Amorem Animalem

The Georgia Red Clay Monster

Scully pulled up to the Sleep Tight Inn and turned off the car. The two agents sat there in silence as they rubbed their eyes and woke up.  They both got out, and like hungry zombies, they walked to the front desk.

"Good afternoon," the manager said "Checking in?"

"Yes please," Scully said as she got out her work designated credit card.

"One room?" The polite woman behind the counter asked.

"Two, actually," Mulder interjected.

"Alrighty. Two rooms come to sixty-six dollars. Cash or credit?"

"Run it as a credit please," Scully said as she handed the manager her card.

"Government exempt," she read. "Oh, my. Are you two... Spies?" She whispered.

"Although we like to think that we are, no, we're just your everyday average government employees," Mulder said as he took the credit card from the woman and handed it to Scully.

"Well, I hope you two enjoy your stays." The short, round woman said as she handed them their keys.

The two walked to their rooms, 112 and 113. Scully carried her duffle bag inside, placed it on the floor and collapsed on the bed. Just as she closed her eyes, there was a knock on the door.

"Scully, it's me," Mulder said from the other side.

"Come in." She groaned.

"Hey, I found this pizza menu in my room. You wanna split a large meat-mania with me?" He said as he took a seat on the floor next to her bed.

"Half meat half veggie, please." She said as she closed her eyes.

Mulder got out his phone and called the pizza place. They waited for a good thirty minutes before their dinner arrived. In the meantime, Mulder put on the tv, switched through every channel at least four times before he decided to watch The Twilight Zone reruns. Scully was half awake, listening to Mulder's breathing. He sounded stuffy like he had a cold.

"Mulder, are you feeling alright?" She asked as she tiredly sat up.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just having an allergy attack or something, no big deal." He said as he sniffed.

Scully stood up, went into the bathroom and came back with a hot wash cloth and an allergy pill that she kept in her purse.

"Take this," She said as she softly laid the cloth across his forehead. "The heat from the cloth will open up your sinus cavity."

"Thanks, Scully." He said softly.

Before she could sit down, there was a knock at the door. It was the pizza guy. She paid him and gave him a generous tip of two dollars, well, generous considering the fact that Mulder once paid a pizza boy ten cents.

"Scully," Mulder began,"Did you check his mouth for any fangs?"

"Mulder, we agreed to never speak of that incident again." She said as she set the pizza on her bed. She opened the box and the aromatic steam rose up and kissed her nose. She patted on the bed, telling Mulder to join her. He took a seat up against the headboard and the two ate their pizza in silence as they watched the creepy black and white television show.