Author's Note: Inspired by House on Haunted Hill and The Haunting
PROLOGUE
The house loomed on the horizon, it's enormous structure stretching for a distance that seemed impossible. And its height seemed almost equal to its length and width. It looked desolate yet ominous on the hill, a dark expanse of mystery. No one had entered the Van Horne estate in years, ever since the owner had mysteriously died and the caretakers had abandoned it with claims of mysterious and frightening occurrences. Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnelly had attended to the grounds of the Van Horne estate for over forty years, ever since they had immigrated from Ireland. When Woodrow Van Horne mysteriously died in 1991, however, the O'Donnellys abandoned their duties. Rumors spread that Mrs. O'Donnelly had gone insane due to supernatural occurrences on the estate. Someone even went so far as to say that Mrs. O'Donnelly had been possessed by evil spirits. Whatever the reason for the O'Donnelly departure, the Van Horne mansion had been left untouched for ten years, no one dared to set foot past the large, vine-covered gates that provided entrance to the grounds. Until now.
The green Jeep Cherokee followed the winding road up the hill. Prue's car definitely wouldn't have been able to handle the steep grade. Piper drove, her eyes glued to the road just in case any wild animals decided to jump out from the shadows of the trees that lined the road. Prue sat in the passenger seat, looking through a folder of information from work. Phoebe sat behind Piper next to all of Prue's photography equipment. She had a huge grin on her face, excited about arriving at their destination—the infamous Van Horne Mansion.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Piper said, a bitter tone to her voice. "I could be at home with my husband, enjoying the freedom of not having you two there."
"Hey, it's not our fault Leo got called away," Phoebe said with a smirk.. "Come on, it's not like we're going to be the only ones there. Mary Ann is going to be there, and so are a bunch of other people."
"Not to mention Clayton Moore," Prue commented, talking about one of the staff writers at 415 Magazine. "He overheard Phoebe telling me about this party at the Van Horne Mansion and begged his editor to let him do a piece on it."
"You know, that's kinda weird," Phoebe said. "This isn't exactly 415 material."
"Well, somehow Clayton convinced his editor that it is, and now I'm doing the photo spread," Prue replied. Then she looked at Piper. "I don't understand what the big deal is, Piper. It's just a mansion."
"Just a mansion? Just a mansion? A woman went crazy in this place," Piper said. "And now we're spending the night there."
"That's just a rumor, Piper," Phoebe said. "Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnelly just decided to move on since their boss croaked."
"How do you know there's no truth to the rumor?" Piper asked.
"Piper just relax," Prue said. "If you're this tense when we get there, you're liable to blow the place up."
"All the more reason I shouldn't be going!" Piper exclaimed.
"This is going to be fun," Phoebe said with a smile. "Just try to get into the spirit of things!"
"Yeah, well the spirit of things might get into me in this place," Piper commented. Finally the trees along the road started to thin and the Van Horne Mansion came into view at the top of the hill. The sisters were in awe at the size of the place.
"Piper, pull over. I want to get some shots of this," Prue said. Piper pulled over to the side of the road and Prue pulled out her camera. After she snapped some shots of the panoramic view she climbed back into the passenger seat. "I have to admit. I'm probably going to get a great spread from this."
"Good for you," Piper said under her breath but loud enough for her sisters to hear. They both snickered as the three of them continued up to Van Horne Mansion.
Piper let her Jeep roll to a stop behind a Hummer. She looked at Prue and Phoebe, surprised that someone with such an expensive vehicle was present at this little gathering. Prue explained.
"That's Clayton's," she said. "Writing is just a hobby that he happens to get paid for. He inherited his father's fortune."
"Maybe that's how he convinced his editor to let him do this story," Phoebe commented.
The sisters got out of the Jeep and went around to the back to retrieve their luggage. Before Prue could even attempt to get her bags, Clayton was right next to her.
"Prue, we need to get some arrival shots," he said. "Kudos for getting here early."
"Can I unload my stuff first?" Prue asked, annoyed by Clayton's attitude.
"Have your assistants do it," he said, referring to Piper and Phoebe. They both snickered.
"Those are my sisters, Clayton," Prue said, her irritation rising.
"Whatever. Get your camera," he said dismissively as he walked away.
"Did I mention that Clayton's a pompous ass?" Prue asked her sisters as she pulled out her equipment.
"No, I think you left that part out," Piper said with a smirk. She slung her bags over her shoulders. "Don't worry, Prue. We'll get your stuff."
"Yeah, seeing as we're your assistants and all," Phoebe added with a laugh. Prue just glared at Phoebe and prepared to take shots of the guests arriving.
"Name and number," a man said when Piper and Phoebe entered the entrance hall of the mansion. They were awed by the intricate carvings and chandeliers and furniture and oriental rugs. Piper finally realized the man was talking to them.
"I'm sorry. What'd you say?" she asked.
"Name and number," the man repeated, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Oh, uh, Halliwell. Three," Piper answered. The man checked something off on a clipboard that he was holding.
"Follow me," he said. They followed him out of the entrance hall to another large open room. At the far side was a large staircase that split into two different directions at the top. He led them up the stairs and to the right. They then entered a long hallway. All along the hall were doors and between the doors were statues that reminded the sisters of characters from Greek mythology. Finally, about halfway down the hall, he came to a stop. He opened a doorway that led into a large bedroom. To the sisters it appeared to be about the same size as the first floor of the Manor. They stared wide-eyed at the king-size, four-poster bed and the lush sofas. All of it seemed to be in excellent condition. Pretty good considering the house had supposedly been left untouched for ten years.
"This is one of your rooms," the man said. He led them to a door on one side of the room and opened it. It led to a lounge area. He entered that area and opened another door on the other side. It led to another bedroom. "This is also one of your rooms. The next room down is also yours. All of the rooms are adjoining, with lounges between each bedroom. There are no doors in the lounges to the outer hallway. You must go through one of the bedrooms. All the adjoining doors lock, as well as the doors to the hallway. Each bedroom has its own bathroom. The only working telephone in the house is on the first floor in the entrance hall. Don't bother trying to use your cell phone unless it's a satellite phone. There are no towers for miles. You will meet your host in the entrance hall at precisely 6:30. At that time, I will leave and lock the front gate behind me. No guests will be able to leave until tomorrow morning. In case of emergency there is the one phone. Dinner will be served once you meet your host. Greta is the chef. She will only interact with the guests in order to serve dinner. She will then retreat to the servants' quarters. She is the only person who will be here tonight aside from the host and the guests. I must meet the other guests. If you have any questions I will be in the entrance hall."
With that he turned on his heel and left the room. Piper and Phoebe just stared at the door as it closed behind him.
"Okay, that was weird," Piper said, breaking the silence. "And what was that stuff about him locking the gate when he leaves?"
"Oh, don't worry about it, Piper!" Phoebe said. She dropped her bags on the floor and started walking around the bedroom. "Check this room out! We could fit your car in here!"
"We could fit my car and Clayton's Hummer in here," Piper said. She went back to the other room, dropping her bags next to the bed. She took Prue's bags and walked through Phoebe's room to the next room over. "This is pretty amazing. It's so huge and elegant."
"See, you can have a good time here," Phoebe said. She took a running start and leapt onto the bed. She bounced a little and then laid spread eagle on her back. "These beds are soooo comfortable!"
Piper returned from Prue's room. "Her room is just as nice."
Phoebe rolled over onto her stomach. "Let's explore! We've got a half hour."
"In this place? We'll probably get lost," Piper said.
"No we won't! I've got a great sense of direction," Phoebe said with a smile.
"Right," Piper said, not entirely convinced. Phoebe jumped off the bed, took Piper's hand and dragged her out of the room to explore the mansion.
Prue stood at the gate waiting for more guests to arrive. While she waited she took out her telephoto lens and started looking through the windows of the expansive mansion. She looked into a window on the fourth floor and was surprised to see a person there. She tried to focus on the person, but no matter how hard she tried, the person still appeared blurry and dark. Prue lowered her camera and looked up to the fourth floor, wondering why anyone would be up there. She looked through her camera again at that same window, but the person was gone. She lowered her camera again and stared at the window. There was definitely more to this place than met the eye.
Quickly, Prue removed her telephoto lens when she heard the sound of a car. She put on a normal lens and prepared to take pictures of the guests.
"Check out this library!" Phoebe said as she and Piper pushed open the double doors. All four walls were lined with books and the room was about the size of a basketball court. Piper walked over to the shelves and perused the titles.
"Hey, I think I found the occult section," Phoebe said. Piper turned, but Phoebe wasn't standing on the floor. She was levitating up to the top shelf about ten feet off the floor.
"Phoebe! Are you nuts?" Piper asked, hurrying over to close the library doors.
"What? The ladder's stuck," Phoebe said defensively.
"Someone could have seen you! Get down from there!" Piper said in a hushed whisper. Phoebe sighed, grabbed a book from the top shelf, and floated gently to the floor.
"Fine. Spoil my fun," Phoebe said with a mock pout. Piper just shook her head. Then she walked back over to the books she had been browsing before. Her eyes widened in surprise at some of the titles and authors included in the extensive collection. She pulled one book from the shelf.
"First edition Chaucer? Impossible!"
"It looks like you could find just about anything you want in this library," Phoebe said. She held up the book in her hand. "This book is an actual spellbook, and it looks like some of these might actually work. Of course, I would never try any of them. This is black magic here. Spells to raise the dead, call the devil, invoke the spirit. Very dangerous."
"Then I suggest you put it back where you got it from and forget that it exists," Piper said.
"That would involve using my power," Phoebe said with a smirk. Piper sighed.
"Fine, but quickly," she said. She thumbed through the pages of the Chaucer book she was holding and then put it back. Once Phoebe came back down, the two of them left the library.
At 6:30, all ten of the guests had arrived and were waiting in the entrance hall for the host they had yet to meet. Phoebe was chatting with Mary Ann while Prue told Piper about the person she had seen in the fourth floor window. After a few moments, Clayton stepped forward and began to address the group.
"Welcome, everybody, to Van Horne Mansion," he said loudly. His voice echoed throughout the hall. "My name is Clayton Moore, and I am your host for this evening."
"Woah, Clayton, you're the host?" Prue asked in utter shock. "Why didn't you say anything? What was with the cloak and dagger at work?"
"We'll talk later, Prue," Clayton said dismissively and then he continued to address the group. "All of you are here because you were the first ones to send in the RSVP to the invitations I sent out. Also, some of you believe in the supernatural and the occult, while some of you do not. All of this you know. What you don't know is that if you can spend the entire night here and keep your wits about you, you will be rewarded with a hefty addition to your bank accounts."
"How hefty?" a young man with long black hair wearing a leather jacket asked. Prue recognized him as the one who had pulled up on the Harley. She was also quite attracted to him.
"One-hundred thousand dollars hefty," Clayton said. Murmurs circulated throughout the group.
"So, if we can stay here the whole night and not leave until the morning, we get $100,000?" Mary Ann asked.
"That's correct," Clayton replied.
"But that guy who showed us our rooms said that he was going to lock the gate so no one would be able to leave until he returns tomorrow," Piper commented.
"That was just part of the show," Clayton replied. "I have the key, and if anyone wants to leave, all you have to do is tell me. I'll unlock the gate."
"There's gotta be a catch," a woman who looked to be about 35 said.
"There is more to this than I have told you, but the rest will be explained after dinner. Shall we?" Clayton then led the group to the dining room. All the places were marked, and Prue was happy to see that the guy with the Harley was placed next to her. Greta came out with salads and wine and began to move around the table. Clayton started up conversation with the group. "So, how many of you know about Van Horne and his estate?"
"They say the place is haunted," a man in a suit commented. His place card identified him as Robert Metcalf. "I don't believe a word of it."
"I also heard that the caretaker's wife went nuts from living here," the Harley guy said. His place card identified him as Roman Pomeroy. "Husband had to have the poor lady committed."
"Maybe he just couldn't stand her anymore and made up the insanity story," Robert joked.
"Or maybe she went crazy from living with her husband for so long," the 35 year old woman commented. She seemed like the stereotypical, closed-minded, feminist-type. Her place card identified her as Teresa Brown.
"I take it you're not married," Robert said.
"Do you see a ring on my finger?" Teresa asked in response, holding up her left hand. She took a bite of her salad.
"Anyone know anything else about Van Horne?" Clayton asked, almost sounding like an impatient teacher asking the class a question.
"He was a widower," Prue said. Clayton shot her a look, knowing that she had read the file. Prue just shot the look back at him.
"But he didn't have any kids," a man in his late-forties said. His name was Walter Thompson.
"Rumor has it that he did have a bunch of kids, but he killed them all," Mary Ann said.
"I heard his wife was sterile and he killed her because she couldn't provide him with heirs," another man said. His name was Murphy O'Connor.
"This isn't exactly the kind of place for kids to grow up anyway," Phoebe commented.
"It's a very interesting mansion, though," Roman said. "Great architecture, and the carvings and statues are unbelievable. I've never seen Greek mythology depicted in such a way."
"So the story goes," Clayton began in a very theatrical, story-teller voice. "They say Van Horne did all the carvings himself and designed the structure of the mansion. It's the largest privately owned building in the state of California."
"Except it's not privately owned anymore," Walter stated. "He left it to the O'Donnelly's and once they abandoned it, the property was forfeited to the state."
"Incorrect," Clayton said sharply. "I own it."
"You?" Prue asked in shock, almost choking on her salad. Everyone else was also surprised. "I knew you had money, but this is all news to me. You're about to just give away $900,000, and now you say you own this place. What else are you keeping secret until the right moment?"
"Like I said, all will be revealed later," Clayton said. He looked to Piper. "You're rather quiet. Do you not have anything to say about this?"
"What's the point?" Piper asked before taking a sip of her wine.
"What do you mean?"
"What's the point of all this?" Piper asked. "The dinner party, the money, all of this."
"Curiosity," Clayton replied.
"Killed the cat," Piper added. Clayton smiled and then exploded into uproarious laughter. Everyone just stared at him for a moment, wondering why he was laughing so hard. The comment wasn't that funny. Finally he stopped laughing and looked solemnly at Piper.
"You must be one of the skeptics in the room," he said with a small smile.
"As a matter of fact, I'm not," Piper replied. "I one hundred percent believe in the supernatural."
"Really? It doesn't seem that way," Teresa said. "You don't seem at all thrilled to be here. I would think you would be, if you believe in it so whole-heartedly."
"Just because I believe in the supernatural doesn't mean I like it," Piper said. "My sisters talked me into this."
"What about you, Teresa?" Prue asked. "Do you believe in it?"
"No, it's all a joke," Teresa stated. "Ghosts, hauntings, evil spirits…it's all nonsense."
"There have been documented scientific studies of the supernatural," Roman stated. "We're not talking about tabloid trash. True scientists that take this very seriously study supernatural phenomena for a living."
"It's a waste of money then," Robert chimed in.
"All right then, Robert. I'll just split your check amongst the others," Clayton said with a smile. Robert smiled as well, knowing that he was joking. He looked down to the end of the table where Walter, Murphy and Mary Ann were seated. "How about you three? What's your take on all this?"
"I agree with Teresa," Walter stated. "Ghosts don't exist. What proof is there? I mean, have any of you believers seen a ghost?"
"Oh yeah, several," Phoebe said with a smile. Piper kicked her under the table. "Ow."
"Really? You've seen ghosts?" Roman asked.
"Well, uh, just a couple," Phoebe said, trying to cover in order to avoid being kicked in the shins again by Piper. "I've seen my grandmother a couple times in our attic. And our mother." Piper kicked her in the shins again. Phoebe glared at her. "Ow."
"Sorry, leg spasm," Piper said, glaring right back at Phoebe.
"I believe in ghosts," Murphy stated. "Especially with what Phoebe's talking about. When did your mother and grandmother die?"
"Uh, our mom died when I was three, and our grandmother died three and a half years ago," Phoebe replied.
"And when did you see their ghosts?" Murphy asked.
"All in the past year," Phoebe replied. She quickly glared at Piper, sending an unspoken message that she would kick her ass if she kicked her shins again.
"Well, that's not quite what I expected," Murphy said. "But with deceased relatives, it's most common for their spirits to kind of hang around for a while right after their deaths."
"One of my cousins died in a car accident a block away from my house and his spirit came to me like ten minutes later. That's how I found out about the accident before my family called about it," Mary Ann said. "He didn't really look like a ghost. If there's really any set way a ghost is supposed to look. He looked normal. I thought he just stopped by for a visit."
"Our mom didn't really look like a ghost either," Phoebe said, knowing that at the time her mother wasn't a ghost. But she had already said it.
"Yeah, my cousin said he was coming to say goodbye," Mary Ann continued. "I told my mom about it, and she thought I was nuts."
"Any other supernatural experiences?" Clayton asked the room.
"I've had things moved in my home," Roman stated.
"Oh please!" Teresa exclaimed. "I've heard those stories before. People saying they set their keys down in one room and then found them in another. Cabinet doors opening on their own. It's called misplacing your keys and forgetting to shut the cabinet!"
"I'm not talking keys and cabinets, babe," Roman said defensively. "I'm talking furniture. One night I got out of the shower and found my couch in the kitchen."
"Burglars," Teresa replied.
"What kind of a burglar would move a couch?" Prue asked with a laugh.
"I don't know," Teresa said. "Was your door unlocked? Perhaps one of your friends was playing a joke on you."
"The door was dead-bolted," Roman replied. Teresa had nothing else to say.
"Well, it seems most of our believers have experienced the supernatural," Clayton said. "What about you Murphy? Have you seen any supernatural occurrences?"
"No. I just believe it," Murphy replied. The conversation died down and Greta came out to switch the salad plates for the main course. Phoebe giggled at how Piper was scrutinizing over the food, staring at it and poking it to see if it was up to her standards.
"What?" Piper asked. "What are you laughing at?"
"You. Quit inspecting the food and eat it," Phoebe said. Prue joined in the laughter, realizing what Phoebe was talking about.
"Are you a picky eater, Piper?"Clayton asked.
"No. I'm a chef or I was a chef…well, not really but sorta…" Piper stuttered. She sighed.
"Piper's an excellent cook," Prue said. "We wouldn't eat a decent meal if it weren't for her."
"Well, I saw that you're a photographer," Roman said to Prue. "Are you a private photographer or do you work for someone else?"
"I work for 415 Magazine," Prue replied. She looked at Clayton. "Actually, Clayton is a writer there, and he convinced his editor to let him do a story on tonight."
"You're going to be writing an article about us?" Robert asked, seeming slightly annoyed by not knowing this.
Clayton glared at Prue momentarily and then turned to Robert. "Yes, I am. Of course, I can change names if you would like."
"Don't you have to have our permission before you write anything?" Walter asked, also seeming annoyed.
"Yes, I do," Clayton said. He seemed somewhat flustered by this, and Prue was very pleased with herself. "I can omit any of you if you would not like to be mentioned. Would any of you like to be left out of the article."
No one replied. But Roman spoke up. "I suggest, Mr. Moore, that you reveal any other secrets you may have. If only to avoid pissing off your guests."
"I promise you that I will brief you on the rules for the night after dinner," Clayton said. "As for anymore secrets, I have none."
Everyone sat in silence for a moment, but then Phoebe started up the conversation again. "So, what does everybody else do? Teresa?"
"I'm an accountant," Teresa replied quickly.
"Okay," Phoebe said, after pausing to allow Teresa to offer any further information about herself. "What about you Robert?"
"I'm a draftsman for a small contracting company just outside of San Francisco," he replied. "We do surveying for the state and private contracting jobs."
"Walter?"
"Airline pilot," he commented between bites.
"Oh, really," Piper said, trying to help build the conversation. "Where all have you flown?"
"Where haven't I flown?" he responded. "All over the place. Although most of my flights are confined to the Asian Pacific Coast and Australia. I'd have to say Sydney is my favorite destination."
"I went to Sydney once," Roman commented. "Great place. You have to go to the Opera House."
"Saw an excellent production of The Marriage of Figaro there," Walter stated. "So, what do you do Roman?"
"Mechanic," he stated holding up his dark, grease-stained hands. "You break it. I can fix it."
"Do you make good money doing that?" Murphy asked.
"Decent enough, although this hundred thousand is sure going to jumpstart my bank account," Roman said with a smile.
"You know, Clayton, you didn't really explain why you're just going to hand us $100,000," Prue said.
"Like I told your sister," Clayton began. "My purpose is merely fueled by curiosity. Anyone for dessert?"
After dessert they all retreated to one of the many lounges in the mansion. It was quite large with several oriental rugs spread across the floor. The furniture was plush and upholstered in maroon crushed velvet. At one end of the room a large fire place shaped like a gaping lion's mouth covered the wall. The opening of the fireplace was large enough for people to walk through and the entire group could easily fit inside the fireplace. Everyone was seated on various chairs and sofas, while Clayton leaned against the side of the fireplace. Murphy pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.
"Mind if I smoke?" he asked the group, focusing his gaze on Clayton, who shook his head. Teresa pulled out a cigarette as well and Walter pulled out a cigar.
"All right, so I'll just get to the point," Clayton said. "Tonight isn't just a matter of all of you sitting around and waiting for the sun to rise. There's a little scavenger hunt involved. All of your checks are hidden in various places throughout the house and it is your job to find your check. The only clues I will give you as to the whereabouts of your checks is that there are no checks in the entrance hall or any of your bedrooms. There are also no checks outside on the grounds. They are all within the walls of this mansion. If you find someone else's check, do not tell them where it is." He looked at the Halliwells. "Let me emphasize that point. You tell them, and I find about it, you will forfeit both your check and the check of the person you told. You have until sunrise to find your check."
"This is ridiculous. Why have you come up with this game? And what does this house have to do with anything?" Walter asked, obviously annoyed.
"Well, Walter, I believe in the supernatural, and I believe this house is haunted," Clayton replied. "And those haunting this place are not the most friendly of sorts. This is more than just a scavenger hunt. It has to do with keeping your wits about you. If you can find your check and stay here until sunrise the money is yours. You can leave at any time, but you forfeit your money if you leave before sunrise."
Everyone just sat there for a moment, not sure what to think of all this. The hairs on Prue's neck were raised and she had a very bad feeling about all of this.
"You really expect us to find the checks in this place? It's huge," Phoebe said.
"I have faith that you will all give it a valiant effort," Clayton said. "But I doubt I'll be losing all $900,000. Now, feel free to get started whenever you like. The kitchen is open and there is a bar just off of the entrance hall. Help yourself to anything while you're here. And good luck."
Everyone stood and started to separate, but Prue hung back and approached Clayton. "There has to be something in this for you Clayton. I know how you are."
"The sheer thrill of watching all of you agonize over finding this money is good enough for me," Clayton commented. Then he left the room, leaving Prue alone.
"Okay, would Clayton really be cruel enough to put any of the checks in one of the books?" Piper asked Phoebe as they started pulling books off the shelves.
"He's cruel enough to hide them in the first place," Phoebe commented as she looked through the books. "I wouldn't put anything past him at this point."
"Do you think that maybe there's some kind of hints that we're missing?" Piper asked.
"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, maybe the location of our checks has something to do with us," Piper said. "Example, I'm a chef so maybe mine's in the kitchen."
"But you also own a nightclub, so it could be at the bar," Phoebe suggested.
"You and Mary Ann are in college so the library would be a good place to hide it," Piper said. "Does Mary Ann have a job?"
"Yeah, she works in the legal office on campus," Phoebe said.
"Okay, so her check might be in one of the law books," Piper said.
"It doesn't matter where hers is," Phoebe said. "We can't tell her."
"Right," Piper said. "Okay, so what book would your check be in?"
"One of the occult books?" Phoebe asked with a smile.
"Very funny. Clayton doesn't know about that," Piper said. She turned. "I'm going to try the kitchen."
Phoebe watched Piper leave and then headed over to the legal section of the library. She started pulling out volumes and flipping quickly through the pages. She was about to give up when she found it—Mary Ann's check was in the back of Volume Twelve of the United States Code Annotated. She folded it and put it in her pocket, deciding to put it in a more obvious place for Mary Ann to find it. Then she levitated up to the occult section.
Teresa, Roman and Mary Ann were searching in the lounge where Clayton held the briefing when Phoebe walked in smiling. Mary Ann looked up from searching the desk and giggled at her friend.
"What are you smiling about?" she asked.
"Found my check," Phoebe said. Mary Ann just stared at her in shock.
"How?" Roman asked, overhearing the conversation. He was looking in all the couch cushions. Teresa was looking behind all the wall decorations.
"I was in the library and I found it in one of the books," Phoebe explained. "You having any luck?"
"Nothing," Teresa replied as she stepped out from behind a tapestry.
Phoebe walked over to the giant fireplace. "Have any of you looked in here?"
"No, not yet," Mary Ann replied. She started walking over. Phoebe carefully stuck the envelope with Mary Ann's check in a gap between two bricks, leaving only the corner exposed. Then she looked up the chimney, pretending to be looking for some checks. "Do you really think it would be in here?"
"Maybe," Phoebe said. She stepped out of the fireplace. "But I guess I'm not supposed to be helping you. I'm gonna go see if I can track down my sisters and tell them the good news."
Phoebe walked away, but turned when Mary Ann cried out in shock. "Oh my God! It's my check. I found my check!"
"Awesome!" Phoebe said, smiling at her friend. Mary Ann was about to leave the fireplace when a large steel mesh gate dropped down in front of her, trapping Mary Ann inside. She screamed in shock and jumped back. Phoebe quickly ran over.
"That didn't hit you, did it?" she asked in concern. Roman and Teresa approached the fireplace as well.
"No, I'm okay," Mary Ann replied. "I just want to get out of this fireplace."
"Do you hear that?" Teresa asked suddenly. "That hissing sound. And I think I smell gas."
"Oh my God!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Come on, we've gotta get this gate up!"
Roman, Phoebe and Teresa grabbed the gate on the outside, while Mary Ann panicked on the inside.
"Please, hurry," she said, her voice filled with fear and urgency. "Phoebe."
"We're going to get you out, Mary Ann," Roman said through clenched teeth. The gate was a lot heavier than it appeared. They had only lifted it a few inches when the flames burst. Phoebe, Roman and Teresa fell backwards away from the fireplace as Mary Ann's screams echoed loudly. She was on fire and thrashing about inside the fireplace, running into walls and the metal gate. Phoebe looked up in horror. Then she rushed over to the gate, trying to lift again and ignoring the blisters already forming on her hands.
"Mary Ann! No!" she screamed. Teresa was still lying on the floor with her eyes clenched shut, trying to ignore the horror that was occurring before them. Roman stood and grabbed Phoebe by the shoulders as Mary Ann fell to the floor and stopped screaming. Phoebe was still trying to lift the gate.
"Phoebe, she's gone," Roman said quietly. By this point Murphy, Prue and Piper, who had heard the screams, entered the room to find out what was going on. They all saw Mary Ann's still smoldering body in the fireplace, and they watched as Phoebe crumbled into tears in Roman's arms.
Everyone was gathered in the entrance hall. Piper sat in front of Phoebe, just finishing up with putting bandages on Phoebe's blistered hands. Phoebe just stared at the floor. Prue was sitting next to her, with her arm around her little sister's shoulders. Roman and Teresa were standing at the bar, each of them carefully holding a scotch in their own bandaged hands. Teresa's hands were a little shaky and in the silence everyone could hear the light tinkling sound of the ice cubes against the glass. Murphy was staring down through the opening of his beer bottle, seemingly contemplating how he could crawl inside the bottle and hide. Walter and Robert sat silently, having been the only ones besides Clayton not to witness the horror of Mary Ann's death. Clayton was on the phone at the other side of the entrance hall, trying to get through to someone in town. The silence was suddenly broken by Phoebe muttering something.
"It's my fault," she said. Everyone looked up.
"Phoebe, no it's not your fault," Prue said. "You had nothing to do with this."
"I did, Prue," Phoebe said, her voice shaky with emotion. "I suggested she search in the fireplace because I put her check there."
"What? You put her check in the fireplace?" Teresa asked.
"I found her check in the library, in the law books like you suggested, Piper," Phoebe began. "And after I found my own check I found Mary Ann and put her check where she hadn't searched yet. I knew I wasn't supposed to help her, but I did it. Now she's dead. And I don't care if Clayton wants my check back. It's my fault."
"Phoebe, look at me," Piper said. She put her hand under Phoebe's chin and lifted it until their eyes met. "You did not kill Mary Ann. It was a horrible accident."
"Your sister's right," Walter agreed. "Even if you did break the rules, there's no way you could have known that there was a gas leak in the fireplace."
"You think it was a gas leak?" Roman asked.
"Of course, what else could it have been?" Robert asked, agreeing with Walter. Roman didn't respond. He just stared at the two men. "Don't be ridiculous! Are you meaning to insinuate that ghosts killed Mary Ann?"
"How else do you explain the gate happening to fall and the spark happening to ignite just as Teresa noticed the gas?" Roman asked.
"Roman, be reasonable," Teresa said quietly. "We all saw what happened. The gate just fell. This is an old house. It's sure to have it's problems."
"Yeah, but all of these particular problems at the same time that Mary Ann just happened to be in the fireplace?" Murphy asked, taking Roman's side.
"All right, say it was ghosts," Walter said. "Why would these ghosts want Mary Ann dead?"
"She cheated," Murphy replied.
"She didn't cheat. Phoebe cheated for her," Teresa argued. Everyone's voices were starting to rise in anger and frustration.
"So, what you're saying is that the ghosts killed the wrong person," Roman said sarcastically.
"I'm not saying ghosts killed anyone," Teresa replied. "I'm saying that you're ridiculous for saying that ghosts killed Mary Ann."
"It wasn't an accident," Roman said snidely.
"Enough!" Prue shouted, cutting the argument short. "Mary Ann's dead. Whether it was ghosts or an accident, I don't think it really matters if we know the truth or not. The police will believe accident and that's what they're going to put in their report. So we should just stop arguing about pointless matters and wait for them to get here."
Everyone just looked at the floor in shame. Prue returned to trying to console Phoebe. Clayton walked over from the telephone.
"I can't raise anyone on the telephone," Clayton informed everyone. "I keep getting busy signals."
"The phones aren't busy," Murphy stated. "It means the connection to town is bad."
"So, we'll drive to town," Piper said. "Clayton, you've got the key to the gate."
"Actually, I kinda lied about that part," Clayton said.
"What?" half the room exclaimed.
"I just said I had the key to keep everyone at ease," he replied. "If you thought you were literally trapped here until morning you would have wanted to leave right away."
"So, we are trapped here till morning," Teresa said.
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Clayton replied.
"No, we're not," Phoebe said. "Your Hummer can demolish that gate Clayton."
"Don't be ridiculous," Clayton scoffed. "Do you have any idea how much that cost me?"
"Do you have any idea how much all our lawsuits will cost you?" Piper asked coldly. "Smash the gate or we'll take the keys from you and do it ourselves."
Clayton climbed into the driver's seat of his Hummer and turned the key in the ignition, but all the engine did was sputter. He tried again, but it wouldn't turn over.
"I don't get it," Clayton said. "It's in perfect shape. I've barely had it a month."
"Pop the hood," Roman said. He climbed up onto the bumper and peered inside. "Your spark plugs are missing and somebody messed with your fan belt."
"What? Who would mess with my car?" Clayton asked, jumping out.
Roman jumped down and looked Clayton in the eye. "I don't know, but you're not going to get this thing started anytime soon." He turned and addressed the rest of the group. "Who owns the Jeep?"
"I do," Piper said, already pulling out her keys. "I'm glad my insurance is paid up."
Piper climbed behind the driver's seat and put on her seat belt. Roman leaned through her window. "Hey, no pressure or nothing, but you're our last chance of getting out of here tonight."
"Thanks for the confidence booster, Roman," Piper said with a smile. Roman stepped back and Piper positioned her car at a straight angle as far away from the gate as possible. Then she put the Jeep in gear and put the accelerator to the floor.
She was headed straight on for the gate when suddenly she made a sharp right and the Jeep zoomed along the wall. Everyone watched on in awe. Prue was able to get a good look into the car and she saw that Piper's hands weren't even on the wheel. It appeared as if the car was steering on its own. The Jeep turned and was headed straight for the group. They all manged to dive out of the way. After the Jeep zoomed past them, Teresa, Robert and Clayton ran back into the house. Tires screeched as the Jeep made a sharp U-turn. It's aim was straight for the mansion. Teresa, Robert and Clayton made it inside. Roman, Murphy, Walter, Prue and Phoebe stood by Clayton's disabled vehicle and watched in awe. They saw Piper trying to open her door in order to dive out, but it wouldn't budge. Then the Jeep slammed into the front of the mansion. The front end crumpled and the rear tires jumped up off the ground as a result of the impact. Steam rose from the front of the car.
"Piper!" Prue shouted as she and everyone else that was outside ran over to the mangled vehicle. Teresa, Clayton and Robert came back out from the mansion. Roman beat everyone else there and then warned them all to stay back.
"She's got a fuel leak," he said. He approached the driver's door and saw that Piper was unconscious with blood running from a cut on the left side of her head. He reached through the window and checked for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when he found one. "She's alive. Murphy, Rob, help me get her out of here."
Roman tried to open the driver's door, but it was jammed. Murphy was able to open the back door and he reached through. "We shouldn't even be moving her. What if there's damage to her spine?" Murphy asked in a hushed tone so that Prue and Phoebe couldn't hear. Roman responded in a whisper.
"This car could blow any second. I think she'd rather live the rest of her life in a wheelchair than be blown into a million pieces."
Murphy and Robert nodded in agreement and the three of them carefully worked to get Piper out of the car. Finally, once she was out, Roman carried her in his arms. "All right, everyone back away. This car's gonna blow."
Clayton and Teresa led the group running away from the mansion and Piper's Jeep, with Roman and the Halliwells bringing up the rear. They were barely twenty feet away when the Jeep exploded. Prue and Phoebe fell to the ground, Phoebe crying out in pain when she broke her fall with her injured hands. Roman managed to only fall to his knees, making sure that he didn't drop or fall on Piper.
They looked back to the mansion and saw that a large hole had been blown in the front wall that was part of the entrance hall. Luckily, the mansion was built out of brick so the fire would not spread any farther than the immediate vicinity of the Jeep. Walter and Robert ran back into the mansion, found fire extinguishers in the kitchen and extinguished the flames rising from the engine. They all went back inside and Roman quickly laid Piper on a couch. Prue and Phoebe knelt next to the couch.
"All right, watch out," Murphy said, pushing his way past Roman to Piper. "I'm a medic."
"A medic?" Prue asked, wary about allowing this man she barely knew touch Piper.
"In the navy," he replied. "It's mostly patching holes and what not, but our training includes trauma like this." He quickly checked Piper over, checking her pulse, pupils and breathing. "Well, definitely has a concussion and her left shoulder's dislocated. No visible broken bones. Anything else, I'll have to wait till she wakes up so I can ask her what hurts. It would probably be best to pop her shoulder back in while she's unconscious, though. Because I know from experience that it hurts like hell." He stood on the sofa with a foot on either side of Piper. He grabbed her left arm and held it straight up in the air. He leaned over and felt her shoulder for a bit. Then he made sure her arm was straight and pushed down. Everyone could hear the pop as they watched on in silence. Murphy climbed down and checked her pulse. "She should be coming to soon. Her pulse sped up, which means she felt that." He went over to the bar, soaked a towel in water and grabbed bandages from the first aid kit. He then went to work cleaning Piper's head wound. Just as he finished putting on the bandage, she started to wake up. She saw everyone else staring at her and then looked at Prue.
"I guess I didn't get through the gate," she said weakly.
"No, sweetie, unfortunately," Prue said. "But you did get through the front wall of the house."
"Something took control of the car," Piper said, her voice shaky from pain. "It wouldn't let me out either." Piper started to move her left hand to her head and then cried out in pain.
"Try to keep your left arm immobile," Murphy said. "It was dislocated and I had to pop it back into place."
"Are you a doctor?" Piper asked.
"Navy medic," he replied. "Tell me, does it hurt anywhere in your back or your neck?"
"No," Piper said.
"All right, I'm going to press down on a few places. You tell me if it hurts." He proceeded to gently press down on a few spots on her abdomen. At one point she flinched and whimpered a little.
"That hurt," Piper said. Murphy shot a worried glance at Prue and Phoebe and then looked back to Piper. "What?"
"Well, I can't be certain, but it seems that your appendix may be inflamed," Murphy said.
"It hasn't burst?" Piper asked.
"No, if it had you wouldn't be talking to me right now," Murphy said. He stood quickly and approached Clayton, who was standing by the bar drinking his second bourbon since they had returned to the house. "You better damn well know another place out of here, man. Her appendix is inflamed and could burst at any time. You better get us out of here, or you're going to have two dead women on your hands."
"I don't know what you expect me to do," Clayton said. "There's no other way out besides the front gate."
Prue stood and walked over to Clayton, rage emerging on her face. "I put up with you at work because everybody feels the need to kiss your ass. I put up with the fact that I had to come here and cover a story you were writing. I even put up with you after you told us that you put this whole thing together. But if Piper dies, you will soon follow. So, you figure a way out of here, or you will spend eternity in this house. Is that clear?"
Clayton stared into Prue's eyes fearfully. He gulped and nodded his head. Prue turned on her heel and returned to Piper.
"Weren't there stories about underground tunnels in this place?" Walter asked. Robert spoke up.
"Yeah, but nobody has the plans for the estate," he said. Then he turned to Clayton. "Unless you do. If you've got them, I know how to read them. And if those tunnels exist we'll be on our way."
"They're in the library," Clayton replied, not budging from his spot.
"I know where the library is," Phoebe stated. She gave Piper's right hand a squeeze and then led Robert, Walter and Roman to the library.
"Man, you sure tore this place up looking for the checks," Walter said as the four of them entered the library.
"Yeah, I did," Phoebe said.
"There they are," Robert said, approaching a large drafting table with the plans sitting on it. He folded back the pages for the top three floors and came to the ground floor plans. "There. There's the entrance to the tunnels, in the kitchen." He pointed to the kitchen. He pulled the page off the desk and the four of them were about to leave when Walter noticed something. It was an envelope with Piper's name on it. He picked it up and took it with him.
"Screw the rules," he said to the others, who were staring at him. "I think she's earned it, and Clayton can kiss my ass." On that note they returned to the entrance hall.
"That was fast," Teresa said.
"They weren't hard to find," Roman said.
"Speaking of finding, Piper, guess what Robert found," Phoebe said as she took the envelope from Walter. Clayton started to say something, but Walter shot him an evil look.
Prue smiled a supportive smile at Piper. "Hey, see. You gotta hang in there so you can cash your check and screw Clayton out of some money." Piper laughed a little.
"So, did you find the tunnels?" Murphy asked.
"Yeah, the entrance is in the kitchen. There's a false back to the meat locker," Robert replied.
"You know, speaking of kitchens, what ever happened to Greta?" Prue asked.
"She's in the servants quarters, probably," Clayton said.
"Those aren't on the main estate," Robert said, looking over the plans. "We should let her know what's going on."
"How far are the servants quarters from the main structure?" Walter asked.
"Fifty yards," Robert replied. "I'm surprised she's not here already. Surely she heard the explosion."
"Well, we gotta go get her," Roman said. "It wouldn't feel right, leaving her here."
"I'll go," Prue said.
"Well, I guess I should go, too," Robert said. "I've got the map."
"Piper, needs to go now," Murphy said urgently.
"All right, the rest of you go ahead and get started in the tunnel," Robert said. "There aren't any intersections or forks or anything. It's all one direction, so you can't get lost. They lead out about half a mile from the forest ranger station."
"We'll catch up," Prue added.
"Are you two sure about that?" Teresa asked. "What if something happens and you don't catch up?"
"What else could possibly happen?" Prue asked.
"I don't know," Teresa said nervously. "Something."
Roman chuckled and looked to Clayton. "Well, buddy, it looks like you've converted one skeptic." He looked to Murphy to tell him to get Piper, but he already had her in his arms. "All right, let's go." Everyone headed for the kitchen. Prue and Robert split off when the rest of the group went through the secret door in the meat locker.
Prue turned to Robert. "Let's find Greta and get out of here."
The two of them made it to the servant's quarters and knocked on the door. The curtains were drawn on all the windows. It was a small building, and couldn't contain any more than three rooms.
"Greta!" Prue called through the door. "Greta, please answer the door!"
There was no answer so Robert gave it a shot. "Greta!" He tried the doorknob, but it was locked. Then he motioned for Prue to stand back. He reared back and kicked the door open. The two of them looked inside, and were shocked by what they saw. Prue turned away and leaned against the outside of the building. Robert staggered away from the door and fell to his knees, losing his dinner all over the grass. Inside the quarters, it was like someone had used Greta's blood and innards to paint the walls. Blood was all over the place. Greta's body lay on the floor, completely hollowed out with her intestines, stomach and other internal organs lying on the floor next to her. Her face was frozen in an eternal expression of horror and pain. On the wall, written in blood were the words, "Welcome home."
"Oh my God," Prue said, her face was pale and she felt nauseated. But she didn't throw up. "Who could have done this?"
Robert wiped his mouth and stood, walking past the door and making sure he didn't look back in. "I don't know, but I don't want to stick around to find out."
He and Prue hurried back to the mansion, wanting very much to be with the rest of the group.
In the tunnel, the rest of the group was making fairly good progress. Murphy led the group, carrying Piper who was holding one of the flashlights. Phoebe and Roman were a few feet behind, and Teresa, Walter and Clayton brought up the rear. They had just made a turn when all at the same time an iron barred gate fell—separating the rest of the group from Piper and Murphy—Murphy stopped walking, and Piper screamed as she fell to the floor out of his arms. Ignoring her pain she scooted away from Murphy on her backside, pushing back against the gate. Slowly Murphy fell to his knees, and then as he fell forward his upper body turned and he lay motionless on his back so everyone else could see why Piper was screaming. Somehow Murphy had two needle-like projectiles protruding from his eyes. Teresa, Walter and Clayton screamed and turned away. Phoebe quickly knelt next to Piper, reaching through the bars and trying to calm her. Roman just stood staring at Murphy, his jaw slack with shock.
"Piper, sweetie, shhhh," Phoebe said, reaching her arms through the bars to embrace Piper and calm her. Piper was still staring at Murphy and crying. "Sweetie, calm down. It'll be okay."
"No, it won't be okay," Piper said through her tears of hysteria. She pulled away from Phoebe cringing in pain, and she leaned back against the wall of the tunnel. "He's dead and now we can't get out. We're trapped here and we're all going to die."
"Piper, look at me," Phoebe said. She reached through the bars and grabbed Piper's right hand. "We are not going to die, and you can still get out of here. Take the flashlight and go the rest of the way out. You can make it. I know you can."
"Phoebe, I can't walk that far," Piper said, her pain worsening the longer she sat there and thought about it. "I'm hurt, I'm getting tired, I have no idea how much further this tunnel goes, and if I do get out of the tunnel I still have to walk a mile through the woods to the ranger station. I can't."
"Piper, you can," Roman said, kneeling next to Phoebe. He rested his hands on the bars of the gate. "I may have only known you for a few hours, but I can tell you're a strong person. You'll make it."
"Think about Leo. Make him your goal," Phoebe said. "Pretend that he's going to be waiting at that ranger station for you, and then everything will be all right. You'll feel one-hundred percent better. Leo is your goal. Say that."
Piper looked at Phoebe skeptically, her tears subsiding. "Leo is my goal."
"Atta girl," Phoebe said with a reassuring smile. She ran her hand through Piper's hair and then took her good arm. She helped Piper stand, reaching through the bars. Piper leaned on the wall for a moment for support. She just looked at Phoebe, her fear and worry evident. "It'll be okay. We'll see you in the morning. And remember, Leo is your goal."
They lingered for a moment, and then Piper released Phoebe's hand she turned and shakily started walking down the tunnel. They all watched her disappear in the darkness. Then they turned back to return to the mansion.
"So, who's Leo?" Roman asked Phoebe.
"Her husband," she said. "And her soulmate."
They all met in the kitchen. Prue and Robert were obviously confused as to why the others had returned. But the main thing Prue noticed was that Piper wasn't with them.
"What's going on? Where are Piper and Murphy?" Prue asked, panicked at the prospect of not knowing where her sister was.
"Murphy's dead," Roman said. "A gate dropped down in the tunnel, trapping all of us on this side. Piper's going the rest of the way on her own."
"What? Is she even going to be able to make it out with her injuries?" Robert asked.
"She'll make it," Prue said, seeing the look in Phoebe's eyes. "She has to make it."
"What are we going to do?" Teresa asked, the panic evident in her voice. "We're stuck here, and I'll gladly admit that I believe in the supernatural now. We're stuck in this place until sunrise and two people are dead!"
"Three," Robert said solemnly. "Greta's dead."
"What? How?" Walter asked.
"You don't want to know," Prue replied. "I think we all need to concentrate on two things…finding another way out of here and staying alive."
Piper forced herself onward. The pain was unbelievable. She was constantly using the wall for support, fearing that if she didn't she would fall. Her thoughts remained on Leo. She knew that he had told her he wouldn't be able to hear her call on his current assignment, but she was so desperate. She had to try. She didn't think she was going to make it.
"Leo," she said, not wanting to shout too loud in fear of awakening some kind of angry spirits. Her voice was shaking with fear, pain and desperation. "Leo, please help me."
There was no response. She knew then that Leo truly couldn't hear her. She was so scared. She had no idea how she could go on. Piper shined her flashlight on her watch and saw that it was midnight. Six hours until the guy would return to open the gate. She just hoped that her sisters and everyone else would last that long. And she hoped that she would last long enough to get to the ranger's station.
"All right, Robert, is there anything else in those plans that would suggest a way of getting out of here?" Prue asked, pacing through the entrance hall. Robert was kneeling on the floor, going over every inch of the plot for the estate.
"Nothing," Robert said. "The tunnel and the gate, that's it." He sat back and leaned on his hands. "We're stuck here till our friend comes back to unlock the gate."
"Well, we definitely can't try smashing the gate again," Walter said. "Even if any of us had a car that could take the impact, we all saw what happened when Piper tried to do it."
"What if we dig under the fence?" Phoebe suggested.
"I doubt that they'll give us enough time," Roman said.
"Who's they?" Prue asked.
"They. It's what I'm calling the phenomenon that's caused everything tonight. They is everything here…whatever killed Mary Ann, whatever messed up Clayton's car, whatever sent Piper's car into the house instead of the gate and whatever killed Greta and Murphy. They is what's keeping us here. It won't give us the time to dig under a fence," Roman replied quickly. He glanced over at Clayton. "You know, man, you should probably lay off the bourbon. We've got five and a half hours blowing down in this place, and if you keep sucking down the drinks, you'll be the next to go."
"Is that a threat, Mr. Pomeroy?" Clayton asked. His speech was already slurred.
"Threat? What are you talking about Clayton?" Walter asked. "You've seen what's happened in this place. The only threat here is you getting sloshed off your ass and getting killed."
"I'll drink if I want to," Clayton said, stumbling around from the bar. "It's my house. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get away from you people and relax."
"He's lost it," Phoebe said as they all watched Clayton leave.
"Can you blame him?" Teresa asked. She was sitting in a chair, smoking a cigarette and just staring at the floor. "I mean, he believed in this stuff before he got here and look how upset he is. I never believed in it. I can't handle this."
"Teresa, you can," Prue commented. She sat in a nearby chair. "Clayton is a weak excuse for a man. All of this, it's mostly his fault, and he's too weak to admit it."
"You on the other hand," Robert added. "You were a cast-iron bitch from the get go. You can handle this place. Hell, the ghosts should be scared of you."
Teresa looked up at Robert and gave a brave smile. "Thanks Rob. That helps. No joke."
Clayton stumbled into the library, tripping over the piles of discarded books from Phoebe's earlier search for her check, and he fell against the desk. He set down his glass and looked around. The walls looked like they were dripping to him. It was like a surrealist painting. Salvador Dali paints "Persistence of Reading Materials." The books melted down off the shelves, and one in particular melted into his hands. He looked at it, drawn to it by the upside down pentagram on the front of the book. He watched with drunken and insane delight as the pages started flipping on their own. The book rose into the air and landed on the desk. The pages stopped turning. Clayton looked down on the page and saw it…directions on how to invoke evil spirits.
Piper stumbled down the tunnel, bracing herself against the wall, afraid that if she didn't she would fall and never get back up. The light in her flashlight was getting dimmer. The cheap battery was definitely dying. Piper tried to will power into the flashlight to light her way. Weird sounds, like whispering, filled the passageway, and Piper was scared out of her wits. She was also getting tired and very weak. She wasn't sure she could go on much longer. She kept mumbling an anthem to herself.
"Leo is my goal. Leo is my goal." It was the only thing keeping her going, that thought. She tried to think of nothing but Leo. But as the flashlight slowly faded, Piper's thoughts drifted elsewhere. Her breathing accelerated when the tunnel became almost pitch black. The whispers were louder and she heard screeching sounds. Suddenly, wind swept past her and there was fluttering. It seemed like bats to Piper. She screamed and covered her head with her hands. Then the fluttering stopped and the tunnel became eerily silent. She watched in surprise as her flashlight became increasingly brighter. Finally, it got so bright that she had to cover her eyes. Then the flashlight exploded. Piper screamed and then looked around in the pitch dark. She couldn't see anything. Slowly she leaned against the wall again and continued walking.
"Leo is my goal. Leo is my goal."
The group just sat in the entrance hall, trying to think of ideas. There were four hours left until sunrise. That was four hours too long.
"Maybe we should check on Clayton," Walter said. "He's been gone pretty long."
"Yeah, but we don't have the slightest clue where he went," Roman said. "Looking for him now would be almost as futile as looking for our checks."
"He's probably dead anyway," Robert said, staring into the bottom of his glass.
"No, he's not dead," Prue said. "We would know if he was dead."
"We didn't know Greta was dead, and you saw what happened to her," Robert said snidely.
"You know, Clayton can wander around the house until he does die, for all I care," Roman commented. "He's the one that got us all into this mess."
"You didn't have to RSVP," Teresa commented.
"I didn't know what I was getting into," Roman shot back.
"Oh, I'm sure you had some idea," Prue said. "You were a believer in the supernatural before you got here, and you knew the stories about Van Horne. You are as much to blame as Clayton."
"You're telling me that you're not pissed at Clayton?" Robert asked.
"Of course, I am, because he withheld information, but I'm not totally innocent here. None of us are," Prue said.
"Look, does it really matter?" Phoebe asked. "Guilt. Innocence. Who the hell cares? We're supposed to be thinking of ways out of here."
"I think all possibilities have been exhausted," Walter said.
Phoebe reached for a bottle to pour herself a drink. "I don't think that…" But then she was pulled into a premonition. She saw Clayton, reading something aloud from a book. His eyes momentarily turned black. Then the premonition ended. Prue knew the signs and she was waiting for Phoebe to say something to explain her premonition without giving away their secret.
"Clayton's in the library," Phoebe said. She started heading for the library. Everyone else followed, wondering how she instantly knew where Clayton was.
Phoebe burst through the double doors and arrived just as Clayton finished reading the invocation.
"Clayton no!" Phoebe said, knowing what he was doing. Clayton turned and he looked very calm. Much calmer than he had been when he left the entrance hall.
"What's wrong Phoebe?" he asked. "You worried I might do something dangerous?"
He looked insanely evil, Prue and Phoebe recognized it. The look of a killer or someone who was about to become a killer. He shot his arm straight toward Teresa and shouted in Latin, "Proximare!" Teresa quickly floated over to him and Clayton's outstretched hand clamped around her throat.
"No!" Robert shouted. Clayton turned his head toward Robert and shouted, "Asportare!" Robert flew backwards into the group. All of them fell to the floor. Then Clayton turned back to Teresa, who was struggling to break the grip around her throat.
"Sanguis ardere. Rumpere ollas," Clayton said. Teresa started to cry out in pain, and it was becoming visible that blood vessels were rupturing under her skin. Prue was the only one in the room that understood Latin and she knew what Clayton was doing. She tried to use her power to get him off Teresa, but whatever was possessing him was much stronger than her. Clayton diverted his attention to Prue, "Abigere!" Prue flew backward out the library doors. "Abigere omnis persona!" he shouted at the rest of the group. They all flew out into the hall with Prue. "Ianuas artus!" The library doors slammed shut.
Everyone out in the hall stood and bombarded the doors, trying to get them open. But they wouldn't budge, and Teresa's screams echoed through the hard wood. Finally, they stopped.
"He killed her," Robert said in shock.
"Then we've gotta kill him," Roman said.
"No, he's stronger than all of us put together," Prue said. "Come on, we have to get far away from him before he does that to all of us."
They all ran as fast as they could, heading up the stairs to a different part of the house. They ended up in the first bedroom that anyone had entered that night, the one Piper had left her stuff in to claim it as hers. Roman and Robert shut and locked the doors to the adjoining rooms while Phoebe and Walter shut and locked the door to the main hallway.
"Now, we're trapped like rats," Roman said, sitting on the bed with a defeated sigh.
"He's going to find a way in and he's going to kill us all," Walter added.
"It's only a matter of time," Robert agreed. "We've got three hours till that freakshow with the key comes back. Clayton and his new friends will find a way in."
"All right, enough of that," Prue said. "Clayton is not going to kill us. We just have to think of a way to get past him so we can get to the front gate when the guy with the key comes back."
"We still have to do something about Clayton, Prue," Phoebe said. "We can't just leave him here like this."
"Why not?" Roman asked. "It's his own damn fault this happened to him."
"Phoebe's right. We have to help Clayton," Prue said.
"And how do you propose we do that?" Robert asked. "And why can't we just leave him like this?"
"Because I think enough blood has been spilled in this place," Prue replied. "Four people are dead, and I really don't feel like adding Clayton to the list. No matter how much of this he brought on himself, he's still an innocent we have to protect."
"All right, let me repeat the question," Robert said. "How?"
"Wait. What do you mean by innocent?" Roman asked.
Prue and Phoebe looked at each other, knowing that they had to give some hope to the remaining members of their group. "Phoebe and I have…special talents that might help get Clayton back."
"What special talents?" Walter asked.
"Actually, you could say they're more like hereditary traits," Phoebe said. "Let's just say we have first-hand experience dealing with evil like what's in this house."
"First-hand? How?" Robert asked.
Prue sighed, knowing that a straight-forward answer would be the easiest way to explain it. "We are witches and we have magical powers. I have the power of telekinesis, and Phoebe has premonitions of the past and future."
"What?" Walter asked with an incredulous laugh. "You're joking."
"No, she's not," Phoebe said.
"That's how you knew Clayton was in the library," Roman said, remembering Phoebe's momentary lapse of silence in the entrance hall before they all went to find Clayton in the library. "You touched the bottle of bourbon. You had a premonition of him in the library."
"Yes, I did," Phoebe said. "I saw him reading the incantation that allowed the evil spirits to possess him. I can usually get there in time to stop my premonitions from happening, but…" She trailed off.
"Pheebs, it's okay," Prue said. "I doubt there was a whole lot we could have done under the circumstances to help Teresa. I tried to use my power to get her away from Clayton, but the spirit possessing him is too strong."
"So, what? We hold a real-life exorcism?" Walter asked, obviously not wanting to believe all this.
Prue looked at Walter seriously. "Yes, that's exactly what we're going to do."
Piper was still making her way down the tunnel in the dark. She reached a turn, but fell away from the corner and stumbled head first into the wall in front of her. She fell to her knees and leaned heavily against the wall in the corner. She felt dizzy and nauseous, and if there had been any light in the tunnel, she would have noticed that her whole world was getting dark. She pressed her right hand against the wall, clamped her eyes shut, and tried as hard as she could to stand. Slowly she rose to her feet. She was leaning against the wall on her injured left shoulder, but she was totally oblivious to that pain. At this point, it all blended together into one huge, constant painful sensation throughout her entire body. She found the wall with her right hand again and followed the tunnel more, still muttering to herself, "Leo is my goal. Leo is my goal."
"All right, so we'll need a distraction until you two can KO Clayton," Roman said. The group was trying to put a plan into action.
"We're not even sure that we can knock him out," Prue said. "The most important thing we need to do is confine him somehow, and also we need to get him out of the library. Phoebe, your job is to go to the library and find the book Clayton read out of. Then find anything that can help us get this spirit out of him."
"What about us?" Robert asked.
"Do you have the plans for the first floor on you?" Prue asked Robert.
"No, they're in the entrance hall. Why?"
"It would help if we could find another way to get to the first floor without using the main stairs."
"There's a dumbwaiter that leads to the kitchen," Robert said. "I saw it on the plans and when we were in the kitchen."
"Perfect," Prue said. She looked to Walter and Robert. "You two are going to lower me on the dumbwaiter. Robert, I'm counting on your memory and skills to figure out where on the second floor the dumbwaiter would come out. Roman…"
"Yeah," he said
"You're our diversion," Prue began. "We're going to send you out the window and you're going to drive your Harley around the first floor until you get Clayton's attention. Lead him to the entrance hall."
"You got it," Roman replied.
"All right, I think I have a good idea where the dumbwaiter is," Robert said. He was sitting with his eyes closed, obviously trying to picture the path on the second floor that they would have to take in order to get to the dumbwaiter. Prue nodded her head and opened the window.
"Okay, Roman, just sit on the window sill," Prue said. "I'll take care of the rest."
Roman looked a little wary of what she was going to do, but he complied. Moments later he was floating in the air, courtesy of Prue's power. She walked forward and Roman floated further out from the window. Then when Prue was standing at the window, she lowered him to the ground.
"Unbelievable," Walter said from behind her. Prue turned and smiled.
"That's what I thought when I was first able to do that," Prue said. "Okay, Pheebs, wait at the top of the stairs for Roman to get Clayton's attention. Get to the library as fast as you can. And don't even think about trying to fight Clayton."
Phoebe nodded her head. The four of them headed out of the bedroom and into the hallway. Phoebe headed for the stairs, while Robert led Prue and Walter to the dumbwaiter.
After a couple minutes, Phoebe saw Roman ride into the entrance hall through the front doors. He fish-tailed to a stop and shouted, "Hey, Clayton. You wanna kill somebody? Come and get me!" Roman revved the engine of his Harley and then peeled out, heading down the hall to the library. Phoebe crept down the stairs and headed in the same direction. She saw Roman coming back and ducked into a closet. She peeked through the crack and watched Roman zoom by back into the entrance hall. A minute later, Clayton walked past the door. He was headed straight for Roman, who was doing donuts in the front hall. Phoebe ducked out of the closet and ran to the library.
"Cadere!" Clayton shouted as he pointed his finger at Roman. The bike skidded and then turned onto its side. Roman fell off and went sliding across the floor after his bike, both of them crashing into the wall. Clayton walked toward him. "Capere!" he called as he pointed to Roman. The man flew up off the floor, his back slamming against the wall. He struggled to break free, but he was magically bound to the wall. Clayton removed Roman's helmet and threw it across the room. Then he pulled a knife out of his back pocket, and he rubbed the flat of the blade against Roman's neck. He reared back, both hands on the knife ready to plunge it into the man's chest.
"Avolare!" Phoebe shouted from the other end of the entrance hall. Clayton flew across the room and crashed into the bar. Roman fell from the wall and ran over to Phoebe.
"Thanks," he said.
"No problem," Phoebe replied. She was holding a couple books. The one she had open in her hands was the one Clayton had read the incantation from. Clayton stood and started to head toward them. "Ligare!" Phoebe shouted. Ropes detached from the curtains and flew toward Clayton, quickly binding his arms to his sides and then wrapping around his legs. He fell to the floor, crying out in an evil rage. Moments later, Prue ran into the entrance hall while Walter and Robert came down the stairs.
"Wow, good job, Pheebs," Prue said, walking past Clayton and joing the others. "Did you find anything to exorcise the evil spirits?"
"Possibly, but it's all in Latin. So, I'm not sure," Phoebe said. She showed Prue the other book. "Can you make anything from it?"
"Yeah, this is it," Prue said, looking over the page. Then she noticed the last line. "Uh oh."
"What?" Robert asked. "I don't like that tone."
"This will kill Clayton," Prue said.
"Better him than us," Walter said.
"We don't have time to look for anything else, Prue," Phoebe said. "I don't know how long those ropes will hold him."
Clayton was growling and rolling on the floor, trying to get out of the ropes. Prue looked from him to Phoebe and then the others. Phoebe was right. They had no choice. If they didn't kill Clayton, he would knock them off one by one.
"Okay," Prue said. "Let's do this."
She and Phoebe looked at the page and then to Clayton, beginning to say the words.
Abigere crudelis spiritus.
Abscedere corpus.
Abscedere mens.
Abscedere hinc.
Audire verba.
Relegare ceterus eternitas.
Venenare corpus ad funus.
No plus vivere.
Clayton screamed out in pain, his body writhing to and fro as much as it could in the ropes. Everyone else watched in awe as black and red mists rose from his body and screamed evil screams. They floated up toward the ceiling, and just as it appeared that they were going to rise through the ceiling a bright light exploded from them and they disappeared. Then everyone turned to Clayton's still form. Prue walked over and untied him with her power. Then she knelt down and felt for a pulse. He had none.
"He's dead," she said to the rest of the group. They all bowed their heads, none of them sure what to say. Roman looked at his watch.
"We've got an hour left," he said. Everyone just looked at him and then they all sat on the stairs, waiting for the sun to rise.
Piper had walked for hours and finally she ran into a dead end. She cried out in panic, thinking that she had gone so far for nothing. She pounded on the barrier in front of her and cried out. But then she felt a handle. It wasn't a dead end. It was a door. She pulled on the handle as hard as she could with her good arm. There was a scraping sound as the door opened a crack and a trickle of light entered the tunnel. Piper's hope rose up in her throat and tears of excitement ran from her eyes. She pulled harder and the door squealed open. She stumbled out into the fresh air and fell to her knees next to a large pine tree. The door to the tunnel slammed shut behind her. She cried tears of happiness because she was finally out of the tunnel. But then she realized that she still had to get to the ranger station. She stood slowly and shakily and continued her journey, finding the road and following it.
She walked for a half hour, continuing on like a robot. She had no thoughts. Her mind was completely blank. Her body just walked, while Piper disappeared somewhere inside, the only glimmer of hope left being that she would see Leo again. Finally, she found a cabin. There was a forest ranger's truck in front of it, and the lights were on. She tripped up the front steps and fell forward onto the wooden porch. Slowly she managed to sit up against the front of the cabin. She reached her right arm over and rapped on the door. Then she let her arm fall limp to her side.
The door opened and a man in jeans and a khaki short-sleeved shirt stepped out. There were patches on the sleeves of his shirt identifying him as a forest ranger. He looked down and knelt next to Piper, immediately checking for a pulse. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She was delirious from pain and exhaustion and she wasn't thinking clearly. She looked at him and said one word before passing out. "Leo."
The man came back and unlocked the gate, finding Prue, Phoebe, Walter, Roman and Robert waiting for him. He noticed Piper's truck smashed through the front of the house. He was confused.
"What's going on?" he asked. "Where's Clayton and everyone else?"
"They're dead. Call the police," Roman said calmly. The man stared at the five of them for a moment and then returned to his truck where he used a cb radio to call the police.
It took over an hour for the police to get the whole story, and it had taken the last hour of their stay for the remaining guests of Van Horne mansion to come up with that story. They told the police that Clayton killed everyone and they managed to subdue him before he could kill anyone else. Finally, the police allowed the remaining five to leave.
"Oh God," Phoebe said, finally remember something. "Piper, do you think she made it to the ranger station?"
"I don't know," Prue said. She approached one of the officers. "Excuse me. Our sister was using the underground tunnel to get out of here. She was headed for the ranger station. Do you have any idea if she made it?"
The officer just looked at Prue for a moment. "We checked all the way to the end of the tunnel. Mr. O'Connor was the only one we found down there. And we haven't heard anything from the ranger station."
"Can you contact the ranger station and find out?" Roman asked, having been listening in.
The officer sighed and pulled his radio. "This is Officer Rankin calling the Northside Ranger Station. Come in, Northside."
"This is Northside. Over," a man said.
"I've got some people here looking for their sister. You had anyone come by this morning or last night? Over."
"Bill just left with a young woman to take her to the hospital. No identification, but she looked like she'd been hit by a truck. Over," the man on the other end said.
"Did he take her to Clearlake? Over."
"Yes. I haven't heard back from him yet. Over."
"Thanks. Over and out," the officer said. He replaced his radio on his belt. "Do you know where Clearlake Mercy Hospital is?"
"I do," Robert said. He turned to Prue and Phoebe. "I'll take you."
Roman turned to Walter. "My bike's trashed. You mind if I ride with you?"
"Sure," Walter replied. The five of them got into the two cars and abandoned their belongings, never wanting to return to Van Horne Mansion.
Prue and Phoebe rushed into the emergency room, with Robert, Walter and Roman coming in behind them. The Halliwells approached the front desk.
"Uh, hi, we think our sister may have been brought here, but she didn't have any identification on her," Prue said.
"Okay, we've got two Jane Doe's here," the nurse said, pulling them up on the computer. "One is in ICU and the other is still in surgery. I can take you to ICU to see if she's your sister."
"Thank you," Phoebe said. They followed the nurse, but the woman in ICU wasn't Piper.
"Well, perhaps if you could describe your sister to me, I could have someone check on the woman in surgery," the nurse said as the three of them returned to the emergency room.
"Uh, she's about five foot one, hundred-twenty pounds, uh, long, dark brown, straight hair, brown eyes," Prue said.
"She has a scar on her right eyebrow," Phoebe added.
"Okay, I'll send someone in to check. You can wait over there," the nurse said. She directed Prue and Phoebe to the waiting area and then left to check surgery. Prue turned to the guys.
"Hey, you don't have to hang around," she said. "I'm sure you all just want to go home."
"But what if the woman in surgery isn't Piper?" Roman asked with concern. He had barely known these women a few hours, but he felt like he'd made friends for life.
"It probably is," Phoebe said. "The guy at the ranger station said that he'd taken a woman here. Piper was headed for the ranger station."
"We'll hang around for a little bit," Robert said. Prue and Phoebe smiled at the three men and then they all waited for news on the Jane Doe in surgery.
The woman in surgery was Piper and the nurse told them that things were looking good. If Piper had come in any later, her appendix probably would have burst and killed her. After a long wait and saying goodbye to the guys, Prue and Phoebe were allowed to see Piper.
She was very pale, but she looked a lot better than when Phoebe had last seen her. They stood at the side of Piper's bed.
"Hey, Piper, can you hear us?" Prue asked in a quiet voice.
Piper answered with her eyes closed. "Yeah."
"I told you you'd make it," Phoebe said happily. "There's someone else here that wants to see you."
Piper opened her eyes and Leo stepped forward. He leaned over and gave Piper a long, soft kiss. When they pulled apart he smiled down at Piper.
"Thank God you're all right," he said running his hand through her hair. "Phoebe told me what you had to go through. I'm so glad you made it."
Piper shot Phoebe a smile. "I had a goal in sight and I didn't let it go."
"Oh my God! I just remembered something!" Phoebe exclaimed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out two envelopes. She handed one of them to Piper.
"The checks," Prue said. "Should we really do this? I mean, Clayton's dead."
"After all he put us all through, I think it's only fair," Piper commented. "I kinda wish we'd found your check, Prue."
"Did you say something about a check?" someone behind them asked. They all turned to the door and found Roman standing there. He stepped forward and handed Prue an envelope with her name on it. "Good to see you're okay, Piper."
"Thanks," Piper said with a smile. "Same to you."
"How did you find my check?" Prue asked.
"I didn't really find it," he replied. "I went back with a tow truck to get my bike, and all our checks were just sitting on my bike, Walter's and Robert's, too."
"How did they get there?" Phoebe asked.
"Hell if I know," Roman replied. "I'm gonna mail Walter and Robert their checks."
"Unbelievable," Prue said.
"Not really," Phoebe commented. "I think it's just another quirk of the house."
"Quirk? You call what we went through quirks?" Roman asked in surprise.
"It's all in a day's work," Prue said. She shot her sisters knowing smiles. Another typical day in the lives of the Charmed Ones had passed.
EPILOGUE
All the cars had been towed away, all the bodies had been removed, and a large tarp was attached over the gaping hole that Piper's car had left in the wall. The wind blew at the tarp, rustling it, but it held strong. Slowly, loose bricks floated up and returned to their original positions. Broken bricks pieced back together and the wall slowly was made whole again. The tarp ripped from the wall and blew away, a green glow covering the mended outer wall of the Van Horne Mansion. In a window on the fourth floor, someone stood waiting for more guests to arrive. It could be years, decades or even centuries. But some day, they would come. Van Horne Mansion would have guests once more.
THE END