A/N: I'm not getting enough feedback, people! I have two chapters up and only three reviews. Not good. I enjoy getting reviews. It's nice to know what the readers think. I like getting questions, comments, advice, etc. To show how much I appreciate reviews, I want to thank the three people who have reviewed thus far: charmedsisters, PiperHalliwell025, and Winter Blaze. I'm glade you guys enjoyed it!
Now, if I don't get at least 5 reviews for this chapter, I won't put another one up. I have the first 5, and part of 6, already typed. Don't let it have been a waste of my time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
"Dead?" Paige mimicked, eyes wide.
Stacey nodded. "Thanks to me, they're dead." Her voice was low and bitter.
"Why is it your fault, Stacey?" Phoebe asked gently. She realized then that she hadn't mentioned the exploding garbage can to anyone. For now, she decided not to.
"Because . . . because . . ." Stacey bit her lip, then ran for it. She got past Paige, Phoebe, and Prue and ran for the stairs, up them.
"Hey! Come back!" Phoebe yelped, running after her. She took the steps two at a time but by the time she reached the second floor, Stacey had already locked herself in – surprise, surprise – Phoebe's room.
Paige and Prue orbed beside Phoebe, realized what had happened, and laughed.
"Right. Well, at least it isn't my room," Paige laughed. Prue nodded, grinning.
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Haha." She knocked on her door. "Sweetie? Come out, please. We just want to help you."
Silence.
"This is getting us nowhere," Prue muttered impatiently. She began to orb when Phoebe grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"If you just bust in there, she'll never learn to trust us. And if she doesn't trust us, she won't let us help her," Phoebe pointed out.
Prue sighed. "Fine. Have fun. I'm going to go see how Piper's doing. She's at the club right?" She orbed out without waiting for a reply.
"She isn't usually this mean . . ." Phoebe told Paige softly.
Paige nodded. "I know. Maybe she's just having a bad day. She's used to helping and now she . . . well she can help. But not in the way she wants to. Let's just work on getting Stacey to come out."
Phoebe knocked on her door again. "Stacey, please. We want to help you. Know you're scared but if you don't let us help you, that man will get you again."
The door slowly opened just enough for Stacey to peek out. "F-fine. But only you can come in . . . no one else."
Phoebe nodded, gave Paige an apologetic shrug, and went into her room, closing the door behind her. Stacey went and sat on the bed. Phoebe followed and sat beside her.
"Let's start where we left off before you ran out of the room," Phoebe said gently.
Stacey gulped, the color draining from her face. "Do we have to?"
"Honey, you told us it was your fault that your parents are dead. You can't just say that and not give an explanation."
Stacey took a deep breath. "My family dates back all the way to before the medieval times. We're . . . witches." She paused, looking to see Phoebe's shocked or disbelieving reaction. When she got none, she continued. "Remember when that garbage can exploded?"
Phoebe nodded.
"I did that. I-I have powers, ya know? And I never really believed in magic until my mother told me about it. It was my thirteen birthday," Stacey explained.
"Weren't you thirteen when you were-"
"Kidnapped?" Stacey finished for Phoebe. She then nodded. "That was the day I received my powers. I was using them, being reckless. And that man . . . it was like he knew I had gotten them and he came for me that night while I was lying awake in bed. He did something to the room . . . like, I was screaming but there was no sound. And he just . . . he took me from my room. I'm not sure where I was. It was dark and hot and all these weird creatures were roaming around. I don't know what he wanted with me but . . ." she paused, tears in her eyes.
"Please, Stacey, I need to know everything," phoebe prompted.
Stacey sighed. "The next day, he took me back home. We didn't go in though, just stood nearby. He started taunting me, trying to get me angry. I guess he knew about my power to make things explode. And . . . and I made my house explode . . . while my parents were still inside." She took long, deep gulps of air to keep from crying. "Then he took me back to wherever it was he lives and kept me there. He only brought me back when he wanted to hurt or kill people. He'd make me use my powers, threatened to kill me if I disobeyed him. So I did. But on our last trip back here – about two days ago – I escaped and ran. I didn't know where I was going to go since I have no living relatives I'm aware of but I figured living on the streets was better than living with that . . . that thing."
Phoebe frowned deeply. "I'm so sorry, Stacey. But don't worry." She chewed her lip a moment. "My sisters and I are witches, too. We can help you learn to control your powers and we'll vanquish that demon that kidnapped you. It won't bring your parents back . . . but it will help justify their deaths."
Stacey nodded, avoiding eye contact.
"I have a question, though. You said your family goes back all the way before the medieval times. But . . . did you have a relative during the medieval times?"
"Uhm . . . yeah, I think so. Uhm . . .' She paused, thinking, then nodded. "Yeah, Sarah. Sarah O'Bryan. The story is that she was accused of practicing dark magic and sentenced to death by burning. If she died, our line would have ended with her. But on the day of her execution, she managed to escape. No one ones how."
"Do you look a lot like her? Like, almost a carbon-copy of her?" Phoebe asked.
Stacey nodded. "Yeah. Well, that's what my mother told me. She said I looked so much like Sarah that it was almost unbelievable."
"Okay. Well, uh, you can stay in my room for now and rest. Scream if you need me, okay? I need to go talk to my sisters and see what's going on." Phoebe stood and walked to the door. She glanced at Stacey once more before leaving.
Paige, who had been leaning against the wall, became suddenly alert as Phoebe came out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
"Well? Any luck?" she asked.
Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. Let's go up to the attic and I'll fill you in."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
"Wow," was all Paige could manage to say after Phoebe brought her up to date. "So that explains your vision. You were seeing Sarah being burned to death."
"But what I don't get is . . . Stacey said she escaped and survived. She had a daughter and the O'Bryan line continued on. So then why was Sarah dying in my vision?" Phoebe argued.
Paige frowned. "I don't know. Maybe she had her daughter and was recaptured after she was born. Her daughter was passed on to someone who could protect her and Sarah was killed. Then her daughter was able to continue the line."
"That makes sense. But who would take in her daughter? Unless Sarah knew beforehand that she would be captured, she wouldn't have time to find a family to take her daughter in," Phoebe countered.
"Then either she had visions like you and found out beforehand or someone in the town was a Good Samaritan and took her in," Paige replied.
"That guy . . . the hot hunk whose feelings I felt. He must have been the one who took Sarah's daughter in," Phoebe said suddenly, eyes wide. "Okay, now it makes sense."
"What makes sense?"
Paige and Phoebe turned. Leo stood behind them.
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Paige, fill him in. I've done enough explaining today."
Paige sighed and quickly filled Leo in one what they had found out.
Leo sighed and nodded. "Good. Do Prue and Piper know any of this yet?"
"No. Piper left for the club before I brought Stacey here. She doesn't know about any of this. And Prue left to go see Piper before Stacey told me everything. And by everything I mean whatever she wanted me to know," Phoebe replied.
"You think she's keeping some stuff to herself?" Leo asked.
Phoebe nodded. "I don't think she told me everything."
"Should me or Leo try?" suggested Paige.
"No." Phoebe shook her head. "She won't talk to anyone but me for some reason. I'll have to try again. In the mean time, Paige you look at the Book and see if there's anything in it about the O'Bryan coven or about our mystery demon. Leo, go to the club and fill Prue and Piper in. I'll go and try to get more information out of our innocent."
Leo orbed out and Paige went over to the Book in search of info. Phoebe sighed and tromped back down to the second floor and to her room. She opened her door and gasped.
The shadow demon was in her room, holding Stacey against it tightly so she couldn't escape. It held a sharp dagger against her neck, ready to slash it.
Now, if I don't get at least 5 reviews for this chapter, I won't put another one up. I have the first 5, and part of 6, already typed. Don't let it have been a waste of my time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
"Dead?" Paige mimicked, eyes wide.
Stacey nodded. "Thanks to me, they're dead." Her voice was low and bitter.
"Why is it your fault, Stacey?" Phoebe asked gently. She realized then that she hadn't mentioned the exploding garbage can to anyone. For now, she decided not to.
"Because . . . because . . ." Stacey bit her lip, then ran for it. She got past Paige, Phoebe, and Prue and ran for the stairs, up them.
"Hey! Come back!" Phoebe yelped, running after her. She took the steps two at a time but by the time she reached the second floor, Stacey had already locked herself in – surprise, surprise – Phoebe's room.
Paige and Prue orbed beside Phoebe, realized what had happened, and laughed.
"Right. Well, at least it isn't my room," Paige laughed. Prue nodded, grinning.
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Haha." She knocked on her door. "Sweetie? Come out, please. We just want to help you."
Silence.
"This is getting us nowhere," Prue muttered impatiently. She began to orb when Phoebe grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"If you just bust in there, she'll never learn to trust us. And if she doesn't trust us, she won't let us help her," Phoebe pointed out.
Prue sighed. "Fine. Have fun. I'm going to go see how Piper's doing. She's at the club right?" She orbed out without waiting for a reply.
"She isn't usually this mean . . ." Phoebe told Paige softly.
Paige nodded. "I know. Maybe she's just having a bad day. She's used to helping and now she . . . well she can help. But not in the way she wants to. Let's just work on getting Stacey to come out."
Phoebe knocked on her door again. "Stacey, please. We want to help you. Know you're scared but if you don't let us help you, that man will get you again."
The door slowly opened just enough for Stacey to peek out. "F-fine. But only you can come in . . . no one else."
Phoebe nodded, gave Paige an apologetic shrug, and went into her room, closing the door behind her. Stacey went and sat on the bed. Phoebe followed and sat beside her.
"Let's start where we left off before you ran out of the room," Phoebe said gently.
Stacey gulped, the color draining from her face. "Do we have to?"
"Honey, you told us it was your fault that your parents are dead. You can't just say that and not give an explanation."
Stacey took a deep breath. "My family dates back all the way to before the medieval times. We're . . . witches." She paused, looking to see Phoebe's shocked or disbelieving reaction. When she got none, she continued. "Remember when that garbage can exploded?"
Phoebe nodded.
"I did that. I-I have powers, ya know? And I never really believed in magic until my mother told me about it. It was my thirteen birthday," Stacey explained.
"Weren't you thirteen when you were-"
"Kidnapped?" Stacey finished for Phoebe. She then nodded. "That was the day I received my powers. I was using them, being reckless. And that man . . . it was like he knew I had gotten them and he came for me that night while I was lying awake in bed. He did something to the room . . . like, I was screaming but there was no sound. And he just . . . he took me from my room. I'm not sure where I was. It was dark and hot and all these weird creatures were roaming around. I don't know what he wanted with me but . . ." she paused, tears in her eyes.
"Please, Stacey, I need to know everything," phoebe prompted.
Stacey sighed. "The next day, he took me back home. We didn't go in though, just stood nearby. He started taunting me, trying to get me angry. I guess he knew about my power to make things explode. And . . . and I made my house explode . . . while my parents were still inside." She took long, deep gulps of air to keep from crying. "Then he took me back to wherever it was he lives and kept me there. He only brought me back when he wanted to hurt or kill people. He'd make me use my powers, threatened to kill me if I disobeyed him. So I did. But on our last trip back here – about two days ago – I escaped and ran. I didn't know where I was going to go since I have no living relatives I'm aware of but I figured living on the streets was better than living with that . . . that thing."
Phoebe frowned deeply. "I'm so sorry, Stacey. But don't worry." She chewed her lip a moment. "My sisters and I are witches, too. We can help you learn to control your powers and we'll vanquish that demon that kidnapped you. It won't bring your parents back . . . but it will help justify their deaths."
Stacey nodded, avoiding eye contact.
"I have a question, though. You said your family goes back all the way before the medieval times. But . . . did you have a relative during the medieval times?"
"Uhm . . . yeah, I think so. Uhm . . .' She paused, thinking, then nodded. "Yeah, Sarah. Sarah O'Bryan. The story is that she was accused of practicing dark magic and sentenced to death by burning. If she died, our line would have ended with her. But on the day of her execution, she managed to escape. No one ones how."
"Do you look a lot like her? Like, almost a carbon-copy of her?" Phoebe asked.
Stacey nodded. "Yeah. Well, that's what my mother told me. She said I looked so much like Sarah that it was almost unbelievable."
"Okay. Well, uh, you can stay in my room for now and rest. Scream if you need me, okay? I need to go talk to my sisters and see what's going on." Phoebe stood and walked to the door. She glanced at Stacey once more before leaving.
Paige, who had been leaning against the wall, became suddenly alert as Phoebe came out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
"Well? Any luck?" she asked.
Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. Let's go up to the attic and I'll fill you in."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
"Wow," was all Paige could manage to say after Phoebe brought her up to date. "So that explains your vision. You were seeing Sarah being burned to death."
"But what I don't get is . . . Stacey said she escaped and survived. She had a daughter and the O'Bryan line continued on. So then why was Sarah dying in my vision?" Phoebe argued.
Paige frowned. "I don't know. Maybe she had her daughter and was recaptured after she was born. Her daughter was passed on to someone who could protect her and Sarah was killed. Then her daughter was able to continue the line."
"That makes sense. But who would take in her daughter? Unless Sarah knew beforehand that she would be captured, she wouldn't have time to find a family to take her daughter in," Phoebe countered.
"Then either she had visions like you and found out beforehand or someone in the town was a Good Samaritan and took her in," Paige replied.
"That guy . . . the hot hunk whose feelings I felt. He must have been the one who took Sarah's daughter in," Phoebe said suddenly, eyes wide. "Okay, now it makes sense."
"What makes sense?"
Paige and Phoebe turned. Leo stood behind them.
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Paige, fill him in. I've done enough explaining today."
Paige sighed and quickly filled Leo in one what they had found out.
Leo sighed and nodded. "Good. Do Prue and Piper know any of this yet?"
"No. Piper left for the club before I brought Stacey here. She doesn't know about any of this. And Prue left to go see Piper before Stacey told me everything. And by everything I mean whatever she wanted me to know," Phoebe replied.
"You think she's keeping some stuff to herself?" Leo asked.
Phoebe nodded. "I don't think she told me everything."
"Should me or Leo try?" suggested Paige.
"No." Phoebe shook her head. "She won't talk to anyone but me for some reason. I'll have to try again. In the mean time, Paige you look at the Book and see if there's anything in it about the O'Bryan coven or about our mystery demon. Leo, go to the club and fill Prue and Piper in. I'll go and try to get more information out of our innocent."
Leo orbed out and Paige went over to the Book in search of info. Phoebe sighed and tromped back down to the second floor and to her room. She opened her door and gasped.
The shadow demon was in her room, holding Stacey against it tightly so she couldn't escape. It held a sharp dagger against her neck, ready to slash it.