FOUR
"It didn't work," said Phoebe. "I don't understand it. It
should have worked. What went wrong?"
"It's just not strong enough," said Prue dejectedly. "Not even
the Power of Three is strong enough to send me back."
"I'm confused," said Heather. "If a single warlock can send you
into the future, why can't your power send Aunt Prue back?"
"I don't know, honey," said Piper. "Magic doesn't always work
the way you want it to. We just aren't strong enough, that's all."
"Maybe not alone," said Heather, "but what about me? I'm the
daughter of a Charmed One, aren't I? Couldn't I combine my power with
yours? Maybe that will be enough to send Aunt Prue back."
"If you were any other witch," said Prue, "I'd say no. But you
do have a point. Being the daughter of a Charmed One just might make
the difference. What do you guys think?"
"Makes sense to me," said Phoebe.
"As my daughter said earlier," said Piper, "it's worth a try, I
guess."
Heather read through the spell several times to become familiar
with it. Then the four women formed a circle, holding hands. They
each took a deep breath, and then recited the spell again.
Once more the magic formed and enveloped Prue. But this time it
didn't dissipate. It continued to build, growing stronger with each
passing second. Suddenly, Prue felt herself beginning to move through
time. Her sisters and niece watched as she slowly faded from view.
"I love you all," said Prue.
"Then, she was gone.
* * *
Prue looked around her. She was standing in an alley. But it
didn't look like the alley where she had been fighting the warlock in
her own time. The alley was dingy and poorly lit. And it was filled
with all types of trash and litter.
Prue looked up at the streetlamp. She had seen the type before.
But only in books and occasionally in her job at Bucklands. It wasn't
the electrical fluorescent lamps she was used to seeing along the
street. It was a gas-powered lamp. The type used in the late 1800s
and early 1900s. Before electricity became widespread.
It wasn't hard for Prue to figure out what had happened. The
spell had worked all right. But it had worked too well. Instead of
returning her to her own time, it had sent her farther back in time.
Probably to the turn of the twentieth century.
But that didn't make any sense. The spell should have returned
her to the year 2000. She should have returned at about the same time
she had been fighting James. Why would it be so far off?
Suddenly a figure came out of a door near her. The figure was
dressed in black and was apparently stuffing something into one of
its' pockets. After a moment the figure turned and faced Prue. There
was a look of surprise on his face. As if he had not expected to
Prue, or anyone else, to be about.
It was Richard James.
James was dressed in turn of the century clothes. In one hand
he held a long, wicked looking dagger. The front of his clothes were
soaked in fresh blood.
Suddenly Prue realized why the spell had worked as they had
planned. It had brought her back in time to face James. "Return her
now so she at last, may fight the evil of the past." Instead of
returning her to her own time, it had brought her back to 1888. To
White Chapel in London, England. When James would gain his infamous
moniker of Jack the Ripper.
James raised the dagger to strike Prue with it. Instinctively,
Prue reacted out with her telekinetic power in self-defense.
Instinctively she also knew it would be useless. She didn't even
exist yet. Neither did her power.
To her total surprise, James was thrown across the alley to the
opposite side. His dagger clattered to the cobblestone pavement.
Barely stunned, James reached for the dagger again.
Prue reached into her pocket for the vanquishing spell Phoebe
had given her. She didn't understand why her powers were working in
this time. But if they worked, she reasoned, maybe the spell would
work, too.
James picked up the dagger and turned for Prue. She held the
piece of paper up, trying desperately to get enough good light to read
the incantation. Just as James reached her and raised his dagger to
strike, she read the spell aloud.
"Demon joined with its' host, spreading pain and suffering to
its' victims
"Sever the bond that joins them as one, and vanquish the demon
to eternal suffering."
The warlock stiffened. The magic of the spell enveloped him,
holding him immobilized as it forced the symbiotic demon from his
body. Prue watched as the shadowy demon rose above James and hung
suspended in midair.
Suddenly a piecing shriek broke the still of the night air. The
demon howled in agony as the magic of the spell drained its' power.
Within seconds, the demon vanished, vanquished by the power of Prues'
spell.
Prue turned to face the now demonless James. Instead of
attacking, James dropped to his knees. Prue watched in horror as he
rapidly began to age. Within seconds his body was reduced to a
handful of dust that blew about in the night wind.
Prue knew what had happened. IN 2028 James had commented that
no witch had tried to stop him in two hundred fifty four years. Which
meant that in 1888, James would have lived one hundred fourteen years
beyond whatever age he had been when he had first allowed the demon to
possess him. Without the demon, the warlock had suddenly regained all
those years back in an instant.
Prue heard voices shouting in the distance. She also heard a
whistle blowing. The whistle of an English policeman, no doubt. She
had to get out of there in a hurry.
Before she could move she felt a shudder pass through her. Then
Prue Halliwell once again moved through time.
"It didn't work," said Phoebe. "I don't understand it. It
should have worked. What went wrong?"
"It's just not strong enough," said Prue dejectedly. "Not even
the Power of Three is strong enough to send me back."
"I'm confused," said Heather. "If a single warlock can send you
into the future, why can't your power send Aunt Prue back?"
"I don't know, honey," said Piper. "Magic doesn't always work
the way you want it to. We just aren't strong enough, that's all."
"Maybe not alone," said Heather, "but what about me? I'm the
daughter of a Charmed One, aren't I? Couldn't I combine my power with
yours? Maybe that will be enough to send Aunt Prue back."
"If you were any other witch," said Prue, "I'd say no. But you
do have a point. Being the daughter of a Charmed One just might make
the difference. What do you guys think?"
"Makes sense to me," said Phoebe.
"As my daughter said earlier," said Piper, "it's worth a try, I
guess."
Heather read through the spell several times to become familiar
with it. Then the four women formed a circle, holding hands. They
each took a deep breath, and then recited the spell again.
Once more the magic formed and enveloped Prue. But this time it
didn't dissipate. It continued to build, growing stronger with each
passing second. Suddenly, Prue felt herself beginning to move through
time. Her sisters and niece watched as she slowly faded from view.
"I love you all," said Prue.
"Then, she was gone.
* * *
Prue looked around her. She was standing in an alley. But it
didn't look like the alley where she had been fighting the warlock in
her own time. The alley was dingy and poorly lit. And it was filled
with all types of trash and litter.
Prue looked up at the streetlamp. She had seen the type before.
But only in books and occasionally in her job at Bucklands. It wasn't
the electrical fluorescent lamps she was used to seeing along the
street. It was a gas-powered lamp. The type used in the late 1800s
and early 1900s. Before electricity became widespread.
It wasn't hard for Prue to figure out what had happened. The
spell had worked all right. But it had worked too well. Instead of
returning her to her own time, it had sent her farther back in time.
Probably to the turn of the twentieth century.
But that didn't make any sense. The spell should have returned
her to the year 2000. She should have returned at about the same time
she had been fighting James. Why would it be so far off?
Suddenly a figure came out of a door near her. The figure was
dressed in black and was apparently stuffing something into one of
its' pockets. After a moment the figure turned and faced Prue. There
was a look of surprise on his face. As if he had not expected to
Prue, or anyone else, to be about.
It was Richard James.
James was dressed in turn of the century clothes. In one hand
he held a long, wicked looking dagger. The front of his clothes were
soaked in fresh blood.
Suddenly Prue realized why the spell had worked as they had
planned. It had brought her back in time to face James. "Return her
now so she at last, may fight the evil of the past." Instead of
returning her to her own time, it had brought her back to 1888. To
White Chapel in London, England. When James would gain his infamous
moniker of Jack the Ripper.
James raised the dagger to strike Prue with it. Instinctively,
Prue reacted out with her telekinetic power in self-defense.
Instinctively she also knew it would be useless. She didn't even
exist yet. Neither did her power.
To her total surprise, James was thrown across the alley to the
opposite side. His dagger clattered to the cobblestone pavement.
Barely stunned, James reached for the dagger again.
Prue reached into her pocket for the vanquishing spell Phoebe
had given her. She didn't understand why her powers were working in
this time. But if they worked, she reasoned, maybe the spell would
work, too.
James picked up the dagger and turned for Prue. She held the
piece of paper up, trying desperately to get enough good light to read
the incantation. Just as James reached her and raised his dagger to
strike, she read the spell aloud.
"Demon joined with its' host, spreading pain and suffering to
its' victims
"Sever the bond that joins them as one, and vanquish the demon
to eternal suffering."
The warlock stiffened. The magic of the spell enveloped him,
holding him immobilized as it forced the symbiotic demon from his
body. Prue watched as the shadowy demon rose above James and hung
suspended in midair.
Suddenly a piecing shriek broke the still of the night air. The
demon howled in agony as the magic of the spell drained its' power.
Within seconds, the demon vanished, vanquished by the power of Prues'
spell.
Prue turned to face the now demonless James. Instead of
attacking, James dropped to his knees. Prue watched in horror as he
rapidly began to age. Within seconds his body was reduced to a
handful of dust that blew about in the night wind.
Prue knew what had happened. IN 2028 James had commented that
no witch had tried to stop him in two hundred fifty four years. Which
meant that in 1888, James would have lived one hundred fourteen years
beyond whatever age he had been when he had first allowed the demon to
possess him. Without the demon, the warlock had suddenly regained all
those years back in an instant.
Prue heard voices shouting in the distance. She also heard a
whistle blowing. The whistle of an English policeman, no doubt. She
had to get out of there in a hurry.
Before she could move she felt a shudder pass through her. Then
Prue Halliwell once again moved through time.