A/N: Sorry about the repost - had to make a few changes.
Oh the grind that is this story. Oh Psych. How I missed thee. Twas only yesterday that I birthed thy first chapter as a standalone fic and thus onwards was encouraged to continue. Twas only five minutes ago that I decided talking like this was amusing. And boy, is it!
Alright, alright, I'll write more. To tell you the truth, I was - between general procrastination - being a meanie and making you wait until my review count hit the next 10. Damn you hollie. Damn you and your three reviews. And Anon, you sweet you. Best r&r-er ever. Also, I've been working like a fire on fire on my latest story which I think I want to get married to. You might remember a while back when I asked you what you'd think if I took a day for the Charmed Ones and pulled it apart... well that idea merged and developed with another idea I've had for a long time, and although the hour by hour thing has been completely discarded, the end result is shaping up just brilliantly. Yes guys, even *I* like it, and that's something. I'll probably start posting once this story is done, but the next one is l.o.n.g. I'm telling you. I'm writing chapter 20 and the story has like, just begun. So hope you're ready for the long haul. Thankfully (?) I'll be updating that one every few days once I've started posting it because unlike Psychosis, it'll be mostly written! Also random people I know are starring in it... anyone interested in playing a part? I'd need your real name and a description of yourself, the physical part mostly.
A/N: This is old. Let me correct some of that: I'm now writing chapter 32 of the new story, Psychosis went, not to the next ten, but the next twenty, and damn you Flak for making it so! If there's anyone who I didn't want getting the big one-oh-oh it was you, cos you always get them. Bah. The reviews are wonders of encouragement for me folks, and they really do work. I'm only doing this as a present since you guys helped me hit the 100 mark this early in the game. It's fantastic, really it is.
Congrats to Snowbunny for finishing her wonderfic The Power Of Four. Wow. The girl deserves applause, for real. What a story.
ANYWAY!
Remember what happened last chapter? With the screaming? Yeah.
*
Psychosis
*
Dashing over towards my sisters, I reach out and haul Paige away from Piper's lifeless body. "Oh God... Paige what the hell did you do to her?" I scream, my eyes flooding with tears as I flip Piper onto her back and fall onto her in desolation. Is she even breathing? Is she even fucking breathing? "Piper," I choke, feebly putting my hands on her shoulder and giving her a shake. "Piper! Dammit! Look at me you bitch!"
She's not moving. She's not fucking moving! Why? Why her? Why not...
Cold. I'm so cold. I'm frozen. Slowly, oh so goddamn slowly, I turn, and I look at my fucking halfling sister with the iciest of glares I've ever felt present on my face. "You," I utter, teeth clenched and voice unbearably low. "You did this."
Paige looks back, eyes wide, sweat glistening on her bloodied face. Guilt exhudes her like an odour, I can smell it on her. I can smell her fear and I can smell the anti-innocence on that innocent face. That tarnished face and that tarnished blood that isn't even her blood that is my sister's blood that is my sister's blood and it is all over Paige that murderous bitch!
I'm going to kill her. Oh God, how I am going to kill her. How should I do it? Sharp things? With my own bare hands? Take the cable from that lamp and wrap it around her gangling throat and choke her to death? Thumbs digging into her eyes, ripping teeth, claws in her neck tearing her apart piece by Piper's blood-soaked piece? It all sounds too good for her. Maybe I should drown her. Drown her in that frozen lake Piper fell into once, that would be most fitting.
The rage is so intense I can barely move. Paige just doesn't know what to do with herself. Who even invited her to join this family anyway? She just ruined everything for us! And now it's time to take my revenge on her like she did to me, to beat her into oblivion, until I can't even tell who she is anymore, her face is such a bloody mess. This makes me smile.
Cole is gone, I can tell. Maybe he wanted to give us alone time, or maybe he wanted to stay and watch the fun. I don't even fucking care anymore. Suddenly he doesn't seem so important anymore. Suddenly it seems as if he never was. It feels like he was a big fat mistake. I hate his hairy chest. I hate the way his eyes are so narrow and beady, I hate his tan, I hate the way he sweats, I hate him I hate him I hate him to death!
Everybody, everybody in my miserable life, do I love any of them? Do I love anyone anymore? Or am I just a used shell of a thing, a pathetic, shabby old coat people put on when they're cold?
There's a stirring of movement I notice outwith the corner of my eye: someone walked past the doorway, between here and the hallway. Someone with such a sense of familiarity about them I swear I know who it is.
Without a word, I get up, knowing fully that when I return with whatever object of viloence I find, Paige will still be sitting there. I get up and I follow the person wandering through our house. I know who she is. I haven't seen her yet, but I know who she is. Upstairs. Yes, upstairs I slowly step, and then upwards again, into the attic, where I find her.
She looks so desolate and lonely, so ghostly and lost. She looks so frightened and innocent, and poorly and shameful. "Piper," I say softly, meaning not to shock her. "It's me."
Glancing over at me with her big, deep brown eyes, a tear slips out and I notice how pale she looks, how pale and lifeless. "Phoebe..." she whispers softly. "Help me." Ragged is her breathing, hopeless are her eyes, this is the truth that I despise.
My sister is dead. Piper Halliwell is dead. Once again I let someone so close to me fall victim to that which cannot be stopped, but avoided. She's dead and what am I? I'm a ghost too. Well. Less of a ghost, more of a monster. After all, it was I who killed her.
The next time I look up, there are two Pipers. No... there isn't. There's one Piper and one-
"Prue."
She looks at me, heavenly light resonating from her in a glorius, awe-inspiring fanning of wonder. Her face is solemn, but she smiles as she strokes a hand through my dead sister's semi-transparent hair. "You did your best Phoebe," she says, not because she believes it, but because she has to. Her voice is insincere and unemotional. "Now she's with me. Doesn't that make you happy?"
I see the expression on Piper's face remain. She's emotionless, void. It doesn't make me happy. It makes me scared. "No," I say. "No!"
Sneering at me, at the loser of the Charmed Ones, Prue continues to sweep her hand through Piper's hair and stroke her arms, claiming her as her own. "That's too bad," she smirks. "You let her die, Phoebe. Just like you let me die. And now we're both gone. And we're happier."
"You should join us, Phoebe," Piper speaks, for the first time. "We can be together. Just the three of us, like old times."
"No..." I utter, denial hitting me strong. But I'm so tempted... how bad could it be?
"You remember the old times, don't you Phoebe?" Prue asked. "We had a lot of fun as sisters, didn't we? Now think of your life now. Think of the horrors. And think how you can overcome that. It doesn't take much, Phoebe. Take some pills, take a knife, take a flying leap out of that window-"
"Oh you did that once..." Piper said with familiarity. "That wasn't nice."
"I was just kidding," Prue replied with a smile, then turned back to Phoebe. "See? It's just like how it used to be. Now all we need is you."
"It's the Power fo Three, Phoebe."
"What about Paige?" I stutter.
"Forget Paige."
"Forget Paige!"
"We're all you need now."
Their words take me back to the world I knew. It was a difficult world, it really was. No land is without struggles, but for the most part, I was happy and secure. God, what I'd give for that kind of happiness and security now. I'd give my life. That's what they're telling me to do, to kill myself. Then I could be with them forever.
"Come on, Phoebe," Prue coaxes. "Don't you miss us?"
"I do," I mumble, hot tears stinging my eyes. What have I got to lose anymore?
Their eyes are ravenous as they look at me and convince me to my death.
"Phoebe! She's awake!" comes a voice from downstairs, and I frown, wondering what on earth this could mean. Glancing behind me at the door, when I turn around, Prue and Piper are gone. I realise they weren't my sisters. They were me. With a shriek of fear and horror, I lurch backwards in shock and fall over, landing heavily on my side. I'm too afraid to care, and I scramble away with all my fight, eventually flipping myself onto my front and crawling towards the door while desperately trying to get to my feet.
I trip on my way down the stairs and slip several steps before regaining my balance. As I rush into the living room, I see Paige holding Piper somewhat awkwardly, before Piper makes horrendous wheezing sounds, bounces forwards and bends double over herself and coughs up a mess of thick, stringy blood.
Falling onto my knees, I practically slide over to her and grab her from Paige's hold, soothing her and making small noises. "I'm here, Piper, I'm here. You're okay."
Crying out in pain and anguish, my sister looks at me with miserable eyes. "What happened to me, Phoebe?" she wails. "Why did this happen to me?"
"Oh God Piper," I cry, hugging her towards me in a loving, horrified embrace. She's not talking about her fight with Paige, she's talking about her insanity. She's talking about all of our insanity. "You will get better. You will. I promise."
*
A/N: Well that went A LOT better than I thought it would! Please review guys. You have no idea. Hee, did anyone notice the part that rhymed?
Oh the grind that is this story. Oh Psych. How I missed thee. Twas only yesterday that I birthed thy first chapter as a standalone fic and thus onwards was encouraged to continue. Twas only five minutes ago that I decided talking like this was amusing. And boy, is it!
Alright, alright, I'll write more. To tell you the truth, I was - between general procrastination - being a meanie and making you wait until my review count hit the next 10. Damn you hollie. Damn you and your three reviews. And Anon, you sweet you. Best r&r-er ever. Also, I've been working like a fire on fire on my latest story which I think I want to get married to. You might remember a while back when I asked you what you'd think if I took a day for the Charmed Ones and pulled it apart... well that idea merged and developed with another idea I've had for a long time, and although the hour by hour thing has been completely discarded, the end result is shaping up just brilliantly. Yes guys, even *I* like it, and that's something. I'll probably start posting once this story is done, but the next one is l.o.n.g. I'm telling you. I'm writing chapter 20 and the story has like, just begun. So hope you're ready for the long haul. Thankfully (?) I'll be updating that one every few days once I've started posting it because unlike Psychosis, it'll be mostly written! Also random people I know are starring in it... anyone interested in playing a part? I'd need your real name and a description of yourself, the physical part mostly.
A/N: This is old. Let me correct some of that: I'm now writing chapter 32 of the new story, Psychosis went, not to the next ten, but the next twenty, and damn you Flak for making it so! If there's anyone who I didn't want getting the big one-oh-oh it was you, cos you always get them. Bah. The reviews are wonders of encouragement for me folks, and they really do work. I'm only doing this as a present since you guys helped me hit the 100 mark this early in the game. It's fantastic, really it is.
Congrats to Snowbunny for finishing her wonderfic The Power Of Four. Wow. The girl deserves applause, for real. What a story.
ANYWAY!
Remember what happened last chapter? With the screaming? Yeah.
*
Psychosis
*
Dashing over towards my sisters, I reach out and haul Paige away from Piper's lifeless body. "Oh God... Paige what the hell did you do to her?" I scream, my eyes flooding with tears as I flip Piper onto her back and fall onto her in desolation. Is she even breathing? Is she even fucking breathing? "Piper," I choke, feebly putting my hands on her shoulder and giving her a shake. "Piper! Dammit! Look at me you bitch!"
She's not moving. She's not fucking moving! Why? Why her? Why not...
Cold. I'm so cold. I'm frozen. Slowly, oh so goddamn slowly, I turn, and I look at my fucking halfling sister with the iciest of glares I've ever felt present on my face. "You," I utter, teeth clenched and voice unbearably low. "You did this."
Paige looks back, eyes wide, sweat glistening on her bloodied face. Guilt exhudes her like an odour, I can smell it on her. I can smell her fear and I can smell the anti-innocence on that innocent face. That tarnished face and that tarnished blood that isn't even her blood that is my sister's blood that is my sister's blood and it is all over Paige that murderous bitch!
I'm going to kill her. Oh God, how I am going to kill her. How should I do it? Sharp things? With my own bare hands? Take the cable from that lamp and wrap it around her gangling throat and choke her to death? Thumbs digging into her eyes, ripping teeth, claws in her neck tearing her apart piece by Piper's blood-soaked piece? It all sounds too good for her. Maybe I should drown her. Drown her in that frozen lake Piper fell into once, that would be most fitting.
The rage is so intense I can barely move. Paige just doesn't know what to do with herself. Who even invited her to join this family anyway? She just ruined everything for us! And now it's time to take my revenge on her like she did to me, to beat her into oblivion, until I can't even tell who she is anymore, her face is such a bloody mess. This makes me smile.
Cole is gone, I can tell. Maybe he wanted to give us alone time, or maybe he wanted to stay and watch the fun. I don't even fucking care anymore. Suddenly he doesn't seem so important anymore. Suddenly it seems as if he never was. It feels like he was a big fat mistake. I hate his hairy chest. I hate the way his eyes are so narrow and beady, I hate his tan, I hate the way he sweats, I hate him I hate him I hate him to death!
Everybody, everybody in my miserable life, do I love any of them? Do I love anyone anymore? Or am I just a used shell of a thing, a pathetic, shabby old coat people put on when they're cold?
There's a stirring of movement I notice outwith the corner of my eye: someone walked past the doorway, between here and the hallway. Someone with such a sense of familiarity about them I swear I know who it is.
Without a word, I get up, knowing fully that when I return with whatever object of viloence I find, Paige will still be sitting there. I get up and I follow the person wandering through our house. I know who she is. I haven't seen her yet, but I know who she is. Upstairs. Yes, upstairs I slowly step, and then upwards again, into the attic, where I find her.
She looks so desolate and lonely, so ghostly and lost. She looks so frightened and innocent, and poorly and shameful. "Piper," I say softly, meaning not to shock her. "It's me."
Glancing over at me with her big, deep brown eyes, a tear slips out and I notice how pale she looks, how pale and lifeless. "Phoebe..." she whispers softly. "Help me." Ragged is her breathing, hopeless are her eyes, this is the truth that I despise.
My sister is dead. Piper Halliwell is dead. Once again I let someone so close to me fall victim to that which cannot be stopped, but avoided. She's dead and what am I? I'm a ghost too. Well. Less of a ghost, more of a monster. After all, it was I who killed her.
The next time I look up, there are two Pipers. No... there isn't. There's one Piper and one-
"Prue."
She looks at me, heavenly light resonating from her in a glorius, awe-inspiring fanning of wonder. Her face is solemn, but she smiles as she strokes a hand through my dead sister's semi-transparent hair. "You did your best Phoebe," she says, not because she believes it, but because she has to. Her voice is insincere and unemotional. "Now she's with me. Doesn't that make you happy?"
I see the expression on Piper's face remain. She's emotionless, void. It doesn't make me happy. It makes me scared. "No," I say. "No!"
Sneering at me, at the loser of the Charmed Ones, Prue continues to sweep her hand through Piper's hair and stroke her arms, claiming her as her own. "That's too bad," she smirks. "You let her die, Phoebe. Just like you let me die. And now we're both gone. And we're happier."
"You should join us, Phoebe," Piper speaks, for the first time. "We can be together. Just the three of us, like old times."
"No..." I utter, denial hitting me strong. But I'm so tempted... how bad could it be?
"You remember the old times, don't you Phoebe?" Prue asked. "We had a lot of fun as sisters, didn't we? Now think of your life now. Think of the horrors. And think how you can overcome that. It doesn't take much, Phoebe. Take some pills, take a knife, take a flying leap out of that window-"
"Oh you did that once..." Piper said with familiarity. "That wasn't nice."
"I was just kidding," Prue replied with a smile, then turned back to Phoebe. "See? It's just like how it used to be. Now all we need is you."
"It's the Power fo Three, Phoebe."
"What about Paige?" I stutter.
"Forget Paige."
"Forget Paige!"
"We're all you need now."
Their words take me back to the world I knew. It was a difficult world, it really was. No land is without struggles, but for the most part, I was happy and secure. God, what I'd give for that kind of happiness and security now. I'd give my life. That's what they're telling me to do, to kill myself. Then I could be with them forever.
"Come on, Phoebe," Prue coaxes. "Don't you miss us?"
"I do," I mumble, hot tears stinging my eyes. What have I got to lose anymore?
Their eyes are ravenous as they look at me and convince me to my death.
"Phoebe! She's awake!" comes a voice from downstairs, and I frown, wondering what on earth this could mean. Glancing behind me at the door, when I turn around, Prue and Piper are gone. I realise they weren't my sisters. They were me. With a shriek of fear and horror, I lurch backwards in shock and fall over, landing heavily on my side. I'm too afraid to care, and I scramble away with all my fight, eventually flipping myself onto my front and crawling towards the door while desperately trying to get to my feet.
I trip on my way down the stairs and slip several steps before regaining my balance. As I rush into the living room, I see Paige holding Piper somewhat awkwardly, before Piper makes horrendous wheezing sounds, bounces forwards and bends double over herself and coughs up a mess of thick, stringy blood.
Falling onto my knees, I practically slide over to her and grab her from Paige's hold, soothing her and making small noises. "I'm here, Piper, I'm here. You're okay."
Crying out in pain and anguish, my sister looks at me with miserable eyes. "What happened to me, Phoebe?" she wails. "Why did this happen to me?"
"Oh God Piper," I cry, hugging her towards me in a loving, horrified embrace. She's not talking about her fight with Paige, she's talking about her insanity. She's talking about all of our insanity. "You will get better. You will. I promise."
*
A/N: Well that went A LOT better than I thought it would! Please review guys. You have no idea. Hee, did anyone notice the part that rhymed?