TWO
"Leo," screamed Prue as she slammed the door to the manor, "Leo,
I need to see you right now."
"Hey, sis," said Piper, coming out of the kitchen, followed by
Phoebe, "what's all the racket?"
"We have a problem," said Prue.
Just then Leo orbed into the manor.
"Hi, Prue," he said. "What's up? You sound upset."
"I am," said Prue. "Someone stole my body."
"Gee," giggled Phoebe, "maybe you should get a lawyer and file a
writ of habeas corpus."
"Phoebe, this is serious," said Prue sternly. "I astral
projected to save an innocent from a burning building. When I got
back to my car, my body was gone. And I couldn't get back inside it.
This is my astral form."
"This isn't good," said Leo. "You don't have access to your
powers in astral form. If a demon attacks, you'll be at a distinct
disadvantage."
"I know," said Prue. "Wherever my body is, it must be too far
away fro me to return to it. If I could just get close enough to it,
I could return to my body."
"It doesn't work that way," said Leo. "Distance isn't a factor
with astral projection. You should be able to return to your body
wherever it is."
"Then why can't I get back into my body?" asked Prue. "I've
tried half a dozen times. Nothing happens."
"I don't know," said Leo. "I'd better check with the Elders and
see what I can find out. I'll be back as soon as I know anything."
Leo orbed out of the manor.
"Sorry about the joke," said Phoebe.
"That's okay," said Prue. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm
just worried about not being able to return to my body, that's all.
I've never projected for this long before."
"Is there anything we can do to help, sweetie?" asked Piper.
"I don't' know," said Prue. "Until we find my body I don't know
if . . ."
Prue suddenly put her hand to her head and wavered. Phoebe
grabbed her afraid she might faint.
"Are you okay?" Phoebe asked Prue.
"Yeah," said Prue, "just dizzy for a moment. I guess all the
excitement is catching up to me."
"Sit down," said Piper. "I'll get you some water."
Phoebe helped Prue into the living room while Piper went for the
water. When Piper returned, she handed the glass to her older sister.
"I'm fine," said Prue. "It only lasted for a moment. Guess I
shouldn't have skipped lunch today."
"Better safe than sorry," said Piper.
"Maybe you're pregnant," said Phoebe, smiling.
"Hardly," said Prue, "since there hasn't been anyone since Andy.
I think it's just all the excitement. That and maybe the effects of
being in a burning building."
"Even if you were pregnant," said Piper, "would it affect you in
astral form? Your physical form would be pregnant, not your astral
form. As far as I know, a spirit can't get pregnant."
"Gee, I don't know," said Prue. "That's an interesting
question. But since I'm not pregnant, it really doesn't matter. So
let's drop it, okay?"
"Fine with me," said Phoebe. "I was just trying to help you
figure things out."
"Let's figure out something else," said Prue.
Andy's death still weighed on Prue. Even under the best
circumstances, it was a touchy subject. Phoebe was sorry she had said
anything.
"Leo should be back soon," said Piper, trying to change the
subject. "With any luck the Elders will know what's going on and what
to do."
"I hope so," said Prue. "I don't like the idea of being without
my powers. Like Leo said, if a demon attacks, we're at a
disadvantage."
"Let's not worry about that unless it happens," said Piper.
Suddenly, Leo orbed back into the manor. The look on his face
was not encouraging.
"Well, what did you find out?" asked Prue.
"It's just as I thought," said Leo. "It doesn't matter how far
you are from your body. You should be able to return to it no matter
where it is."
"Then why can't she return to her body?" asked Phoebe.
"The Elders think it's being magically hidden," said Leo.
"Someone has put an enchantment on it to keep you from returning to
it. And that enchantment is also preventing anyone from finding it.
Even THEY aren't able to locate it."
"Great," said Prue. "So now I'm stuck in my astral form. Maybe
for the rest of my life."
"Don't worry, honey," said Phoebe, "we'll find a way to find
your body. No matter how long it takes."
"It had better be soon," said Leo. "It gets worse."
"Worse?" questioned Prue. "I'm a witch with no powers. How
much worse can it get?"
"Prue," said Leo, "when you astral project, your spirit
literally leaves your body. Normally, the body can't survive without
a spirit. The magic of the projection protects your body while you're
away from it.
"But the magic isn't unlimited. The longer you're out of your
body, the weaker the magic becomes. Eventually, it won't be strong
enough to sustain your body. The astral cord that links your body and
your spirit will be severed."
"In English please?" asked Phoebe.
"If Prue doesn't return to her body within twenty-four hours,"
said Leo, "she'll die. And there's nothing anyone can do to stop it."
"Leo," screamed Prue as she slammed the door to the manor, "Leo,
I need to see you right now."
"Hey, sis," said Piper, coming out of the kitchen, followed by
Phoebe, "what's all the racket?"
"We have a problem," said Prue.
Just then Leo orbed into the manor.
"Hi, Prue," he said. "What's up? You sound upset."
"I am," said Prue. "Someone stole my body."
"Gee," giggled Phoebe, "maybe you should get a lawyer and file a
writ of habeas corpus."
"Phoebe, this is serious," said Prue sternly. "I astral
projected to save an innocent from a burning building. When I got
back to my car, my body was gone. And I couldn't get back inside it.
This is my astral form."
"This isn't good," said Leo. "You don't have access to your
powers in astral form. If a demon attacks, you'll be at a distinct
disadvantage."
"I know," said Prue. "Wherever my body is, it must be too far
away fro me to return to it. If I could just get close enough to it,
I could return to my body."
"It doesn't work that way," said Leo. "Distance isn't a factor
with astral projection. You should be able to return to your body
wherever it is."
"Then why can't I get back into my body?" asked Prue. "I've
tried half a dozen times. Nothing happens."
"I don't know," said Leo. "I'd better check with the Elders and
see what I can find out. I'll be back as soon as I know anything."
Leo orbed out of the manor.
"Sorry about the joke," said Phoebe.
"That's okay," said Prue. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm
just worried about not being able to return to my body, that's all.
I've never projected for this long before."
"Is there anything we can do to help, sweetie?" asked Piper.
"I don't' know," said Prue. "Until we find my body I don't know
if . . ."
Prue suddenly put her hand to her head and wavered. Phoebe
grabbed her afraid she might faint.
"Are you okay?" Phoebe asked Prue.
"Yeah," said Prue, "just dizzy for a moment. I guess all the
excitement is catching up to me."
"Sit down," said Piper. "I'll get you some water."
Phoebe helped Prue into the living room while Piper went for the
water. When Piper returned, she handed the glass to her older sister.
"I'm fine," said Prue. "It only lasted for a moment. Guess I
shouldn't have skipped lunch today."
"Better safe than sorry," said Piper.
"Maybe you're pregnant," said Phoebe, smiling.
"Hardly," said Prue, "since there hasn't been anyone since Andy.
I think it's just all the excitement. That and maybe the effects of
being in a burning building."
"Even if you were pregnant," said Piper, "would it affect you in
astral form? Your physical form would be pregnant, not your astral
form. As far as I know, a spirit can't get pregnant."
"Gee, I don't know," said Prue. "That's an interesting
question. But since I'm not pregnant, it really doesn't matter. So
let's drop it, okay?"
"Fine with me," said Phoebe. "I was just trying to help you
figure things out."
"Let's figure out something else," said Prue.
Andy's death still weighed on Prue. Even under the best
circumstances, it was a touchy subject. Phoebe was sorry she had said
anything.
"Leo should be back soon," said Piper, trying to change the
subject. "With any luck the Elders will know what's going on and what
to do."
"I hope so," said Prue. "I don't like the idea of being without
my powers. Like Leo said, if a demon attacks, we're at a
disadvantage."
"Let's not worry about that unless it happens," said Piper.
Suddenly, Leo orbed back into the manor. The look on his face
was not encouraging.
"Well, what did you find out?" asked Prue.
"It's just as I thought," said Leo. "It doesn't matter how far
you are from your body. You should be able to return to it no matter
where it is."
"Then why can't she return to her body?" asked Phoebe.
"The Elders think it's being magically hidden," said Leo.
"Someone has put an enchantment on it to keep you from returning to
it. And that enchantment is also preventing anyone from finding it.
Even THEY aren't able to locate it."
"Great," said Prue. "So now I'm stuck in my astral form. Maybe
for the rest of my life."
"Don't worry, honey," said Phoebe, "we'll find a way to find
your body. No matter how long it takes."
"It had better be soon," said Leo. "It gets worse."
"Worse?" questioned Prue. "I'm a witch with no powers. How
much worse can it get?"
"Prue," said Leo, "when you astral project, your spirit
literally leaves your body. Normally, the body can't survive without
a spirit. The magic of the projection protects your body while you're
away from it.
"But the magic isn't unlimited. The longer you're out of your
body, the weaker the magic becomes. Eventually, it won't be strong
enough to sustain your body. The astral cord that links your body and
your spirit will be severed."
"In English please?" asked Phoebe.
"If Prue doesn't return to her body within twenty-four hours,"
said Leo, "she'll die. And there's nothing anyone can do to stop it."