TWO
"You're lucky you had that premonition," said Prue after Phoebe
had told her sisters about the accident. "It could have been you in
that cab."
"Lucky?" snapped Phoebe. "Prue, a woman died because of that
premonition. As long as I live I'll never forget the look of her body
inside that mass of twisted metal. She died because I was able to
avoid it."
"I'm sure that's not true, honey," said Piper.
"Isn't it?" insisted Phoebe. "If I hadn't had that premonition,
I would have gotten into that cab. Then it would have been me in that
accident."
"But you did have the premonition," said Piper. "It saved your
life."
"At the cost of someone else's life," Phoebe shot back. "Is
that the price we have to pay for being Charmed Ones? Do people have
to die so we can fulfill some sort of destiny we don't even know
about?"
"I don't know," said Piper.
"I don't either," said Prue. "But I do know I'm glad it wasn't
you in that cab. I know we don't always get along, but you're my
sister. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you."
"What about that woman?" demanded Phoebe. "Don't you think she
had family? Do you think they wanted that to happen to her?"
"Of course not," said Piper. "That's not what Prue meant."
"Phoebe, you're still upset over this," said Prue. "Who could
blame you? But she didn't die because of you. People die in
accidents every day. You can't blame yourself."
"Can't I?" asked Phoebe. "I knew that accident was going to
happen. I just figured if I didn't get in the cab, it would go
somewhere else and wouldn't get into that accident.
"Oh my God. It's all my fault. I caused that woman to die.
It's my fault she's dead. Because of my premonition, I just turned
and walked away. She died because I didn't do anything to change it."
"No," said Prue sternly, "that's not true."
"Yes it is," said Phoebe. "Don't you see? I knew the accident
was going to happen. I knew whoever was in that cab could be killed.
And I didn't do anything to stop it. I just turned my head and looked
the other way."
"Phoebe, it's not like that," said Piper. "You thought you had
changed the premonition. Any one of us would have thought the same
thing. You had no way of knowing when that accident was going to
happen."
"And I didn't do anything to prevent it either," said Phoebe.
"I could have said something to the drive. I could have kept that
woman from getting in the cab. I could have done something to try to
change my premonition. Instead I just walked away."
"You did everything within reason," said Prue. "The driver
wouldn't have believed you. And that woman would probably have just
been annoyed or angry that you tried to keep her out of the cab. The
accident would probably still have happened."
"Or maybe not," said Phoebe. "I should have done something to
change it."
"Phoebe," said Prue.
"I'm kind of tired," said Phoebe suddenly. "If you guys don't
mind, I think I'll go lie down for a while."
"Sure, sweetie," said Piper, rubbing Phoebe's back. "Rest as
long as you need to."
"She's probably still in shock," said Prue after Phoebe had gone
upstairs.
"Who can blame her?" asked Piper. "Can you imagine what it must
have been like for her?"
"No, I can't," said Prue. "It has to be a strain on her. But
it certainly wasn't her fault."
"Of course it wasn't," said Piper. "Maybe she'll be thinking
more clearly in the morning."
"I hope so," said Prue. "We just need to give her some time.
I'm sure she'll come to terms with it soon."
"I hope so," said Piper, "I hope so."
"You're lucky you had that premonition," said Prue after Phoebe
had told her sisters about the accident. "It could have been you in
that cab."
"Lucky?" snapped Phoebe. "Prue, a woman died because of that
premonition. As long as I live I'll never forget the look of her body
inside that mass of twisted metal. She died because I was able to
avoid it."
"I'm sure that's not true, honey," said Piper.
"Isn't it?" insisted Phoebe. "If I hadn't had that premonition,
I would have gotten into that cab. Then it would have been me in that
accident."
"But you did have the premonition," said Piper. "It saved your
life."
"At the cost of someone else's life," Phoebe shot back. "Is
that the price we have to pay for being Charmed Ones? Do people have
to die so we can fulfill some sort of destiny we don't even know
about?"
"I don't know," said Piper.
"I don't either," said Prue. "But I do know I'm glad it wasn't
you in that cab. I know we don't always get along, but you're my
sister. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you."
"What about that woman?" demanded Phoebe. "Don't you think she
had family? Do you think they wanted that to happen to her?"
"Of course not," said Piper. "That's not what Prue meant."
"Phoebe, you're still upset over this," said Prue. "Who could
blame you? But she didn't die because of you. People die in
accidents every day. You can't blame yourself."
"Can't I?" asked Phoebe. "I knew that accident was going to
happen. I just figured if I didn't get in the cab, it would go
somewhere else and wouldn't get into that accident.
"Oh my God. It's all my fault. I caused that woman to die.
It's my fault she's dead. Because of my premonition, I just turned
and walked away. She died because I didn't do anything to change it."
"No," said Prue sternly, "that's not true."
"Yes it is," said Phoebe. "Don't you see? I knew the accident
was going to happen. I knew whoever was in that cab could be killed.
And I didn't do anything to stop it. I just turned my head and looked
the other way."
"Phoebe, it's not like that," said Piper. "You thought you had
changed the premonition. Any one of us would have thought the same
thing. You had no way of knowing when that accident was going to
happen."
"And I didn't do anything to prevent it either," said Phoebe.
"I could have said something to the drive. I could have kept that
woman from getting in the cab. I could have done something to try to
change my premonition. Instead I just walked away."
"You did everything within reason," said Prue. "The driver
wouldn't have believed you. And that woman would probably have just
been annoyed or angry that you tried to keep her out of the cab. The
accident would probably still have happened."
"Or maybe not," said Phoebe. "I should have done something to
change it."
"Phoebe," said Prue.
"I'm kind of tired," said Phoebe suddenly. "If you guys don't
mind, I think I'll go lie down for a while."
"Sure, sweetie," said Piper, rubbing Phoebe's back. "Rest as
long as you need to."
"She's probably still in shock," said Prue after Phoebe had gone
upstairs.
"Who can blame her?" asked Piper. "Can you imagine what it must
have been like for her?"
"No, I can't," said Prue. "It has to be a strain on her. But
it certainly wasn't her fault."
"Of course it wasn't," said Piper. "Maybe she'll be thinking
more clearly in the morning."
"I hope so," said Prue. "We just need to give her some time.
I'm sure she'll come to terms with it soon."
"I hope so," said Piper, "I hope so."