Darkness

Chapter 1: His Pain

Disclaimer: If you think I in any way own Charmed, you're a psycho.

I used to think we had one big happy family. I was wrong. The Halliwell family is relatively big, and close. There's my parents and me, my aunts: Paige and Piper. Finally, there's my three cousins Wyatt, Chris and Penny. We did see a lot of each other, but that didn't mean we were happy.

Wyatt, at 18 was the oldest. He was in his final year of Magic School. He was the most popular, and the most powerful person at Magic School. He had more powers than I can even count. He's bossy, and a bit of a perfectionist, but mostly, I loved him. He thought he was close to his younger brother Chris, but in truth it was a false closeness.

Chris is 16 and in 10th grade. He has the powers of orbing and telekinesis, which he worked very hard at. That 's really all any of us knew about him until I discovered his secret. It will always astound me how he hid so much, for so long. It must have eaten him up inside. He must have felt how I had felt when I had eventually learned the truth.

I'm Mel. My full name is Melinda Prudence Halliwell, but I prefer Mel. My mom, Phoebe, always compliments me on how beautiful I am, but I never believed her. I'm creative and sensitive - I cry at the drop of a hat. I'm 14 and I'm in 8th grade at Magic School. I inherited 2 powers from my mother, first premonition, and later, empathy. I also have telepathy which can be annoying. Sometimes, you don't want to know what people are thinking.

Penny Matthews, my youngest cousin, is also my best friend. Before I discovered Chris' secret, we shared everything. She's 12 and in the 6th grade, but she's totally mature for her age. She's into the whole Goth thing , so she has 3 earrings in each ear, she always wears black and puts on tons make - up. She can orb and become invisible, the two coolest powers in the world. Her dad, my uncle Kevin, died about a year ago and she's still pretty broken up about it. You shouldn't mention it unless you're prepared for major waterworks.

It was early one Saturday morning when to unexpected things happened. I got a new power, and I discovered something about my cousin ,Chris. My aunt Piper, Chris and I were the only ones at the table. We were all early risers. I was enjoying a chocolate chip muffin when I felt it. A wave of pain hit me. It was depression, anger and a hint of fear. The pain was so strong that I doubled over in pain tears coming to my eyes.

"What's wrong Mel?" asked my aunt Piper with a worried look on her face.

"Nothing", I answered. I didn't want to tell her anything yet. I knew what must have happened. I was feeling another's emotion just as my mother could do for years. I had developed a new power. Empathy. I looked instinctively at Chris. Our eyes looked for a moment, and I knew it was his pain I had felt.

I looked at Chris seeing him clearly for the first time. His dark green eyes were wells of sorrow. His face was a world of unhappiness, covered by a mask beginning to crumble away. Chris was in pain, he had always been in pain. It hurt him so much...yet none of us had ever realized. Chris quickly excused himself and retreated to his room. Aunt Piper apologized saying she was heading to her club P3 for a few minutes. There's was something Chris felt that puzzled me. Than I knew.

Chris was tired of the pain. He wanted to end it. He was going to kill himself. I ran to his room, barging through the door. There I saw a sight that brought silent tears to my eyes.

"Chris!" I yelled, standing in the doorway.

Chris was stunned. He dropped the knife he was holding to stare at me. He was obviously going to slit his wrists. I look at the pearly white scars on his arm told me that this wouldn't have been the first time he tried it. No one spoke. I decided to just come right out and say it.

"Chris, I know how you've been feeling and...", I didn't have a chance to finish.

Chris shouted, "Look out!"

I had no time to turn before the demon raised a clawed a hand and hit me over the head. I fell to the floor, unconscious...

TBC...

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