Christmas9

    “We’re not sure but we’re trying our best to find out what’s happening.” Mulder said.
     The girls were quiet for a few more moments but then they continued to chat. Piper remained basically quiet unless someone directly addressed her. She was tired and scared that something might happen to her or her friends.
     The night seemed to go by slowly for all of the girls. After what they had heard no body really wanted to stay at the party but they didn’t want to hurt Hannah’s feelings, either. They went through the rituals, eating cake and ice cream, then opening presents but no one much cared to see what Hannah got.
     Piper wondered away into Hannah’s living room where her Christmas tree was. She looked up at it and tried to remember good things but she couldn’t. “Piper.” Someone said from behind her.
     Piper turned around and saw Hannah standing there. Hannah walked over to her and stood next to Piper, staring at the Christmas tree, as well. “It’s hard. It’s hard to forget the things I’ve seen. The things I’ve experience.” Piper sobbed.
     “Then don’t forget them.” Hannah said placing her hand on Piper’s shoulder.
     “Hey Hannah, you’re mom’s looking for you.” Faith said while walking in behind the two girls. “What are you looking at?”
     “I’m just thinking.” Piper responded.
     “Hey guys, what are you doing in here alone?” Scully asked walking in with Mulder close behind her.
     “What is this, a family party of thinking?” Piper asked, wondering out loud.
     “I have to go see what my mom wants.” Hannah said turning around and heading out of the room. Mulder and Scully turned to follow her when they heard a shatter. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and looked back towards the tree. Piper was lying on the ground horrified.
     “Where’s Faith?” Scully asked.
     Piper pointed to the tree. Faith was crawling on the ground with the Christmas lights wrapped around her next. She tried to pull the lights away but she couldn’t. The branches of the tree held onto her legs fast and she couldn’t move. Scully quickly raced to her side and held onto the girls arms.
     Mulder tried to untangle the lights from her neck but nothing could work. They were stuck fast. Scully tried to hold on but she let go, thinking she could save her in another way. Andrea took a breath in but she never exhaled. The tree sucked her into itself and a large thump was heard coming from under the floor.
     “Oh my God.” Hannah said spreading out the syllables. She was afraid of what she had just seen. She tried rubbing her eyes to see if it was just a dream, but it wasn’t.
     “Crap.” Piper managed to say after regaining her voice back.
     Scully looked over at Mulder not knowing what to say. What had the four people just witnessed? Was it a murder or unexplained phenomena? Piper looked back at Mulder and Scully knowing they had no clue what happened.
     “Hey, where’s Faith?” Candy asked coming in.
     “She had to go.” Hannah answered mesmerized but what she had seen.
     Candy nodded not knowing exactly what Hannah meant. “What happened?” Scully asked to anyone who cared to listen.
     No one knew what to say. None of them were sure exactly what happened. “She’s dead.” Hannah finally answered.
     “I guess we know the truth.” Piper said. Her eyes began to tear. Everything from the past few days had begun to sneak up on her. She looked back at Mulder and Scully and stared into their eyes. They had just witnessed something that no one would believe no matter how many times the story was told. Would Faith’s parents believe a Christmas tree had murdered their daughter or would they think Piper and Hannah killed her? No one knew what to say to ease the silence that had fallen over the room like a thick curtain.
                                                                                       Chapter 6
December 29, 1999
FBI Headquarters
Washington DC

     “So you want me to believe that a Christmas tree was responsible for the murder of the three girls in Warwick, Rhode Island?” A man asked.
     Mulder and Scully were sitting in a large, lighted office inside the FBI field office. They sat in front of a desk, both of them shifting uneasily in their chair. The assistant director, and their direct superior, Walter Skinner, was sitting in front of the desk. He was reading over the case file Mulder and Scully had put together on the murders. Scully could tell he wasn’t exactly pleased with their findings.
     “Yes, sir that is correct.” Scully responded.
     “I see no evidence here to suggest such a thing.” Skinner replied giving Scully a stern look.
     “Well, there was the two witnesses, Hannah Barnobee and Piper Alexander.” Mulder said.
     “Yes, but it seems to me that these girls seem more like the murderers than the witness.” Skinner argued.
     “Piper was held in jail as an accomplice to murder. Through her sister Suzanne’s intelligence we came to conclude that Piper could not be held for the reasons she was being charged with.” Scully said. “We felt that the detective who was holding her could somehow be involved but he’s nowhere to be found.”
     Skinner continued to read the case report. He raised his eyebrows as he read a strange passage. “It says here that both of you witnessed the killing of Faith Walker.” “Agent Scully and I were in the room at the time of the girl’s murder. We did not exactly see what Hannah and Piper said they saw.” Mulder said.
     “Agent Scully, what did you find when you performed the autopsies?” Skinner asked obviously upset and confused with what happened in the small state of Rhode Island.
     “I found that the girls had died from being strangled. There were contusions subsiding with my findings. They were burn marks, probably made by a light. That all co-insides with what Piper and Hannah had to say. They both said the lights were wrapped around the girl’s neck and the tree limbs pulled her onto the ground.” Scully said. “Sir, I saw what Piper and Hannah saw. As crazy as it sounds, that girl was being attacked by a Christmas tree.”
     Scully stood up and walked out of the office. Mulder followed wondering if the case file would even be considered as legitimate. Scully made her way into Mulder’s basement office and took a seat at his desk. She picked up the phone and dialed a number. Mulder walked in close behind her.
     “Who are you calling?” Mulder asked.
     Scully held up her finger to signify one minute but then someone answered on the other line. “Hello, is Piper there?” She asked into the phone.
     “Yea, just a minute please.” The voice said.
     Scully waited a minute for Piper to pick up the phone. “Hello?” She asked wondering who it was.
     “Piper, this is Agent Scully.” Scully said.
     “Agent Scully, how did the meeting with Skinner go?” Piper asked.
     In her own house, Piper was sitting at her computer. She was beginning to type the story of what happened on the case. She wanted to remember every detail, every minute of what had happened over the last few days.
     “I don’t think they’re going to by it.” Scully said knowing Piper didn’t want to hear what had to be said.
     “Will they bring Heather and I in for questioning?” Piper wondered.
     “We can’t be certain but there is a possibility they’ll think you’re connected. You, Hannah, and Erin.”
     Piper paused, thinking of what to say. “I know you and Agent Mulder did everything you could do to help me and my friends. The truth will be known as long as you keep trying to tell it."
     Piper hung up the phone and slammed it down onto the receiver. She turned back to her computer and continued typing:
     As she laid on the cold, dark floor.   Memories of her family and her friends all flooded her mind. Why was she being punished for something she didn’t do? Why wouldn’t they believe her? She was alone in a world where no one can save you. She huddled into the corner, not wanting to be bothered or to bother others. Her crime was no what they thought but instead being too innocent.
     She thought to the people in her life who had helped her. Who had saved her through the many hard times. She immediately thought of Anastasia, who would help in any way possible. No one could do anything for her now but sit and wait. No one had a second thought that they were punishing and innocent girl. She knew that someday someone had to believe in the truth and not the lie.

That's it, all over. All of the people in this story were based on real people. They are my friends and I did get their permission. Everyone got to choose their own names so don't blame me for the odities. This is the second story that I've ever written with Piper and her friends so it's not written very well and I'm sure that there are plenty of grammar and spelling mistakes but we can't all be perfect, can we? Thank you to Ashley, Meghan, Breanne, Kristin, Mary, Sara, Sheena, Becky, Laura, Jess, Mom, Dad, Gillian, David, and Chris. Couldn't have done it without any of you.