| “Come on, Max! Wake up!” Piper yelled. There was no response. Piper heard the chewing sound again. She took one last look at Max before walking slowly towards the sound. She stopped when she exited the pool of light provided by the flashlight. It was pitch black where she was but she knew the sound couldn’t be far. She walked on a few more feet, waving her hands in front of her. She used them as her eyes. Minutes later she ran into something hard. She stopped as the chewing stopped. She felt the object in front of her with her hands. It was wet, large, and hard. She walked to her right and realized that whatever it was, it stretched from bank to bank. Piper began feeling back towards the center, trying to make sense of what was in front of her. She felt something extremely cold but somewhat small. She picked it up, bringing it closer to her face, trying to find out what it was but it was no use. It was too dark to tell. She heard a noise coming from behind her and she spun around, still clutching the thing in her hand. She shielded her eyes as a bright light shone at her face. “Piper!” Max shouted. “Max.” Piper said, walking towards her friend. Max held Piper’s flashlight, barely above the water. Both girls were having trouble keeping their heads above the water. “What happened?” “You went into another trance and I followed you out here.” “What’s that?” Max asked, pointing to the object in Piper’s hand. “I’m not sure.” Piper said. “Here, let me see the flashlight.” Piper took the flashlight from Max and illuminated the object in her hand. Max’s eyes grew wide. “Pi…Pip…Piper…that’s a human finger!” She screamed. Piper screamed. “Well, drop it!” Max screamed. “No, no it’s evidence.” Piper shouted back, afraid to drop it, though afraid to keep holding it. “Go back to the tree and grab my first aid kit. Hurry!” Piper commanded. Max soon disappeared, taking the flashlight and leaving Piper in the darkness. Max reappeared a few minutes later with the first aid kit in one hand and the flashlight in the other. “Take out a pair of latex gloves.” Piper ordered. Max did as told. “Now, hold it open. I’m gonna drop the finger inside.” Max gulped while Piper dropped the finger into the latex glove. Max quickly shoved the glove at Piper and Piper took it ungratefully. “What is that?” Max asked. “I think it was an index finger.” Piper answered. “No, not that. What’s that?” Max questioned, shining the flashlight on the large object that had previously blocked Piper’s way. Piper and Max walked closer to it. “It looks like a dam. A beaver dam. I heard the beavers chewing before. This must be a river, not a lake like I thought.” Piper explained. “Yeah, well despite what it is, I’m freezing, spooked, and about to drown! Can we please get out of here?” Max whined. “Yeah, I think it’s time to get Mulder and Scully.” Piper complied. Max began to walk away. Piper took a few steps and then stopped. “Max.” Piper said plainly. “What is it?” Max asked, turning around. “There’s something under the water.” Piper answered as calmly as possible. “What do you mean, something?” “I think…I think it’s a leg.” Max looked at Piper blankly. She didn’t know what to do. Neither of them did. “Let’s get out of here.” Piper finally said when she realized that they could no longer stand in the river. The rain was coming down so hard that the water level was too high for either of them to stand. They’d have to swim back to down the river. “Piper, why don’t we just climb onto land here and walk back to the camp?” Max asked as they started swimming against the current. “Because we’re more likely to get lost in the woods. We wouldn’t know where to go. At least here there are only so many places you can go. And besides, it’s not that far.” Piper said. Max decided not to respond. They both started swimming. Minutes later they had successfully swam back to the shore. Piper still clung to the latex glove that she held in her left hand. Piper walked back to the tree and grabbed her shoes. Both of the girls were shivering from the cold air. They looked at each other and then began walking back towards the camp. “What are we supposed to tell them?” Max asked through shattering teeth. “We tell them only what we have to.” Piper responded. “I do not want these two guys involved if they don’t have to be. Just tell them we found a dead body and that we need Mulder and Scully right away.” “And how do we explain the reason behind us being in the lake?” “Well…just say we were exploring and fell in. Technically, it’s somewhat true.” “Piper, I don’t like lying.” “As soon as Mulder and Scully get here we’ll tell them everything but we’re not telling Rick and Jeff.” Piper said sternly. They walked together in silence for a few more minutes. Finally, Piper stopped. “Piper, do we even know where we’re going?” Max whined. “Shhh.” Piper hissed putting her finger to her mouth to signify silence. “Why are we being quiet?” Max whispered a few moments later. “Don’t you hear that?” Piper whispered back. “Hear what?” “Someone shouting. Come on.” Piper said quietly, beginning to walk in another direction. “Piper, that’s not the way back to camp!” Max said, dropping the whisper. “Just come on.” Piper responded, continuing to walk. The sound that Piper heard got louder and soon Max started to hear it, too. There was someone shouting. “That sounds like Jeff.” Max finally said as she and Piper stopped for a second time. “Yeah, and it sounds like he’s coming closer.” Piper realized. She aimed the flashlight in the air and started signaling with it. She cupped her hand around the light and then took it off, causing the light to blink. “What are you doing?” Max asked, unimpressed. “Trying to contact Jeff.” Piper answered. “Maybe he’ll see the light.” “Contact him? Piper, do you even know how to use a flashlight for codes?” “No, but I figure he’s got to realize that there’s someone out here.” “Oh, just checking.” Max said somewhat sarcastically. Piper turned the flashlight back towards the ground as Jeff emerged from the trees. “What are you girls doing out here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Jeff said. “We heard a noise and we wanted to check it out.” Max answered. “What happened to your tent? It got all ripped and mangled.” Jeff said. “Oh…well…” Max began, unsure of how to answer the question. “I sleepwalk, a lot.” Piper answered. “I must have…damaged it.” “Damaged it?” Jeff asked, conspicuously. “Well, I can’t find Rick.” “Rick’s missing?” Piper questioned. “Yeah, I assumed he went to look for you guys. Have you seen him?” Jeff wondered. “Well, kind of.” Piper responded. Max looked at her strangely. “What do you mean, kind of?” Max and Jeff asked together. Piper looked down at the latex glove in her hand. She held it up to Jeff’s face. “What’s that?” Jeff asked, staring at the latex glove. “Believe me.” Max said. “You don’t want to know.” “What’s in the glove, Piper?” Jeff questioned, more sternly. Piper opened the top of the glove and allowed Jeff to peer inside. He looked in and gagged. He turned and coughed. “Told you that you didn’t want to know.” Max said. “Is that Rick?” Jeff asked, turning back towards the girls. “Well, we’re not sure. But it might be a safe bet to think so.” Piper responded. “Well, what or who would just cut off his finger?” Jeff said furiously. “I think they took more than his finger.” Piper commented. “We think we might have found a leg.” Max added in. This time Jeff turned and threw up. “That’s what I originally thought.” “Look, we have got to call Mulder and Scully.” Piper said. “I have my cell-phone back at the camp.” Jeff finally said when he stopped vomiting. |