Chapter 7: Strike One and Swinging Again
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Phoebe slammed the front door shut. How could he lie again? Was he lying? He had to be lying…hadn't he? The questions raced through her mind, each competing for the lead, each wanting an answer.
"Whoa, Phoebs, are you angry at someone?" Prue asked from the couch.
"No." Phoebe answered firmly.
"It certainly sounded that way!" Piper shouted from the kitchen.
"Well I'm not!" Phoebe told her and began up the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Prue asked, suddenly standing in the doorway.
"To my room." Phoebe said without turning around to face her.
"Okay." Prue said and went into the kitchen to join Piper. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Keeping busy." Piper replied while stirring a pot, "Do you think something is up with our sister?"
"Something is always up with Phoebe." Prue commented, "I think it's Cole. They did just break up, you know."
Piper nodded, "Yes, I know. But I doubt she would end it that way. I mean, you know how they feel about each other, you even felt it."
"Do you think she's not telling us something?"
"I certainly hope that's not the case." Piper dumped some powdered sugar into the pot.
Prue shook her head, "Me too. I just wish she would feel more comfortable in talking about it."
"Cheers to that!" Piper stuck her stirring spoon up.
Prue grabbed a nearby fork and tapped the spoon with it. "Cheers."
Cole shimmered to the house next door to the manor. He crept into the garden and pulled an arrangement of flowers out of the ground. He smiled and walked over to the manor. Standing just under Phoebe's window he picked up a pebble from the ground. He threw it at her window and awaited a response.
Soon enough Phoebe came to the window. "What the hell do you want?" Phoebe asked angrily but quietly.
"I want to explain." Cole pleaded.
"You don't need to explain." Phoebe insisted, "I saw everything."
"No. You didn't and that's why you're acting like this." He tried to explain, but it didn't seem to be working.
"Acting? Look who's talking" she didn't even want to listen to him, "You're the one who's a great actor, and above all you're a great liar too."
"Phoebe. I wasn't acting and I'm not lying!"
"Then who is she, Cole?" she asked, "Tell me who she really is."
"She's a demon. Her name is Ren, or rather Renherina. A long time ago I had feelings for her. But then she became obsessed. I think she just snapped and went crazy. So I turned to the triad to get away from her, but now she's back."
Phoebe was about to answer but suddenly she disappeared from Cole's view.
"Phoebe?" he called out, "Phoebe!" this time a little louder.
"Cole!" He spun around to see Prue standing in front of him.
"Um…Prue you might want to check on your sister." With that, Cole shimmered away leaving Prue awestruck.
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Ren had appeared behind Phoebe and pulled her away from the window, throwing her towards the ground.
Phoebe wiped her mouth and glared at Ren.
"Was Cole telling the truth? Are you the one trying to kill me? Not him?" Phoebe asked him.
Ren appeared confused, "Well, I'm killing you that's for sure. But it's just so I can have Belthazor to myself."
"His name's Cole." Phoebe stated through gritted teeth.
"Yeah, whatever. You know, I hate small talk." Ren through a fireball in Phoebe's direction.
Phoebe levitated over it, but Ren kept the coming. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to keep up.
One of them hit her and Phoebe fell to the ground. She wasn't unconscious, but she could barely move. It had hit her straight on in the chest.
Cole shimmered into the room. "Damn it Ren!" he shouted, "Don't kill her. She hates me now. That means I'm a free man. So there's no need to kill her."
Ren cocked her head. Phoebe would have too, if she'd had the strength to.
"Really?" Ren asked brightly.
Cole nodded and went to hold Ren. Phoebe let out a small gasp. What was he doing? If he really was trying to save me and was telling the truth, he wouldn't be doing this.
Ren leaned close to Cole and reached to kiss him. Phoebe shuddered afraid to look. She squeezed her eyes shut.
The next thing she heard was a loud, high-pitched scream.
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Phoebe slammed the front door shut. How could he lie again? Was he lying? He had to be lying…hadn't he? The questions raced through her mind, each competing for the lead, each wanting an answer.
"Whoa, Phoebs, are you angry at someone?" Prue asked from the couch.
"No." Phoebe answered firmly.
"It certainly sounded that way!" Piper shouted from the kitchen.
"Well I'm not!" Phoebe told her and began up the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Prue asked, suddenly standing in the doorway.
"To my room." Phoebe said without turning around to face her.
"Okay." Prue said and went into the kitchen to join Piper. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Keeping busy." Piper replied while stirring a pot, "Do you think something is up with our sister?"
"Something is always up with Phoebe." Prue commented, "I think it's Cole. They did just break up, you know."
Piper nodded, "Yes, I know. But I doubt she would end it that way. I mean, you know how they feel about each other, you even felt it."
"Do you think she's not telling us something?"
"I certainly hope that's not the case." Piper dumped some powdered sugar into the pot.
Prue shook her head, "Me too. I just wish she would feel more comfortable in talking about it."
"Cheers to that!" Piper stuck her stirring spoon up.
Prue grabbed a nearby fork and tapped the spoon with it. "Cheers."
Cole shimmered to the house next door to the manor. He crept into the garden and pulled an arrangement of flowers out of the ground. He smiled and walked over to the manor. Standing just under Phoebe's window he picked up a pebble from the ground. He threw it at her window and awaited a response.
Soon enough Phoebe came to the window. "What the hell do you want?" Phoebe asked angrily but quietly.
"I want to explain." Cole pleaded.
"You don't need to explain." Phoebe insisted, "I saw everything."
"No. You didn't and that's why you're acting like this." He tried to explain, but it didn't seem to be working.
"Acting? Look who's talking" she didn't even want to listen to him, "You're the one who's a great actor, and above all you're a great liar too."
"Phoebe. I wasn't acting and I'm not lying!"
"Then who is she, Cole?" she asked, "Tell me who she really is."
"She's a demon. Her name is Ren, or rather Renherina. A long time ago I had feelings for her. But then she became obsessed. I think she just snapped and went crazy. So I turned to the triad to get away from her, but now she's back."
Phoebe was about to answer but suddenly she disappeared from Cole's view.
"Phoebe?" he called out, "Phoebe!" this time a little louder.
"Cole!" He spun around to see Prue standing in front of him.
"Um…Prue you might want to check on your sister." With that, Cole shimmered away leaving Prue awestruck.
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Ren had appeared behind Phoebe and pulled her away from the window, throwing her towards the ground.
Phoebe wiped her mouth and glared at Ren.
"Was Cole telling the truth? Are you the one trying to kill me? Not him?" Phoebe asked him.
Ren appeared confused, "Well, I'm killing you that's for sure. But it's just so I can have Belthazor to myself."
"His name's Cole." Phoebe stated through gritted teeth.
"Yeah, whatever. You know, I hate small talk." Ren through a fireball in Phoebe's direction.
Phoebe levitated over it, but Ren kept the coming. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to keep up.
One of them hit her and Phoebe fell to the ground. She wasn't unconscious, but she could barely move. It had hit her straight on in the chest.
Cole shimmered into the room. "Damn it Ren!" he shouted, "Don't kill her. She hates me now. That means I'm a free man. So there's no need to kill her."
Ren cocked her head. Phoebe would have too, if she'd had the strength to.
"Really?" Ren asked brightly.
Cole nodded and went to hold Ren. Phoebe let out a small gasp. What was he doing? If he really was trying to save me and was telling the truth, he wouldn't be doing this.
Ren leaned close to Cole and reached to kiss him. Phoebe shuddered afraid to look. She squeezed her eyes shut.
The next thing she heard was a loud, high-pitched scream.