ELEVEN
The photographs were all of people and places apparently around San Francisco. And most were relatively old; thirty or forty years old.
"Grams was always taking pictures," said Piper. "She said each moment only came once and she wanted to capture those moments for her descendents. To show them what life was like years ago."
"None of these seem to have anything to do with demonic influence," said Paige. "There's nothing unusual about them."
"Make sure you check the backgrounds, too," suggested Cole. "What we're looking for is in one of these pictures but it may not necessarily be the subject of the picture."
Everyone started looking the photos over again, this time scrutinizing each one very closely. Again, no one found anything unusual in the photos. Suddenly, Piper held up a single photograph.
"There's a woman in the background of this one wearing some kind of necklace," said Piper. "But I can't quite make it out. It's too small."
She went over to one of the plant stand tables and removed a magnifying glass from the drawer. Then she returned to the photograph and examined it more closely.
"No, it's too blurry," she said. "I can't make out any details."
"Let me," said Cole, reaching for the glass and the photograph.
He examined the photo as carefully as Piper did. Then he sat them both down on the table. He leaned back in the sofa, a contemplative look on his face.
"Were you able to make out the necklace?" asked Leo.
"No," said Cole. "Piper is right. There's not enough detail."
"Maybe one of us can make it out," suggested Michael.
"There's no need," said Cole. "I know who's doing this. It's the woman in the background of the photograph. I recognize her."
"You do?" questioned Piper. "From a photo that old? Is she even still alive? She looks to be about twenty-five or so. And that photo has to be about forty years old."
"Oh, she's still alive, trust me," said Cole.
"Who is she?" asked Leo.
"More like what," responded Cole. "When I knew her, she was going by the name Jasmine Baker. It's anyone's guess what name she's using now. Or what she looks like. I can guarantee you she probably looks nothing like she does in that photograph."
"What do you mean 'what' she is?" asked Michael. "You mean she's not human?"
"You know her, Michael," said Cole. "Or at least of her. Kiethran might even know about her. As I said, when I knew her, she went by the name Jasmine Baker. But that's only one of the hundreds of names that she's had. And I mean literally hundreds of names."
"She changes her name a lot?" asked Paige.
"She has to," said Cole. "When her old persona dies, she has to have a new name for her new one."
"What do you mean when her old persona dies?" asked Phoebe.
"It's believed that her original name was Ahken Tan," said Cole.
"Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long while," said Michael.
"Ahken Tan?" questioned Paige. "It sounds sort of Egyptian."
"It is," said Kiethran. "Or it was about thirty-five hundred years ago. I've read about Ahken Tan in the druid histories. But I was under the impression she wasn't around any longer."
"She angered the old Source," said Cole. "Since then, she's kept a low profile. The Source had the habit of vanquishing those who displeased him."
"So who or what is she?" asked Paige. "Some kind of demon?"
"In a sense," said Michael. "Actually, she's half demon. Her mother was a cerebral demon."
"A what?" asked Phoebe.
"A cerebral demon," said Cole. "They have the ability to invade a person's mind. Make them see very realistic hallucinations. So realistic, in fact, that the person is convinced they are real."
"Which explains how she was able to implant the visions in my head," said Phoebe.
"Exactly," said Cole. "She inherited the power from her mother. That's what angered the Source. She tried to use it to take over the underworld a few decades ago. She's always wanted to rule the underworld, but the Source was always too strong for her."
"You know," said Michael, "if these visions are being implanted by Ahken Tan, Piper and her baby probably aren't in any danger."
"I don't think they ever were," said Cole. "I don't think this was ever about Piper or her baby."
"Then why the false premonitions?" asked Phoebe. "Why make me think that Pipers' baby was going to be evil?"
"Because it's about you," said Cole. "Or rather your precognitive ability. I think the visions were designed to keep you distracted. So you wouldn't find out what's happening. Or what's about to happen?"
"What do you mean 'what's about to happen'?" asked Phoebe.
"Ahken Tan didn't inherit her mothers' immortality," said Cole. "She ages like any human. But she's discovered a way around that. A way to make herself immortal. Immune to the effects of time."
"How?" asked Paige.
"She transfers here soul into the body of a newborn baby," said Michael. "She uses her power to force the baby's soul out of the body and takes the body for herself."
"And not just any baby either," said Kiethran. "She uses her own baby. When it comes time to transfer her soul, she gets herself pregnant. At the moment of delivery, she moves her soul into the baby's body."
"You mean she murders her own child just so she can go on living?" asked Piper in horror.
"That's exactly what she does," said Cole. "And she's done it for thirty-five hundred years."
The photographs were all of people and places apparently around San Francisco. And most were relatively old; thirty or forty years old.
"Grams was always taking pictures," said Piper. "She said each moment only came once and she wanted to capture those moments for her descendents. To show them what life was like years ago."
"None of these seem to have anything to do with demonic influence," said Paige. "There's nothing unusual about them."
"Make sure you check the backgrounds, too," suggested Cole. "What we're looking for is in one of these pictures but it may not necessarily be the subject of the picture."
Everyone started looking the photos over again, this time scrutinizing each one very closely. Again, no one found anything unusual in the photos. Suddenly, Piper held up a single photograph.
"There's a woman in the background of this one wearing some kind of necklace," said Piper. "But I can't quite make it out. It's too small."
She went over to one of the plant stand tables and removed a magnifying glass from the drawer. Then she returned to the photograph and examined it more closely.
"No, it's too blurry," she said. "I can't make out any details."
"Let me," said Cole, reaching for the glass and the photograph.
He examined the photo as carefully as Piper did. Then he sat them both down on the table. He leaned back in the sofa, a contemplative look on his face.
"Were you able to make out the necklace?" asked Leo.
"No," said Cole. "Piper is right. There's not enough detail."
"Maybe one of us can make it out," suggested Michael.
"There's no need," said Cole. "I know who's doing this. It's the woman in the background of the photograph. I recognize her."
"You do?" questioned Piper. "From a photo that old? Is she even still alive? She looks to be about twenty-five or so. And that photo has to be about forty years old."
"Oh, she's still alive, trust me," said Cole.
"Who is she?" asked Leo.
"More like what," responded Cole. "When I knew her, she was going by the name Jasmine Baker. It's anyone's guess what name she's using now. Or what she looks like. I can guarantee you she probably looks nothing like she does in that photograph."
"What do you mean 'what' she is?" asked Michael. "You mean she's not human?"
"You know her, Michael," said Cole. "Or at least of her. Kiethran might even know about her. As I said, when I knew her, she went by the name Jasmine Baker. But that's only one of the hundreds of names that she's had. And I mean literally hundreds of names."
"She changes her name a lot?" asked Paige.
"She has to," said Cole. "When her old persona dies, she has to have a new name for her new one."
"What do you mean when her old persona dies?" asked Phoebe.
"It's believed that her original name was Ahken Tan," said Cole.
"Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long while," said Michael.
"Ahken Tan?" questioned Paige. "It sounds sort of Egyptian."
"It is," said Kiethran. "Or it was about thirty-five hundred years ago. I've read about Ahken Tan in the druid histories. But I was under the impression she wasn't around any longer."
"She angered the old Source," said Cole. "Since then, she's kept a low profile. The Source had the habit of vanquishing those who displeased him."
"So who or what is she?" asked Paige. "Some kind of demon?"
"In a sense," said Michael. "Actually, she's half demon. Her mother was a cerebral demon."
"A what?" asked Phoebe.
"A cerebral demon," said Cole. "They have the ability to invade a person's mind. Make them see very realistic hallucinations. So realistic, in fact, that the person is convinced they are real."
"Which explains how she was able to implant the visions in my head," said Phoebe.
"Exactly," said Cole. "She inherited the power from her mother. That's what angered the Source. She tried to use it to take over the underworld a few decades ago. She's always wanted to rule the underworld, but the Source was always too strong for her."
"You know," said Michael, "if these visions are being implanted by Ahken Tan, Piper and her baby probably aren't in any danger."
"I don't think they ever were," said Cole. "I don't think this was ever about Piper or her baby."
"Then why the false premonitions?" asked Phoebe. "Why make me think that Pipers' baby was going to be evil?"
"Because it's about you," said Cole. "Or rather your precognitive ability. I think the visions were designed to keep you distracted. So you wouldn't find out what's happening. Or what's about to happen?"
"What do you mean 'what's about to happen'?" asked Phoebe.
"Ahken Tan didn't inherit her mothers' immortality," said Cole. "She ages like any human. But she's discovered a way around that. A way to make herself immortal. Immune to the effects of time."
"How?" asked Paige.
"She transfers here soul into the body of a newborn baby," said Michael. "She uses her power to force the baby's soul out of the body and takes the body for herself."
"And not just any baby either," said Kiethran. "She uses her own baby. When it comes time to transfer her soul, she gets herself pregnant. At the moment of delivery, she moves her soul into the baby's body."
"You mean she murders her own child just so she can go on living?" asked Piper in horror.
"That's exactly what she does," said Cole. "And she's done it for thirty-five hundred years."