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 *********************************