it's this Ted guy" she said stating her opinion "I never said that Scully, I just think he knows something that he knows more than he is telling us" "What do we do now?" "No, what do you do now Scully, look at the bodies of course" Agent Mulder drove off leaving the house of Ted Johnson. The curtain flapped down back into its position as the wandering eye moved back into its room. The suspicious Ted Johnson sat back down on the armchair stroking the black Alsatian sitting next to him on the floor. "It's ok brother, they won't catch on," he said talking to himself. His eyes moved up to a picture on the other side of the wall, a man standing in front of his collection of dogs with his hand behind his back looked pleased with himself, "it's nearly done" *** 1:00pm Hathersage police station - Oregon Police Force Hathersage "Notice anything Scully?" Mulder asked standing in a large room which was temporarily being used as a morgue for the victims of the animals. "Well, no physical links between the victims, I have identified all the people and presuming this was a murder case, only noticed the one link" She said standing in a white mock coat wearing the usual gloves and glasses. "And that is...?" "Well, a striking link and I don't think its coincidence, they all belong to the Hathersage council, if this was a murder then it's probably somebody who doesn't like them" "Any resemblance given off by the marks from the animals?" "Well, there seems to be two distinctive marks, one made by wolves and the other which seems to come from a grizzly bear" "A Grizzly bear, in Oregon, near a town, attacking Council members, sounds like one bear on a mission" Mulder said jokingly "Mulder, don't laugh at my job, your the one who made the silly connections in the first place, I'm simply... filling the gaps" Mulder turned around to face the door; Scully was left standing over the bodies as she said, "Where are you going Mulder?" "To talk a Miss Linda Brockhart" "And she is?" "She's the major play in the town council, infact, she's the only member of the council left" Mulder said handing a photograph to Dana "I'm not staying in this police station with a bunch of dead bodies which are starting to smell," She said taking off her gloves "By now I thought it would be second nature" Mulder said with a smile. *** 1:40pm Linda Brockhart's residence "You want to handle this one Mulder? Considering you're the one who has the idea on this case" "I suggest we both go Scully, you're the one who has handled the bodies" Mulder spoke back in the same tone as his counterpart They stepped out their car and walked to the door, within a knock a child came towards the door "Hi there" Mulder spoke to the little kid "Hello" the boy spoke back "Is your mother home?" Scully said impatiently and hastily "Yes" the boy said running off back into the house Mulder looked at Scully and then back into the house, the house seemed tattered and scruffy, a gun seemed to be holstered in the corner of a room and Mulder seemed a tad confused. A women then came towards the door and Mulder stepped back" "Well hello there?" The women said to the two agents Scully raised her badge whilst Mulder spoke, "Hi, Special Agent Mulder this is my partner Special Agent Scully, we are looking into the investigation of." "The animal attacks" she finished him off "That's right" Mulder spoke, "do you know anything that could possibly help us?" "Please. come inside" The Agents stepped inside the house, the boy Mulder was speaking to earlier ran up the stairs, Linda placed a coat over her gun which was still standing in the corner. "What's the gun for?" Mulder asked "Protection" she replied looking at Scully "Protection from what?" Scully asked her removing the coat from the gun "Well, I'm not exactly the smartest person who ever lived but I'm not stupid, I can see what's going on, these animals which you speak of are not exactly friendly and I can easily see who they are attacking" "The council members, do you have any idea why? Or anybody who could be your enemy?" "Well, it is a council and we have made plenty of decisions which could of disagreed on some people's behalf" "Anything in particular?" asked Scully "Well, look at this" she said opening a drawer underneath her table, "they are letters which somebody sent, not to me but the council in general" She handed Mulder the letters and Mulder began to read, his eyes opened and closed as he flicked through the letters. "Not exactly the friendliest of letters" Mulder said passing them onto Scully to read "No, from an ex member of the council if I do recall, a Mr. Stephen Eyre, we had to "let him go" as his policy for anti- hunting licences didn't pass" "He made a big deal out of it I see" Scully added "Yes, numerous death threats telling us that we are all going to hell, etc" she spoke back sharply "You not heard the news then?" Scully questioned "That he's dead?" She asked whilst Mulder nodded "Yes, I've heard that otherwise I would have been straight down to the police station" Suddenly, Mulder had a train of thought, "Do you know anything about a Mr. Ted Johnston?" "No. he lives around here? As a council member, I should expect to know a lot of people but no Ted Johnston" "He lives where your old man Stephen Eyre lives, looks rough, not had a shave for a while" Mulder said describing out to the lady "Oh, to what I know, that's not Ted Johnston, that's Paul Eyre, Stephens brother" "Then I think we have our culprit" Scully contributed "Thank you very much Miss Brockhart" Mulder said leaving the house The two agents left the house closing the door behind them, walking to the door, Scully started to question Mulder. "Mulder. we don't know that this Paul Eyre did any of this" "I know, but I plan to find something out." Mulder said smiling back to Scully whilst pressing the accelerator *** 5:40pm Paul Eyre Residence Hathersage Mulder pulled up behind the street where the house lay; peeking through the car window he saw an empty house. "It looks like our man is not in," he said to Scully "Well. what are we waiting for?" She said back to him They left the car moving to the back of the house, Mulder keeps shifting through the bushes whilst Scully follows behind. Nobody seems to be around and Mulder continues to move to the back door of the house. "Well, Scully, you ready to find something out about our guy" Scully looked at Mulder as he turned to doorknob, the door, which was unlocked, swung open and they walked in. Scully left into the living room, which contained but a chair and the painting that the man was looking at earlier. Mulder continued to look up the stairs for anything that could help them out. A noise could be heard outside and Mulder sifted to the window. He looked out and saw Paul Eyre heading to the house. "Scully!" he shouted "What do you want Mulder?!" She replied back "He's coming back!" She dropped a book that she was looking at and ran to the stairs shifting up rapidly. The door opened and four dogs entered the house. Paul entered the house and looked at the book on the floor. He took a large smell with his nose and continued to walk inside the house. "Somebody's here" he spoke to the dogs sitting in front of him, "stay here" The dogs continued to sit as Paul picked up the book. Scully and Mulder moved from room to room hiding in separate cupboards "Oh crap, we shouldn't be doing this" Scully spoke to herself Paul walked slowly to the back door, which continued to stand open. He looked outside to see the agents' car and began to do something with his finger. Mulder peeked through the cupboard down the stairs to see what he was doing but the banister blocked his view. Within a couple of seconds a bear stepped inside the house and Mulder closed the cupboard "Holy Crap" he said to himself repeating it. Large noises could be heard coming up the stairs, Scully pulled out her gun not knowing what to expect and Mulder got ready with his gun. The noised got quieter to Mulders side as the bear stepped closer to Scully. She pounced out the cupboard and fired three shots into the bear. The bear stood up on its hind feet as the shots hit it's leg "A bear. Mulder!" she shouted out as the bear came closer towards her. Mulder came out the closet and Paul pushed the closet door knocking the gun from his hand. "Argh!" Mulder called out Paul came forward and held Mulder by his neck, squeezing and squeezing. "Sc..ull..y!" Mulder broke out under his breath Suddenly, Paul let go and his feet left the air, Mulder held his neck watching the bear pick up Paul Eyre with his claws. Blood came from his body and mouth as he died within its claws. With a few large bangs from a gun, the bear fell dead. Scully stood pointing the gun directly at the bear. Mulder stood up and started panting "Well. that was unexpected" he said still panting "It look's like it's not only the Eyre's that can talk to the animals." Scully replied back to him. They both stood over the dead animals looking through the windows watching all the dogs leave the house, the two agents started to walk down the stairs so they could start with their filing. *** 7:00pm Paul Eyre Residence Hathersage With Mulder and Scully on their way back to Washington DC, the police continue wrapping up the investigation, a women came up the border of the tape and began talking to the investigation. "Excuse me, what's going on here?" "Well Sorry Miss Brockhart but this is strictly confidential, some rubbish that two agents say about talking to the animals or some crap like that, this guy was gifted they say" "Yeah. I know the feeling" Linda said smiling to herself