THE RINGING
'My ears are burning,' the little boy said to his mother as they walked hand in hand down the mall.
'That means somebody is talking about you,' the mother smiled.
He looked his mother in the eyes and then gave a childish laugh.
From the distance, a pair of eyes watched over the boy.
He entered the shoe-shop and stood watching disinterestedly as his mother started fumbling through the rack.
'There he is,' one of the men said to the other as they came out from hiding. 'Quietly. Don't let him see you.'
The man snuck up behind the boy. He started moving in closer, and closer.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of the boys neck stood up.
He quickly spun around just in time to see the kidnapper make a lunge for him.
He screamed, kicked the man in the shins and ran.
'Hey,' his mother cried out. 'Derrick?'
'Surprise,' said the man.
'You know you're not supposed to be here. What if the courts.'
'Stuff the courts, Terese. 'I want to see my boy.'
The boy hid his face in his mother's coat.
'Not today,' she said. 'So you and your junkie friends can just.piss off.'
His friend began to advance but Derrick signaled for them to leave.
Another man going through the shoe catalogue in the shop put it down and smiled.
A white aura glowed briefly from the ring on his hand.
Phoebe looked at her watch.
She had to keep the time or Elise would kill her. Even though it was a Saturday, Elise now wanted her to come in at five o'clock that evening every Saturday until the presentation was ready for delivery.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Phoebe placed some fax sheets down on the kitchen bench and headed for the foyer. She carefully opened the door to see a man - his face hidden by flowers.
He then whipped the flowers down from his face and said "surprise".
'Jason!' Phoebe screamed delightedly.
She embraced him excitedly.
She felt so energetic that she grabbed his cheeks in her hands when suddenly.
Zssssaaap!
A faint blue discharge came out of Phoebe's hands and caused Jason's face to convulse. Jason's veins snaked up from his cheeks to his ears and then across his forehead as he shook violently - blue serpents of lightening coiling around his body strangling the life out of him. He stared at Phoebe blindly, spontaneously dribbling until the energy subsided. Then, when the flow of energy stopped Jason collapsed.
'What did you do to him?' Piper demanded.
'Nothing,' Phoebe said sponging the unconscious man's forehead. 'I just tried to hug him and.zap!'
Paige looked at Piper.
'Does he need healing?'
'No,' Paige interrupted. 'He'll be fine. And good thing too, I really have not got the hang of this healing thing.'
Jason started groaning. 'What happened?'
'Um, what do you think happened?' Phoebe said quietly.
'I.' he thrust himself up onto the lounge almost falling back dizzily. 'I remember ringing your doorbell. We hugged; your hands felt so cold; my face felt like it was on fire.'
'Anything else?'
'Nothing,' Jason said.
'What do you supposed happened?' Phoebe continued.
'Um. That's a good question. Why don't you tell me?'
'Ahh.static electricity.'
'What?'
'I hugged you and my hands were all static and.you know.'
Jason nodded with a frown furrowed across his brow.
'But it's over now,' Phoebe said with a big smile. 'Have you met my sisters?'
'The Kadiver girl? And the nightclub owner? Yeah, we've met.'
Paige squinted her eyes angrily at him.
The same man from the mall - who emanated the white aura from his hand - waltzed down the street whistling happily to himself when suddenly a demon shimmered in.
'What do you want?' he demanded of the demon. 'I haven't the time for evil.'
'And I've barely the time for the puny likes of you. But I need your power. And your help.'
'You what?'
'You're a channeler. You help people direct their natural, psychic powers. You help people to focus their 6th sense. You control the so- called energies that cause these.warnings to people.'
'I know what I do. What I don't know is what you do. or want!'
'Very simple. You.'
'Never.'
'Then your family will die.'
'What!'
The demon handed him a cell phone.
'Son?' the man said answering it. 'Wait.'
'Think about it. But don't think too long. Or your son and wife die.'
'You zapped Jason,' Paige said. 'How is that possible.'
'My powers must be growing,' Phoebe said. 'I don't know. When I went to the future, I saw myself with these awesome powers. Powers that could literally kill. That's why I was tried for murder.'
'Huh?'
'Yeah, I didn't quite tell you that one.'
'Hmm. And the Evil Enchantress is looking better every day.'
They heard Piper off in the distance offering Jason some tea.
'How are we going to explain this to him?' Phoebe said.
'Static-electricity,' Paige said sarcastically.
Phoebe gave her a hard frown.
The psychic took a deep breath as he stepped up onto the porch of the Halliwell Manor. He stood in silence and took a deep breath. He then walked up to the door and rang the bell.
He waved his hand over an envelope and the ring on his finger - embedded with a green faucet - glowed.
A woman with long brown hair answered the door.
'Phoebe Halliwell?'
'No.I'll go get her.'
'Thank you. Oh, I'm a fan of hers,' he said before Piper could ask any more.
'Phoebe!' Piper shouted. 'It's for you.'
Phoebe walked to the doorway.
'Yes?'
'Phoebe. I need your help.'
'What? Me?'
He nodded. 'You may not understand. Let's just say I'm a client of yours.'
Phoebe frowned as he placed his hand into a brown envelope and handed her a picture.
When Phoebe looked up, he was gone.
She studied the picture carefully. It was simply a family photo. A photo of the same man with a woman Phoebe assumed was his wife and a little boy; probably his son.
Suddenly, Phoebe gasped:
She saw a demon holding an athame to the throat of his son. She then saw the man screaming in panic. She then saw a flick of the wrist holding the athame. A spill of blood dropped from the knife as a dull thump echoed out.
Phoebe cried out as the vivid premonition ended.
'Um,' she ran inside. 'Something came up, Jason. I'll drive you home to your apartment.'
'What? Did Elise call? I can call her and tell her.'
'No. No, it's not that,' Phoebe said playing with her ear-lobe. It's just.that time of month.'
She looked to her frowning sisters for support.
'It's okay. My car's here.'
'Um, I don't think you should be driving after your little.shock,' Paige said. 'Let me drive you - in your car.'
'Then how will you get home.'
'Orb.'
Jason looked at her.
'Albeit, I would have to get public transport home,' Paige said quickly.
'Good idea,' Phoebe said. 'Go. Go. Go!'
'What do you mean a man came to your door?' Piper demanded.
'Hello! You answered the door to him,' Phoebe said. 'He's an innocent.'
'Why would a demon want to kidnap the family of a mortal?'
'I don't know,' Phoebe said partially irritated. 'But what I do know is that if we don't do something, we're going to lose our innocents.'
Piper nodded. 'Let's try scrying. We can use this picture.'
'That demon there,' the demon said. 'Give him the sense to see his foes.'
The psychic miserably held his hand out and the ring glowed green.
The demon who walked past them shuddered before continuing.
He walked down an alleyway.
Suddenly, he spun around in time to telekinetically stop an athame mid-air.
The witch that ambushed him cursed herself. 'How did you.'
'Must be my lucky day,' he said throwing the athame back towards her.
She screamed as it hit her in the shoulder and she toppled over.
The psychic's captor walked out clapping his hands. 'Good work Cybil!'
'Who are you?'
'Somebody you'll value. The person who gave you the sixth sense. Oh, well not directly,' he said throwing the psychic out in front of him.
'But why?'
'To give evil the advantage, you fool. You were just a test of the potential.'
Suddenly, the screeching of breaks could be heard as a jeep jammed onto the curb and three woman got out with angry looks on their faces.
Phoebe saw the man give her a sympathetic look.
'Okay, show's over,' Piper said throwing up her hands.
Psssdt!
All three of the men froze.
'So, who's bad. Who's good?'
Phoebe pointed to the body of the witch.
'I'm on it,' Paige said running over. 'She's still breathing.'
'My question,' Piper continued.
'I don't know.'
'It's not working,' Paige panicked.
'Keep trying,' Phoebe said then turning to Piper. 'Unfreeze that one.'
Piper held up one hand, wiggled her finger, and unfroze the psychic.
'Name and business,' Piper demanded.
'I'm Jethro. I'm a medium. A mortal given the power to direct the psychic energies that our sixth sense relies on.'
Suddenly, they heard the woman gasped. She was still injured but alive nonetheless.
'That's the best I can do,' Paige said.
'Thank you,' she said placing a hand on Paige's.
Suddenly, the two demons unfroze.
'What the.more witches!'
'And why is my predator still alive?' Cybil hissed.
'Because you're not,' Piper said throwing up her hands.
'No,' Jethro cried. 'Don't.'
'Who's side are you on?' Piper hissed.
'That's a very good question,' the demon hissed. 'Why didn't we sense the witches sneaking up on us, psychic?'
'Maybe he brought the witches to us,' Cybil said.
'He knows the punishment for that.'
'Please. No. I didn't.'
'Then they will die,' the demon said.
'No Lutheran. They are too powerful,' the medium cried.
Lutheran flicked his outstretched finger and an energy bolt of yellow lights that resembled a boomerang went flying towards the charmed ones.
Piper cockily raised her hand and it dissipated into yellow sparks.
'A little help, Jethro,' the demon roared.
'Okay,' Jethro said.
He said a chant and green energy escaped from his ring.
But it flew straight passed Lutheran and hit the Charmed ones. They glowed green.
'What did you do to us?' Piper said.
'I asked you to bless me; not curse them,' Lutheran said.
'Sorry.'
Suddenly, Lutheran grabbed Jethro and shimmered out. Cybil followed obviously not wanting to risk the witches on his own.
'Thank you,' Tamara said as Phoebe handed her a cup of Chamomile tea.
'So, why were you trying to kill the demon?' Piper said.
'I'm a witch.'
'Yeah, so are we but witches just don't go on rampages,' Paige said before looking a Piper with her evil eye.
Piper ignored her. 'What did he do? Kill your husband?'
'No. He's an evil that has been responsible for causing misery to mortals. I need to vanquish him.'
Suddenly, Phoebe jumped.
'What's wrong?' Paige said.
'My ears are burning. Literally.'
They all jumped back to see that Phoebe's ears. Steam was pouring out of them as though they were the very spouts of a kettle.
The smoke dissipated.
'Somebody's talking about you,' Paige joked.
'That's it!' Phoebe said excitedly. 'If he directs psychic powers, then he must help control the energies that give us those feelings.'
'So he didn't curse us.'
'No,' Paige said. 'He blessed us. He gave us an overdose of power.'
'My eyes are watering,' Piper said.
'That's good. It means something. I read in the Book of Shadows,' Paige said. 'Oh, if they're stinging, it means somebody is thinking of killing you.'
'What!!!'
'Sorry, no,' Paige said turning a page in the book. 'It just means that danger is present.'
Paige's mouth suddenly became very dry. The hairs on the back of her neck started growing and rising until Paige was hairy like a werewolf.
Paige screamed.
'Somebody must be after you,' Phoebe said. 'Or watching you.'
'That!' Tamara said pointing to a cat on the window pane. 'That's my familiar, Boots.'
'Oh, he's so cute!' Phoebe said.
'And he's spying on me,' Paige said as the hair started growing back into her skin. 'Now, why do I always get the mouth stuff; Phoebe gets the ear stuff; and Piper get the eye stuff?'
'Maybe because we're used to having those sensors screwed!' Piper said.
'Well, we're going to have to act quickly,' Phoebe said. 'Otherwise his family will be killed!'
'So what is he?' Paige said. 'A medium?'
Tamara raised her eyebrows. 'A medium? They're mortals given powers to channel energies. That's why he has a family.'
'Like the ice-cream man,' Phoebe said to Paige and Tamara's confusion.
'Obviously, these extra sensory powers are telling us something,' Piper said. 'And my guess is that we're in for an attack.'
'And now he's teamed up with this demon of yours.Cybil?'
Tamara nodded to Paige.
'How are you feeling?' Piper said handing Tamara another cup of her special tea.
'Still a bit sore.'
'I'm sorry,' Paige said.
'Don't be. You saved my life. In the absence of a whitelighter, we can depend on you.'
Paige smiled. Then frowned.
'What do you mean the absence of a whitelighter?'
'We have to do something,' Phoebe said. 'Jethro has to make contact sooner or later.'
'He can't,' Paige said. 'Or,' she made a slitting throat motion.
'No. I mean psychic to psychic. He could send me a premonition or something.'
'Or we could just try and find this sorry demonic son-of-a-bitch and vanquish his ass,' Piper said.
'C'mon, think,' Phoebe said to herself clapping her hands together.
Suddenly, she jumped back as her parted hands formed a line of electricity in between them. It dissipated quickly.
'What the hell was that?' Piper demanded. 'Another psychic sign?'
'Yeah, but one of Phoebe's own brand. Phoebe is coming into her new power and I think she's having a few teething problems,' Paige said frankly.
'Maybe we should bind my powers until.'
'We've all been there with our powers,' Piper said. 'No binding.'
'Yeah, but I might zap somebody.'
'And remember when I was running around blowing things up? Your power doesn't even compare to that type of punishment.'
'Okay. Okay. Okay,' Phoebe said as another jolt startled her.
'That it,' Paige said. 'When you get excited, it seems to activate your power.'
'I hope that doesn't hurt my chances of getting a premonition,' Phoebe said. 'Piper, you couldn't freeze.'
'That's because freezing and blowing up had similar triggers. Frustration and panic. Plus they're both channeled through my hands. You don't channel your premonitory powers, honey. They channel through you.'
'Okay, so I must have about 12 volts in my hands,' Phoebe cringed. 'Of psychic lightening; static electricity.whatever it is.'
Phoebe fell back and gasped.
'Did it shock you again?' Piper asked.
'No,' Phoebe said. 'It was my other power. Old faithful.'
'What did you see?'
'Us walking into an ambush in the park.'
'And the only reason we'd be walking in that park is because of your premonition,' Paige said. 'That's quite a contradiction?'
'I don't know.'
Suddenly, Phoebe closed her eyes and went into an almost coma-like trance. She spoke indirectly to the girls as if from another place.
'I see us walking into the park. Lutheran and Cybil are there. Hiding behind the bushes. There are other demons. Demons with heightened sixth senses. Jethro is.on the ground bleeding.'
'Don't go towards him,' Piper warned. 'Stay back.'
'That's not what you're saying here,' Phoebe said. 'You're telling Paige to help. ENERGY BALL!'
Paige jumped but realised Phoebe was speaking from her trance.
'Phoebe, pull yourself out of it,' Piper shouted. 'Pull yourself out before you get hurt!'
'Paige! Get up Paige! Orb us out of here!'
Tamara walked into the attic holding a glass of water with a concerned look on her face.
'NO!' Phoebe screamed. 'Hya! Hya! Hyaaa!!!'
'Water,' Paige cried orbing the glass of water into her outstretched hand. She then threw it onto Phoebe.
Phoebe screamed as she suddenly came back to reality.
'You're going to get yourself killed,' Paige said angrily.
'I'm sorry,' Phoebe said. 'I couldn't leave you.'
'It's in the future,' Piper said. 'Which means we have a second chance. But you only have one so let it be in the present.'
Phoebe cried out as her ears caught on fire. Phoebe's ears looked like a volcano with a deep, amber chasm of fire ready to spill out. Phoebe's ears became flame throwers spewing a 15inche jet of flame either side.
'Uh, fire extinguisher,' Paige said orbing it into her hand.
Phoebe screamed out as Paige sprayed her face with the gases from the extinguisher. Then the fire died.
'What the hell did you do that for! The fire can't hurt me but spraying me in the face can.'
'Wait,' Piper said. 'If your ears are burning, then they must be talking about us. Or planning something.'
Then the phone rang.
'Hello,' Piper said answering. Her eyes popped open. 'He wants to meet us in the park. To discuss the situation.'
'Why are we doing this again?' Paige said. 'Knowing full well we're walking into a trap.'
'Because,' Piper said. 'Jethro's family dies if we don't. And so does he. Phoebe, the premonition happened at night? It's day now which means Jethro has a chance. Oh, my head.'
Piper covered her eyes with her hands.
'Piper?' Tamara said.
'My eyes are itching.'
Piper pulled her hands away and water was streaming down her face like tears.
'That must be telling us something,' Phoebe said solemnly.
A telltale trail of slimy eye pus pointed to the Charmed Ones who had now settled onto a concrete basketball field.
'Eh. Must be something big,' Phoebe continued. 'Aaaah!'
Phoebe clutched at her ears. They suddenly caught on fire. 'I hope no one is watching.'
'No one is out here,' Tamara said. 'Which makes it good.'
'No, I mean no one period. Double for demons.'
Paige's hair on the tap of her neck started tingling. Then growing long and outwards. 'I think Phoebe may be onto something.'
Paige spun around at the last minute to see Cybil with an athame.
'Athame,' Paige shouted orbing it into her hand and readying for the throw.
'Wait! I come bringing news.'
'And an athame,' Paige said still holding onto the artifact.
'He warns you to come no later than the set time. Otherwise.'
'Yeah, yeah,' Paige croaked.
'So what are you doing out here? Now?'
'We're getting nowhere fast,' Piper said throwing up her hands and freezing him.
'You're not going to blow him up?' Phoebe said.
'Maybe. But not in one piece,' Piper said waving her hand with a sucking sound from her powers.
His head unfroze.
'We'll be asking the questions,' Piper said. 'For each one you get wrong,' Piper threw up her hands and basketball hoop clean off its pole in a shard of flames. 'Need I say more?'
'Where is Lutheran?' Paige demanded.
'Who?'
Piper started to raise her hand.
'Wait! He's in a house. Not far from here. I'll take you there.'
Piper laughed. 'I don't think so.'
'Then you'll never get there!'
'Do it,' Paige motioned to Piper who was ready for the kill.
'Don't,' Phoebe said grabbing Piper's hand. 'I think we can trust him. I know we can. He'd do anything to save his own hide.'
'That's right! I would!'
'Shut up, you,' Piper hissed. 'Okay. But if you're wrong.'
'I think we can trust instincts over logic, today,' Phoebe smiled.
Piper waved her hand and unfroze him. 'One false move and kaboom!'
Cybil shimmered into the foyer of a small house and was quickly followed by Paige's orb.
The room they orbed into had an open archway on the north-most wall leading into an area where demonic chatter could be heard. It also had a pile of wooden crates littered in the middle of the room and an old fashioned staircase, built of gray wood with a solid base, hugging against the south wall. There was also an open doorway behind the crates on the western wall and a small hallway met the base of the stairs, at right angles, and trailed off to the south to, no doubt, the exit.
The demonic traitor motioned for them to remain quiet as he casually entered through the archway where Lutheran's voice could be heard greeting - or berating - him.
Paige and her sisters struggled to listen. Phoebe's ears started burning again.
'They're talking about us,' she said trying to ignore the flames coming out of her ear holes.
'Ssssh!' Piper hissed.
'Were they there?' they heard him ask.
'Ah. No. They didn't come.'
'Stupid witches! I thought they'd come earlier. But that's the downfall of good. They keep their promises and we get to break ours. Mwhahahaha!'
Piper crunched up her nose and frowned.
'Tonight, we strike men.'
'Phoebe. Ssssh,' Piper growled in a low voice as Phoebe smacked at her ears trying to put out the fire. 'And Paige. You need to shave that neck.uh oh!'
Paige's eyes sprung open. She spun around not seeing anybody.
Piper lowered her eyes to little squints. Suddenly, a nasty dog came tearing out of the bedroom - which was directly behind them - and sprung at them.
Psssdt!
The dog froze as it was about to leap.
They backed up against the same wall just metres away from the archway that lead into the meeting room. Paige motioned towards a box of crates in the corner of the room in which they squatted behind.
'What about the dog?' Phoebe cried.
'Ah, ah. Dog!' Paige said in a hoarse whisper.
The dog orbed out into bright blue lights as a demon entered and looked from left to right. Suddenly, the frozen dog orbed in behind him still midair and in the leaping position.
'Piper.'
'I know,' Piper said lifting up her fingers and wiggling them.
Fffdt!
The dog unfroze and grabbed at the demon's throat toppling him to the ground.
Two other demons came running in and fired a fireball at the dog who dodged it. They fired again this time accidentally hitting and vanquishing their injured friend.
Suddenly, the girls realised that Piper's eyes were watering and that a puddle was leaking out from behind the boxes.
'What's that there coming out of them there crates,' one of the demon's said putting out a cigar.
'Maybe it's a box full of bounties. Potion ingredients. Who knows? Let's take a look.'
Suddenly Piper shuddered. She tried stifling back a sneeze.
Phoebe shook her head but Piper's eyes were red with the very hay fever that, not only warned them of danger, but would soon put them directly in the face of it.
'Aaaah - chooooo!!!!!!'
The stacks of crates went flying forward with such force that the demons barely had time to scream before they were hit and buried.
'Great!' Phoebe said sarcastically as more demons ran into the room.
'Witches!'
'Use what he has given us,' they heard Lutheran say. 'Then destroy him! And his family. And his dog.'
Lutheran turned to Cybil who stood back sheepishly.
'You betrayed me!'
Cybil shook his head but Lutheran pointed two fingers at him and Cybil exploded into flames.
Piper quickly threw up her hands to freeze the mob of demons but Lutheran held out his hand and it glowed a bright blue preventing her power from working.
'Not another force field!' Piper cried. 'I'll be glad when Wyatt grows up.'
One demon lunged towards Phoebe and she kicked him in the chest. She then grabbed his head between her hands and slam dunked him to the ground. Only, her hands glowed blue and he screamed as his head started frying. Her power's highlighted the veins in his head as they started growing more obvious - like a radioactive drug had been injected to highlight them. Suddenly, the demon vanished into a puff of fire with one last final scream.
'Finally, a kick ass power.'
One demon came running up towards Piper with a jackhammer swiping at her with little effort on his part. Piper ducked it once then threw out her hand. He screamed as his arm blew up and the jackhammer fell to the ground. Piper then aimed for his chest and he blew up in his entirety.
Paige saw two demons coming for her. She cried out and jumped back next to Tamara who was cowering against the wall. As they advanced, Paige picked up the lid of one of the crates and smacked it over the demon's head. He fell to the floor groaning while the other one came up to Paige and laid his hands on her cheeks.
Paige's face started glowing red as the poisonous energies entered her body. She cried out futilely.
Piper spun around in time to see Paige's brain being fried. Piper hastened to throw up her hands and paused wondering whether it would hit Paige. Piper nodded to the gasping witch who was trying to nod.
Paige suddenly orbed out leaving a confused demon clawing at the air. He didn't last much longer when Piper threw up her hands and exploded him into oblivion.
'Lutheran's getting away!' Phoebe cried.
He stormed up the staircase.
He slammed the door shut in her face and Phoebe tensed.
Suddenly, there was a thumping sound from the stairs like something falling - and the old rickety staircase shook violently as though it were about to collapse. Then they heard Jethro moan.
'Phoebe,' Piper said leaving the piles of demon ash to litter the ground. 'What's happening?'
'Lutheran's upstairs. He locked us out. Like Grams used to do with the attic.'
'Yeah, well we're not powerless little girls anymore!' Piper said waving her hand at the door and splintering it into one thousand pieces, leaving only the gaping frame.
But the room beyond was empty.
'Oh, no!' Phoebe cried. 'He's going to kill them.'
'Wait,' Paige said. 'I think there must be a secret passage. It something tells me that that thumping sound was Lutheran jumping through some kind of.laundry chute.'
Paige led her confused sisters and the other witch back into the entrance and to where the staircase lay.
'In there,' she said pointing to the hatch under the stairs. 'Door!'
The hatch orbed off its hinged and appeared heavily in Paige's arms causing her to lose her balance.
Phoebe peered into the opening and saw that it expanded out into a cellar. Jethro was there, laying on the ground, bleeding horribly from a wound to his stomach. 'I'm too late. Paige!'
Paige struggled to her feet, jumped into the opening almost bumping her head, and entered the hidden room. She then placed her hands over the bleeding innocent and concentrated.
'He's alive,' she confirmed before her hands glowed a faint yellow.
'We have to find the others,' Piper said wisely.
Jethro gasped as he came to.
Paige smiled weakly knowing that she had not fully healed the man. But enough to sustain him.
Piper looked up at the small, wooden ceiling above her and noticed a chute. Lutheran must have jumped down the chute from upstairs, stabbed Jethro, and escaped through some other means.
'My wife,' he murmured. 'Down there.'
'You mean there's more to this little dungeon than meets the eye?' Paige said.
'Makes sense,' Phoebe agreed. 'After all, there was a secret passage from the bedroom. Why not one underground.'
'Move along peoples,' Piper growled pushing her way into the middle of the room and kicking aside an old rug. There was a trapdoor underneath. 'What a cliché!'
Piper went to blow it up but Phoebe motioned for her not to as it was unlocked.
'But I so love blowing things up,' Piper squealed.
Phoebe ignored her and led the way down the tunnel.
Finally they came to a dead-end. Or rather, an end with a large wooden door bolted shut with no way to open it.
They heard the muffled cries of a lady from the other side and the sobs of a kid.
'How do we get in?' Phoebe said.
'We orb,' Paige said. 'No blowing up. We need the element of surprise.'
Lutheran had finished winding ducktape over their mouths. He didn't notice the touch of blue streamers that circled the room behind him.
'Don't worry. I put a spell on your husband so his wounds will kill him slowly giving him enough time to watch you die quickly. I'll go get him!!! You wait here, bitch.'
The blue lights expanded forming the Charmed ones.
'Not so fast,' Piper said throwing up her hands and watching as the force of her power threw the demon across the room. 'Not exactly what I was hoping for but it will do.'
'The witches!'
'Good guess,' Phoebe cried. 'Not let them go.'
'Never!' he said throwing a white lightening bolt as her.
Phoebe levitated over it as it hit the wall harmlessly.
'Damn you!'
'Anybody got a vanquish handy?' Paige asked.
'Um,' Phoebe said.
'Light of day,
Dark of night.'
Piper looked at Phoebe then added:
Take him away
Unto his blight.'
Suddenly, Lutheran started frying from the inside. Steam came out of his ears and mouth and he screamed painfully as if trying to brush off an invisible fire.
Then he exploded.
'Jethro!' the woman cried. 'He's hurt. Lutheran was only keeping him alive long enough to see us die.'
'He's fine,' Paige said. 'Let's get you home.'
'I am home!'
'Oh, well. Maybe you can make us a cup of tea,' Phoebe said in a perky voice.
'Your heightened sensory powers have been removed,' Jethro said. 'Thank you for your help.'
'Our pleasure,' Paige said.
'And our business,' Piper added.
'You don't know how much this means to us,' Jethro's wife said. 'After my husband discovered his gift.he became a target for demons wanting it.'
Phoebe smiled. 'Don't ever look at a gift as a curse.'
She glared at both Piper and Paige.
'Okay,' Piper said. 'It's only human to resist power.'
'Yeah, but this is the first time that our fearless Phoebe has actually feared her own powers,' Paige said.
'She's just slow,' Piper smiled.
Phoebe growled but couldn't help but to give a proud look.
'I never feared my new power. I just feared what it would do to others. You know how much I like being a witch. And finally I get a power worth worrying about.'
'Good for you,' Paige said.
'No, bad for Jason,' Piper added.
'Oh my god! I forgot about him. I hope he isn't too angry.'
'Only time will tell,' Paige said. 'Only time will tell.'
'Argh!!!' Jason screamed. 'One day, I'm going to get to the bottom of that girl. I'm going to find out all there is to know about her.'
He took a picture of her from the shelf and looked at it.
'Oh! What will I ever do with you!'
Piper had just finished brushing her teeth and toweling her hair.
She opened up the cabinet to put her toothbrush away and once again gazed upon the picture of her and Leo that was blue-tacked to the inside.
She carefully plucked it off and stared for a while at her and her happy husband with their baby.
Piper sighed, shut the cabinet, and began to walk off.
'Piper,' she heard a soft voice whisper.
'Leo,' Piper said looking around the room.
But there was no one there.
She shrugged and left.
There was a faint image in the mirror glazed over by the steam that blinded the glass. But before Piper turned around, it was gone.
'My ears are burning,' the little boy said to his mother as they walked hand in hand down the mall.
'That means somebody is talking about you,' the mother smiled.
He looked his mother in the eyes and then gave a childish laugh.
From the distance, a pair of eyes watched over the boy.
He entered the shoe-shop and stood watching disinterestedly as his mother started fumbling through the rack.
'There he is,' one of the men said to the other as they came out from hiding. 'Quietly. Don't let him see you.'
The man snuck up behind the boy. He started moving in closer, and closer.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of the boys neck stood up.
He quickly spun around just in time to see the kidnapper make a lunge for him.
He screamed, kicked the man in the shins and ran.
'Hey,' his mother cried out. 'Derrick?'
'Surprise,' said the man.
'You know you're not supposed to be here. What if the courts.'
'Stuff the courts, Terese. 'I want to see my boy.'
The boy hid his face in his mother's coat.
'Not today,' she said. 'So you and your junkie friends can just.piss off.'
His friend began to advance but Derrick signaled for them to leave.
Another man going through the shoe catalogue in the shop put it down and smiled.
A white aura glowed briefly from the ring on his hand.
Phoebe looked at her watch.
She had to keep the time or Elise would kill her. Even though it was a Saturday, Elise now wanted her to come in at five o'clock that evening every Saturday until the presentation was ready for delivery.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Phoebe placed some fax sheets down on the kitchen bench and headed for the foyer. She carefully opened the door to see a man - his face hidden by flowers.
He then whipped the flowers down from his face and said "surprise".
'Jason!' Phoebe screamed delightedly.
She embraced him excitedly.
She felt so energetic that she grabbed his cheeks in her hands when suddenly.
Zssssaaap!
A faint blue discharge came out of Phoebe's hands and caused Jason's face to convulse. Jason's veins snaked up from his cheeks to his ears and then across his forehead as he shook violently - blue serpents of lightening coiling around his body strangling the life out of him. He stared at Phoebe blindly, spontaneously dribbling until the energy subsided. Then, when the flow of energy stopped Jason collapsed.
'What did you do to him?' Piper demanded.
'Nothing,' Phoebe said sponging the unconscious man's forehead. 'I just tried to hug him and.zap!'
Paige looked at Piper.
'Does he need healing?'
'No,' Paige interrupted. 'He'll be fine. And good thing too, I really have not got the hang of this healing thing.'
Jason started groaning. 'What happened?'
'Um, what do you think happened?' Phoebe said quietly.
'I.' he thrust himself up onto the lounge almost falling back dizzily. 'I remember ringing your doorbell. We hugged; your hands felt so cold; my face felt like it was on fire.'
'Anything else?'
'Nothing,' Jason said.
'What do you supposed happened?' Phoebe continued.
'Um. That's a good question. Why don't you tell me?'
'Ahh.static electricity.'
'What?'
'I hugged you and my hands were all static and.you know.'
Jason nodded with a frown furrowed across his brow.
'But it's over now,' Phoebe said with a big smile. 'Have you met my sisters?'
'The Kadiver girl? And the nightclub owner? Yeah, we've met.'
Paige squinted her eyes angrily at him.
The same man from the mall - who emanated the white aura from his hand - waltzed down the street whistling happily to himself when suddenly a demon shimmered in.
'What do you want?' he demanded of the demon. 'I haven't the time for evil.'
'And I've barely the time for the puny likes of you. But I need your power. And your help.'
'You what?'
'You're a channeler. You help people direct their natural, psychic powers. You help people to focus their 6th sense. You control the so- called energies that cause these.warnings to people.'
'I know what I do. What I don't know is what you do. or want!'
'Very simple. You.'
'Never.'
'Then your family will die.'
'What!'
The demon handed him a cell phone.
'Son?' the man said answering it. 'Wait.'
'Think about it. But don't think too long. Or your son and wife die.'
'You zapped Jason,' Paige said. 'How is that possible.'
'My powers must be growing,' Phoebe said. 'I don't know. When I went to the future, I saw myself with these awesome powers. Powers that could literally kill. That's why I was tried for murder.'
'Huh?'
'Yeah, I didn't quite tell you that one.'
'Hmm. And the Evil Enchantress is looking better every day.'
They heard Piper off in the distance offering Jason some tea.
'How are we going to explain this to him?' Phoebe said.
'Static-electricity,' Paige said sarcastically.
Phoebe gave her a hard frown.
The psychic took a deep breath as he stepped up onto the porch of the Halliwell Manor. He stood in silence and took a deep breath. He then walked up to the door and rang the bell.
He waved his hand over an envelope and the ring on his finger - embedded with a green faucet - glowed.
A woman with long brown hair answered the door.
'Phoebe Halliwell?'
'No.I'll go get her.'
'Thank you. Oh, I'm a fan of hers,' he said before Piper could ask any more.
'Phoebe!' Piper shouted. 'It's for you.'
Phoebe walked to the doorway.
'Yes?'
'Phoebe. I need your help.'
'What? Me?'
He nodded. 'You may not understand. Let's just say I'm a client of yours.'
Phoebe frowned as he placed his hand into a brown envelope and handed her a picture.
When Phoebe looked up, he was gone.
She studied the picture carefully. It was simply a family photo. A photo of the same man with a woman Phoebe assumed was his wife and a little boy; probably his son.
Suddenly, Phoebe gasped:
She saw a demon holding an athame to the throat of his son. She then saw the man screaming in panic. She then saw a flick of the wrist holding the athame. A spill of blood dropped from the knife as a dull thump echoed out.
Phoebe cried out as the vivid premonition ended.
'Um,' she ran inside. 'Something came up, Jason. I'll drive you home to your apartment.'
'What? Did Elise call? I can call her and tell her.'
'No. No, it's not that,' Phoebe said playing with her ear-lobe. It's just.that time of month.'
She looked to her frowning sisters for support.
'It's okay. My car's here.'
'Um, I don't think you should be driving after your little.shock,' Paige said. 'Let me drive you - in your car.'
'Then how will you get home.'
'Orb.'
Jason looked at her.
'Albeit, I would have to get public transport home,' Paige said quickly.
'Good idea,' Phoebe said. 'Go. Go. Go!'
'What do you mean a man came to your door?' Piper demanded.
'Hello! You answered the door to him,' Phoebe said. 'He's an innocent.'
'Why would a demon want to kidnap the family of a mortal?'
'I don't know,' Phoebe said partially irritated. 'But what I do know is that if we don't do something, we're going to lose our innocents.'
Piper nodded. 'Let's try scrying. We can use this picture.'
'That demon there,' the demon said. 'Give him the sense to see his foes.'
The psychic miserably held his hand out and the ring glowed green.
The demon who walked past them shuddered before continuing.
He walked down an alleyway.
Suddenly, he spun around in time to telekinetically stop an athame mid-air.
The witch that ambushed him cursed herself. 'How did you.'
'Must be my lucky day,' he said throwing the athame back towards her.
She screamed as it hit her in the shoulder and she toppled over.
The psychic's captor walked out clapping his hands. 'Good work Cybil!'
'Who are you?'
'Somebody you'll value. The person who gave you the sixth sense. Oh, well not directly,' he said throwing the psychic out in front of him.
'But why?'
'To give evil the advantage, you fool. You were just a test of the potential.'
Suddenly, the screeching of breaks could be heard as a jeep jammed onto the curb and three woman got out with angry looks on their faces.
Phoebe saw the man give her a sympathetic look.
'Okay, show's over,' Piper said throwing up her hands.
Psssdt!
All three of the men froze.
'So, who's bad. Who's good?'
Phoebe pointed to the body of the witch.
'I'm on it,' Paige said running over. 'She's still breathing.'
'My question,' Piper continued.
'I don't know.'
'It's not working,' Paige panicked.
'Keep trying,' Phoebe said then turning to Piper. 'Unfreeze that one.'
Piper held up one hand, wiggled her finger, and unfroze the psychic.
'Name and business,' Piper demanded.
'I'm Jethro. I'm a medium. A mortal given the power to direct the psychic energies that our sixth sense relies on.'
Suddenly, they heard the woman gasped. She was still injured but alive nonetheless.
'That's the best I can do,' Paige said.
'Thank you,' she said placing a hand on Paige's.
Suddenly, the two demons unfroze.
'What the.more witches!'
'And why is my predator still alive?' Cybil hissed.
'Because you're not,' Piper said throwing up her hands.
'No,' Jethro cried. 'Don't.'
'Who's side are you on?' Piper hissed.
'That's a very good question,' the demon hissed. 'Why didn't we sense the witches sneaking up on us, psychic?'
'Maybe he brought the witches to us,' Cybil said.
'He knows the punishment for that.'
'Please. No. I didn't.'
'Then they will die,' the demon said.
'No Lutheran. They are too powerful,' the medium cried.
Lutheran flicked his outstretched finger and an energy bolt of yellow lights that resembled a boomerang went flying towards the charmed ones.
Piper cockily raised her hand and it dissipated into yellow sparks.
'A little help, Jethro,' the demon roared.
'Okay,' Jethro said.
He said a chant and green energy escaped from his ring.
But it flew straight passed Lutheran and hit the Charmed ones. They glowed green.
'What did you do to us?' Piper said.
'I asked you to bless me; not curse them,' Lutheran said.
'Sorry.'
Suddenly, Lutheran grabbed Jethro and shimmered out. Cybil followed obviously not wanting to risk the witches on his own.
'Thank you,' Tamara said as Phoebe handed her a cup of Chamomile tea.
'So, why were you trying to kill the demon?' Piper said.
'I'm a witch.'
'Yeah, so are we but witches just don't go on rampages,' Paige said before looking a Piper with her evil eye.
Piper ignored her. 'What did he do? Kill your husband?'
'No. He's an evil that has been responsible for causing misery to mortals. I need to vanquish him.'
Suddenly, Phoebe jumped.
'What's wrong?' Paige said.
'My ears are burning. Literally.'
They all jumped back to see that Phoebe's ears. Steam was pouring out of them as though they were the very spouts of a kettle.
The smoke dissipated.
'Somebody's talking about you,' Paige joked.
'That's it!' Phoebe said excitedly. 'If he directs psychic powers, then he must help control the energies that give us those feelings.'
'So he didn't curse us.'
'No,' Paige said. 'He blessed us. He gave us an overdose of power.'
'My eyes are watering,' Piper said.
'That's good. It means something. I read in the Book of Shadows,' Paige said. 'Oh, if they're stinging, it means somebody is thinking of killing you.'
'What!!!'
'Sorry, no,' Paige said turning a page in the book. 'It just means that danger is present.'
Paige's mouth suddenly became very dry. The hairs on the back of her neck started growing and rising until Paige was hairy like a werewolf.
Paige screamed.
'Somebody must be after you,' Phoebe said. 'Or watching you.'
'That!' Tamara said pointing to a cat on the window pane. 'That's my familiar, Boots.'
'Oh, he's so cute!' Phoebe said.
'And he's spying on me,' Paige said as the hair started growing back into her skin. 'Now, why do I always get the mouth stuff; Phoebe gets the ear stuff; and Piper get the eye stuff?'
'Maybe because we're used to having those sensors screwed!' Piper said.
'Well, we're going to have to act quickly,' Phoebe said. 'Otherwise his family will be killed!'
'So what is he?' Paige said. 'A medium?'
Tamara raised her eyebrows. 'A medium? They're mortals given powers to channel energies. That's why he has a family.'
'Like the ice-cream man,' Phoebe said to Paige and Tamara's confusion.
'Obviously, these extra sensory powers are telling us something,' Piper said. 'And my guess is that we're in for an attack.'
'And now he's teamed up with this demon of yours.Cybil?'
Tamara nodded to Paige.
'How are you feeling?' Piper said handing Tamara another cup of her special tea.
'Still a bit sore.'
'I'm sorry,' Paige said.
'Don't be. You saved my life. In the absence of a whitelighter, we can depend on you.'
Paige smiled. Then frowned.
'What do you mean the absence of a whitelighter?'
'We have to do something,' Phoebe said. 'Jethro has to make contact sooner or later.'
'He can't,' Paige said. 'Or,' she made a slitting throat motion.
'No. I mean psychic to psychic. He could send me a premonition or something.'
'Or we could just try and find this sorry demonic son-of-a-bitch and vanquish his ass,' Piper said.
'C'mon, think,' Phoebe said to herself clapping her hands together.
Suddenly, she jumped back as her parted hands formed a line of electricity in between them. It dissipated quickly.
'What the hell was that?' Piper demanded. 'Another psychic sign?'
'Yeah, but one of Phoebe's own brand. Phoebe is coming into her new power and I think she's having a few teething problems,' Paige said frankly.
'Maybe we should bind my powers until.'
'We've all been there with our powers,' Piper said. 'No binding.'
'Yeah, but I might zap somebody.'
'And remember when I was running around blowing things up? Your power doesn't even compare to that type of punishment.'
'Okay. Okay. Okay,' Phoebe said as another jolt startled her.
'That it,' Paige said. 'When you get excited, it seems to activate your power.'
'I hope that doesn't hurt my chances of getting a premonition,' Phoebe said. 'Piper, you couldn't freeze.'
'That's because freezing and blowing up had similar triggers. Frustration and panic. Plus they're both channeled through my hands. You don't channel your premonitory powers, honey. They channel through you.'
'Okay, so I must have about 12 volts in my hands,' Phoebe cringed. 'Of psychic lightening; static electricity.whatever it is.'
Phoebe fell back and gasped.
'Did it shock you again?' Piper asked.
'No,' Phoebe said. 'It was my other power. Old faithful.'
'What did you see?'
'Us walking into an ambush in the park.'
'And the only reason we'd be walking in that park is because of your premonition,' Paige said. 'That's quite a contradiction?'
'I don't know.'
Suddenly, Phoebe closed her eyes and went into an almost coma-like trance. She spoke indirectly to the girls as if from another place.
'I see us walking into the park. Lutheran and Cybil are there. Hiding behind the bushes. There are other demons. Demons with heightened sixth senses. Jethro is.on the ground bleeding.'
'Don't go towards him,' Piper warned. 'Stay back.'
'That's not what you're saying here,' Phoebe said. 'You're telling Paige to help. ENERGY BALL!'
Paige jumped but realised Phoebe was speaking from her trance.
'Phoebe, pull yourself out of it,' Piper shouted. 'Pull yourself out before you get hurt!'
'Paige! Get up Paige! Orb us out of here!'
Tamara walked into the attic holding a glass of water with a concerned look on her face.
'NO!' Phoebe screamed. 'Hya! Hya! Hyaaa!!!'
'Water,' Paige cried orbing the glass of water into her outstretched hand. She then threw it onto Phoebe.
Phoebe screamed as she suddenly came back to reality.
'You're going to get yourself killed,' Paige said angrily.
'I'm sorry,' Phoebe said. 'I couldn't leave you.'
'It's in the future,' Piper said. 'Which means we have a second chance. But you only have one so let it be in the present.'
Phoebe cried out as her ears caught on fire. Phoebe's ears looked like a volcano with a deep, amber chasm of fire ready to spill out. Phoebe's ears became flame throwers spewing a 15inche jet of flame either side.
'Uh, fire extinguisher,' Paige said orbing it into her hand.
Phoebe screamed out as Paige sprayed her face with the gases from the extinguisher. Then the fire died.
'What the hell did you do that for! The fire can't hurt me but spraying me in the face can.'
'Wait,' Piper said. 'If your ears are burning, then they must be talking about us. Or planning something.'
Then the phone rang.
'Hello,' Piper said answering. Her eyes popped open. 'He wants to meet us in the park. To discuss the situation.'
'Why are we doing this again?' Paige said. 'Knowing full well we're walking into a trap.'
'Because,' Piper said. 'Jethro's family dies if we don't. And so does he. Phoebe, the premonition happened at night? It's day now which means Jethro has a chance. Oh, my head.'
Piper covered her eyes with her hands.
'Piper?' Tamara said.
'My eyes are itching.'
Piper pulled her hands away and water was streaming down her face like tears.
'That must be telling us something,' Phoebe said solemnly.
A telltale trail of slimy eye pus pointed to the Charmed Ones who had now settled onto a concrete basketball field.
'Eh. Must be something big,' Phoebe continued. 'Aaaah!'
Phoebe clutched at her ears. They suddenly caught on fire. 'I hope no one is watching.'
'No one is out here,' Tamara said. 'Which makes it good.'
'No, I mean no one period. Double for demons.'
Paige's hair on the tap of her neck started tingling. Then growing long and outwards. 'I think Phoebe may be onto something.'
Paige spun around at the last minute to see Cybil with an athame.
'Athame,' Paige shouted orbing it into her hand and readying for the throw.
'Wait! I come bringing news.'
'And an athame,' Paige said still holding onto the artifact.
'He warns you to come no later than the set time. Otherwise.'
'Yeah, yeah,' Paige croaked.
'So what are you doing out here? Now?'
'We're getting nowhere fast,' Piper said throwing up her hands and freezing him.
'You're not going to blow him up?' Phoebe said.
'Maybe. But not in one piece,' Piper said waving her hand with a sucking sound from her powers.
His head unfroze.
'We'll be asking the questions,' Piper said. 'For each one you get wrong,' Piper threw up her hands and basketball hoop clean off its pole in a shard of flames. 'Need I say more?'
'Where is Lutheran?' Paige demanded.
'Who?'
Piper started to raise her hand.
'Wait! He's in a house. Not far from here. I'll take you there.'
Piper laughed. 'I don't think so.'
'Then you'll never get there!'
'Do it,' Paige motioned to Piper who was ready for the kill.
'Don't,' Phoebe said grabbing Piper's hand. 'I think we can trust him. I know we can. He'd do anything to save his own hide.'
'That's right! I would!'
'Shut up, you,' Piper hissed. 'Okay. But if you're wrong.'
'I think we can trust instincts over logic, today,' Phoebe smiled.
Piper waved her hand and unfroze him. 'One false move and kaboom!'
Cybil shimmered into the foyer of a small house and was quickly followed by Paige's orb.
The room they orbed into had an open archway on the north-most wall leading into an area where demonic chatter could be heard. It also had a pile of wooden crates littered in the middle of the room and an old fashioned staircase, built of gray wood with a solid base, hugging against the south wall. There was also an open doorway behind the crates on the western wall and a small hallway met the base of the stairs, at right angles, and trailed off to the south to, no doubt, the exit.
The demonic traitor motioned for them to remain quiet as he casually entered through the archway where Lutheran's voice could be heard greeting - or berating - him.
Paige and her sisters struggled to listen. Phoebe's ears started burning again.
'They're talking about us,' she said trying to ignore the flames coming out of her ear holes.
'Ssssh!' Piper hissed.
'Were they there?' they heard him ask.
'Ah. No. They didn't come.'
'Stupid witches! I thought they'd come earlier. But that's the downfall of good. They keep their promises and we get to break ours. Mwhahahaha!'
Piper crunched up her nose and frowned.
'Tonight, we strike men.'
'Phoebe. Ssssh,' Piper growled in a low voice as Phoebe smacked at her ears trying to put out the fire. 'And Paige. You need to shave that neck.uh oh!'
Paige's eyes sprung open. She spun around not seeing anybody.
Piper lowered her eyes to little squints. Suddenly, a nasty dog came tearing out of the bedroom - which was directly behind them - and sprung at them.
Psssdt!
The dog froze as it was about to leap.
They backed up against the same wall just metres away from the archway that lead into the meeting room. Paige motioned towards a box of crates in the corner of the room in which they squatted behind.
'What about the dog?' Phoebe cried.
'Ah, ah. Dog!' Paige said in a hoarse whisper.
The dog orbed out into bright blue lights as a demon entered and looked from left to right. Suddenly, the frozen dog orbed in behind him still midair and in the leaping position.
'Piper.'
'I know,' Piper said lifting up her fingers and wiggling them.
Fffdt!
The dog unfroze and grabbed at the demon's throat toppling him to the ground.
Two other demons came running in and fired a fireball at the dog who dodged it. They fired again this time accidentally hitting and vanquishing their injured friend.
Suddenly, the girls realised that Piper's eyes were watering and that a puddle was leaking out from behind the boxes.
'What's that there coming out of them there crates,' one of the demon's said putting out a cigar.
'Maybe it's a box full of bounties. Potion ingredients. Who knows? Let's take a look.'
Suddenly Piper shuddered. She tried stifling back a sneeze.
Phoebe shook her head but Piper's eyes were red with the very hay fever that, not only warned them of danger, but would soon put them directly in the face of it.
'Aaaah - chooooo!!!!!!'
The stacks of crates went flying forward with such force that the demons barely had time to scream before they were hit and buried.
'Great!' Phoebe said sarcastically as more demons ran into the room.
'Witches!'
'Use what he has given us,' they heard Lutheran say. 'Then destroy him! And his family. And his dog.'
Lutheran turned to Cybil who stood back sheepishly.
'You betrayed me!'
Cybil shook his head but Lutheran pointed two fingers at him and Cybil exploded into flames.
Piper quickly threw up her hands to freeze the mob of demons but Lutheran held out his hand and it glowed a bright blue preventing her power from working.
'Not another force field!' Piper cried. 'I'll be glad when Wyatt grows up.'
One demon lunged towards Phoebe and she kicked him in the chest. She then grabbed his head between her hands and slam dunked him to the ground. Only, her hands glowed blue and he screamed as his head started frying. Her power's highlighted the veins in his head as they started growing more obvious - like a radioactive drug had been injected to highlight them. Suddenly, the demon vanished into a puff of fire with one last final scream.
'Finally, a kick ass power.'
One demon came running up towards Piper with a jackhammer swiping at her with little effort on his part. Piper ducked it once then threw out her hand. He screamed as his arm blew up and the jackhammer fell to the ground. Piper then aimed for his chest and he blew up in his entirety.
Paige saw two demons coming for her. She cried out and jumped back next to Tamara who was cowering against the wall. As they advanced, Paige picked up the lid of one of the crates and smacked it over the demon's head. He fell to the floor groaning while the other one came up to Paige and laid his hands on her cheeks.
Paige's face started glowing red as the poisonous energies entered her body. She cried out futilely.
Piper spun around in time to see Paige's brain being fried. Piper hastened to throw up her hands and paused wondering whether it would hit Paige. Piper nodded to the gasping witch who was trying to nod.
Paige suddenly orbed out leaving a confused demon clawing at the air. He didn't last much longer when Piper threw up her hands and exploded him into oblivion.
'Lutheran's getting away!' Phoebe cried.
He stormed up the staircase.
He slammed the door shut in her face and Phoebe tensed.
Suddenly, there was a thumping sound from the stairs like something falling - and the old rickety staircase shook violently as though it were about to collapse. Then they heard Jethro moan.
'Phoebe,' Piper said leaving the piles of demon ash to litter the ground. 'What's happening?'
'Lutheran's upstairs. He locked us out. Like Grams used to do with the attic.'
'Yeah, well we're not powerless little girls anymore!' Piper said waving her hand at the door and splintering it into one thousand pieces, leaving only the gaping frame.
But the room beyond was empty.
'Oh, no!' Phoebe cried. 'He's going to kill them.'
'Wait,' Paige said. 'I think there must be a secret passage. It something tells me that that thumping sound was Lutheran jumping through some kind of.laundry chute.'
Paige led her confused sisters and the other witch back into the entrance and to where the staircase lay.
'In there,' she said pointing to the hatch under the stairs. 'Door!'
The hatch orbed off its hinged and appeared heavily in Paige's arms causing her to lose her balance.
Phoebe peered into the opening and saw that it expanded out into a cellar. Jethro was there, laying on the ground, bleeding horribly from a wound to his stomach. 'I'm too late. Paige!'
Paige struggled to her feet, jumped into the opening almost bumping her head, and entered the hidden room. She then placed her hands over the bleeding innocent and concentrated.
'He's alive,' she confirmed before her hands glowed a faint yellow.
'We have to find the others,' Piper said wisely.
Jethro gasped as he came to.
Paige smiled weakly knowing that she had not fully healed the man. But enough to sustain him.
Piper looked up at the small, wooden ceiling above her and noticed a chute. Lutheran must have jumped down the chute from upstairs, stabbed Jethro, and escaped through some other means.
'My wife,' he murmured. 'Down there.'
'You mean there's more to this little dungeon than meets the eye?' Paige said.
'Makes sense,' Phoebe agreed. 'After all, there was a secret passage from the bedroom. Why not one underground.'
'Move along peoples,' Piper growled pushing her way into the middle of the room and kicking aside an old rug. There was a trapdoor underneath. 'What a cliché!'
Piper went to blow it up but Phoebe motioned for her not to as it was unlocked.
'But I so love blowing things up,' Piper squealed.
Phoebe ignored her and led the way down the tunnel.
Finally they came to a dead-end. Or rather, an end with a large wooden door bolted shut with no way to open it.
They heard the muffled cries of a lady from the other side and the sobs of a kid.
'How do we get in?' Phoebe said.
'We orb,' Paige said. 'No blowing up. We need the element of surprise.'
Lutheran had finished winding ducktape over their mouths. He didn't notice the touch of blue streamers that circled the room behind him.
'Don't worry. I put a spell on your husband so his wounds will kill him slowly giving him enough time to watch you die quickly. I'll go get him!!! You wait here, bitch.'
The blue lights expanded forming the Charmed ones.
'Not so fast,' Piper said throwing up her hands and watching as the force of her power threw the demon across the room. 'Not exactly what I was hoping for but it will do.'
'The witches!'
'Good guess,' Phoebe cried. 'Not let them go.'
'Never!' he said throwing a white lightening bolt as her.
Phoebe levitated over it as it hit the wall harmlessly.
'Damn you!'
'Anybody got a vanquish handy?' Paige asked.
'Um,' Phoebe said.
'Light of day,
Dark of night.'
Piper looked at Phoebe then added:
Take him away
Unto his blight.'
Suddenly, Lutheran started frying from the inside. Steam came out of his ears and mouth and he screamed painfully as if trying to brush off an invisible fire.
Then he exploded.
'Jethro!' the woman cried. 'He's hurt. Lutheran was only keeping him alive long enough to see us die.'
'He's fine,' Paige said. 'Let's get you home.'
'I am home!'
'Oh, well. Maybe you can make us a cup of tea,' Phoebe said in a perky voice.
'Your heightened sensory powers have been removed,' Jethro said. 'Thank you for your help.'
'Our pleasure,' Paige said.
'And our business,' Piper added.
'You don't know how much this means to us,' Jethro's wife said. 'After my husband discovered his gift.he became a target for demons wanting it.'
Phoebe smiled. 'Don't ever look at a gift as a curse.'
She glared at both Piper and Paige.
'Okay,' Piper said. 'It's only human to resist power.'
'Yeah, but this is the first time that our fearless Phoebe has actually feared her own powers,' Paige said.
'She's just slow,' Piper smiled.
Phoebe growled but couldn't help but to give a proud look.
'I never feared my new power. I just feared what it would do to others. You know how much I like being a witch. And finally I get a power worth worrying about.'
'Good for you,' Paige said.
'No, bad for Jason,' Piper added.
'Oh my god! I forgot about him. I hope he isn't too angry.'
'Only time will tell,' Paige said. 'Only time will tell.'
'Argh!!!' Jason screamed. 'One day, I'm going to get to the bottom of that girl. I'm going to find out all there is to know about her.'
He took a picture of her from the shelf and looked at it.
'Oh! What will I ever do with you!'
Piper had just finished brushing her teeth and toweling her hair.
She opened up the cabinet to put her toothbrush away and once again gazed upon the picture of her and Leo that was blue-tacked to the inside.
She carefully plucked it off and stared for a while at her and her happy husband with their baby.
Piper sighed, shut the cabinet, and began to walk off.
'Piper,' she heard a soft voice whisper.
'Leo,' Piper said looking around the room.
But there was no one there.
She shrugged and left.
There was a faint image in the mirror glazed over by the steam that blinded the glass. But before Piper turned around, it was gone.