Phoebe cranked up the volume on the portable stereo in the corner of the basement and tilted her head back and forth a few times, cracking her neck as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. Paige had left a little while ago for her second date with Jonathan, Piper was working at the club, and she couldn't stop worrying about the kids. What with her distrust of Paige's new man and the fact that her and her sister's kids were out there somewhere, definitely in mortal peril, Phoebe had more then enough negative energy to expend. All she could think about was kicking a little butt.
Phoebe was already sweating from the work out she'd given herself and her arm muscles were starting to quiver like jelly, but she hadn't quite worked out all the confused aggression she had pumping through her veins. The punching bag was in for another beating. That previous night Phoebe had had a vision of Paige's new boyfriend. She saw him transform into a monster but she wasn't sure if the vision was truly of Jonathan. She had looked up the monster in the 'Book of shadows' and found that its name was Aplacum. She told Paige but Paige just ignored her; she didn't want to believe that this dream man was really a demon.
Suddenly, the Aplacum and its evil claws flashed through her mind, and she released a low growl of anger as she let a punch fly, landing it in the center of the heavy bag. Once she got started, she kept punching faster and faster, throwing in a roundhouse kick or two for good measure.
"Okay, that's it," Phoebe said, wiping the back of her hand across her brow as she steadied herself. She flicked the stereo off and climbed the basement stairs to the second floor, and then the stairs to the attic, her legs screaming in protest the whole way. By the time she got to the 'book of shadows', she had to pull it down off its podium and sit down on the window seat.
Cracking the book open on the bench next to her, Phoebe leaned her shoulder against the cool glass surface of the window and started to flip through the pages. She had to make sure she hadn't missed anything. When she finally found the Aplacum, she quickly looked over the page again. No new information had magically appeared. It was still just a scary-looking demon with no motive and a vanquishing spell.
Frustrated, Phoebe turned the page to the next demon and almost winced. This drawing was no prettier then the last. It pictured a great hulking creature with a face that looked as if it had been mummified for a thousand years. Deep, fleshy wrinkles, hundreds of sharp vampire like teeth, and black eyes stared back at her. Its hands were stretched out at its sides, and beams of some sort were emanating from its wrists.
"Vandalus," Phoebe read, running her finger across the word at the top of the page. "Man…I hope we never encounter you." As she was about to flip the page once again something caught her eye, the word "Aplacum" right in the center of the description of Vandalus. Phoebe's heart instantly started to pound. She pulled the book up onto her lap and began to read. This could be it; this could be the answer she was looking for.
"Vandalus, one of the most violent, destructive demons of the underworld, fought for centuries against its arch nemesis Aplacum for domination of the dimensions. If one ever killed the other, the vanquishing demon would reign supreme, bringing untold horrors to all humanity." Phoebe paused and took a deep breath. "They sound like a great couple,"
"Fortunately, the Elders managed to lure Vandulus away from his loyal minions long enough to cast a powerful spell on him, banishing him to earth in the early nineteenth century." "Wait, banishing him to earth?" Phoebe said, her brow rising. "Wouldn't we notice if we had that thing walking around somewhere?" Confused and intrigued, Phoebe read on, learning more about the war between Aplacum and Vandulus. She was so engrossed that when she turned the page again, what she saw shocked her like a bucket of ice cold water being dumped over her head.
"Oh, no," Phoebe said, her heart pounding. "No…this can't be…"
Cliffhanger! What to know what Phoebe has found in the book of shadows? Write some reviews and I'll send the next chapter… ^_^
