From: Megan Reilly Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Beyond the Smoke (1/1) SHORT! Date: Sat, 27 Jan 1996 12:01:27 -0800 Category: Character flashback. Sorry, no Mulder. (Now that everyone's stopped reading...) Disclaimer: Characters from Chris Carter, 10-13, 20th Cent. Fox. Plot inspired by Morgan and Wong's "Beyond the Sea". No infringement intended. I wrote this about 2 weeks ago, but now it seems really relevant since Scully was *smoking* on last night's ep! (Put the pack down, Scully...) Beyond the Smoke by Megan Reilly eponine@uci.edu Jan. 27, 1996 [1978...] It was hot and it was quiet. Dana sat perfectly still, looking into the darkness, absorbing the silence. She could feel her heart thudding in her chest, so fast it almost worried her. She threw back the covers and got out of bed. She knew which stairs to avoid, which spots underneath the living room rug would creak and betray her. Dana's hands were steady as she drew in a shaky breath and listened again to the stillness. She slid the zipper on the leather handbag back and froze to see if anyone had been awakened by the foreign sound in the night. Her hair fell into her eyes as she bent her head to search inside her mother's purse. A tiny thrill wne through her as she drew the cigarette up into the palm of her hand, opened the book of matches and tore one out. She slid the zipper back and listened again. Bill, her oldest brother, was snoring. Dana tiptoed back across the living room and winced at the smacking sound the heavy front door made when she opened it. She slipped out through the screen door and left it open behind her as she sat down on the wooden porch, feeling the splinters dig into her bare legs. She was almost panting now with excitement. She ran her fingertips along the cigarette and held it up in front of her eyes. She was about to do something so bad...Dana squirmed, feeling that electrical jolt of excitement go through her again. Dana was the perfect child. She never did things she wasn't supposed to. And now she was about to break one of the cardinal rules of the Scully household. Both of her parents smoked and they were strict about their children not following their example. But breaking a hyprocritical rule wasn't the best of it. She was going to get away with it! The feeling of freedom she got was like a drug in itself. She smiled as she struck the macth, savoring the power she held in her hands. What shall I do next? She felt invincible. Dana lit the cigarette and swept it into her mouth, imitating movie stars she'd seen on TV. She inhaled deeply and fought to keep from coughing. Her mouth opened to let the smoke out. She stuck out her tongue, hoping the sweltering night air would deplete the taste. She looked at the cigarette with disgust. But she had to take another drag. It wasn't suite so bad, except for the queasy feeling growing in her stomach. >From behind her and to her right, Dana heard the click-fizz of a lighter. Her eyes widened and she didn't dare to move. Her father used a lighter. And he would skin her alive if he knew what she was doing. It took all of her courage to slowly turn her head. Her sister Melissa was perched up on the porch railing, grinning at her in the glow from the lighter. "What's up, sis?" she said, and lit the cigarette. She closed the lighter and slipped it back into the pocket of her harlequin patched pants. Dana opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say. Nothing was right. She'd sound too young, or scared, or stupid. So instead, she straightened her shoulders, stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it under the porch. She didn't look at her sister, but she could feel Melissa's eyes on her as she went into the house. Hot tears that made her ashamed hung in her eyes as she lay in bed, furious. Trust Melissa to interfere, Dana thought angrily, her hands in futile fists at her sides. She was always doing stuff like this. Mouthing off to their father, sneaking out, swearing. Didn't she know how hard it was for Dana? Didn't she care? "Hey." Dana refused to look up. She felt her sister sit down on the bed. "It's cool, you know. I do it all the time." "Why are you treating me like a baby?" snapped Dana. "I can do anything I want." Melissa looked at her long and hard. "As long as you're sure it's what you want," she said, patting Dana's leg through the covers. Then she got up and went out. Damn her, Dana thought, her lips set in a pout. Because she knew Melissa was right. End. See? Told you it was short. So now, tell me what you think. OK? Megan, eponine@uci.edu