“Mulder, I don’t understand what we’re doing out here.”

Mulder ignored his partner’s comment, instead focusing on the classroom with a set of binoculars. He checked the time. It was 3:15 in the afternoon.

“Mulder...”

“They should be here anytime now.”

“Who?”

“The missing children. The ones responsible for the murders of their parents. They will assemble at the usual time in the usual place to meet their Master.”

Scully sipped her coffee, and rattled her fingers impatiently across the dashboard. “There’s no proof that the children committed those murders, and nothing linking Barney to the killings except possibly that doll you had sent for analysis.”

“Shhhh. I spotted it.”

“Spotted what, Mulder?”

“Speaking of dolls. There’s one sitting by itself in that classroom. Of Barney.”

Scully reached into her satchel, removing her pair of binoculars. “Which classroom are you looking at?”

“Third one from the left. With the Barney doll sitting on the chair.”

Scully panned the binoculars across the front of the McPherson Elementary School, stopping when the plush grinning Barney doll came into her sight. “Okay, Mulder. Someone left their Barney doll in the classroom. So?”

“So...here they come.”

Mulder and Scully both watched with deep interest as a gleeful horde of children bounced and danced into the classroom, circling the Barney doll. They appeared to be singing.

“See, Scully?” said Mulder, “what kids in their right minds stay after school, especially during the summer, to play and dance? It’s part of their ritual, and that doll is linked to it somehow.”

Before Scully could reply, a sparkling burst of light exploded inside the room. To their surprise, the Barney doll was now replaced with a larger, more animated, version of itself.

“It’s him!” said Mulder excitedly, “it’s Barney! He’s been magically summoned by his children servants, like the gods of old! Scully, we’re looking at a ritual that may span centuries, consisting of an all-powerful being with the ability to sway young minds. Come on, you must admit this is really happening! Scully?”

No sooner had Mulder turned to face Scully when he saw the infantile face of the green dinosaur, Baby Bop, holding a gun to his partner’s head. A second later, he felt the cold nuzzle of a revolver pressed against his own head, as he dropped the binoculars and turned to face the lazy-eyed yellow dinosaur, BJ. With a motion of her blanky, Baby Bop gestured the investigators to step out of the vehicle and follow them towards the classroom across the street.

“Well look, everyone! We’ve new Special Friends to play and dance with! And what are your names?”

Mulder stared at Barney blankly. “Why did you order those children to kill their parents, Barney?”

“Oh my, I can see you’ll be a challenge to get along with,” chuckled the dinosaur, sauntering over to Agent Scully. “But I know you and I will be suuppperr-deee-duuperr friends through and through! What’s your name?”

“You may address me as Scully. We’re federal investigators, and have cause to believe you--”

“Scully! What a ssstuuppenndousss name! Tell me Scully, do you enjoy doing the Number Limbo?”

“The what?”

Baby Bop cooed and giggled. “Oooohh dear! She doesn’t know the Number Limbo! I think we need to play a game just for her! Come on, children!”

The next moment, all of the assembled children began forming a line, as a limbo bar magically appeared in the far corner. Sappy music filled the air, as the youngsters all began singing and dancing in unison.

“Oh we love to do the number limbo.....”

Barney motioned at BJ, who then grabbed Mulder squarely by the collar and dragged him away, out of the classroom. The tall yellow dinosaur kept his gun firmly planted between Mulder’s shoulders, as they began descending a stairway towards the boiler room.

“Scully, whatever you do, don’t participate in the games!” he yelled, as the door fell shut. “Oh, I think she will, won’t you Scully?” chortled Barney, “at least one of you knows how to have fun I bet.”

Scully backed away from the game, the whole procession of children seemed phony in their movements and expressions. It was all one delirious pantomime. But as she moved away from the assembly, she saw the folds around Barney’s and Baby Bop’s eyes crinkle deeply with resentment.

“She doesn’t want to play, Barney,” scowled Baby Bop, wringing her “blanky”, “Must teach her lesson, I think! Oh yes, a real important lesson!”

Scully looked at the children, who had stopped singing and dancing. A murderous cast to their faces suggested to her that she was in danger. The procession of blank-eyed youths suddenly produced weapons from their pockets and sleeves. Knives. Stakes. Needles.

“Hup, hup, Scully!” chuckled Barney, waving his arms over the heads of his mindless army, “I think you may want to rethink your decision not to play. My Special Friends don’t take rejection very well, I’m afraid.”

“You’re gonna get it good, Fed,” sneered BJ, as he shoved Mulder down the flight of stairs, “this’ll teach you to interfere with our love-in.”

Mulder picked himself off of the concrete floor and continued walking through the boiler room. “So why does he do it, BJ? And what do you get out of it?”

“Power. Power for Barney, power for me. Stealing kid’s minds may seem like child’s play today, but tomorrow, when these kids grow up and become politicians, lawmakers, and other earth-shakers, Barney’s gonna be holding the reins.”

“You’re insane.”

BJ shrieked in rage and swung the gun butt against the back of Mulder’s head, knocking him off balance. “Shut up! Shut up! I am not insane, you are! Now stand back while I open this door, fool!”

Staggering from the blow, Mulder watched as the vehement yellow dinosaur began fumbling through a keychain. He didn’t trust what BJ was about to do next; the moment BJ unlocked the immense purple iron door, Mulder lunged at him, knocking the pistol out of his hand.

“You dirty copper!”

Mulder narrowly ducked the beaked jaw lunging at his head. However, BJ landed a quick jab to his stomach, knocking the air out of him. Falling back against the corner of the boiler room, Mulder saw BJ pick up the gun and advance towards him, giggling deviously.

“This is for all our Special Friends, pig!”

Mulder leaped into the air, grasping a thick iron pipe that crossed the ceiling with both hands. His weight sprung the pipe out of its fixture and upon the surprised yellow dinosaur, spraying the creature with hot jets of steam. BJ let out a bestial howl, dropping the gun onto the floor, wringing his face in agony.

As Mulder watched, he began to notice something peculiar. Thick, billowy puddles of bright yellow goo began forming on the concrete floor, and he realized that BJ was melting like a gigantic candle in a furnace. Amidst the blind failings of his foe, Mulder stared on in horrified fascination as the creature was reduced to nothing more but a spongy pile of yellowish bile seeping into the drain.

“Barney,” called a voice from behind the opened door, “is that you? Please come in and let us play pretend games!”

Lifting the gun off the floor and backing away from the gelatinous mess, Mulder approached the door and peered inside. A thick metal pen painted purple and green stood in the center of the cement room, dingy hands reaching out from various air holes and slots. “This is Agent Mulder of the FBI,” he said, cautiously approaching the pen, “Identify yourselves”.

“Tony!”

“Tina!”

“Laurie!”

“Scott!”

“Ricky!”

“Pedro!”

The names went on and on, and immediately Mulder made a troubling realization. All the names matched those of the children who were once regularly featured on the “Barney and Friends” television show. This is what became of them after they were replaced.

“Listen to me,” said Mulder, unfastening the bolts to the pen, “we gotta get you out of here. Barney isn’t your friend, neither is BJ or Baby Bop. I don’t know what he had in mind for you ultimately, but your days here were numbered.”

The voices inside the metal pen protested and cried out in denial. Mulder realized he was going to have to reason with them extensively. And give these people a well-needed bath. The stench was astounding. As he undid the last bolt to the pen, the door flung open and Mulder stared on in fascination as the shaggy, unshaven, and malnourished teenagers dressed in soiled Barney pajamas shifted and lurched their way into the open space of the room. They all cringed under the glow of the ceiling lamp, and smiled at Mulder.

I have to get back upstairs, Mulder thought, I hope Scully’s holding out.

Click here for Chapter Three of The reX-Files....