The sun shone clear and warm on the streets of San Francisco. It was just after eight and the streets were crowded with people on their way to work. The normal hustle and bustle crowded the sidewalks. Phoebe Halliwell was just one of the many who, lost in her own thoughts, was making her way to her destination when suddenly a commotion caught her attention. Something was happening on the other side of the street. She paused, trying to get a better look.
"Hey lady! The rest of us have places to be!" A man behind her growled and reluctantly she kept moving, unable to get a good look at what was happening. She had just decided to forget it. When suddenly a scream cut through the thick noisy air like a knife. Phoebe froze and turned around. A woman ran up to her and grabbed on to her arm.
"Don't move." The woman said and Phoebe at her in shock.
"Excuse me wha-?" Phoebe started but the woman hushed her with a gesture and stood frozen, as still as a statue. All around them the crowd swarmed and broke over them like waves on a rock. Finally after nearly twenty minutes the woman relaxed and turned to face Phoebe.
"I'm sorry to scare you like that, but I couldn't get to you in time to explain it. As it was, I barely got here in time to save you." The woman looked around at the crowd, which was starting to thin out. "Maybe there is somewhere else we could go to talk?" The woman asked.
"Umm yeah. But first why don't you tell me who you are." Phoebe asked, slightly suspicious. "I mean for all I know you are just a demon trying to get me to take you home so you can steal the book." She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
The stranger smiled and nodded. "Good, yes of course you'd want to know who I am. I am glad you are so careful." The woman patted Phoebe on the arm and glanced around.
"Yeah well I'm glad you approve. Now about your whole lack of identity?" Phoebe queried. She was beginning to get slightly annoyed about this. 'Who did this woman think she was anyway?' Phoebe thought. 'I'm a Charmed One, I can take care of myself.' She looked over at the strange woman and noticed something peculiar. She seemed to have aged. Originally Phoebe had thought her somewhere around thirty but now she looked closer to fifty. 'Must be my imagination.' She thought.
The woman smiled pleasantly and said "Time."
"Time for what?" Phoebe asked impatiently.
"No no. That's who I am. Time."
Phoebe stared at her with wide eyes and then sighed. "Well I'd better take you home then." She said.
"Hey lady! The rest of us have places to be!" A man behind her growled and reluctantly she kept moving, unable to get a good look at what was happening. She had just decided to forget it. When suddenly a scream cut through the thick noisy air like a knife. Phoebe froze and turned around. A woman ran up to her and grabbed on to her arm.
"Don't move." The woman said and Phoebe at her in shock.
"Excuse me wha-?" Phoebe started but the woman hushed her with a gesture and stood frozen, as still as a statue. All around them the crowd swarmed and broke over them like waves on a rock. Finally after nearly twenty minutes the woman relaxed and turned to face Phoebe.
"I'm sorry to scare you like that, but I couldn't get to you in time to explain it. As it was, I barely got here in time to save you." The woman looked around at the crowd, which was starting to thin out. "Maybe there is somewhere else we could go to talk?" The woman asked.
"Umm yeah. But first why don't you tell me who you are." Phoebe asked, slightly suspicious. "I mean for all I know you are just a demon trying to get me to take you home so you can steal the book." She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
The stranger smiled and nodded. "Good, yes of course you'd want to know who I am. I am glad you are so careful." The woman patted Phoebe on the arm and glanced around.
"Yeah well I'm glad you approve. Now about your whole lack of identity?" Phoebe queried. She was beginning to get slightly annoyed about this. 'Who did this woman think she was anyway?' Phoebe thought. 'I'm a Charmed One, I can take care of myself.' She looked over at the strange woman and noticed something peculiar. She seemed to have aged. Originally Phoebe had thought her somewhere around thirty but now she looked closer to fifty. 'Must be my imagination.' She thought.
The woman smiled pleasantly and said "Time."
"Time for what?" Phoebe asked impatiently.
"No no. That's who I am. Time."
Phoebe stared at her with wide eyes and then sighed. "Well I'd better take you home then." She said.