Something Wicked
Writers:
Nicole Czara18@aol.com (Lead Writer)
Jo B. purplefox@usfamily.net
Cerulean Blue Cerulean_Blue@juno.com
Bound to the Fox mkfightclub@astragate.net
Eli_Anne e_ocon@ix.netcom.com
Summary: Mulder and Scully travel to Chase, Georgia to investigate a series
of disappearances that seem to be tied with a carnival. The events in Georgia
change them forever and returning to DC Mulder must work to retain his newly
found relationship with Alex Krycek. Mulder takes his now older lover to an island
in Bermuda hoping to convince Alex that their love can overcome any obstacle.
There the lovers discover the corruption of absolute power.
Disclaimer: The X-Files characters Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Alex Krycek,
Walter Skinner, Jeffrey Spender, CSM, the Lone Gunmen, etc. are the property
Chris Carter, 1013 productions and Fox Broadcasting.
Note: Alex Krycek has two arms in this story. For those of you who are
sticklers to canon, think of this as occurring before the events in
Terma/Tungusta.
Warning: This story contains sexual interaction between males and a big
wallop of BDSM. If the subject matter offends you do not read any further.
Feedback is always welcome. Any constructive suggestions are appreciated.
Okay to Archive: please ask first.
"By the Pricking of my thumbs,
Something Wicked this way comes."William Shakespeare
Chase, Georgia
October 15, 1999
2:00 p.m."Where is Agent Scully?" Mulder asked, distracted. The young police officer shifted on his feet and remained silent. Finally Mulder looked up at him briefly. He had been researching the history of Cimmerian and Mueler's Carnival and Masque. The case had all the makings of an X-File, people disappearing in the wake of a carnival that came to town every ten years, in the county of Bacon, Georgia. It wasn't so much the disappearance of people that bothered Mulder; it was common enough even in the remote town of Chase. It was the fact that other people, sometimes much younger or much older, showed up later claiming to be the missing person. Though it wasn't really spoken of, Mulder had the distinct feeling that the townspeople not only believed the claims, but that they were well used to such happenings. Without waiting for the officer to answer he stared at the picture of one Caleb Cobb. Eighty-four when had disappeared from his home five days ago, the photo showed a boy of around six to seven years of age. The boy's eyebrow was raised with a bit of contempt and there was a curl to his rosebud lips that suggested he was about to give someone a tongue-lashing. Mulder had talked to Meredith Cobb, Caleb's wife of 66 years. Though the child had only shown up the night before, she was utterly convinced he was, somehow, her husband. Scully had given her a patented look of disbelief and later had told Mulder she hoped the woman realized that it was illegal to be married to a child. Mulder had chuckled, but now looking at the other photos, some of children who had disappeared and had returned as adults, he began to disregard his earliest assumptions of extraterrestrial involvement.
When he had first got wind of the bizarre claims of these disappearances and subsequent re-appearances he had convinced Skinner to allow he and Scully to go down to Georgia to check into it. They had driven from the airport and had passed the small carnival that crouched in the middle of a barren field, looking silent and oddly abandoned
"October Carnival," he had mused with a note of longing in his voice. How long had it been since the days when the sound of a carnival had been the culmination of a year's hopes and struggles? The hockers, the carnies, the sounds of exotic animals just behind a flapping tent's boundaries. The delighted screams of young and young-at-heart as the hum of mechanical rides swooped people to the heavens and back. He could see the train tracks off to the side of the field as he drove past and he imagined the sound of the train coming, laden with all of the strange and wonderful things that made up Cimmerian and Mueler's Carnival and Masque. He could see the excited children and adults in his mind as something, anything came to break the monotony of everyday life in the quiet town of Chase.
Scully had remained silent but her reflection in the passenger side window melded with the image of the carnival. The carnival was dark, not just in the absence of lights in the late afternoon, but dark as a whole. No riotous colors or colorful flags, everything was in shades of black or gray. Large tents speckled the field, all black. Scully seemed to find it fascinating as she craned her head back to look at it after they had driven past.
Thought of the carnival held his attention even though he remembered that he was waiting for the young officer to answer him about Scully's whereabouts.
"She said she was going to talk to someone with the show," the young man finally answered, his voice quiet, a bit nervous.
Mulder raised a brow. "The carnival? She said she was going over there?"
The officer nodded. "She left about ten minutes ago. Said she wanted to talk to Mueler about Cobb and the Jessep girl...er um woman now I guess." The officer shook his head. "Damndest thing I tell you." His eyes wide and innocent.
Mulder narrowed his eyes. Something about the officer's attitude didn't ring true. Disingenuousness. Mulder would bet that the man had heard about this type of thing all his life. Children who inexplicably came back after a few nights of frantic worry of their parents, only to come to the door of their homes, older, or, as in the case of Mr. Cobbs, younger. His research of the carnival made him think of Ray Bradbury's book "Something Wicked this Way Comes." Maybe it was the way the carnival rolled in so infrequently and yet the people knew it well, just like Bradbury's, Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show. He had even verified that like the fictional troupe, Cimmerian and Mueler's Carnival and Masque had small parades through Mainstreet in the tradition of P.T. Barnum. As far as he could figure out from the town's records, the carnival had been coming to Chase every ten years since well before the Civil War and every time there were unexplained disappearances. There was not always those reappearing decades younger or older, most were never seen again, some were seen the next time the carnival came to town, marching in the parade and seemingly unconcerned with any relatives that might have caught their eye.
Mulder found it all odd, damned odd, but he suspected that some other threat rather than that from beyond the Earth's atmosphere was working its dark purpose here. He was frankly stumped as to what they were dealing with, but it seemed as if the county wanted no part of the investigation and the town was only marginally interested. The carnival was due to leave that night when the midnight train came in and again Mulder found himself thinking of Bradbury's tale. Trains at night were always a lonely image. Truth was sometimes stranger than fiction. Perhaps Robert Mueler, the man who ran Cimmerian and Mueler's Carnival and Masque, was not entirely what he seemed. When Mulder had questioned him earlier in the week he had felt as if Mueler were silently laughing at he and Scully. Of the mysterious Cimmerian, Mulder had no clue as to his whereabouts. Perhaps there hadn't even been a Cimmerian since the Civil War. There had been very little mentioned of either of the original owners even when the carnival was new. New to the county of Bacon, Georgia that was, Mulder amended. Mulder suspected that if he were to do more intense research he would find that the carnival had come to the new nation by ship far longer ago than anyone suspected. He could see the stream of black painted wagons and strangely dressed men and women walking into a small town centuries ago and there entertaining, leaving in their wake the odd missing person time and time again. Mueler leading the parade in his dark suit and top hat, a silver topped walking stick held in his hand. He looked at a photograph of the men, Mueler and Cimmeran, dated 1875. The man Mulder had met earlier in the week bore an uncanny resemblance to one of the men in the photo. Mulder suspected that they were, somehow, one and the same.
Scully would scoff at him for his fanciful thinking but she wasn't even there to tease. He frowned. Why had she gone off alone? She never went off without telling him. She had ditched him! It was interesting that she picked this one time to leave him in the dust so-to-speak. She had seemed awfully interested in Mueler when they had gone to the carnival to speak to him. She had fairly purred like a kitten whenever those dark eyes had focussed on her. It was a feeling he knew well. He briefly thought of the gaze that made him purr like a kitten and with a frown that made the young officer nervous he tried to squelch the image of black-lashed jade.
Alex. It was insanity, this relationship, more addictive than opium. Three months, three hot months. He could feel Alex's tongue playing with him, stretching him gently. Those teeth, the strong fingers playing with every inch of Mulder's body, every kiss, every lick, every bite adoring and tender. He shivered. Despite his conviction that Alex was no longer his enemy, that Alex had been working, in fact, to aid him, he knew that Alex was dangerous. More dangerous than he had ever suspected. It was in every movement, every gesture. Coiled strength that he had never allowed Mulder to see before. God he was so beautiful too, those eyes that burned with such intensity, that mouth, that body. Sex with Alex was like being born...like dying.
He closed his eyes and could hear Alex's voice, husky with passion. Telling him that he loved him. Mulder believed him. It was hard not to believe that Alex loved him. Every moment they were together Alex showed his love in little ways, making sure Mulder was warm, making sure that he wasn't hungry that he was taking the reasonable precautions with his life whenever he left Alex's side. Mulder had even suspected that Alex had followed him on some of his cases. Cases that Alex thought were dangerous that is. This case had made Alex laugh so hard tears had come to those jade eyes.
"A demon-infested carnival or one run by aliens? Oh, baby, this one is even out there for you!" Alex had laughed before pulling Mulder in for a hot kiss. Mulder smiled at the memory then sighed. He wouldn't hide his relationship with Alex much longer. He was too happy...too proud to call that man his. He only hesitated because of Scully. He couldn't imagine Scully's reaction to finding that her partner had taken his former enemy as his lover. The FBI had no real reason to object. Alex wasn't *officially* wanted for anything and they couldn't object to Mulder's sexual preference...not outwardly anyway. He shook his head. Alex wasn't what he should be thinking of now. He needed to go find Scully. He had a bad feeling that she needed him.
He looked up at the young officer. "Officer Bryant, would you take me out to the carnival?"
Officer Bryant looked like he wanted to decline but he finally nodded. "Sure, Agent Mulder. You don't think Agent Scully is in danger do you? I mean she seems...quite capable."
Mulder smiled a bit. "Oh yes, she is. But it isn't like her to just go off without telling me."
"I guess that must have been a pretty important call then," Officer Bryant offered as he picked up his keys.
"Call?" Mulder asked, the bad feeling blossoming into full-blown worry.
"Yeah, she got a call and just got up, said she was going over to Mueler's and left. Should I have told you earlier?" The young officer looked worried that he might have missed something important.
Mulder just shook his head, a small frown curving over his lips. "Let's just get going."
***
Scully felt the cool fingers that slid down her cheek and she stared into the dark, hypnotic eyes and stepped back a bit. She tried to clear her head, but it was too much. She allowed her face to be turned to face one of the mirrors that surrounded her and Robert Mueler.
"What do you see, sweet Dana?" His voice was soft, almost feminine, caressing.
She saw herself and frowned. She looked so old. Wrinkles around her eyes, around her mouth. Her lips even seemed pale and thin. Her hair was lackluster in the dim light. "What? I don't understand," she whispered.
"You're growing old, Dana. Slowly but surely the stamp of time is being placed on your face. Your skin is losing its luster, your eyes are not so bright, your lovely hair dulled and you are seeing it now. How long do you have left of beauty? How long before you look like an old woman?" He kissed her cheek, his lips cool.
She frowned again. "But this isn't how I look...is it?" She tried to reconcile her reflection with that with which she was familiar.
"Isn't it?" he whispered. His hands traveled from her neck to her waist. "What do you think?"
She shook her head and touched the deep lines by her mouth. "I don't know."
"Would you like me to change it? I know you've been thinking about it...thinking about how old you were looking. How you wished you could just look just five years younger. I can hear your wishes and those of others like you a thousand miles away. I can grant your wish. I can if you ask me to. You have to ask."
Scully nodded, his hypnotic voice was soothing. "I...I...what do I have to do?"
He smiled and led her to the quiet carousel behind them. "Get on," he urged.
She raised a red brow, but stepped onto the platform. "What does this have to do..."
"Everything has a price, Dana. But you want this don't you? Just a few years to take back your life. To walk in a room and not wonder if people are thinking how old you look."
She knew what he meant. She had hated that vanity, but it was true. She had found herself looking more critically at herself. She knew what she was thinking was insane. No one could take away years from another. Despite what she knew Mulder was thinking about the case. But what if? Five years. She could look twenty-eight again. She wondered if she could have children. Would that be possible?
"I know what you are thinking, Dana," Mueler purred from the control panel. "This is not like taking a pill, this is becoming younger. Erasing the scars of time...and events."
She gasped. How had he known what she was thinking? Suddenly she was frightened. Some shadowy figure stood just beyond her sight. She thought she could see the gleam of white teeth as the shadowy figure smiled and then the carousel began to move. She had to hold on to the neck of the horse she had chosen to sit on. The carousel was moving backward and she felt the hairs rise-up on the nape of her neck. Blue electric fingers spiraled up from the floor and she could feel the horse shift beneath her. Flickering like a strobe light she could almost swear the horse was real. There was a price for everything, he had said and she wondered what price she was going to pay for her vanity. Pain gripped her then and she cried out. She could see Mueler standing at the controls a satisfied smile on his face. What was he getting from this?
***
Mulder got out of the car and looked at Office Bryant. "Stay here," he said quickly. He was hurrying toward the largest tent wondering where all the carnies were when he heard Scully's cry of pain. He drew his gun and ran toward the tent to the left of the one he had been heading toward. He heard her cry out again and threw caution to the wind, rushing into the tent he saw Scully riding on a carousel...backwards. If there hadn't been shards of electricity buffeting her he might have laughed at the oddity of it. As it was he ran toward her writhing form. He jumped onto the small platform and immediately felt the sharp pain of electricity. He wondered dimly if he resembled the cartoon images of Wil-E Coyote being electrocuted. He stumbled and fell gritting his teeth against the pain. Only Scully's cries drew him on and he crawled on his belly to get to her. The hoof of one of the carousel horses came down on his head and he lay stunned for several minutes. He heard laughter but it sounded as if it were coming from far away. He called out to Scully desperately, the pain clenching in his guts and radiating out to every nerve in his body.
Scully heard Mulder's voice and with an effort she fell off the horse. She lay there on the spinning platform until she caught her breath and then she crawled toward the sound of his voice. What had she done? Why did Mulder have to come? She couldn't bear if her selfish vanity harmed him. She could see him before her not moving, blood leaking from his forehead. Pain gripped her again so intense that she screamed, but she kept crawling toward Mulder. Around and around went the carousel and she dimly realized that she had been on it for a long time. How long had Mulder been on it? She reached his side and rested her head on his chest; both of them consumed with painful electricity. Faster and faster the carousel turned, the stomping feet of the carousel horses wild and frenzied. Real horses trapped by poles skewering them cruelly. Mulder moaned and clutched at her arm.
"Scully!" His voice seemed to echo, electricity jumping into his mouth made him scream anew. She grabbed him under his arms and tried to drag him to the side of the platform.
"Help me, Mulder," she cried in frustration.
He fought against the lure of unconsciousness, the wound to his head vying for the role of the most pain he was feeling. He focussed on that, the pain and gave a great heave that sent both he and Scully off the platform and onto the clothe-covered floor of the tent. Then everything went black.
***
When Mulder opened his eyes he was in a hospital. He sat up quickly. "Scully!"
A pretty nurse came quickly to his side. "Easy, Agent Mulder. Your partner is fine. She's in another room down the hall. In fact she is probably going to be released soon," the nurse soothed.
Mulder touched his head, expecting to feel stitches from where the hoof had struck, but felt smooth skin. "What happened? How did we get here?"
"Johnny...I mean Officer Bryant," the nurse blushed making her even prettier, "brought you here. You and your partner."
"What about Mueler...the carnival..."
The nurse smiled at him. "Don't go worrying yourself about all that, honey. You just lay back and rest. You've been unconscious for quite a while. Your little partner insisted that you had a head wound." She smiled then. "You should have seen Dr. White when that young thing tried to tell him how to practice medicine."
Mulder frowned. "My partner is a medical doctor," he growled.
The nurse grinned. "And so am I, honey. I just pretend to be a nurse 'cause then I get to do all the work."
She hustled out before Mulder could defend Scully's honor. But the nerve of the nurse calling him honey like he was some kid. She couldn't be more than thirty at the very most. He heard a determined clip of shoes coming toward his door and he smiled. Only one woman could sound determined just from the click of her heels. Scully. He wondered if she knew how they had gotten here and what had happened after they had gotten off the damned carousel. If nothing else he could bring Mueler up on unsafe equipment. The memory of the electric shock was slammed out of his mind as the door opened and Scully came in. He gaped at her and she at him.
It was Scully, but it wasn't. Before him stood a young girl...late teens at best. She wore Scully's clothes, he thought the fitted jacket hung a bit on her thin frame. Her eyes seemed huge in her face and her mouth...her mouth was pursed in perfect Scully form.
"Scully?" he breathed, unsure.
"Yes, Mulder. Don't ask...I am not sure what happened." She frowned then as if trying to remember. "I think I talked to Mueler, but I can't remember it all."
"Scully! You look like a kid! I mean it," Mulder gasped.
"I know. Have you see yourself?"
"Myself?" Mulder asked, uncertain as to what she was talking about.
"You better come to the mirror," she sighed.
It was odd hearing that sigh come from one who looked like she should be giggling and holding hands with some boy with the last vestiges of acne staining his face. He stood then and made his way to the mirror. He couldn't stop looking at her though and she had to tap the mirror impatiently before he turned his face to the mirror.
"Oh shit," he groaned.
"My sentiments exactly," Scully seconded.
***
Jo's turn