Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 17:34:29 -0600
From: barnes@imt.net (Barnes)
Subject: X-Files Creative Archive


By the way, in case this thing didn't say so- This was written by Kit
Stormchaser, and it's called "Shoe Shopping".

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this entire story except for my name at the end of
it belongs to me. (Did I cover it?) Please don't sue me, my parents
wouldn't appreciate the lawsuit. Also, I only have about 5 bucks right now-
not exactly big money.

Feel free to send CONSTUCTIVE (Key word here- constructive) critisism or
praise, I don't care either way. (No flames, as my house isn't very insured
fire-wise.) My address is:  This is my first story, so
please be nice.


###########################################################################

        Dana Scully sighed and looked around impatiently. They'd been at
the Payless Shoe Store in the practically deserted mall for what seemed
like hours, and her feet were so tired they felt like they were about to
fall off. She wanted to go home and shoot BBs with her father and brothers.
Why Melissa needed a new pair of shoes, she didn't know. The ones her
sister had on looked fine to Dana, but Mel obviously thought otherwise. She
reached up and took her mother's hand, tugging on it.

        "Mommy, can we go home now? Please, mommy, let's go get some ice
cream and go home. I'm tired and so's my feets and this is really boring.
Can't we go home, please?"

        Meg Scully looked down at her youngest daughter, exasperation
written all over her face. "Honey, we can't go right now. Mommy's busy
getting shoes for Melissa. Can you maybe wait a minute longer?"

        She sighed as Dana shook her head. Looking around the almost empty
mall, she suddenly got an idea. "I have an idea, sweetie. Can you go sit
down on that bench over there where Mommy can see you and wait for us? Does
that sound like fun?" She pointed over to an ornately carved bench in the
middle of a square and knelt down so she could look Dana right in the eye.
"If you go over there, you have to promise me you won't go anywhere else
and you won't go with any strangers, okay?"

        Her daughter nodded solemnly. "I promise, mommy."

        She then skipped out of the store, leaving her mother to have to
deal with Melissa, who was intent on getting the most expensive pair of
shoes in the whole store.

        Dana sat down in front of the bench next to a tall potted plant and
found on of its leaves that had fallen. She was trying to make it stand on
its side when a shadow fell over her. Thinking it was her mother, she
didn't look up but instead began telling the person beside her about what
she was attempting to do.

        She suddenly glanced up when the person she thought was her mom
wasn't talking to her, like she usually did. What she saw was an older
dark-haired and dark-eyed girl standing next to her, watching her attempts
to stand the leaf up. Dana quickly stood up and offered her hand.

        "Hi, my name's Dana. What's yours?"

        The older girl smiled and shook Dana's hand. "Sam. So, Dana,
what're you doing here by yourself? Where's your mom?"


        Dana smiled. "I was bothering Mommy, so she told me to wait out
here. She's buyin' shoes for my sister Melissa. I think it's really boring,
and I'd rather be shooting BBs with my daddy and brothers. Do you have any
brothers?"

        Sam smiled sadly and sat down on the floor. "Yes, I have one
brother. So, you'd rather be shooting BB's? Cool. I'd rather be home too,
but I left because my mom and dad were fighting. I always come here
whenever I need to get away."

        Dana frowned. "That's too bad they fight. My mom and dad almost
never fight. So, you want to play with this leaf with me? I'm trying to get
it to stand on its side, but it keeps falling over. You want to try?" She
handed the leaf to Sam and watched silently as the other girl concentrated
on the dulll green leaf. It seemed to glow with a bright orange light for a
second, but then it returned to the same dull green color it had been
before. Sam then carefully set it down on its side and slowly took her hand
away. Dana stared in amazement as it stayed there on its side, not moving.
She glanced up at Sam, then turned her attention back to the still
stationary leaf.

        "How'd you do that?" she asked wonderingly. Sam smiled
mysteriously.

        "If I told you, I wouldn't be able to be your friend anymore, I'd
have to go away and you'd never see me again." Dana sighed sadly and
nodded.

        "Okay." Suddenly, she glimpsed her mom and Melissa walking out of
the store. She stood upp and smiled at Sam. "I guess I'll see you later."
Sam also stood and smiled, then quickly hugged Dana. The older girl held
the younger girl tightly, the released her. "Well, I gotta go. Bye, Sam!"
Sam smiled wistfully as she watched Dana run to her mother.

        "Good-bye, Dana Scully. Don't you ever forget me, now." The air
behind her shimmered, then she disappeared.

        When Dana reached her mother, she started telling her all about Sam
and what she did with the leaf. Mrs. Scully looked over Dana's head,
puzzled. When her daughter stopped for breath, she quickly interrupted and
asked,

        "But where is she, Dana? Where's this friend you've been telling me
about? I'd like to meet her and thank her for taking such good care of my
Dana." Dana whirled around and looked about the empty mall, searching with
her eyes for her newfound friend.

        "But, mom, she was right here!"

        Meg smiled. "I'm sure she was, honey, but she must've left. Now we
need to leave also and go get some ice cream. C'mon, let's go. You'll see
her again, don't worry." As they left the mall, Dana took one last look
behind them, searching for Sam. Unfortunatly, she never saw her friend
again.


        Sam gazed serenely out the huge observation window of her ship at
the medium-sized planet below them. If she concentrated hard enough in one
area, she could see her brother, Fox huddled miserably in his room as their
parents fought. If she looked in another, she could see little Dana
shooting BBs with her brothers and hitting every one with a single shot.
She smiled knowingly. "You guys are going to be perfect for each other,"
she whispered. "I just know it." She looked up from the calming view of the
blue-green orb as she heard the loud warning notice.

        "WARNING. WARNING. WE ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN TRIP BACK TO ALPHA
CENTAURI. PLEASE RETURN TO ASSIGNED QUARTERS IMMEDIATLY AND FOLLOW PROPER
PROCEDURE. I REPEAT, PLEASE RETURN TO ASSIGNED QUARTERS IMMEDIATLY AND
FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURE. THANK YOU." She took one last look at the planet
which she had called home for eight years and orbited in this ship for
five, coming down only to strengthen memories.

        "Good-bye, Dana and Fox. I'll miss you." She quickly ran out of the
bridge and to her quarters, reviewing in her mind what she had to do.
Satisfied with the knowledge she remembered, she ran into her room and shut
the door.


        As the ship took off, astonomers and meteorologists all over the
world reported seeing a bright flash of light in the sky at about 3:30 p.m.
No one was ever able to scientifically explain it, but the people who
believed in UFOs knew what it was. However, since they were considered
crazy to an extent, all their findings, reports, and thoughts were
ridiculed and ignored. If they only knew the truth.....

********************************* THE END *********************************

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