A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, they make me smile so much. It means a lot.
Psychosis
Orbing is a funny sensation when you're not prepared for it. You feel your body taking itself apart, atom by atom, and flowing to a different location. It's very tingly, and there's a rushing noise while you're on the move.
I'd always been apprehensive that one time I might orb in wrong. After all, just like your body comes apart, it's got to arrange itself back together once you've arrived, and what if something goes wrong? What if you ended up with an arm coming out of your neck or a leg stuck to your stomach? Not a pretty thought. Leo assures me it's impossible.
Of course, when your mind is screwed like mine is, the impossible doesn't seem that far away.
Just a thought...
*
Paige orbs me into the living room and almost drops me, but I thankfully land feet first. I feel... I feel...
Normal! It's unbelievable... I feel fine! I am still terrified to hell of what I just saw, but somehow I can think straight. For this precious, dear moment in time, I am sanity. I am not crazed, psychotic ramblings. I am not wrenching, horrified screaming. I am not even seeing things. I am sane.
I see Paige looking at me curiously, about to ask me something but I move before she has a chance.
She probably thinks I am attacking for a moment as I throw myself on top of her, enveloping her in the hugest embrace I can muster. My tears are not of frustration or fear this time; they are of gratitude.
"Thank you, thank you!" I hear myself cry. "You saved me." I can't bring myself to let go of her, the love and thankfulness I feel right now is too overwhelming. But I must. I must make the most of my clear-headedness.
"Piper?" she asks me, squinting her eyes in apprehension.
The tiny action brings a flash of sudden resemblance to her oldest sister Prue onto her face. And to my mind. My sanity is suddenly swept away from beneath me as I am thrown into a turmoil of memories of Prue, plied of images of her... the most prominant of which is the image of her lying face down in that river, and her slimy, rotten, death-eaten face.
It brings me right back down, and I find myself involuntarily falling to and crouching on the ground sobbing out harsh, angry coughs of pain. No, Piper, you must not think about it, you cannot let yourself go...
*
Leo and Phoebe dashed down the stairs to find Paige standing helplessly beside a shuddering Piper. She was on the floor, head in hands and wailing miserably.
"What did you do to her?" Phoebe spat at Paige.
"Nothing!" Paige replied, feeling sudden anger. Phoebe stomped over, brushed Paige aside, and dropped onto her knees beside her quivering sister.
Brushing hair out of Piper's tear-soaked face, Phoebe spoke. "Piper, honey? Piper?"
Still crying, Piper glanced up from the protective barrier her hands were invisibly creating. There was nothing there, of course. Someone was speaking to her. Mentally, she told herself to concentrate.
"Phoebe?" she coughed. "Phoebe... help me..."
"We will, sweetie, we will," Phoebe stroked Piper's hair and once again turned to look pleadingly at Leo. But it was hopeless. Piper's illness was mental, not physical; there was nothing he could do to heal her.
Leaning into Phoebe's shoulders, Piper tried to stop the tears. Once they'd slowed down a little, she suddenly stood up determinedly. Taking a few deep breaths, she turned to face Paige and Leo. Phoebe quickly got to her feet and joined the other two in watching her curiously.
Piper opened her mouth, and then closed it. She opened it again. "I... I don't know what's happening to me," she told them shakily. "I keep... keep seeing things, like dreams, only... only they seem so real! I know they're not..." she paused, wondering if she really did know, "But, I can't stop them."
Stepping forward, Paige placed a hand on Piper's arm. Swallowing hard, Piper glanced down at Paige's hand, and then up at her sister.
"Thank you for orbing me here," she told her. "You don't know what you saved me from."
"Then tell me," Paige replied.
Piper paused for a long while, thinking about it. Then her breathing changed; it became extremely ragged and her body began to shake slightly. She looked up at Paige pleadingly. "I - I - I can't..." she whispered, "Paige... it's coming back... it's taking me again..." Her voice broke as her emotion stopped her speaking clearly. "Don't let it take me again... please..."
Paige could only watch in shock as Piper fell to the floor and begin to convulse ferociously. It was awful! Paige really feared that Piper would simply give up and die as a result of this, it was that horrifying to look at. Paige could bet it was a hell of a lot worse to actually experience.
The two sisters and Leo dropped to Piper's sides, to restrain the screaming sister, and managed to hold her arms down. Phoebe leaned on top of her in a protective hug and lay still for a while, until Piper calmed.
Once she'd stopped jerking, Piper's breathing returned to normal, but she didn't move. Phoebe sat up and cupped Piper's face in her hand. Her skin felt hot from the tears, which also had made it feel dry and coarse. She was so beautiful, but in order for her mind to do such horrible things to her, it must be hideously ugly inside her just now. They had to help her.
Phoebe yelped when Piper's arm flew up to grab her hand and wrench it away from her face. Clinging on to it, Piper pulled Phoebe right up close to her face and whispered in her ear.
"Did you know, that the room is filled with demons?" she questioned, her mind clearly showing her something that wasn't there. Then she added as a side comment "When there's smoke, there's fire."
She pushed Phoebe roughly away and her eyes flickered to Paige. She smiled weakly at her youngest sister, not knowing what she'd just said made absolutely no sense.
Paige smiled back genuinely and dropped to her knees beside Piper, who remained lying on her back. "Hey," Paige said pleasantly, leaning in towards Piper, thinking that she was perhaps having another moment of sanity.
Not so.
Paige fell flat onto her back from the force of Piper's attack. "Demon!" Piper had cried, before delivering a punch - square in the jaw - to Paige. An action so sudden that nobody had time to do anything about it. Paige's teeth clattered together and she cried out in pain.
Piper propped herself up on her elbows, gave Paige a harsh glare, then noticed Phoebe sitting right beside her and receded away sharply.
"That witch," Paige said, half serious and half good-humouredly as Leo held his hand over her bleeding jaw.
Leo finished healing her and turned to his wife. "Piper-" he began, but was cut off by Piper's sudden movement.
"Look out!" Phoebe cried as Piper leapt to her feet and charged at Leo, but he didn't have time to react. She threw her weight into him, pushing him heavily backwards into Paige, causing them both to tumble over as all balance was lost.
Leo cracked his head on the coffee table, and slumped to the floor, out for the count. Paige shoved his legs off her torso, and slowly got back up. Then she ducked down to avoid an incoming lamp as Piper threw it at her.
"Piper calm down! It's us!"
Phoebe didn't have much time to say any more because she found herself getting kicked in the stomache by a surprisingly limber sister. Winded, she fell back and struggled to regain her breathing.
Tired out, Piper stood in the middle of it all, glaring defensively all around her.
She was muttering something under her breath, Paige caught snatches of it, and heard the word 'demons' crop up several times. Did Piper really think they were demons?
Piper turned and saw Paige staring at her, and instantly her expression softened and she broke into a smile.
"Thank you," she said, tears in her eyes, and quickly moved towards Paige.
Paige threw up her hands in a defensive stance and was surprised to find herself being hugged by the woman who'd attacked her only seconds before.
Feeling Piper lean into her, Paige awkwardly wrapped her own arms around her sister's back, which was lucky, because at that moment Piper dropped all her weight onto Paige, falling to the floor - but because Paige was holding her she went down a lot more gently.
She was asleep.
Rubbing the back of her neck, Paige sat up and glanced at Leo. He was coming round dozily. Phoebe joined her and rested a hand on Piper's side lovingly.
"I don't get it. How come you get the hug and I get the punch?" she asked.
"Hello? I had the punch too. I also had Leo thrown at me and that newly broken lamp."
There was a pause as they looked down on Piper, now sleeping soundly.
Phoebe bit her lips from the inside, holding them shut. Then she sniffed, a tear dropping silently into her lap. "I don't know what we're gonna do with her," she said, her voice high with emotion. "I want to help her so much... but what can we do?"
Psychosis
Orbing is a funny sensation when you're not prepared for it. You feel your body taking itself apart, atom by atom, and flowing to a different location. It's very tingly, and there's a rushing noise while you're on the move.
I'd always been apprehensive that one time I might orb in wrong. After all, just like your body comes apart, it's got to arrange itself back together once you've arrived, and what if something goes wrong? What if you ended up with an arm coming out of your neck or a leg stuck to your stomach? Not a pretty thought. Leo assures me it's impossible.
Of course, when your mind is screwed like mine is, the impossible doesn't seem that far away.
Just a thought...
*
Paige orbs me into the living room and almost drops me, but I thankfully land feet first. I feel... I feel...
Normal! It's unbelievable... I feel fine! I am still terrified to hell of what I just saw, but somehow I can think straight. For this precious, dear moment in time, I am sanity. I am not crazed, psychotic ramblings. I am not wrenching, horrified screaming. I am not even seeing things. I am sane.
I see Paige looking at me curiously, about to ask me something but I move before she has a chance.
She probably thinks I am attacking for a moment as I throw myself on top of her, enveloping her in the hugest embrace I can muster. My tears are not of frustration or fear this time; they are of gratitude.
"Thank you, thank you!" I hear myself cry. "You saved me." I can't bring myself to let go of her, the love and thankfulness I feel right now is too overwhelming. But I must. I must make the most of my clear-headedness.
"Piper?" she asks me, squinting her eyes in apprehension.
The tiny action brings a flash of sudden resemblance to her oldest sister Prue onto her face. And to my mind. My sanity is suddenly swept away from beneath me as I am thrown into a turmoil of memories of Prue, plied of images of her... the most prominant of which is the image of her lying face down in that river, and her slimy, rotten, death-eaten face.
It brings me right back down, and I find myself involuntarily falling to and crouching on the ground sobbing out harsh, angry coughs of pain. No, Piper, you must not think about it, you cannot let yourself go...
*
Leo and Phoebe dashed down the stairs to find Paige standing helplessly beside a shuddering Piper. She was on the floor, head in hands and wailing miserably.
"What did you do to her?" Phoebe spat at Paige.
"Nothing!" Paige replied, feeling sudden anger. Phoebe stomped over, brushed Paige aside, and dropped onto her knees beside her quivering sister.
Brushing hair out of Piper's tear-soaked face, Phoebe spoke. "Piper, honey? Piper?"
Still crying, Piper glanced up from the protective barrier her hands were invisibly creating. There was nothing there, of course. Someone was speaking to her. Mentally, she told herself to concentrate.
"Phoebe?" she coughed. "Phoebe... help me..."
"We will, sweetie, we will," Phoebe stroked Piper's hair and once again turned to look pleadingly at Leo. But it was hopeless. Piper's illness was mental, not physical; there was nothing he could do to heal her.
Leaning into Phoebe's shoulders, Piper tried to stop the tears. Once they'd slowed down a little, she suddenly stood up determinedly. Taking a few deep breaths, she turned to face Paige and Leo. Phoebe quickly got to her feet and joined the other two in watching her curiously.
Piper opened her mouth, and then closed it. She opened it again. "I... I don't know what's happening to me," she told them shakily. "I keep... keep seeing things, like dreams, only... only they seem so real! I know they're not..." she paused, wondering if she really did know, "But, I can't stop them."
Stepping forward, Paige placed a hand on Piper's arm. Swallowing hard, Piper glanced down at Paige's hand, and then up at her sister.
"Thank you for orbing me here," she told her. "You don't know what you saved me from."
"Then tell me," Paige replied.
Piper paused for a long while, thinking about it. Then her breathing changed; it became extremely ragged and her body began to shake slightly. She looked up at Paige pleadingly. "I - I - I can't..." she whispered, "Paige... it's coming back... it's taking me again..." Her voice broke as her emotion stopped her speaking clearly. "Don't let it take me again... please..."
Paige could only watch in shock as Piper fell to the floor and begin to convulse ferociously. It was awful! Paige really feared that Piper would simply give up and die as a result of this, it was that horrifying to look at. Paige could bet it was a hell of a lot worse to actually experience.
The two sisters and Leo dropped to Piper's sides, to restrain the screaming sister, and managed to hold her arms down. Phoebe leaned on top of her in a protective hug and lay still for a while, until Piper calmed.
Once she'd stopped jerking, Piper's breathing returned to normal, but she didn't move. Phoebe sat up and cupped Piper's face in her hand. Her skin felt hot from the tears, which also had made it feel dry and coarse. She was so beautiful, but in order for her mind to do such horrible things to her, it must be hideously ugly inside her just now. They had to help her.
Phoebe yelped when Piper's arm flew up to grab her hand and wrench it away from her face. Clinging on to it, Piper pulled Phoebe right up close to her face and whispered in her ear.
"Did you know, that the room is filled with demons?" she questioned, her mind clearly showing her something that wasn't there. Then she added as a side comment "When there's smoke, there's fire."
She pushed Phoebe roughly away and her eyes flickered to Paige. She smiled weakly at her youngest sister, not knowing what she'd just said made absolutely no sense.
Paige smiled back genuinely and dropped to her knees beside Piper, who remained lying on her back. "Hey," Paige said pleasantly, leaning in towards Piper, thinking that she was perhaps having another moment of sanity.
Not so.
Paige fell flat onto her back from the force of Piper's attack. "Demon!" Piper had cried, before delivering a punch - square in the jaw - to Paige. An action so sudden that nobody had time to do anything about it. Paige's teeth clattered together and she cried out in pain.
Piper propped herself up on her elbows, gave Paige a harsh glare, then noticed Phoebe sitting right beside her and receded away sharply.
"That witch," Paige said, half serious and half good-humouredly as Leo held his hand over her bleeding jaw.
Leo finished healing her and turned to his wife. "Piper-" he began, but was cut off by Piper's sudden movement.
"Look out!" Phoebe cried as Piper leapt to her feet and charged at Leo, but he didn't have time to react. She threw her weight into him, pushing him heavily backwards into Paige, causing them both to tumble over as all balance was lost.
Leo cracked his head on the coffee table, and slumped to the floor, out for the count. Paige shoved his legs off her torso, and slowly got back up. Then she ducked down to avoid an incoming lamp as Piper threw it at her.
"Piper calm down! It's us!"
Phoebe didn't have much time to say any more because she found herself getting kicked in the stomache by a surprisingly limber sister. Winded, she fell back and struggled to regain her breathing.
Tired out, Piper stood in the middle of it all, glaring defensively all around her.
She was muttering something under her breath, Paige caught snatches of it, and heard the word 'demons' crop up several times. Did Piper really think they were demons?
Piper turned and saw Paige staring at her, and instantly her expression softened and she broke into a smile.
"Thank you," she said, tears in her eyes, and quickly moved towards Paige.
Paige threw up her hands in a defensive stance and was surprised to find herself being hugged by the woman who'd attacked her only seconds before.
Feeling Piper lean into her, Paige awkwardly wrapped her own arms around her sister's back, which was lucky, because at that moment Piper dropped all her weight onto Paige, falling to the floor - but because Paige was holding her she went down a lot more gently.
She was asleep.
Rubbing the back of her neck, Paige sat up and glanced at Leo. He was coming round dozily. Phoebe joined her and rested a hand on Piper's side lovingly.
"I don't get it. How come you get the hug and I get the punch?" she asked.
"Hello? I had the punch too. I also had Leo thrown at me and that newly broken lamp."
There was a pause as they looked down on Piper, now sleeping soundly.
Phoebe bit her lips from the inside, holding them shut. Then she sniffed, a tear dropping silently into her lap. "I don't know what we're gonna do with her," she said, her voice high with emotion. "I want to help her so much... but what can we do?"