Thanks for your reviews, I'm always so glad to read them.
tj191218: It's great, that you like it and it's okay that you don't like Amy. But nevertheless I'd really like to know why you don't like her. So please tell me.
Okay and there is the next chapter.
30. Chapter
Thoughtfully Prue walked to the cellar window, perhaps she could manage to crawl through the window, if she squeezed up. She climbed up the statue and opened the dull window, more light was falling into the cellar immediately and Prue could make out the different objects. She turned around and walked back to the cupboard. There were more than 20 thunder stones and it was impossible to take all of them along with her. Stupidly she had no bag here, her phone was fixed at her belt and her trousers pockets were too tight for a thunder stone. She looked around and sighed.
"Why can't I find a bag here?" She cursed angrily. Okay, it wasn't such a pleasant picture to run around with masses of locked in demons, but she also didn't want to risk to take the wrong stone and let Cole here. But what should she do? If Belva had marked them somehow, she wondered and searched for a note or a sign on the stones, but she couldn't find anything.
Prue looked at the dark stones desperately. "Hello Cole, are you there anywhere?" she whispered and looked hypnotizing at the stones, but nothing happened. Damn it, she had to find a solution, she thought angrily, why couldn't he give her a sign? Thoughtfully she stroked her hand over the smooth surface of the stones.
And finally she knew the answer, it was easy but also very complicated, she just had to trust her feelings. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her feelings for Cole. Slowly she stroked over the stones, she felt the smooth cold surface and got lost in her emotions. Finally she stopped and started to smile. She took the stone and held it in front of her face. "Hello Cole." She said. "Don't worry, nothing will happen to you, I'm here."
She walked back to the window and climbed onto the statue, without turning back again. She would just begin to have her doubts, if she took the right stone. No, there was no time for doubts, she had to believe in herself. She put the stone onto the ground beside the window and tried to squeeze herself through of the window. She held onto a branch of a bush and dragged herself out of the window. Loose soil was falling into the cellar and Prue tore her shirt on a nail which was standing out. But by a supreme effort she finally managed it.
She laid in front of the cellar window on the ground and gasped for breath for a while. Then she looked at the bush growing straightly in front of window. Prue had no chance to stand up, so she took the stone and crawled on all fours along the house until she could stand up again. "It's all thanks to you." She told the stone angrily. "And thereby I've told you to be careful." She brushed down the dirt from her clothes and looked at the stone again. She missed it badly, that nobody contradicted her. "I'll get you out off it, definitely. But first we'll have to vanish here, before Belva or Morgan will catch us." She explained him and sneaked along the house to the front.
But when she arrived there, she stopped in shock, because David Morgan and his mother were sitting on the veranda. They were sitting on garden chairs at a table and it was obvious, that they wouldn't stand up in the immediate future. Prue sighed and turned around. She walked back through the bushes and trees to the back part of the house. When she finally reached the last trees, she saw surprisingly, that the property was located at a river. In front of her was a lawn, but then she could already see reed and a wide river behind it.
Prue looked around and saw, that everybody would be able to see her from the house, when she walked over the lawn. But David Morgan and his mother were hopefully sitting on the veranda. So she took the risk and ran quickly to the water.
When she arrived at the bank, she gave a disgusted look, because a muddy wave sloshed on this part of the bank. "That's great, they don't maintain order here." she sighed. If she had such a property at a river, she would take care of the bank. God, she really didn't want to wade through the mud. She walked to the fence slowly and climbed to a big stone lying at the bank. It was covered with sludge and Prue had to balance hardly, that she didn't fall from the slippery stone again. She wouldn't manage it with only one hand free.
So she looked at the thunder stone and threw it finally over the fence onto the property next. Prue saw it landing in the grass and nodded. Then she clutched at the wire netting fence and balanced from one stone to the next. The fence lowered to the water and finally Prue couldn't hold onto the fence anymore. She slipped into the swampy water and compelled herself not to think about all the vermin and snakes or even worse alligators in the water. She waded through the water until she could finally climb over the fence. On the other side, the bank wasn't so muddy and Prue hurried up to reach the bank. Her shoes were wet through and her trousers dirty up to her knees. "Great, just great." She scolded and searched for the thunder stone on the ground.
When Prue saw the black stone shimmering in the grass, she picked it up and held it in front of her face. "I hope you'll come to appreciate what I'm doing for you." She explained angrily and looked around. She was standing in a little wood and when she looked to the right, she could still see Morgan's house. She had to disappear very quickly, she decided and walked deeper into the wood. She wanted to leave Belva's property behind her, but she also had to try to find the street. She listened intently, if she could hear some cars, but the trees swallowed every sound. She could just hear the sounds of nature. Prue climbed over the roots on the ground and watched in fascination the sunlight shining through the leaves of the trees and forming different patterns on the ground.
Soon later Prue reached a small path and supposed that it would lead her to the street. She followed the path for a while until she reached the dusty country road. Carefully she looked to the right, she was rather sure, that David Morgan had taken this way. But there was a sharp bend, so that she couldn't see Belva's property.
Nevertheless she had to disappear as fast as possible, Prue decided. "If I just knew, where I end up." She told the stone. When she didn't get an answer, she looked at the sugarcane on the field straight on. It seemed as if the fields extended endlessly. Prue sighed and decided to go to the west. She set off and hoped that sometime a car would pass by. Of course not David Morgan's vehicle. The dust stuck on her wet shoes and the sun was burning from a cloudless sky.
"Oh my God, I hope it's worth the effort." She groaned, when she suddenly heard a loud noise behind her. She looked around in alert and suddenly she saw a big tractor coming up to her. She jumped aside and started to wave. When the tractor reached her, it stopped and an elder man bent out of the window. "What are you doing here, young lady?" He asked in surprise.
"My car has given up the ghost." Prue explained. "Can you give me a ride?"
The man nodded. "No problem, just get in."
Prue walked around the tractor and climbed up until she could sit down on a hard seat beside the farmer. "Thanks!" she said.
The farmer just nodded and drove on. "I can take you to Bogalusa." He explained and Prue had to try hard to understand him by the noise of the tractor. "You are really lucky, that I've payed my field a visit today. On some days nobody uses this street."
"Yes, sometimes I'm a lucky devil." Prue said sarcastically and looked at the stone lying on her knees.
The farmer followed her eyes. "What do you have there?" he asked interested. "As much as it glitters, it must be a very special stone."
Prue grinned. "Yes, it is."
"Where did you find it?" the man wanted to know.
"I've found it after a long search." Prue explained and looked out of the window, when suddenly a car was coming from behind in a breakneck speed. The driver hooted, when he reached the tractor to urge the farmer to get out of the way.
"Townies." The man said angrily and didn't move. "They never have enough time and they think the whole world belongs to them."
The driver behind them hooted again and Prue didn't have to turn around, she knew very well, who it was. When they reached a small drive to a field, David Morgan seized the opportunity and overtook the tractor. Prue looked after the car thoughtfully.
When they reached a suburb of a small town after a bumpy ride, the farmer stopped in front of a repair shop. Prue thanked the man and watched the tractor disappearing slowly. When she couldn't see it anymore, she looked around. There was a café and a laundromat to the left. A flower-shop was on the other side of the street and there was also a little square with a bus stop and a few busses.
Lucky Prue crossed the road and went to the bus terminal to search for a schedule. But she couldn't find one, she looked around and saw a driver sitting in one of the busses. "Excuse me!" She tried to get his attention. "Where are the busses going to?"
The man gave her a confused look. "That are regional school busses." he explained. "Haven't you recognized the color and the painting at the busses?"
Prue shrugged her shoulders, she had been too relieved to find a bus, that she didn't watch out for the painting. "But here is also a public transport, isn't it?" She asked without much hope.
The man shook his head. "No longer." He explained and looked back at this newspaper.
Thoughtfully Prue walked back to the bus stop to sit down on the bench at least. She took her phone and called Amy. When the young woman answered breathlessly, Prue was prepared for the worst. "Amy what's wrong?" She asked on alert.
"Oh Prue, it's you." Amy answered. "Nothing, everything is alright. No uninvited guests. You don't have to worry."
"And why do you grasp for breath?" Prue wanted to know sceptically.
"I was in the kitchen and the phone was upstairs, that's all. It's quiet and peaceful here and we are alright." Amy told her. "But what's with you?"
"Well, apart from the fact that I'm stuck in the pampas, everything is alright." She explained and looked along the street. Amy had no car and she didn't want to send her on a journey together with Danny. Therefore she said. "But don't worry, I'll find a way to get home."
"And Cole?" Amy wanted to know cautiously. "Do you know, what's happened to him?"
Prue looked at the stone. "Yes, I know. I've found the thunder stone."
After Amy hung up, Prue decided to call Judy. When she could finally reach her, obviously Judy didn't have much time. Because it wasn't like her that she didn't ask any questions, but wrote down the address and promised Prue to meet her there after work. Prue put the phone back and looked around. What should she do, until Judy would arrive here in the evening, she wondered and stood up. She decided to pay a visit to the little café. She wanted to eat something. Prue walked to the café and entered it. There weren't a lot of people in the early afternoon and she found a free table at the window. She sat down on the chair and put the stone onto the table.
When the waitress walked to her table, Prue ordered something to eat. Soon later the woman came back with a tray. She put it onto the table and her eyes fell on the thunder stone. "Oh, that's really a beauty." She explained delighted.
"Yes, that's it." Prue said. "It's a very special stone."
"I see. You know I'm collecting stones and I always look out for unusual stones for my collection." she said and took the stone, before Prue could stop her. "It's really beautiful and so regular. What do you want for it? I would really like to have it in my collection."
Prue shook her head. "No, it's not for sale. I won't give it away ever again." she explained firmly and reached out for the stone.
The waitress gave it back to her and looked sceptically. "Does it mean so much to you?"
"Yes, it does." Prue said with a smile. "It's rather strange, isn't it?"
The woman shook her head and walked back to the counter, while Prue turned to her food. She ate her hamburger and the French fries and finally she even found a newspaper on the bench. She spent her time reading the paper, until the numbers of customers raised in the early evening. The café filled up very quickly and Prue decided to pay her bill and to wait for Judy at the bus stop.
She crossed the street and sat down on the bench. Thoughtfully she looked at the thunder stone. "The waitress wanted to buy you, perhaps it would have been a great idea to sell you. Then you could lie in her glass cabinet for the rest of your life." She told him and groaned. "Why don't you give me a sign? Even this other demon was able to escape." She waited for an answer, but nothing happened.
"Perhaps the stone just needs a few scratches." She said thoughtfully and stood up resolutely. Then she threw the stone onto the asphalt with all her might. The stone bounced and rolled onto the street.
"Mm, what's that supposed to be? Backtalk?" Prue asked in amusement and looked at the stone lying in the middle of the road. But suddenly Prue heard the noise of a bulldozer approaching quickly. "Oh no!" She let out aghast and looked at the truck coming closer at breakneck speed. She tried to push the stone away with a gesture, but obviously it didn't react on magic. The stone was still lying on the street and the bulldozer was coming closer. Prue started to wave her arms to stop it, but the driver ignored her. He rushed over the stone and Prue closed her eyes.
She pulled a face and listened until the truck had finally passed her, then she opened her eyes carefully again. She feared that there would only be some dust of the stone left . But to her surprise the thunder stone was still lying fully intact on the street. Prue ran to it quickly and picked it up in relief. Then she walked back to the bench to take a close look at the stone, but she couldn't see the slightest scratch.
"How shall I get you out of the stone, if even a bulldozer didn't succeed?" She asked in a low voice. "But I'll find a way, just trust me." She told him confidently and added with a smile. "Because ...I love you."
She stroke slowly over the smooth surface of the thunder stone. "That's what you wanted to hear, isn't it?" Prue asked still smiling, when she suddenly noticed that someone watched her. She looked up and saw a man standing in front of the flower shop on the other side of the road. He starred at her with his mouth wide open.
"Stop gawking like an idiot!" she hissed at him and the man disappeared in the shop in fright.
"Oh no, I'm talking to stones." Prue looked around. "I have to take care, otherwise they'll commit me to the next asylum. Finally we are in the country."
While Prue waited for Judy impatiently, more and more customers of the flower shop threw a furtive glance at her. "What a strange town, you must not sit peacefully on a bench, where no bus will stop ever again, talking to a stone." She cursed angrily and jumped up in relief, when she finally saw Judy's car.
Judy opened the door and Prue got in hastily. "Take us away from here quickly." Prue urged her.
"Why? Did you rob a bank?" Judy wanted to know in amusement.
"Yes, that's it. And then I was sitting on a bench for hours waiting for a bus, that was never coming." Prue explained and looked at Judy. "You don't know, how lucky I am to see you."
"Don't mention it!" Judy said and and turned the car. "And on our way back, you'll have a lot of time to answer all my questions. For example why did you end up here, when you are allegedly lying in your bed mortally ill."
"Who did claim, that I'm mortally ill?" Prue asked in surprise.
Judy shrugged her shoulders and looked at the street. "Vivian told everyone about it and Peterson was really anxious about you." She explained. "And now I'm meeting you here, alive and kicking as it seems."
"It was a rather acute infection, but luckily it went away very fast again." Prue informed her. "And now I'm feeling better again."
"Oh, I see and what did you do here? Take a rest?" Judy asked sceptically.
Prue laughed. "Yes, that's it." She answered plainly.
Judy cast a quick glance at her. "Nonsense."
"No, really it's beautiful and peaceful here." Prue looked out of the window at the sugarcane fields. "And this endless width."
"Mm." Judy let out. "Well, when I take a close look at you, it seems as if you wade through a marsh."
Prue looked at the thunder stone. "I searched for this stone." she explained according to the truth.
"Of course." Judy said and looked at Prue. "And that's the reason, why you hold it so tight, as if someone would try to snatch it from you."
"Exactly! And I won't let it happen." Prue replied.
"Great!" Judy looked at her sceptically. "Probably you still have a temperature and should better lie in your bed." She decided.
Prue didn't contradict and leaned back to relax. They reached the highway and went back to New Orleans. It was getting dark slowly and they got on quickly at this time. They reached the city and Judy turned to Prue's district. It was silent in the car until Judy turned to Prue again. "I'd like to know, how are things on Saturday?" She asked.
"Mm, what are you getting at?" Prue asked in confusion.
"But Prue, we'll organize a barbecue and I've invited you on Monday." Judy said and shook her head.
"Oh I remember. I'm afraid Judy, but I think we won't be able to come." She told her girlfriend in excuse.
"But why? Is it your illness? But you were feeling well enough to go on a journey to the country side, today." Judy said angrily. "Probably you shouldn't do it if you are still ill."
"No, that isn't the reason." Prue said in a low voice.
Judy cast a quick look at her. "Then it's Cole, isn't he? Are you still in conflict with each other?"
Prue smiled. "No, we aren't." she explained. "And I promise you, that I'll come if at all possible."
"And Cole?" Judy wanted to know. "Did you ask him at all?"
Prue shook her head. "No, I didn't." She admitted.
"But then you can't know, if he'd like to come to us, or not." Judy said angrily. "We are already looking forward to Saturday. And if you ask him, he'll come with you."
"Definitely." Prue cast a sceptical look at the stone lying in front of her. She wondered, how she should ask him. "Hey, Cole would you like to accompany me to Judy's barbecue?' she asked him in spirit, but as expected the stone didn't give a sign. "He doesn't answer." Prue explained grinning and had to pull herself together so that she wouldn't burst out laughing. "But he'll have no choice, I'll take him with me."
"Greet," Judy gave her a confused look. "Then I'll expect you in my parent's home at 7 p.m. and hopefully you'll be hungry.
Now Prue couldn't restrain anymore. She roared with laughter. The picture of the thunder stone sitting on a bench and a hamburger in front of him, was too much. "I really don't know Judy, but I suppose Cole won't eat anything." She explained laughing.
Judy shook her head. "I'm sure, you aren't recovered from your infect, yet. You should stay in bed. Or do you have to take some pills and that's the side effect?" She wondered.
"I'm sorry." Prue said and tried to calm down. But laughing was better than crying, when she saw this picture.
When they arrived in front of Prue's home, Judy got off and followed Prue into the house. Amy at once hurried to them with Danny on her arms and Prue took him relieved.
Meanwhile Judy introduced herself. "Hello, I suppose you are Amy. I'm Judy, Prue's colleague and friend." She told Amy.
"Hello." Amy said hesitating and looked at Prue thoughtfully. "How are you? Is everything alright?"
But before Prue could answer, Judy interfered. "No, you shouldn't have allowed Prue to stand up. She must have a high temperature, she hallucinates and raves about stones." She said shaking her head.
Amy nodded in agreement. "You are right, we should better go upstairs."
Judy nodded and waved her hand. "Just go, I'll find my own way out." She said and reminded Prue again. "And don't forget the barbecue tomorrow night."
When Judy was gone, Amy looked at Prue rather excited. "So what's happened to you? Did you find Cole?"
"I think so." Prue said and threw the stone over to her.
"Oh!" Amy picked it up and cast a confused look at the stone. "Hello Cole, how are you?" She asked, but when she didn't get an answer, she looked up. "Can he give you a sign?"
Prue shook her head. "No, unfortunately not." She explained and went with Danny into the living room.
Amy followed her, still looking at the stone intently. "Oh, I see. But how do you know, that Cole is inside of the stone? I mean, it could also be another demon."
Prue took the stone angrily. "Don't worry, I know it." She explained firmly, although Amy had just said loudly, what Prue feared. It was too dreadful to think about what would happen, if she was wrong and had taken the wrong stone with a dangerous demon. No, she had trusted her feelings and there was no reason to doubt about it. She looked at the thunder stone thoughtfully. "If I just knew, how I can get him out of it."
"Isn't it possible to destroy the stone?" Amy wanted to know. "The other stone had some cracks and the demon could leave it."
Prue laughed unhappily. "Mm, I don't know how the other stone could have some cracks. Because actually I think these stones are indestructible. Not even a bulldozer was able to destroy this stone and my magical powers also didn't succed." She put the stone onto the table and tried to move it again, but it didn't budge.
"A bulldozer?" Amy wanted to know meanwhile and looked shocked. "Did you put the stone under a bulldozer?"
Prue shrugged her shoulders. "It was worth a test." She explained and looked at Danny. "Hello my dear." She said. "I hope everything is alright with you at least."
"Yes, he was quiet. Perhaps he knows that his father is locked up in the stone." Amy sighed. "He just wanted to get the stupid wand all the time."
"Of course." Prue gave the little boy a satisfied look. "The magic wand and the book, perhaps that's the solution." She looked around for the book and the wand. When she found them, she stood up and went to the garden.
Amy followed her. "What are you going to do with it?"
Prue sat down under the chestnut tree and opened the book. Then she took the wand, while Danny, who was sitting on her knees wanted to take it, too, but Prue stopped him. "No, my dear. I need it to help your father. And you understand me, don't you?" And as if the little boy had understood her very well, he was quiet and looked at her attentively.
"So, now we'll see, how we can rescue Cole." She told him and ran the wand over the side. She could see the little stars again and letters turned up on the page. She moved the wand slowly until it didn't write anymore. "Well that went well." Prue said and kissed her nephew's head. "But now let's go inside first."
They went back into the living room and Prue sat down on the sofa. She put the open book onto the table and when Amy had sat down, too, Prue started to read.
"To get somebody out of a thunder stone, you have to prepare a Veneno-mixture consisting equally of the essence of the fruit of a mazanillo tree, poison of a thorn apple, snake and toad poison." Prue looked at Amy. "That's an extreme deathly mixture." She said respectfully, before she went on. "You put the stone and the Veneno-mixture into a pot, then you fill water into it until the thunder stone is covered with water. When the water starts to boil, add pieces of bone and hair of a dead person to it. The thunder stone has to cook as long as it starts to change color. Then the extract must be poured off immediately, otherwise the toxic liquid comes inside the stone through the porous surface and will kill the imprisoned person at once." Prue looked aghast and Amy looked back the same.
"I can't do that." Prue explained firmly.
Amy nodded in understanding. "I understand, it's rather dangerous, how shall you know, when it's the right moment, and if you are too late..."
"That isn't the reason, Amy." Prue cut her short. "Didn't you listen? Remains of bodies - that's black magic!"
Amy shrugged her shoulders. "But it's for Cole." she explained in a low voice.
"Nevertheless I won't ever use black magic." Prue told her firmly.
"Do you want to say, that you won't help Cole, that you'll let him inside of the stone forever?" Amy asked and gave her an astonished look.
No, that doesn't mean, that I'll let him there." Prue said. "I just have to find another way."
"Oh really?" Amy asked hardly convinced. "And how will you find it? Probably you need such extreme means in this situation. You have already said, that there is no way to destroy the stone."
"But there must be something else. Black magic can't be the only way." Prue thought determined.
Amy closed the book and pointed at the inscription. "This spell is for you and just for you and only for this reason. Probably it isn't black magic."
"It's not as simple as that. Believe me Amy, unfortunately I know everything about it." Prue said resolutely. "You'll see, tomorrow I'll come up with another plan."
"An if you won't think of anything better? Will you let Cole sitting in the stone for all eternity?" Amy wanted to know sulkily.
Prue shook her head. "It seems to me, as if you want me to feel bad, just because I do the right thing."
"Oh I see and only you know, what's right and wrong." Amy said furiously. "Do you know, it seems to me, as if you'd like that he is locked up in the stone, then you can better control him."
"Don't go to any trouble, I won't do it." Prue affirmed again, rather cooly on the surface.
"Great, then you should inform Danny, that he'll have to learn to put up with a father locked up in a stone." Amy snapped at her. "And you can take the stone with you in your bed, perhaps you like something like that."
Prue gave an annoyed sigh. "It's enough Amy, I just know, that it isn't the right method."
Amy didn't say anything else, she turned around angrily and stamped upstairs to her room.
Prue shook her head. "Who does she think she is?" she wondered and looked at the thunder stone sadly. "I can't do it, Cole. You understand me, don't you? I can't use black magic." She told him unhappy. "But don't worry, I'll find a way to rescue you."