Chapter 1
Two weeks later.
Piper Halliwell is comfortably seated in the kitchen, sipping a coffee cup while savoring this rare moment of calm. She has nothing to do before going to P3 this afternoon and, for now, nothing is exactly what she wants to do. Prue is also in the kitchen, reading the morning paper.
" Guys! " Phoebe exclaims suddenly coming into the room, making both of her sisters jump.
" What? What's going on? " Prue asks.
" You'll never guest what I just saw outside! " Phoebe announces.
" Please, not a demon. " Piper says, already missing the moment of calm that has just ended.
" No, Piper. I just saw a moving truck parked next door. I think our new neighbor just arrived. "
" You mean, at Dan's house? " Piper asks.
" Yep. "
" It would be nice to go see who our new neighbors are. " Prue says as she gets up.
The sisters go outside to greet their new neighbors. As they near the truck, Phoebe whispers to her sisters " Let it be a hot single guy. ". Piper hits her in the ribs. As the sisters step on the driveway, a young woman exits the house. She sees the girls and walks to them with a smile.
" Hi. " She say, holding out her hand. " You must be the neighbors. "
" Uh, yeah. " Prue answers. " I'm Prue Halliwell. And here are my sisters Piper and Phoebe. "
" Nice to meet you. I'm Lucy Rainworth. "
They all shake hands. Phoebe, a little sad the neighbor wasn't a hot single guy but still pretty happy to have such a nice new neighbor, asks " Where are you from? "
" New York " the young woman answers.
" That's a big move! " Prue says. " Why did you move from one coast to the other? "
Lucy slightly clenches her fists and answers " I had nothing left there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot to do. "
The young woman walks away as the sisters exchange surprised looks. Piper shrugs and says " Anyway, that's none of our business. "
" You're right. " Prue agrees. " Well, I gotta go. " she says looking at her watch. " I have a photo shoot to go too. I'll see you guys later. "
" Okay, bye. " Phoebe does.
Prue goes to her car and Piper and Phoebe go back inside.
From her living room's window, Lucy watches the Halliwell sisters. They seemed nice. She could've been friends with them. She'd like to be their friend; it's been so long since she had any friends. But one of them - Prue? - had to ask about New York. The Voices heard her. She doesn't have a choice: she must now kill Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell.
Lucy closes the drapes and collapses on the floor, overcome by terrible sobs. " I don't want to. I can't. " she thinks even though she knows the Voices will be stronger than her, once more.
In the Manor, Piper and Phoebe are back into the kitchen. Piper takes a look at the microwave's clock. Half past eleven. She picks up her coffee cup and throws the liquid n the sink.
" I have to go too, Pheebs. " she announces to her sister.
" Where are you going? " Phoebe asks.
" At P3. "
" At 11:30? It's a little early, don't you think? " Phoebe teases her.
" Well, if you must know, I'm meeting Leo there for lunch. " Piper says as she picks up her handbag. " Seems like you'll have to eat lunch alone, Phoebe. "
" Thanks for reminding me, Piper. I hadn't noticed. " Phoebe sarcastically remarks
" Good, then, my work here is done. " Piper says as she disappears through the door.
Determined not to spend the afternoon alone, Phoebe calls her friends to invite them to go shopping with her. After a few calls, she begins to believe she is destined to spend the afternoon alone: none of here friends are free. She looks through the window. " Unless. " she thinks as she looks at the neighboring house.
A minute later, Phoebe knocks on Lucy's door.
" Hey. " she does as the door opens. " I thought that maybe you were tired of undoing boxes and I wanted to know if you'd like to go downtown with me. You know, shopping, visiting fun places. "
" Sure, why not? " Lucy accepts. " You're right, I'm really tired of undoing boxes. "
" Great. Meet you in, say. ten minutes? "
" Okay. "
Soon, the two young women leave together. The afternoon goes on very nicely for Phoebe. She discusses freely with Lucy. Her new friends confides that she came to San Francisco to start a new life and get a new job. Phoebe reveals to her that she too came back here to start a new life and that she is succeeding, thanks to her sisters. When Phoebe tells her that Piper is the owner of P3, Lucy seems very interested.
At around four o'clock, Phoebe decides it's time to head back home. As she parks in the driveway, Lucy turns to Phoebe.
" Phoebe, I have something to ask you but it's a little embarrassing. " she says.
" Come on, you don't have to be embarrassed with me. " Phoebe reassures her. " What is it? "
" See, when I got into the house, hot water was cut off. The water heater is in the basement but the light is dead and I. uh. I'm afraid of going downstairs alone in the dark. I know it's silly but. "
" Hey, that's okay. I was also scared to go to the basement before. Listen, I'll change the light for you, alright? "
" Thank you, Phoebe. "
She smiles at Lucy.
The two women enter the house. Lucy finds a new light bulb and gives it to Phoebe. Then they both walk towards the basement door. Phoebe starts going down the stairs. She feels Lucy behind her but doesn't think much of it. As she steps on the last steps, she is violently hit on the back of the head.
Everything goes dark.
When she comes back to herself, Phoebe is tied to a chair. Lucy is standing in front of her a watches her intently.
" What. " Phoebe starts.
" I'm really sorry, Phoebe. Really. " Lucy says. I don't have any choice. "
" Any choice to do what? " Phoebe asks, more and more worried.
Lucy walks to the stairs without answering Phoebe's question.
" I have to leave you now, Phoebe. " she says. " But don't worry: your sisters will soon join you. And then, we'll end all this.
She turns off the light, leaving Phoebe alone in the dark.
Two weeks later.
Piper Halliwell is comfortably seated in the kitchen, sipping a coffee cup while savoring this rare moment of calm. She has nothing to do before going to P3 this afternoon and, for now, nothing is exactly what she wants to do. Prue is also in the kitchen, reading the morning paper.
" Guys! " Phoebe exclaims suddenly coming into the room, making both of her sisters jump.
" What? What's going on? " Prue asks.
" You'll never guest what I just saw outside! " Phoebe announces.
" Please, not a demon. " Piper says, already missing the moment of calm that has just ended.
" No, Piper. I just saw a moving truck parked next door. I think our new neighbor just arrived. "
" You mean, at Dan's house? " Piper asks.
" Yep. "
" It would be nice to go see who our new neighbors are. " Prue says as she gets up.
The sisters go outside to greet their new neighbors. As they near the truck, Phoebe whispers to her sisters " Let it be a hot single guy. ". Piper hits her in the ribs. As the sisters step on the driveway, a young woman exits the house. She sees the girls and walks to them with a smile.
" Hi. " She say, holding out her hand. " You must be the neighbors. "
" Uh, yeah. " Prue answers. " I'm Prue Halliwell. And here are my sisters Piper and Phoebe. "
" Nice to meet you. I'm Lucy Rainworth. "
They all shake hands. Phoebe, a little sad the neighbor wasn't a hot single guy but still pretty happy to have such a nice new neighbor, asks " Where are you from? "
" New York " the young woman answers.
" That's a big move! " Prue says. " Why did you move from one coast to the other? "
Lucy slightly clenches her fists and answers " I had nothing left there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot to do. "
The young woman walks away as the sisters exchange surprised looks. Piper shrugs and says " Anyway, that's none of our business. "
" You're right. " Prue agrees. " Well, I gotta go. " she says looking at her watch. " I have a photo shoot to go too. I'll see you guys later. "
" Okay, bye. " Phoebe does.
Prue goes to her car and Piper and Phoebe go back inside.
From her living room's window, Lucy watches the Halliwell sisters. They seemed nice. She could've been friends with them. She'd like to be their friend; it's been so long since she had any friends. But one of them - Prue? - had to ask about New York. The Voices heard her. She doesn't have a choice: she must now kill Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell.
Lucy closes the drapes and collapses on the floor, overcome by terrible sobs. " I don't want to. I can't. " she thinks even though she knows the Voices will be stronger than her, once more.
In the Manor, Piper and Phoebe are back into the kitchen. Piper takes a look at the microwave's clock. Half past eleven. She picks up her coffee cup and throws the liquid n the sink.
" I have to go too, Pheebs. " she announces to her sister.
" Where are you going? " Phoebe asks.
" At P3. "
" At 11:30? It's a little early, don't you think? " Phoebe teases her.
" Well, if you must know, I'm meeting Leo there for lunch. " Piper says as she picks up her handbag. " Seems like you'll have to eat lunch alone, Phoebe. "
" Thanks for reminding me, Piper. I hadn't noticed. " Phoebe sarcastically remarks
" Good, then, my work here is done. " Piper says as she disappears through the door.
Determined not to spend the afternoon alone, Phoebe calls her friends to invite them to go shopping with her. After a few calls, she begins to believe she is destined to spend the afternoon alone: none of here friends are free. She looks through the window. " Unless. " she thinks as she looks at the neighboring house.
A minute later, Phoebe knocks on Lucy's door.
" Hey. " she does as the door opens. " I thought that maybe you were tired of undoing boxes and I wanted to know if you'd like to go downtown with me. You know, shopping, visiting fun places. "
" Sure, why not? " Lucy accepts. " You're right, I'm really tired of undoing boxes. "
" Great. Meet you in, say. ten minutes? "
" Okay. "
Soon, the two young women leave together. The afternoon goes on very nicely for Phoebe. She discusses freely with Lucy. Her new friends confides that she came to San Francisco to start a new life and get a new job. Phoebe reveals to her that she too came back here to start a new life and that she is succeeding, thanks to her sisters. When Phoebe tells her that Piper is the owner of P3, Lucy seems very interested.
At around four o'clock, Phoebe decides it's time to head back home. As she parks in the driveway, Lucy turns to Phoebe.
" Phoebe, I have something to ask you but it's a little embarrassing. " she says.
" Come on, you don't have to be embarrassed with me. " Phoebe reassures her. " What is it? "
" See, when I got into the house, hot water was cut off. The water heater is in the basement but the light is dead and I. uh. I'm afraid of going downstairs alone in the dark. I know it's silly but. "
" Hey, that's okay. I was also scared to go to the basement before. Listen, I'll change the light for you, alright? "
" Thank you, Phoebe. "
She smiles at Lucy.
The two women enter the house. Lucy finds a new light bulb and gives it to Phoebe. Then they both walk towards the basement door. Phoebe starts going down the stairs. She feels Lucy behind her but doesn't think much of it. As she steps on the last steps, she is violently hit on the back of the head.
Everything goes dark.
When she comes back to herself, Phoebe is tied to a chair. Lucy is standing in front of her a watches her intently.
" What. " Phoebe starts.
" I'm really sorry, Phoebe. Really. " Lucy says. I don't have any choice. "
" Any choice to do what? " Phoebe asks, more and more worried.
Lucy walks to the stairs without answering Phoebe's question.
" I have to leave you now, Phoebe. " she says. " But don't worry: your sisters will soon join you. And then, we'll end all this.
She turns off the light, leaving Phoebe alone in the dark.