Chapter Three
Heuvelmans Lake
Blue Ridge Mountains, GA
2006
“I don’t understand,” William said, standing on the sand and staring out at the lake as evening settled around them.
“What don’t you understand?” Scully asked, smiling at him as she placed her hand on top of his head, stroking his hair.
“Well,” William said, his brow furrowed with concentration. “You said Big Blue lives in this lake, Daddy.”
“I did,” Mulder agreed with a nod.
“And that he’s a huge lake monster.”
“Well, monster is not a word I generally like to use.” He caught Scully’s eye and she shook her head as she smiled.
“Is that right?” she asked, raising her eyebrows and tilting her head.
“Yes. I prefer…” He gestured with a hum, searching for the correct word to describe Big Blue. “I’d say he’s more of a creature. A lake creature.”
“A lake creature,” Scully said and Mulder nodded, putting his arm around William’s thin shoulders.
“Yup.”
“But, Daddy,” William said, looking up at him with his big blue eyes. “Even if he is a lake creature, he couldn’t live here. The deepest lake in America is only one thousand nine hundred and forty three feet deep and that’s Crater Lake in Oregon. We’re in Georgia and I don’t think this lake is that deep.”
“How do you…?” Mulder asked him in surprise. “How do you know the depth of Crater Lake?”
“Grandma told me about lakes and oceans when I stayed the night at her house. She has a ‘cycopedia book with information about them. She showed me.”
“Okay,” Mulder said, looking out at the water and then back at William. “So what are you thinking?”
“You said Big Blue is really big.”
“I did.”
“Well,” William said, looking out at the water and shaking his head with a deep sigh. “I don’t think this lake is big enough for Big Blue to live here. I think he would need something bigger. Like the ocean. It’s so deep. And he would have more space to move around.”
“That’s true,” Scully said, nodding as she too looked out at the lake, glancing back at Mulder with a half smile.
“It is, Daddy. I don’t think you’re right about him being here,” William said, almost sadly.
“It wasn’t me who first said he lives here,” Mulder said, shaking his head. “People have claimed it for years. I just know about it.”
“Yeah. But, I think they got it wrong too. The lake’s just not big enough for a… creature like Big Blue.”
“It’s hard to ignore the science, Mulder,” Scully said, smiling at him over William’s head.
“Science, huh?” he asked and she nodded before clapping her hands together.
“You know what? I’m hungry. Is anyone else hungry?”
“I am!” William shouted and Scully laughed.
“Let’s go get some dinner. How about pizza and then maybe some ice cream?”
“Yeah!”
They started walking to the car, his two skeptics, further discussing the improbabilities of Big Blue, but Mulder remained on the shore staring at the lake.
“I still believe,” he said quietly. “Science isn’t always completely accurate.” He smiled and nodded affectionately to the water.
As he started to leave, he heard a noise that caused him to turn around and then draw in a deep breath.
“Scully!” he called out in a loud whisper, not taking his eyes off the water and the giant creature that had just surfaced. “William! You guys… he’s… look at him! He’s beautiful!”
Big Blue looked left and right, his long neck swiveling gracefully, his round back and then his tail were visible before he slipped back under the water and out of sight, leaving Mulder completely dumbfounded.
“Mulder! Come on. We’re hungry!” Scully called to him and he shook his head in disbelief.
“Did you see him?” he asked as he hurried to her, William already in the car. “Tell me you saw him!”
“Who? Big Blue? Mulder… ”
“He was just there. Scully, I swear to you I saw him!”
She looked out at the now still lake, the ripples from Big Blue surfacing, widening out and appearing like the ebb and flow of the lake. Looking back at him, she shook her head as she placed a hand on his arm.
“I didn’t see anything,” she said quietly. “But… we’re here for three more days. Maybe that will change.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he said, looking back at the water and smiling as he thought of Big Blue and how aptly he had been named. “We packed the video camera, right? And the digital camera? And backup memory cards and extra videotapes?”
“Umm. Yes. Yes. And no,” she said.
“Then we’re going to need to make a stop after dinner, because there’s some evidence that needs to be collected.”
“You really saw something, didn’t you?” she asked softly, searching his face.
“I did.”
“Then let’s eat and we’ll go get what we need.”
“Ahh, Scully,” he said, smiling happily as that old feeling of excited anticipation stirred inside of him. “Let’s go.”
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