Bright Lights like White Lightning
I watched as Prue sunk into the chair. She was definitely not happy about the chandelier. But at least she wasn't blaming me for it. I guess our little heart to heart earlier had started us on the path to some semblance of reconciliation. Of course I could just be reading too much into it. I snorted when Piper said that Leo was good with tools.
"It's not funny, Pheebs," Piper scolded.
"Sorry," I apologized, still snickering behind my hand. I watched as with a huff Prue got up.
"I'll go check the fuse box," she grumbled, going in search of a flashlight. I took this moment to make my way upstairs. I needed to call Vince. I knew he'd probably be worried after not hearing from me for a few days. I dialed the number and waited.
"Hello?" he answered on the other end after a couple of rings.
"Hi sweetie," I said, sitting down on my bed.
"Phoebe, why didn't you call?" he demanded. He sounded angry. Did I catch him at a bad time?
"I was busy. Shopping, you know…girl stuff. That's why I'm calling now," I lied. I couldn't tell him I'd really come to see my sisters. He'd fly out and do who knows what.
"Look, Phoebe I am in middle of a meeting right now. Call back later," he said gruffly.
"Vince, baby. Come on just talk to me for a little bit. I'm sure your appointment can wait. Don't you miss me?" I begged. He was being so cold and I couldn't figure out why. Maybe if I could keep him on the line long enough, I could figure it out.
"Yeah babe. I miss you. Wish you would come home," he answered, his tone softening.
"I will honey. I just need some vacation time, that's all," I lied some more. I had no idea when or if I was even going back to DC at this point. I left Prue would just hate me again.
"Look, I really need to get back to this meeting. Just…call me tomorrow," he said and we hung up. I sighed as I tossed my phone on the night stand. I really wanted to tell Vince where I was and what I was doing. But I knew he wouldn't approve. I slowly lay down on my bed when I felt the large lump beneath my pillow. I sat up and pulled the book from its hiding place. I still hadn't told my sisters about what I'd found. They would probably think I was nuts. I looked at the faded and worn leather bond cover, tracing the strange symbol on the front. It made me feel calm whenever I was holding it. The last few nights I'd fallen asleep with it in my arms.
"Let's see what else you have in you," I whispered to the book, not really expecting an answer. I had flipped through it a little bit over the last few days but hadn't really found much of interest. It was mostly pictures of really disgusting looking creatures. Tonight I would start at the very beginning. I opened the book and turned past the title page that read 'Book of Shadows' and stared down at the next page. It had a long poem written on it in ornate old handwriting. The top of the page read "To Invoke the Powers". Slowly I began to read the text aloud.
"Hear now the words of the witches, the secrets we hid in the night. The oldest of gods are invoked here, the great work of magic is sought," I began in a whisper.
"In this night and in this hour I call upon the ancient powers. Bring your power to we sisters three. We want the power. Give us the power," I finished, my finger trailing down the page as I read.
I sat there staring at the page for a while. The words seemed to linger in the air, as if caught on some invisible tether. It was sort of creepy the way that they words just floated in my ears. I quickly closed the book and shoved it back under my pillow. It was the first time I'd read anything aloud and honestly what I'd read freaked me out. Wanting powers and invoking gods and magic? What the hell was that about? As fast as I could, I headed back downstairs to check on Piper and Prue. I wandered back into the kitchen where I found Piper on the phone.
"Yeah…that'd be great if you could just come take a look. Yeah….Prue's looking at it now but I'd like a second opinion," she was saying and I shook my head. She hung up the phone and noticed me standing there.
"Are you spying on me?" she demanded.
"No…of course not," I giggled as Prue walked back up from the basement. It had always scared me.
"Well does it work now?" she asked us.
"Don't know. Just got down here," I answered with a shrug. I caught Piper roll her eyes behind my back and headed into the foyer. I heard the switch 'click' on and off.
"Nothing," she reported.
"Damn it," Prue grumbled, tossing the flashlight down on the table with a 'wham'.
"I called Leo…he's going to come look at it for us," Piper announced.
"maybe they just need new bulbs," Prue spat.
"I'll go check in the bathroom," I muttered softly and took the few steps out of the kitchen. I didn't need to be there when Prue blew up at Piper for calling Leo. It was innocent enough, I know. But my oldest sister did have a knack for overreacting.
I opened the medicine cabinet in the bathroom on the first floor but no light bulbs presented themselves to me. I checked under the sink but still no new bulbs. Silently I trudged upstairs to that bathroom and miraculously found three bulbs.
"Found some!" I shouted down the stairs as I thundered towards the bottom step.
"What is wrong with me calling Leo?" Piper demanded as she stormed after Prue.
"Oh I don't know, Piper. If you'd wanted him to look at it then why didn't you say something before I went down?" she shot back.
"Guys…relax. It's just a chandelier," I said, coming to stand in front of them so we made a sort of lopsided triangle beneath the chandelier.
"Look, I found some new bulbs. Let's just put them in and see what happens," I said. I extended bulbs to each of my sisters and our hands all touched briefly. I could have sworn I saw a flicker o flight above us. Piper must have seen it too.
"What was that?' she asked.
"What was what?" Prue replied. I guess she hadn't seen the spark of light.
"Uh…nothing," I said, fixing Piper with a look that said "don't say anything".
I felt Piper draw her hand away as Prue grabbed one of the bulbs. She disappeared to go get a step ladder, leaving Piper and I alone.
"You saw it right…that…flash?" she whispered.
"Yeah…I don't know what it was," I answered. It was the truth. Before either of u s could say more Prue retuned and we set about installing the new light bulbs. Once they old bulbs had been discarded and the new ones put in their places, we tried the light switch again. Still they didn't work.
"What is wrong with this thing?" Prue groaned.
"It's an old house, Prue," I muttered.
"What time is Leo getting here?' she addressed Piper.
"I don't know. An hour maybe. Look it's not like the other lights aren't working," she retorted.
Suddenly, by some unseen force had the urge to grab my sisters and hold them tight. It was almost like a crushing need. A need that if I didn't fulfill I would be entirely incomplete. Wordlessly I grabbed them each by the hand and held on tight. This time the chandelier didn't just flicker feebly. It shown brightly of blue and white sparkling lights. It was like our touch had fixed the lights. Sure it wasn't the natural lighting the chandelier threw but it was light wasn't it? Prue and Piper stood in awe as the light subsided. I caught a glimpse of the photograph Grams had taken of us only weeks before I'd run off to New York. We were standing closer than I remember.
"Ok….you definitely saw that right?" Piper asked.
"Oh yeah…I saw it. What the hell was it?" Prue demanded. I felt two pair of eyes boring into my head.
"Don't look at me. I don't know what happened either," I protested.
"You've been acting really secretive lately," Piper started to accuse.
"I have not," I shot back.
"I see you huddled around some huge book," she continued. Maybe I should just tell my sisters about the book.
"Ok so maybe I might have a tiny idea of what happened," I said, holding up my fingers to demonstrate. I led them up to my room and pulled out the book. We gathered around my bed and I held it out for them to look at.
"Where'd you find it?" Prue wanted to know.
"In the attic. It was in one of Grams' old trunks," I answered.
"What is it?" Piper inquired.
"It's a book. It's called the Book of Shadows," I replied, flipping to the title page.
"Is that like a book of witchcraft? Phoebe what did you do?" Prue groaned.
"I didn't anything. All I did was read a poem, that's it," I said defensively, showing them the page.
"To Invoke the Powers". You did something!" Prue accused of me.
"Well if I did I didn't mean to," I spat back, taking the book back protectively.
"It fixed the lights, didn't it," I added.
"No it just made them do something weird," Prue answered and walked out. I rolled my eyes. She could be so stubborn sometimes. At that moment I felt like any headway she and I had made earlier was very close to being lost. I would never figure out the bizarre creature that was Prue Halliwell.
