Prologue

Witches and Demons have been involved in a battle for many centuries. No one lost, no one won. Only victims. But in the last century many things have happened which changed the balance between good and evil: the arrive of the Charmed Ones. They've killed many evil creatures, from Wendigo's to the Source and more.

Now it's the year 2024 and Piper, Phoebe and Paige Halliwell are no longer being known as the Charmed Ones. They're just ordinary moms, with magic abilities of course. Yes, they've stopped hunting Demons and passed on the legacy to their oldest children.

But this story isn't centered around the Halliwells. Yes, they do have an important meaning in this life story, but it isn't one of theirs. The life story you're about the get known is the one from the eighteen year old Hayley McKinley…

January 19th 2024 is the date where the story starts: Hayley's 18th birthday, the day that is known as the first day of her changed life, even when it wasn't that clear yet back then. It's still morning. Hayley, a blonde girl, was laying in her bed, dreaming about who knows what. Maybe about her forgotten past, maybe how her future would look like. Whatever it was, it would be her last dream like that.

The little smile on her face faded as she woke up. She stretched out with her eyes still closed, listening to the very few sounds coming from the other side of her window: birds were singing, the wind was blowing and that was all she could hear. With a yawn Hayley sat up, blinking with her eyes against the light coming into her bedroom. Her green brown eyes looked around and started to shine by the memory of the day: it was promised to become an amazing day.

Quickly Hayley threw away her bedcover and stretched out one last time. She stood up, walked towards her closet and picked out one of her favorite clothes to wear this day.

About half an hour later Hayley was standing in front of her mirror at the desk and took a look at her hair. It was long, blonde and with some curls. It shined in the sunlight that made its way through the window now the curtains were opened.

"Hayley, get over here!" a low, strict voice ordered her.

The girl groaned, hoping this wasn't like usual. Something you should know about Hayley is the fact she's adopted and the McKinley's are her foster family. Her relationship with her foster mom was okay. Mrs. McKinley really liked children, was always nice and friendly and sometimes they went shopping together. Mr. McKinley was a whole different story. He was more like the evil stepmom you find in fairytales. He always gave the girl the feeling he actually didn't want her in the family. And then there were Sean and Travis, her younger foster brothers. They were 12 and 13, both adopted as well, only at a younger age. Hayley was the latest addition to the family years ago, probably because Mrs. McKinley really wanted a girl in the family, but this was only a guess; Hayley never knew why they picked her, especially not why Mr. McKinley agreed on adopting her.

"Hayley, get over here. Now!" her foster dad yelled again.

The girl sighed and stood up. She had to go over there anyway for breakfast. Hopefully it was something good he was yelling her for so early on the day; if he dared to spoil this day for her…

"Yes?" She walked into the living room. The whole family was sitting around the table, a nice breakfast was waiting to be eaten.

"Happy birthday, hun. Come on, time to eat!" Mrs. McKinley said.

"We're hungry! Hurry up!" Sean muttered.

Hayley took a seat at her usual place next to her foster mother, as far as possible from Mr. McKinley.

Mrs. McKinley gave the girl a hug and kissed her. "Happy birthday. You've really grown since the first day we met you," she smiled. "Outside and inside."

Hayley just smiled: this was a basic line on her birthday, she wasn't surprised to hear it.

"You're already thinking of moving out or not?" Mr. McKinley asked while he could finally start eating from this amazing prepared breakfast.

"John!" Mrs. McKinley was shocked and put her arm around the girl. "No, dear. Stay with us as long as you want. You're always welcome."

"T-thanks… can I breathe again?" Hayley was glad when she was released and before she started to taste from the delicious food she gave Mr. McKinley an evil look.

"Sorry, dear," the man apologized to his wife. "I just assumed a lot of teenagers her age are ready to move out."

"She isn't even into university yet!" Mrs. McKinley noticed.

"Kate, please," Mr. McKinley replied, "I already told you I was mistaken, let's enjoy breakfast for now." And when these words faded the last words during breakfast were spoken. It did cost Hayley a lot of self-control to stay nice and polite enough to stay in the living room. How could her foster dad act like this, on her birthday!

Immediately after breakfast Hayley left the table, excused not to help by Mrs. McKinley. At her door she stopped and looked back, hearing footsteps behind her.

"So, are you?" Mr. McKinley stood behind her, speaking softly. His arms were crossed.

Hayley turned around. "What?" she asked irritated.

"Looking for your own space," the man explained.

"I just turned 18, what do you think? Do I look like I can afford my own house?"

"I thought you'd leave the first chance you got," he grinned.

Tears filled Hayley's eyes, but she hid them for her foster dad. "Why, should I?"

He threw his hands in the air. "I don't know," he said, but he spoke it like he wanted to make something clear. "If I were you I didn't want to stay at a place I don't feel welcome."

Hayley couldn't control herself anymore. Her hands turned into fists and completely upset she hurried into her bedroom and closed the door with a lot of noise. The tears were falling down her cheeks like little waterfalls and slowly she shove down against the door. She cried in quiet. The soft footsteps of Mr. McKinley walked away down the hall.

Angry and sad at the same time Hayley jumped and threw herself on the bed, burying her head under her pillow. That man! How… how could he? She always felt it deep inside herself, but now he came forward with it… it made it even harder. How would she ever survive here knowing how he really thought about her in the way she always suspected? Would he make her life even more miserable? If she could only teach him a lesson, let him learn how he made her feel and for what? Why did she deserve to be treated like this? What did she ever do to him? She wished she could just… just… curse him. Curse? How on Earth did she come to that? Why wouldn't she actually? Magic existed, magic was real. Real? What the heck was she thinking? Why would she think magic was real? Why wouldn't she?

Hayley sat straight in her bed, looking confused to the ground. It was like she was hit by lightning and suddenly realized magic really existed when she never even considered it before, like she was hit by some kind of spell which showed her the existence of magic. Suddenly she knew about the fact magic was real and so the witches, Demons and all the rest. Why didn't she knew it a minute ago? Was she a witch or something that she now knew?

The girl got headache and grabbed her forehead. Those questions hurt.

The voice of Mr. McKinley talking to his wife in the living room reached her ear and tears were dropping out of her eyes again. She let herself fall back on her pillow. No, even when she thought to know now that magic existed, if she was a witch of some kind or not, she wouldn't curse her foster-dad. Why? He was the only bad thing in her life: she was normal, she had her friends. Maybe he made her appreciate all the rest more. No, magic wouldn't be the answer: she wanted her life to be as it was, to be normal. And still the question was there why she knew about magic all of a sudden…

"Hayley! Hayley!" Sean and Travis busted into her bedroom and jumped on her bed.

"Come on, come on!" Travis said hyper.

Sean looked at his big sister. "Whatever it is, our present will make it disappear! Come on, before your friends are here!"

The blonde girl wiped away her tears and sat straight again. She hugged her brothers.

"Iew, gross! No, let go!" they both screamed, but they couldn't escape for another several seconds.

They were right, younger, but right. She had to think of the good things, not the only bad thing in her life. Her friends were coming over for the first time and her room was a mess!

"Fine, what is it?" she smiled again to the two boys.

Sean and Travis jumped of the bed and hurried to the hallway. "Follow us!"

Hayley took a deep breath, decided to hang out with the boys for a short time and then hurry back to clean up her room before the others arrived.