FIVE
Marcus Watkins was rifling through a drawer in the living room when the light suddenly came on. He spun around to see the three sisters standing at the entrance to the living room.
"Oh, God, you scarred me," he gasped.
"Find what you were looking for?" Prue asked.
"I was looking for something that might help me," Marcus said. "An amulet or charm or something. I thought I might be able to find it and get out without disturbing you."
"So, this is how you repay us for saving your life?" Piper asked. "You sneak in here in the middle of the night and try to steal from us?"
"A desperate man does desperate things," Marcus said.
"How about telling the truth?" Prue asked. "Seems to me if you're so desperate a little honesty might go a long way in getting our help."
"What do you mean?" Marcus asked.
"Your little story," Piper said. "There are a couple of problems with it."
"Like that cloud creature," Phoebe said. "It's not a demon. It's a disembodied spirit. And that bag you keep fumbling with. It's not exactly a protection charm."
"That's what the shaman told me," Marcus said.
"I don't think so," Prue said. "Your story makes sense to a point. But it doesn't match up with the facts. Something's not right here and I think you know what it is. Now, if you want our help you have to start being honest with us. We can't help you if we don't know what we're fighting."
"I've all ready told you everything I know," Marcus said.
"Marcus," Phoebe said, "we want to help you. But we can't do that if you don't tell us the truth."
"Look, I'll just leave," said Marcus. "I'll find someone else to help me."
"I don't think so," Prue said. "You brought that thing to us. For all we know that was the whole purpose of your coming here."
"I don't want to hurt anyone," Marcus said, suddenly pulling a pistol from behind his back. "But I will if I have to. Now, just figure out a way to stop this thing or I swear to God I'll kill all three of you."
Prue just squinted her eyes and the gun in Marcus' hand suddenly flew out of his hand and slid across the floor.
"What the?" Marcus started.
"We're witches, remember?" Prue asked. "That means we have powers. Now, if you don't start giving us some straight answers we can do a whole lot worse to you than that."
"Look," said Marcus, "I've told you everything I know. I was designing a road through the Amazon Jungle when this shaman cursed me. I found another shaman who gave me this protection charm. I've been running from this thing for over a year. I need to find someway to get it off me. To break this curse the first shaman put on me."
"Assuming that's all true," Prue said, "breaking a curse isn't easy. Especially if we don't have all the information. Like Phoebe said, that cloud and that bag don't correspond to what you've told us. There has to be something you're leaving out."
"Marcus," Piper said, "like Phoebe said, we do want to help you. It's what we do. But Prue is right. There has to be something you're leaving out."
"It was so long ago," Marcus said. "And I've been running for so long without any rest. I swear I've told you everything I can remember."
"Well, there has to be something," Prue said. "Phoebe, check the book again. Maybe there's something else in there that can help us."
"Right," said Phoebe, turning and heading for the stairs.
"Piper, do you think you can come up with a potion?" Prue asked. "Something to take care of that cloud creature."
"I don't know," Piper said. "I can try. The book gave us some information on it. I should be able to come up with something."
"What book?" Marcus asked.
"Sort of a reference manual," Prue said. "It helps us fight things like this."
"Uh, guys," said Phoebe, backing into the living room. "I think we'd better come up with a plan but quick."
They all turned to see Phoebe backing away from the entryway. Hovering in the entryway was the cloud creature. As they watched, it began to move toward the living room.