Witch Trials Revisited

Witch Trials Revisited

In this age of suspicion and fear, women with special abilities had always had to stay quiet about their gift. May it be simply that they were writers, healers or had bigger ambitions didn't really matter. It was a man's world and the women knew that. One of those women had a gift that she definitely didn't want known. Her family was special, always had been. But where in the long past the gift given to her by heredity had been a blessing, it had become a curse and a shame. Even her own parents tried to deny that she was as gifted as her ancestors were. They had told her all her life that she was inventing when she told them of the visions she was having.

At now eighteen years of age, she was still looking forward to love and a relatively normal life. She had learned by then to hide everything that displeased her parents. Going so far indeed as denying her gift herself.

When she had met Leopold, she had fallen for him immediately and completely. She was waiting for him that night on the porch. She knew that her mother's watchful eyes wouldn't leave them even for an instant, but she still intended to enjoy their meeting.

He had come to town recently, and her parents were unsure about him. They had told her that he seemed too mature for her. But Piper didn't mind at all as she felt an infinite love for him, and she knew in her heart that he did too.

She saw him at the end of the path, and her heart pounded wildly. Oh did she love him, she told herself and tonight he had promised something special. She hoped for a proposal, even though she was sure her family would be resistant to it. But at this point, she longed so much for him that she knew she couldn't wait much longer. Piper had always tried to conform to her parents' expectations, but if they didn't give her their permission, she had already made up her mind to go against them for the first time in her life. That is how much she wanted him…

Leopold:

"Piper," he called with a big happy smile already. She wanted to run to him but she could feel her mother' stare on her back and she stopped herself. He came to her almost timidly:

"Piper, I missed you," and he just kissed her on the cheek; but his lips stayed longer than they should have. And when he pulled away reluctantly, she could still feel the warmth he had left there coursing throughout her body as if the kiss had been much more than it was. She blushed and Leopold found it adorable. Then she dared ask:

"You hinted at a surprise, I can't wait anymore…"

Leopold:

"I'm just as impatient as you are" he said softly so that only her could hear, then he pulled a simple ring from his pocket and went down on his knee in the traditional fashion:

Piper breathed deeply trying to calm herself.

Leopold:

"From the first moment I saw you, I knew that I wanted to be with you forever. Piper Halliwell will you be my wife?"

Piper could not find her voice and Leopold swallowed nervously.

Then she took the ring with a trembling hand and just nodded yes.

Leopold didn't even try to contend himself anymore and he got up taking her by her amazingly thin waist to lift her off the ground happily. And for the first time, he kissed her fully on the mouth, which immediately brought her mother outside.

"Piper?"

Piper:

"Mother, I have something to show you" she said ignoring the reproach in her mother's voice.

Her mother, Penelope, could not believe the nerve of that man who had gone over their heads to ask their daughter in marriage.

Penelope:

"Young man, don't you think that you should have asked permission first?"

Leopold looked at Penelope with an air of determination that put her ill at ease.

"Madame" he said respectfully but forcefully nevertheless, I intend to marry your daughter and I know that she wants that too. I can only hope that you will approve. However if you won't, I still will marry her."

Piper, not wanting to incur the wrath of her family, was very worried about her reaction but she still was ready to go against their wishes if necessary.

Penelope, seeing that the young man was obviously so certain of his intentions, couldn't find an argument so she just added:

"I will have to consult with Piper's father about this."

Piper:

"Mother please!"

But her mother turned her back on her and hurried inside, leaving them unsure of what would happen next…

Leopold:

"I'm sure that they will see that we love each other Piper."

Piper:

"They are worried that you are a stranger to us. I don't know why, but mother has always been wary of strangers."

Leopold:

"Then I will just have to convince her and your father that I intend to make you happy and well cared, for the rest of your life."

He took her in his arms now to reassure her and leaning on his strong chest, she felt better almost immediately.

That moment of peace didn't last very long as her father came outside carrying the carbine that he usually only took out for hunting.

Piper let out a scream of fright at the anger on her father's face. She was used to him being a caring and tolerant man, but that night he was furious.

Victor:

"I want you to get off my property and to take your filthy ring with you," he said looking directly at Leopold. "We do not want a stranger near our daughter, I have been too tolerant already of this nonsense and it will stop right now."

Leopold stood fast ready to defy the master of the house but Piper saw that her father was serious and she pulled Leopold to herself, sadly giving him back his ring. He could see the pain in her eyes and it hurt him deeply.

Piper:

"Leopold you must go; I couldn't bare the thought of you being hurt or worse."

Leopold turned back to her father one last time with fire in his eyes, then he stepped off the porch angrily and almost ran away from the house. Piper, unable to contain her pain anymore, started crying uncontrollably and she ran into the house without a look at her father.

Her two sisters, Phoebe seventeen and Prue nineteen, greeted her when she entered their shared bedroom, but they understood immediately that things didn't go as well as Piper had hoped for. Phoebe came to her and Piper threw herself in her arms crying even louder.

"I will run away, I swear she said," distraught. "No one will keep me from him."

Phoebe:

"You can't do that! What if Mother and Father are right?"

Piper:

"They are wrong," she continued stubbornly through her tears, "I know that they are."

Neither Prue nor Phoebe could find the words to comfort her and they started wondering what they would do if they lost their sister.

That night none of them slept very well.

Prue was the responsible sister herself. She was already engaged to one of the sheriff's deputies, Andrew Trudeau. His family had been in the village for as long as theirs and her parents had approved immediately of her choice, even eagerly. She had always been the responsible one even if sometimes the weight of her being the oldest was a little too much to bear. She wished by moments that she could be just as carefree as her younger sister, who like a butterfly, was living her life to the fullest refusing to get attached by any man or anyone for that matter. Piper did surprise her though. She didn't expect her to even think of doing such an impulsive and dangerous thing. That morning she woke to find her sister preparing a bag with her belongings:

"Piper, I would have thought that you'd have reconsidered by now."

Piper:

"I told you that I would go, and don't even try to change my mind. As soon as I can leave here, I will go to him and we will just have to run away."

Prue:

"Are you so sure that he wants that too? I heard that he has found work here and maybe he won't be that eager to run away."

Piper:

"I know he will…"

Then Piper eyed her sister suspiciously:

"You won't tell them will you?"

Prue:

"I don't know... I'm afraid for you Piper."

Both sisters now stared at each other in a charged silence. Phoebe who was just waking up saw the tension between her sisters:

"What is it you two?"

Then she noticed the canvas bag that Piper was still holding:

"Oh Piper, you can't be serious. There are so many dangers out there. Don't you remember what Mother told us about the outside world?"

Piper:

"Leopold will protect me. And besides, no one knows about us…"

Just like Piper, Phoebe and Prue had gifts that were considered forbidden and just like her they had been taught to hide them for fear of reprisals from the townsfolk. Their mother would tell them every so often, particularly to Phoebe who just couldn't help but want to use this gift. She could freeze time and had been practicing in secret against her mother's wishes. So had Prue. Her telekinetic power had helped them to get out of trouble on occasion but the three of them were almost convinced now that no one would understand about them.

Prue:

"Piper, I implore you to rethink this, at least give yourself a few days, just to be sure. If he loves you, I'm sure that he can wait for you a little longer."

Piper:

"But what if I can't?"

Phoebe:

"Just a few days, it won't be so bad and who knows maybe our parents will have changed their mind by then?"

Piper sighed heavily and put the bag behind her bed:

"Don't be fooled, if they do not I will run away. But you're right, I can still wait a few days. I'll see him at Sunday's mass and I'm sure that by then he'll also have thought of a solution."

Her sisters smiled weakly at her, praying secretly for things to get better.

Penelope was awake but she felt unable to get up and start her chores of the morning. She was paralyzed by fear for her daughters.

They didn't know but she also had gifts just like them. She was just better at hiding it then they were. She had practiced all her adult life to hide the truth about herself for their sake and Victor's. When she had been almost Piper's age she also had ran away with her present husband, but love had not been the only reason. Then, her mother had been adamant that she should not try to deny what she was and most of all, the destiny that her children were to have. Penelope had been scared by all the fear that other people held for her mother and grand mother's gift. Already at the time, people had started to ostracize witches and Penelope had not wanted to live that kind of life. Let along expose her future children to the destiny her mother had talked about.

She, as much as her husband had good reasons to be wary of strangers, but she never told her daughters why. She didn't want them to know the real danger they could be exposing themselves to. To tell them that, would have been to admit that their gift and hers was a real fact and all she wanted was for them to just forget about it.

She finally got up, promising herself to watch Piper closely as she was convinced that this time, her usually obedient daughter might do something crazy. But instead of going out of her room, after getting dressed, she went to the dresser to which she alone had a key. She kept its content secret even from her husband who would have been horrified to know that she still looked at those memorabilia from her mother's. Inside the dresser were a book and various bottles. She took the book respectfully, still remembering her mother's teaching on the importance of this book. It was ancient and on it was the raised carving of a circle with 3 elliptical forms touching it. Her mother had told her the significance of this but she never believed that she would be the one who would give birth to the fabled witches. Instead she paged the book still looking for an entry that would tell her if Leopold really was any danger to her daughter. Again there was nothing that she could find, but she knew by experience that it meant nothing. The book didn't have all the demons and warlocks in it yet. The moment she put down the book, this one reopened on its own and it startled her but didn't really surprise her since it had happened often.

Penelope:

"What is it Mother?"

Patricia, her mother, had often tried even after her death to make her reconsider her attitude toward her daughters but she stubbornly always refused.

Still when the page with her mother's handwriting opened in front of her she couldn't help but to read the inscription again:

"The prophecy will come true, whether you believe it or not. I know that my line will give birth to the Charmed ones. Your children will be those, I'm sure of it. I implore thee to let them become what they must."

She angrily closed the book and locked it back in the dresser.

"No mother, my daughters will not be exposed to the dangers that come with being what we are. I made sure that they know not to use their powers…"

As she was getting out of the room to busy herself with her daily chores, the ghostly figure of an elderly woman appeared in the room, and from her expression of sadness and discontent, one could guess that she was Patricia's ghost. She looked at the dresser for a moment then gesturing toward it she unlocked it and levitated the book toward her.

She flipped the pages again until she found her own entry in the book, and underneath, these words started to appear magically:

"To my grand daughters…"

Phoebe and Prue were now at least convinced that their sister was going to wait before leaving them and now after their morning chores, they left the house to secretly go practice their gift in the woods nearby. They both knew that if their mother had heard of it she would have been very upset, but they couldn't help wanting to use those gifts. Penelope had been sorely mistaken to believe that they would have forgotten about them.

They went and played one of their favorite games where Prue was trying to control her telekinetic gift by selectively moving pieces and throwing them in Phoebe's direction while this one was freezing and unfreezing them at will. It amused them to no end to see the wood piece stop in midair then when released continue on its way until Phoebe stopped it again and again. Then Phoebe would lift from the ground and try to find Prue's astral self from the air in a very magical game of hide and seek. Phoebe was now very close to know how to actually fly, but she didn't dare do it for fear of discovery.

Only a few months ago, they had found out that new gifts had come to them but their mastering of those particular gifts were still in their infancy, and they had also figured out that they could be very dangerous.

They had found out by accident just like with the other powers when during a game, instead of stopping the object in midair, Phoebe had set it on fire with some kind of an energy beam forcing her to get out of the way very quickly. And it had only been thanks to Prue's nervous reaction that they had not set the woods on fire around them. When seeing what had happened, she tried to send the object away from any flammable material and instead had sent an icy beam at it, stopping the fire.

They were also certain that if her sister had still been participating in those games, she'd also have demonstrated powers akin to theirs but ever since their mother had punished them severely for this, Piper had stayed away from the witch practice. To her sisters' chagrin. And now their sister, so proper and respectful of authorities was the one threatening to run away…

After just about an hour of their games, Phoebe started on that subject:

"Do you really think that she will do it?

Prue:

"I'm not sure, but I do know that mother is very worried about that stranger. It seems almost exaggerated. I mean he looks so nice and decent. Why should she be so fearful of him?"

Phoebe:

"And he still has been around for a couple of months without doing anything worthy of reproach. I really don't know, but I'm still afraid of what might happen to her. What if mother is right and something bad happens to her when she is gone. We wouldn't even know."

Prue:

"I'm sure that she would let us know that she is ok and where she is…"

Phoebe:

"But what if she didn't?"

Prue:

"No matter what happens we will have to make sure of that, of course."

Phoebe smiled weakly:

"I still hope that our parents will change their mind. I don't exactly know why but it seems important that we at least stay together."

Prue:

"I have the same feeling all the time. But do you think that Piper denies this too?"

Phoebe:

"She just might. She refuses to even talk about her gift."

Do you really think that it would be as bad as mother says if people knew about us?"

Prue:

"From the way she insists on us not using them, it looks like it. I just wish I knew what is so bad about it. Although I must admit that if Andrew knew, he might be a little scared of me and I don't want that."

Phoebe then smiles frankly:

"So how is Andrew, and more importantly, how is his brother Samuel?"

Prue:

"You're still thinking about that?"

Phoebe smiles ruefully:

"You know me?"

Prue:

"You're a little young to go after a man his age Phoebe. He is twenty-three you know."

Phoebe:

"And I'm a very mature seventeen," she says laughing.

Prue:

"That's what's scares me." But she can't help but smile at her sister's enthusiasm for life.

"At any rate, Andrew is coming this afternoon and I think his brother might be coming too. Father needed some help to repair the barn."

Phoebe:

"Oh goody, men look so good when they work hard."

Prue:

"Oh Phoebe!"

Phoebe:

"What?" She asks as innocently as she can muster.

Prue sighs dejectedly and they finally go back toward the house. Both of them are relived when they see their sister on the porch.

Piper barely acknowledged their return. She knew very well where they were going so regularly and she preferred not to think about it. Besides, for now, her only thoughts went to Leopold. She was wondering anxiously how he had taken the rejection from last night.

Prue:

"Are you well sister?"

Piper:

"I will be, don't worry."

Prue:

"But I am worried; did you talk to mother?"

Piper:

"I will soon, but I need some time first. What they did last night hurt me deeply."

Prue:

"I'm sure that our parents only had your best interest at heart."

Piper:

"If they truly did, they would accept my judgement. I know that Leopold is a good man."

Prue:

"I'm convinced too and maybe if you talked to her she would see this also."

Piper still seemed unconvinced but she smiled gently to her sister. She knew that both her sisters were concerned for her. They had always been very close, even though they fought on occasion. But she knew for a fact that she could count on them. Sometimes she regretted her fear of the gift. She would look at her sisters, aware of what they shared that she didn't because of it. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to participate in this activity.

In another town, not very far from where they lived, a posse was assembling in the center of town. Men with forks and other nasty looking farm tools, even some with guns, and they were talking animatedly among themselves. They were impatiently waiting for something. There was also a look of fear about them that didn't fit with the weaponry that they were carrying. As if they thought that nothing could ward the enemy they were facing.

At last the sheriff and a pastor came out of the local church. The pastor was wearing a heavy crucifix and his bible in front of him as if also to protect himself from an unspeakable evil.

The sheriff gave him room to speak to the crowd:

"My friends, today is a sad day for us. I have found out, as you now know, that the Devil has taken root in our good town. He has invaded two of our sisters and threatens to spread his evil way to more of us.

We must stop this. I implore you all to show courage and faith in our quest. We will help our sisters repent for their sins."

The man in the place started to talk louder, all of them agreeing with the priest, although some of them crossed themselves repeatedly in fear of evil.

The pastor, satisfied, continued:

"Let's not lose any more time. The devil will not do its evil work in our town anymore."

And as soon as he finished saying this, he got off the wooden walkway and directed himself to the edge of town, followed closely by the mob.

The posse ended up in front of a nice cottage, with a flowery border. Two single ladies had been living there peacefully for years, being known of all the people in town, but the previous day all of this had changed. A little girl had come to their house, as she had done many times before, but this time she returned home complaining of an illness.

No one knew what had caused it at first, and by nightfall, the little girl had been delirious with fever and in excruciating pain. All the efforts that the town doctor did were in vain and late that night to the terrible sorrow of her parents, the little girl had died. By that time, a few people had retraced the little girl's step to the cottage of the Warren Ladies. People needed to punish someone for the little girl's passing and many came forward with strange stories about them. By morning, the pastor was convinced that something evil had happened in their house and they were now screaming at the ladies to come out of the house. Inside, Phyllis and Paula were huddled in fear, having heard of the terrible events and of the following inquiries in their life. When the pastor realized that they would not come out, he summoned the bravest of the men to break down the door, and although with some hesitation, three of them came with heavy farm tools and broke it in a moment.

The sisters inside had faced evil before, but the thought of hurting innocents was the farthest from their mind and presently, they decided that it would be better to simply put themselves at the mercy of the pastor. They were sincerely hoping that they could keep their secret and stop this madness. Unfortunately, they would soon learn that it had gone too far already…

The next day, standing in chains in the town's place, they awaited the verdict of a very quick and one-sided trial. The pastor had made an inflamed sermon that morning urging everyone to beware of the appearance of evil.

"The Warren sisters may appear innocent to you my friends but the face of evil has many forms, the most treacherous of which is the look of innocence. Don't be fooled by their denial. The devil will never admit his presence among us as he cowardly hides behind these women. To save them, we have to purify them, unless they confess to their crime and reject him."

And now, even long time friends of theirs cast fearful looks of doubts and fear toward them. Phyllis and Paula were not ready to confess to a crime that they knew they had most certainly not committed. They stood fast in the face of all the resentment and bigotry, still thinking that their dignity would earn them at least a chance to defend themselves. But all they were ever aloud to do was to answer insidious and belittling questions by the pastor. After hours of grilling, he had come to the conclusion that they would never admit their crimes and presently was coming back to pass judgement on them.

Pastor O'Reilly:

"Those women are but the victims of Satan himself. It is our duty to cleanse them of his influence so that god in his infinite wisdom might forgive them their crime. I hereby, condemn the Warren sisters to be burned at the stake, tomorrow at dawn. May God have mercy on their souls…"

The sisters couldn't believe what was happening and they cried and screamed, enraged. All it did was to convince some more people that the devil was talking through their mouths.

It was unfortunate that their actual witch powers were of no use to them at this moment. They had always been the weak ones in the family. Penelope, their sister, was the most powerful of them, but she had always refused to assume her gift. For the sake of family they had moved here to be closer to her after their mother's demise. And now their only hope was that the only person that had not gone crazy in this town would deliver their plea to her before it was too late…

At a distance was a man, standing out of sight of the townsfolk but observing them and particularly observing the witches with a mysterious smile. He was tall with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Handsome by any definition, but also hard in his expression. The smile looked insincere and didn't reflect in his icy stare. When he was satisfied of the trial's result, he walked toward the edge of town. He looked around himself carefully, and then, convinced that no one was observing him, he literally shimmered out of this world and disappeared…

At the Halliwell's house, Piper was preparing to confront her mother. She was trembling with uncertainty. Only once before had she defied her mother in such a fashion, and she still remembered the harsh punishment she had incurred for it. It had happened when, at the age of twelve, her mother had found her along with her sisters, trying their gift together. Penelope had never been so angry with them, and Piper never wanted to see this again. But her love for Leopold was so strong that she was ready to endure the wrath of her parents.

Piper:

"Mother?"

Her mother lifted her head from the pastry she was making for their evening meal and looked at her daughter, questioningly.

Piper:

"I have to talk to you about Leopold mother."

Penelope's expression immediately became somber.

"I don't want to hear anymore about that man."

She had said "man" with such resentment that Piper almost changed her mind about talking to her. But she took a deep breath and continued nonetheless:

"I want you to know that nothing is going to keep me from him. I wish that you would understand how much I love him mother. But if you don't then…"

She hesitated a long moment in which her mother's mood darkened even more but she didn't say anything yet, waiting.

Piper:

"Then I'll have to leave and you will have lost a daughter…"

Penelope now reacted:

"You cannot mean this Piper. I won't allow it."

Piper started screaming now which startled her mother even through her anger. It even brought her sisters to the door for Piper was always the quiet type, never raising her voice for anything. But right now, she was enraged:

"You cannot stop me. I will go to him Mother and not you or Father or anybody will keep me from him…"

Penelope:

"And what good will it do to you? What if he isn't what you imagine that he is? What if he is…?"

In her distraught state, Penelope had almost uttered the words that she had swore would never come to her daughter's ears.

It struck her so hard that she stopped and barely looking in Piper's direction for an instant, she stormed out of the room without another word, pushing Prue and Phoebe out of the way.

These went to their sister with real concern and Prue asked:

"What happened?

Piper found enough voice after her outburst to answer:

"I don't know." She was ashamed of what she had done to her yet she was wondering why her mother had left so abruptly. It was not like her to give up so easily.

In a little voice she continued for her sister:

"But no matter, if they persist in denying me; I will run away with him."

Phoebe:

"Piper no…" She had said this while trying to keep the tears from running down her face. She didn't know why exactly but her sister's determination to leave them made her more and more afraid. She had the sensation that something terrible might happened if she did…

But Piper wouldn't listen to her and she left them to go to their bedroom. There she threw herself on the bed and cried for hours.

Penelope could hear her daughter sobbing but by now, her own fears had been reawakened. She had come so close to tell them and then what would have happened. They most certainly would have wanted to know more about it. She was aware of the determination of her daughters, and she even suspected that Prue and Phoebe had disobeyed her. But by now they were too old and determined for her to stop them. She had believed that Piper would be the one to keep the prophecy from becoming. But it had never occurred to her that she might do so by leaving.

She knew that she had to protect her against herself and made a decision that pained her, but it was the only thing that she could do. She asked her husband to shut the windows close and she locked Piper in the room before this one realized what was happening. When Piper understood what her mother had done, she started pounding on the door and screamed again. But Penelope closed her ears to the screams and she kept watch for the rest of the day so that no one would let her out.

That night, during their dinner, she received an unexpected visitor. A friend of her sister's had ridden all day to get to her and now he asked her to come outside with him for he had news for her alone.

The man, by the name of Elliot Lawton recounted to her the terrible events of the last two days. She was horrified when he told her the faith of her sisters and immediately agreed to go back with him and try to save them.

Victor was very upset at the idea that she would go there by herself but she insisted that she had to at least try to save them. She made sure that he would not let Piper out of her room until she returned and then mounted their fastest horse to follow the man, intent on riding through the night.

As she was departing, Leopold was observing them with curiosity and concern wondering where their mother could be going so late in the day and in such a hurry. But his musing didn't last very long as he had only one thought in mind and it was to see Piper. He had spent the day in a daze, wondering if maybe he had been wrong about her feelings for him.

This time, he went around the house careful not to be seen and when he got to what he knew was their bedroom window, he noticed that the shutters had been nailed shot.

He was somewhat discouraged at seeing this but decided to try and raise her, hoping she was the one in there, he started to throw little rocks on the shutters…

Inside Piper had finally succumbed to her exhaustion. She had been sleeping for almost an hour when an insisting noise woke her up. She didn't know at first what it was, but then she heard it again. The noise came from just outside her window. She came closer to it and called at first softly then a little louder. To her wonderment, Leopold answered back:

"Piper? Is that you?"

Piper:

"Yes my love it's me. They locked me in."

Leopold felt the anger swell inside him:

"They cannot do that to you."

Piper:

"They are my parents, and you know that they can do this. They are not usually cruel or bad to me, but my mother won't let me go to you."

Leopold:

"If you could, would you come with me, for good?"

Piper:

"Yes, I would."

Leopold:

"Then I'll find a way to get you out and we'll run away.

Piper thought of what her sister Prue told her:

"Are you sure that you want to go away?"

Leopold:

"I'd go to the end of the world and back to be with you."

Piper put her hand to her chest and the smile finally came back to her lips.

Piper:

"Then yes, I will go with you and never look back."

Leopold:

"Wait for me, my sweet."

Piper went to the other side of the bed to pick up her bag of belongings. But there she saw something shining to the candlelight and she bent to pick it up. She recognized it for her mother's medallion. She was just wondering how it got there when, the moment she touched it, a vision came to her.

She could see her mother, encircled by a crowd of screaming people. They were herding her toward two other women in chained. She recognized those too, as they were her aunts. Then she almost screamed when she saw them push her mother in the fire that they had just alighted at her aunts' feet.

She had not had a vision in years but she still knew that this was real.

She didn't hesitate and went to the door calling insistently to her parents:

"Where is mother; I have to talk to her now…"

Her father heard the screams but at first he ignored it, thinking that she simply was still trying to convince them to let her go. When he saw that she wouldn't stop though, he came angrily to the door decided to put his foot down.

"You will stop screaming like this young lady. Nothing you say will change the fact that you are staying here."

But Piper who now had his attention was not about to let him go away again:

"Father where is Mother, I have to warn her."

Victor was alarmed by her tone of voice:

"What do you mean?"

Piper:

"I have to warn her, if she goes to her sisters she will die."

Victor, who had had reservations at letting Penelope go by herself was now very scared. He knew that even though he disapproved of it, their witchcraft was very real and that if Piper said that Penelope would die then it would happen.

He quickly unlocked the door before telling her that her mother had already left.

Piper:

"We have to do something, we have to stop her" she says in a panic.

Phoebe and Prue came out of the guestroom where they had been forced to stay that night.

Prue:

"What is it? Why are you so scared?"

Piper:

"It's Mother, she might die if we don't find her…"

Phoebe:

"How do you know, she just said that she had to see her sisters."

Piper:

"Then she went to Oakridge tonight?"

Victor:

"I didn't want to scare you girls but something bad has happened."

Your aunts have been found guilty of evil doings and witchcraft.

They are to be burned at the stake tomorrow morning…"

The girls exclaimed in horror.

Leopold, who was coming back to the window to try and open it, heard the commotion inside and forgetting his own safety, went around the house and entered it without invitation.

"What is it, he asked anxiously?"

Victor was too worried about Penelope to protest his presence and Piper told him that their mother needed their help. She didn't however tell him how she had learned of this.

Without anymore hesitation, Victor enlisted Leopold to prepare the carriage and they departed soon after on the north road, hoping against all hope that they could catch up to her before it was too late.