Ok yeah I know it wasn't very nioce of me to leave you hanging like that and then take off on vacation... I'm back from vacation.. YAY! ok for you not me hehehe. I had the BEST birthday every, though seeing the Phantom of the Opera in Vegas had a VERY LARGE part in that hehe. That aside Disney, Vegas and everything in between and to home was GREAT...Now.. here we go.. part 14...
Prue looked on as he had taunted Andy. She had seen a sleeping Phoebe briefly as they hauled her from the brush they had hid in. She was relived to see her sister alive at least, but she didn't know how hurt she really was. All she knew at that moment was that she was sleeping and seemed unharmed. What she didn't like was the paleness of her features and that she was lying in the bed that was once her own.
As she past by the mustang he turned his head as if recognizing her. And then watched as she was drawn towards the edge of the cliff. He kept her in his sight as the one man stood behind him. He would wait for his opportunity and then he would do what he needed to do. He could hear the spirits speaking to him. Telling him of their plan
Prue could only watch, as the knife was held under her chin. And as he cut the last bit of rope, she watched in horror as the bridge fell.
"ANDYYYY!" she screamed, as she tried to break free to reach the one man who loved her and never left her, but Mics hold was to tight and she could not go any further forward.
Her world went in slow motion as she watched the other end of the bridge slam against the cliff wall on the other side. Almost bouncing Leo and Piper like rag dolls.
"PIPERRR!" she cried out, as she watched her sister lose her grip and fall towards the river, only stopped at the last minute by Leo's firm grasp on her wrist.
She felt everything in her tighten as she watched him struggle to hold on to her and not let go, as he himself hung on to the rungs of the bridge.
"Piper hang on to me!"
"I can't."
"Yes you can. You have to. I'm not letting you go. Now reach up with your other hand and grab on to my leg." Leo ordered her as he looked down at her. "Piper grab hold!"
Piper tried not to look down but out of instincts she did. "Oh god." She panicked, "Leo!"
"Don't look down. Look up. Look at me Piper."
Piper quickly averted her gaze away from the raging river and into his determined face.
"O,k now reach up and grab hold of the bridge." He held her gaze as if walking her through each move.
Piper closed her eyes as she reached up with her other arm and grabbed hold of what was left of the broken bridge.
"Now Piper I'm gonna put your hand on the rung here. When I do I'm going to let you go."
"NO! LEO!"
"It's ok. You can hang on then. Then you are going to have to pull yourself up to me. I can grab the top of your shirt and pull, but we both have to do this Piper. We can, I know we can. After everything we've been through in the past year, this is a walk in the park." He assured her as he moved her hand to the bridge. "Grab on Piper. I don't know how long this thing can hold us."
Piper grabbed hold of the bridge and started to pull herself up as Leo pulled her by her shirt collar. She soon felt the rungs under her feet as she stopped and breathed in a deep breath.
"Ok honey almost there. Now use the bridge as a ladder climbing one step at a time. I got you, I promise I won't let go."
Each step she took she could almost feel her confidence building as she also felt her fear. She knew Leo was right beside her for she could feel his hand on her back with each step she took. All she did was look into the ragged rocky cliff face. Not up, not down, just straight ahead, wondering how much further it would be until they reached the top. Her own question was answered when she felt a hand on her shirt collar once again and someone pulling her up the final few steps.
As she reached the top she felt his strong arms embrace her as she wrapped her arms around him tight, never wanting to let go.
"Ok. I got you. We're ok Piper. We're ok." Leo spoke to her as he rocked and held her close to him.
He knew he was so close to losing her in that fleet second, had he not grabbed her in time. It was the most scared he had ever been in his entire life. Losing the one he had finally found.
Prue watched as Leo held Piper in his hand. And then as they two of them slowly made their way up what was left of the bridge. As they climbed to the top she let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding. Clpsing her eyes saying a quiet thank you.
"Well, looks like your sister got lucky. Can't say the same for your boyfriend though." He taunted as he looked over the edge down to the river. Nothing but rock and water. "Shame really. I was really starting to like the kid too. Made a good challenge." He finished as he stood back and turned to her. Though the first thing he noticed was not her, "Mic. Where's the fucking horse?" he asked with anger in his voice.
Mic spun around to see the empty space behind them, "What the hell? It was there a minute ago."
"Well it sure as hell isn't there now." He yelled back.
Nick reached out and grabbed Prue pulling her towards him. "Go find it." He ordered, as he pushed her to the ground. "You stay right there."
He had moved soundlessly away from the three. He knew the trials better then any man ever would. Finding where he wanted to be he stepped behind the brush and knelt down to the ground out of site.
He had moved with ease not even waking his passenger, but he also knew that she would wake eventually and she would wonder where everyone else was.
She stirred sooner then he thought she might, as he felt her lightweight on the back of his hammock.
"Piper?" she asked as she sat up slowly. She could tell by the angle she was on that she was lying almost flat. She pushed the blankets off her body and crawled out of the hammock, finding the ground right at her own level. She looked up and saw Thunder looking back at her, almost willing her to come to him, but come quietly.
She crouched down and made her way to his head on all fours. She could see Prue sitting on the ground with Nick standing just in front of her. "Prue." She whispered. But where's the other guy? She thought as she quickly scanned around. Not waiting to find out, she quickly and as quietly as she could, she rolled into the underbrush out of his site.
As soon as she was under cover Thunder stood up slowly and again quietly. Moving further forward he left her there, hidden in the brush.
"You find it yet?" Nick called out to his brother
"He couldn't have gotten that far. He's pulling a makeshift bed with a passenger. And it's a fucking horse. It has to make noise when it walks."
"Just find her. I don't give a damn about the damn horse." He yelled back. He did give a damn. For now they had a way to take the girls with them without carrying them, slowing them down.
He turned back and saw Prue looking behind her to where Piper was on the other side, and to where she had last seen Andy.
"There is no other way around Prue. She'll never get to you now with out going all the way back down to the base camp and then back up this side. And by the time they do that," He whispered right in her ear, "the four of us will be long gone." as he pulled her back to listen to him by her hair. "And there is no way he survived that fall. You may have been lucky with yours, but that's over 100 ft. And between us; I don't think that river looks all that friendly."
He turned to the sound of hoofs on the rocks.
"You found them." he grinned knowing now he had his guide back and his control over both sisters.
"No, I found the horse. She's not there."
"Excuse me?" he felt the rage inside him build.
"She's not here. I looked everywhere if she's up here at all, she's probably half way down the mountain by now."
"And she will be. Phoebes like that. She runs scared at anything remotely dangerous and scary." Prue said as he looked to the two men.
"Shut up!" he scorned as he pulled back his hand and struck her hard across her face, sending her to the ground.
Phoebe almost jumped out right then as she saw Prue take the hit because of her. Just give your self up Phoebe and then you can at least be with Prue. But her other side was telling her something different. Stay put and you can help her later. Just wait for Piper and Leo to get here.
He paced back and forth trying to decide what to do. He knew he was running out of time and had to hurry if he wanted to get out of the country. He knew the cop had probably told people where he was going and where to start the search.
"Come on." He said angrily as he pulled Prue to her feet and practically threw her in the hammock behind the horse. He then walked to the horse and starred him in the eyes. "I have a feeling that you are a lot smart then I gave you credit for. So here are your choices. You cooperate with me, or I kill her. Got it?"
Thunder starred back at him not making a movement or a sound. He then broke the stare and stared forward on the trail ahead of him.
"Smart horse." Nick said as he stepped in so he was in line with Prue.
"Leo. What are we going to do?" Piper asked as she watched the horse step away once again. Only this time she knew at least Prue was with Phoebe, or so she thought.
"There is another way around." The Shaman said as he stood and watched as the two held each other. Even he was afraid that this time the spirits would not be able to help them.
Piper and Leo both looked up at the older man as he just turned towards the side path, heading in another direction. Looking at each other quickly, they stood up and followed after him.
She lost track of time as she followed along quietly behind them. Keeping off the main path and out of any light that may cast her shadow out, in case they looked back. She could almost make out Prues figure in the small bed. She knew that her oldest sister was probably wondering where she disappeared too, but she had to keep following them. Waiting to see if she would get her chance to let Prue know she was close by.
She stopped as one disappeared yet the horse kept moving. She couldn't take the chance that he had somehow spotted her and was coming back around. Or that he just stopped to pee. Meaning that she could walked right by him.
She waited as Thunder and Prue got further and further away. She couldn't wait any more. She had to take the chance. She had to stay with Prue.
She had taken about five steps forward when her world spun on its own small axis as an arm grabbed her from behind, at the same time that a hand was flung over her mouth. She tried to scream but the hand on her mouth was holding it in.
As she tried to pull away from who ever it was behind her she lost her footing and fell forward hitting her head on the rocks. Soon her world went black as her last thoughts were of her sisters.