| Piper looked up when she heard footsteps on the stairs. She watched as Mulder and Scully walked down the stairs. They went to a smaller couch on the other end of the room and sat down together. “Piper, I know the past few days have been very difficult for you…” Scully said. “How could you know?” Piper stopped, taken aback by her own words. She realized that the agents did have an idea as to what she was going through. They themselves had been imprisoned and had gone through things that some people couldn’t even imagine. “Where were this morning between two o’clock AM and four o’clock AM?” Mulder asked. “At three o’clock I was in bed talking with my sisters.” Piper said. “Talking about what?” Scully asked. “About how to murder Karen.” She said sarcastically. Scully gave her a stern look. “We were discussing how I was feeling. What I had been through for the past few days. We talked about me writing a story about what happened.” “Why weren’t you sleeping?” Mulder asked. “Especially if you hadn’t slept in the past few days in jail.” “Like I said, I decided to write a story about what’s happening. I didn’t want to forget anything so I stayed up late to write down outline of the story I’m going to right.” She said. “Do you think I murdered her?” “No.” Mulder answered quickly. “But somehow I have the feeling that either you and/or Erin is involved.” “Don’t drag Erin into this! You’ve torn my family apart by keeping me in jail for three days. I won’t let you tear hers apart, as well. Erin wrote those articles for me because she is my best friend. She has nothing to do with the murders and neither do I. We’re victims from something other murder. We’re victims of things we’ve seen.” She paused. “What about the detective?” “After we found out about the most recent murder, we called the detective and he is no longer residing in his home or as the local detective.” “He’s going to bury the truth. He’s one of them who works for the government and prays on innocent people. No one can stop them from doing what they do.” She began to cry again. “No one cares to. But when a group of teenage girls dies under mysterious pretenses because a Christmas tree falls on top of them, no body cares. Everyone looks to see if they were murdered or if they committed suicide but no one looks to see if the government is hiding evidence." “Piper, we’re doing everything we can to find out what happened to your friends.” Mulder said trying to soothe the upset teenage girl. “Then if you’re doing all that you can, leave the rest of us alone.” Piper looked the other way and both Mulder and Scully knew she wasn’t about to talk to them. Mulder and Scully stared at the television. Erin was on the screen, dancing with a large purple inflatable alien. “What are you watching?” Scully asked thinking if she got Piper’s mind off the whole scenario, she might be more friendly. “A home video. This was shot the day after my sister graduated high school. That’s um…my cousins, Bianca and Jeff, and you already know Erin. We’re so happy here. We love making home movies of ourselves. I’m behind the camera. Those were the good days.” She looked back at Mulder and Scully. “Will I ever be that happy again?” “Piper, when I first saw my sister being taken away about twenty years ago, I thought I’d never be happy. But helping others makes me happy. You have the power to be happy again and I know you’ll succeed.” The tape blinked off for a second but then another turned on. The screen was black but you could her a descreet screaming in the background. The camera shifted it’s view point for a minute to reveal two barbie dolls standing on a stage. Music began to play in the background and voices could be heard. “Raise the roof!” I voice shouted. “What’s this?” Scully asked. “Just watch.” Piper responded. Scully gazed at the television. The camera panned to the right showing two barbie dolls that looked very similar to Mulder and Scully themselves. Mulder stared at Piper for a minute but then watched the TV. “Yea, get down with your bad self you fine guy!” Another voice said. The music stopped and a slower song filled the air. The two barbie dolls began to sway. Someone’s hands were moving strings, which were attached to the barbies. Scully smiled realizing who the barbie dolls were supposed to represent. The camera panned back towards the original two Barbie dolls. A white paper plate began to float in the air as the background scenery began to move. “Look, she’s being taken away.” A deeper voice said. The barbie doll began to float away and the background engulfed her. Piper stopped the tape and looked at Mulder and Scully. She had a huge smile on her face and her tears seemed to have disappeared. “Don’t tell me that was supposed to be us.” Mulder said. Piper nodded. “Get down with yourself you fine guy. That doesn’t seem like something I would say.” Scully said finding the scenario funny. “Hey, if the shoe fits wear it.” Piper said. She pressed play on the VCR and a new scene came on. This time it was of a pink tent. The entire background was dark and the only light seen was one from inside the tent. “Do you believe what we saw in the sky tonight?” A voice asked. “That dumb laser light show?” Another voice responded. The scene went on for a few more minutes. All it was, was an outside view of the tent and voices speaking. Piper shut the tape off when it had finished and stood up to take a bow. “You know, you are very creative.” Scully said. “How did you do all those things?” Mulder asked. “Well, I had Melanie, Bianca, and Erin sleeping over my house just for a little get together. We decided to make a movie using barbie dolls. So, in the first scene Melanie was dressed all in black. She was wearing a large black skirt over her body, except it was a light enough material so that she could see through it. Bianca was in the background, playing the music. I was taping the entire thing and Erin was the one swaying you two back and forth. We used a lot of string and a lot of tape. It looked really cool if you ask me.” “It did.” Mulder confirmed. “Piper, you do know that by writing these stories it could prove that you pre-meditated a murder. I suggest you either not write the stories at all, or you at least not write them until after the case has been solved.” “I know what risks I take but I take them under precaution. The people, my friends, they all have a right to know. One day all of these stories will be best selling novels. Nobody will know they’re true and the names will be changed but every person who bared witness to the scenes I write about, will know they’re rule. And finally the truth will be known.” Mulder and Scully stood up together knowing talking further with Piper would just upset her more. They began up the stairs when Piper spoke. “Does anyone else know Karen was murdered?” “Nobody but us and a few police officers, why?” Scully asked. “I was just thinking Hannah would by mildly disappointed when Karen doesn’t turn up tonight. Will you come tonight? To Hannah’s party?” They both nodded and walked up the stairs. Piper sat in her basement and hugged the blanket closer to her. She stared at the blank screen of the TV. Silence filled the room like a thick smoke. Piper wasn’t afraid for herself this time but instead for her friends. She didn’t care what happened to her or how bad she felt about being sent to jail but now her friends were becoming involved. Erin could be tried as an accomplice and Hannah’s party would be ruined and there was nothing Piper could do about it. Later that night, Piper, Mulder, and Scully, arrived at Hannah’s house. They walked inside and saw Hannah’s house completely decorated. There were blue and white streamers hanging from the ceilings. Balloons were strung from the air as well as some laying on the ground. There were a few other girls in the room, all sitting around talking. Mulder and Scully heard parts of their conversations. “So, what did you do in Mr. Nagle’s class today?” One of them asked. “Drew, colored, talked to Daria, etc.” Another answered. “Have you seen that new kid in our English class?” A different girl asked, in a totally different conversation. A few more girls arrived and they all settled down on the floor and couches. Some were sitting on top of each other, while others were squished next to each other. Piper was sitting on the floor and she looked up at Mulder who nodded back at her. “Um…guys I want to introduce you to my friends.” Piper said. Instead of the usual enthusiasm her voice held, it was blank and plain. “This is Special Agent Fox Mulder and Dana Scully with the FBI. I’m sure all of you have heard me talk about them once before.” The girls all laughed recognizing Mulder and Scully’s name right away. “Mulder, Scully these are my friends.” She continued. “You already know Erin but this is Hannah Barnabee, Faith Quinn, Kyla Maxwell, Candy Kane, Josephine Pink, Daria O’Neill, Max, and Melanie Carlson.” She said pointing to each girl as she spoke. “Nice to meet you girls.” Scully said. The girls resumed to their chatter. “Hey have any of you guys heard from Karen?” Melanie asked. “Actually, we have something we’d like to share on that matter.” Mulder said. The girls quieted immediately. “We found Karen’s body in her house in the same fashion we found Erica’s and Judy’s.” Scully told. The girls gasped and stayed quiet. “Who is doing this?” Kyla demanded to know. |