A/N: This is part two of my ongoing series. Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and comments for Teacher's Pet. You guys are the best! By the way, I might not be able to update frequently, as my graduation is coming, and I need to prepare all of my papers and documents and stuff. But… I'll be updating as soon as I can.
Hope you enjoy this as much as you've enjoyed Teacher's Pet!
Prologue - The ComingA rumble of rhythmic chanting rose and fell deep inside the dark cave, ancient Latin words beating harshly against the old stone walls. Five small torches were rooted on the floor, forming a wide pentagram; their flames leapt high, bathing the dark cave in a faint orange glow and casting dancing shadows on the bodies of the three robed figures standing inside the pentagram of fire. The three figures continued chanting- their voices husky and hoarse, their arms raised over a large cauldron filled with water clear as crystal.
Soon, their power peaked, and a faint glow of reddish light emanated from their raised hands. As one, they plunged their hands deep into the cauldron, and within moments, its contents bubbled, slowly rising. They began another incantation as they spun in a circle, counterclockwise, the direction of banishing- their arms swirling inside the cauldron- and watched, their eyes burning with an insatiable hunger as the water boiled, a large gurgling sound echoing through the entire cave, and turned obsidian black.
After a heartbeat, they stopped as the cauldron hissed; black smoke rising from its mouth like a volcano after it had erupted.
"The time is near, sisters," one voice hissed, its voice old and jagged.
"Yes, near," another echoed.
"Soon, we shall have her," the third announced, eyes meeting her sisters. "She will be ours- mind, body, and soul."
All three turned back to the cauldron and laughed, their voices shrill and ominous, its tone holding a promise of doom and death. In the center of the bubbling black liquid, a face, a young woman's face glimmered brightly- a witch's face.
"Very, very soon, witch, you will be ours."
…Phoebe sprinted, her footsteps thundering down through a narrow and dimly lit alley, its walls spray-painted with graffiti and gang symbols. The strong scent of garbage seeped from the nearby dumpsters and swirled all around her, overwhelming her and making her gag. Ugh! She thought, disgusted, and covered her nose with her left hand. She skidded to a stop when a rat the size of a three-year old kitten scuttled in front of her, squeaking as it ran to hide behind a dumpster.
Cringing, she resumed the chase, her shoes sloshed through mud and filth, splashing water as she stepped on murky puddles. Damn it! These are 350-dollar shoes. She looked down at her feet, and stifled a groan as she saw her perfect Jimmy Choos coated in grime, muck covering its once crimson red color. You better hide, demon. She continued to run, her sisters and her hot on the trail of an upper level demon who had conveniently shimmered in front of P3. Phoebe turned a sharp left, then suddenly stopped. She strained her ears, suddenly surprised at the sudden silence of the alley. Her breathing, heavy and hard, was the only sound that she heard. "Piper?" She whispered, looking around and trying to find her sisters. "Paige?"
Silence.
"Piper!" She called out a little strongly. "Paige!"
Not even the slosh of water puddles.
A slight movement in the shadows on the alley walls in front of her caught Phoebe's eye. Another movement, followed by a scream. Phoebe looked around, studying the narrow alley, body tensed. "Where are you guys?"
Another scream.
Gritting her teeth, all the tension in Phoebe's body sprung, and the next thing she knew, she was running again. Adrenaline pumped into her body, giving her muscles a boost, urging her to press onwards. Following the screams, she ran straight forward, turned right, and then ran straight forward again. She ran until her chest burned, forcing her to stop and take in gulps of oxygen. Looking around, Phoebe noticed that the alley was getting darker, narrower, more imposing. The scent of garbage was almost entirely gone, and was replaced by something else, something stronger, sharper. The scent was sweet and sticky, almost like honey, but heavier; and it was growing thicker with each passing second that Phoebe could almost taste it.
With a start, Phoebe realized that what she was smelling was blood. It hung warm and heavy in the air like a thick curtain, threatening to suffocate her. Fresh blood. Through her thick jacket, Phoebe shivered as she felt a chill run down her spine that traveled all over her body. Her stomach dropped, jumping around in a series of somersaults, as the intense smell attacked her nostrils.
She felt sick and wanted to throw up. Man, having that piece of luncheon meat wasn't such a good idea. Phoebe felt the linings of her mouth fill with saliva. It took Phoebe everything she had to keep her lunch in. Staggering, she leant on the wall for support, feeling its damp surface seep through her jacket. It felt moist against her palms, almost sticky. She pulled her hand back immediately, and gasped- her hand was covered with blood, ripe and almost black. She lost her balance and almost fell back, barely catching herself before she fell down on the wet pavement. What…Her mind was racing, heart beating wildly, trying to figure out what was going on. She looked to her left, and then to her right, hoping to see her sisters.
Nothing.
What she saw when she looked up made her gasp, her stomach suddenly turning in knots. The entire wall was oozing with rich, crimson blood. Through the hazy lighting from the street, Phoebe saw a message sprawled all over the wall in blood, smeared where she had laid her hand. Slowly, she followed the trail of blood on the wall, her eyes slowly moving. She made the letters W-I-T-C out, with a barely readable H where her hand had smudged across the wall. Her eyes followed the blood, upward, and read the letters D-I-E above "WITCH."
Her eyes went higher, and what she saw made her heart skip a beat. Fear and shock crawled all over her. Phoebe opened her mouth and screamed, her shrill voice piercing the still night air.
Above the message written in blood were Piper's and Paige's head, their eyes open, staring lifelessly at her.
Phoebe woke up with a start, her blood pounding in her eyes. Sweat beads trickled down her face, and her nightgown clung to her entire body. She was breathing heavily, her breaths jagged, like she had run an entire marathon. She choked back a sob, still feeling the lifeless gaze of her sisters' eyes in her dream still crawling down her spine, like a caterpillar.
It was the same dream that she'd had in the last two days.
