Sisters Bound

Part 4 – A Witch!

By: Silverstar

Enjoy!

Another week went by, and my sisters still hadn't been found. The police had little hope of finding them, at least alive anyways, and I was beginning to loose faith as well. Not wanting to wait any longer, I told Mike that I was ready, and we had the funeral for Grams. Grams' friends from work and from Church showed up, along with a crazy lady who said she was my Aunt. I wasn't surprised not to find my father or any of my friends from school. But, the Mathews' did accompany me, and I was glad for at least a little support. After the procession most of the guests came over to see me and give me their condolences. I noticed many older ladies…most of whom shook their heads as they left, mumbling about the unfairness of the world. As the crowd thinned out I found myself next to Grams' coffin, and I looked down at it with grief.

"Grams…I guess this is...well…goodbye. Please…watch over me from heaven. I think I'll need it…" Taking a deep breath, I slowly dropped to my knees and leaned my forehead onto the cold wood of her coffin. "I'll miss you," I then whispered as I laid my arms over the top of the casket and let a few tears fall. As my mind drifted into sorrow, I felt something warm on my face. Opening my eyes, I blinked a few times as I stared straight at a glowing symbol in the wood. Slowly, I lowered my hand down and used my finger to trace the carving. It was a circle with three interlocking shapes. That…that hadn't been there before. I traced the symbol again a few times before the glow and warmth came again, and it disappeared. "Grams…" I whispered, leaning back a little. I heard and saw nothing, but I kept staring at that spot on the casket as I fiddled with the silver pendant hanging from my neck. I hadn't imagined it…it was real. "Thank you Grams…I don't know what it means…but thank you," I then whispered again as I kneeled before her. Finally, wiping away my tears, I got to my feet. It was hard, but I forced myself to take one last look and then turn from my grandmother's coffin. It seemed like a long time before I finished walking back over to where the Matthews' stood. Jamie put her arm around my shoulder, and I let her lean my head onto her shoulder as Mike went to get the car. It was all so unreal…I stared out the car window as we left, my eyes not leaving Grams' coffin until we were out of sight.

Every time I closed my eyes that night, I pictured the strange, yet comforting symbol in my head. I knew I had to figure out what it was…but how? Something told me that the secret was lying somewhere in my house, and I knew that Grams wanted me to find it. I laid awake that night, staring up at my ceiling in the darkness of my room, and thought about home. I thought about Prue and Phoebe, and I thought about Grams and Mom. Were they all looking down at me from heaven? Was that a happy thought or a sad one? I didn't know. With a foreign symbol burning in my mind, I eventually drifted off to sleep.

Shadows were pulling at me from all sides and I breathed heavily as I ran as fast as I could, always trying to reach the burning symbol ahead. Something was there…I had to get there…Something caught my ankle, and I screamed as I fell to the ground and the shadows surrounded me and turned into hideous monsters…those that had taken my sisters…those that had taken my grandmother from me. "No…" I whispered, terrified as they reached for me, and a golden symbol burned brightly in the distance…

My eyes jolted open as I felt someone's arms around me, and I sprang up into a sitting position. Breathing heavily, I looked down to see Paige's arms around me, hugging me tightly.

"P…Paige?" I asked, still trying to get myself together.

"You…you were crying…" she whispered, and I noticed my wet cheeks for the first time.

"Oh…" was all I could think to say as I stared down at my new sister. She looked scared. "Paige…it was just a dream," I explained, putting my hands on her shoulders and causing her to look up. "I'm…I'm ok now," I said, not all too reassuringly. "Thank you for waking me up."

"Really?" she finally said. "You're ok?" I nodded back down at her as a smile slowly spread across her face. "Good." I watched as she finally let go of me and slid down from my bed. "You were sad yesterday…"

"Yeah…" I said back, looking over at my dresser at a framed picture of Grams, Prue, Phoebe, and myself all at the park this past summer.

"Today is a new day. You have chance to be happy." I smiled sadly over at Paige as she nodded her head to emphasize her point and then slipped out the door. Shaking my head, I closed my eyes to find the symbol still within my mind. I had to go home. Getting up, I quickly made my bed, brushed my hair, and threw on some jeans and a long tee-shirt. I then grabbed my bag and a jacket and headed downstairs. Mike had gone to work today, so when I walked into the kitchen Jamie was the only one to greet me. I guess she saw my puffy eyes, red from tears and from lack of sleep, because she immediately led me over to the table and poured me some cereal.

"Here honey, eat something and you'll feel better," she said softly, and I slowly picked up my spoon and started playing with the cereal as she rushed to get me some milk.

"Jamie…?" I started, and watched as she quickly turned towards me. "Can I go over to the house today? Please?" I saw concern flash in her eyes and knew what she was thinking. Should I be exposed to all those memories so quickly after Grams' funeral? But I guess my puffy and pleading eyes overpowered those thoughts.

"Sure Piper, I can drop you off after Paige this morning at dance class. Are you sure you want to stay there by yourself?" I nodded at this and Jamie sighed. "Alright, if that's what you want." A minute later Jamie left to go check on Paige, and I dumped my uneaten cereal in the trash. When Jamie and Paige came downstairs to leave, I was ready with my jacket on and my bag slung over my shoulder.

I stood before my empty home and felt despair. But…I also felt relief. It was nice to know that no matter how bad things were, I'd have this place. I slowly reached into my bag to find my key and then let myself in. Jamie had said that she'd be back in a few hours after she picked up Paige, so I'd have all morning to myself. When I first walked into the house, relief and sadness swept over me. But I forced myself to remember why I had wanted to come. I had to find out what those things were that had taken my family from me, and I had the feeling that it was somehow connected to my dream. There had been a strange, yet familiar symbol…the symbol that I had seen on Grams' casket. And then, I remembered. It was just like the one…on the spirit board. My stomach did a summersault as I looked over towards the door to the basement. My mother had given us that board…Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to walk over to the basement door and down the stairs. Five minutes later I returned with the old wooden board. It hadn't taken me long to find it at all. Actually, it was sitting basically in plain sight, almost as if it wanted to be found. Once back upstairs I set the heavy thing on the kitchen table and examined it. There, right in the center, was the symbol from my dream. But…what did it mean? I hadn't looked at this in years…not since Prue was younger and believed in this sort of thing. Why would this come into my dreams now? There was no explanation. And as I sat there, staring at the wooden board from my past, I saw the pointer start to move. I stared in shock and fear as it moved slightly at first, and then started darting around the board.

"G…Grams…?" I asked with uncertainly, holding my breath as I watched the pointer settle on letter after letter. A…T…T…I…C… "Attic?" I whispered as the pointer stopped suddenly and remained still. "But…the attic is closed off…Grams?" I looked around me for some sign of my grandmother, but saw none. I was alone and the house was quiet. Tears came to my eyes, out of both fear and frustration, but I knew that my grandmother and my sisters wouldn't want me to give up. Gathering my courage, I stood up and walked slowly towards the attic stairs. The long and dark stairwell seemed empty and unwelcoming to me, but I knew that I had to try. Step by step, I climbed to the top and stood before the closed attic door. Then, taking a deep breath, I slowly reached out my unsteady hand and laid it on the doorknob.

"I guess it's now or never…" I whispered as I quickly turned to knob and shoved forward. It was locked. The door didn't budge. Laughing nervously to myself, I was about to turn around when the door squeaked loudly as it suddenly swung open. I looked in cautiously, surprised to see a room very unlike an old dusty attic that hadn't been visited in years. Instead, I found a room full of old heirlooms, comfortably furnished with chairs, tables, and even electric lamps. This sight lowered my fear somewhat, and as I walked inside, I realized that this room had been visited quite often over the years.

"Grams had many secrets," I whispered as I walked over to the large old glass-stained windows that allowed me to look out to the front of the house. "I wonder how many times Grams did this…watching us when we were running around the neighborhood…and why she kept this room a secret from us…?" Turning slowly, I again surveyed the room and realized that the smell in the air was a mix of dust and my grandmother's perfume. My fear of the attic being haunted subsided as soon as I realized Grams was up here often, and I decided to explore. I easily recognized the family sewing machine, a well as boxes and boxes of old toys that I had thought were thrown away years ago. As I was looking at some old books on a table, I heard a noise. I looked behind me, and then heard it again. It was coming from a large trunk sitting to the side of the room. Slowly putting the books down, I walked hesitantly over towards the old worn trunk and sat before it. "Grams…?" I asked, trying to convince myself that it was her sending me signs. "You…you want me to look in here…?" The latch was open, so, closing my eyes, I pulled up on the lid. When nothing happened, I slowly opened my eyes and looked down to see an old dark green book. I gasped as I saw that it had the symbol from my dream on it. Reaching down, I pulled the heavy book out of the trunk and noticed that the trunk contained other things, such as white candles, a white cloth, some bowls, and a few bags of herbs. My eyes didn't drift long however, because my mind was focused on the book. I heaved it over to an old arm chair and sat down with it in my lap. As I stared at it, I fiddled with Grams' pendant around my neck. Should I look in it? It…it seemed harmless…mentally kicking myself for being afraid of a book, when I loved reading and always had, I let go of the pendant and reached forward to open what was called "The Book of Shadows."

"The Power of Three…?" I said as I read the first page and looked at some drawings of women fighting…demons? It didn't make any sense…As I read about the Warren Line and about the Power of Three I put two and two together. The things that had attacked us…the glass vials with the colorful liquid in them…Grams being able to hold her own against those evil monsters…fear crept up inside of me and a shiver went down my spine. My family…we were witches. I continued to stare in shock at the Book as my hands started shaking in fear and confusion. They…they would be back for me…Tears in my eyes, I dropped the book onto the ground as I stood up and ran out of the attic and down the stairs. When I reached the family room I threw myself onto the couch and caught my breath. Where would I go from here? I had no one…Feeling something touch my leg, I jumped up and looked down to see a light grayish white cat. Bending down, I scratched her behind the ears as I leaned in to see her collar. I gulped when I saw the same symbol…the Book had called it a triquettra. There was nothing else there…no phone number or address…and the cat seemed tame enough. I jumped in surprise when she jumped up onto my lap and started purring.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" I asked, as she continued to purr and then settled in my lap. The more I stared at the little cat, the more I thought that maybe Grams had sent her to me as well. Maybe it was her way of telling me that everything would be okay…that this new information…my destiny…was something that I could live with and was something that I shouldn't be afraid of…but I was. I was afraid. Petting the cat calmed my nerves somewhat though. About ten minutes later I heard a knock on the door, and picking the cat up into my arms, I walked over and opened it. Jamie was standing there, a surprised look on her face when she saw the cat.

"Piper! You didn't tell me you had a cat!" she exclaimed, and looked down at the soft animal in my arms as Paige came running up behind her mother, excitement in her eyes. "I had no idea."

"Me neither…" I finally answered. "I found her in the house…she must've slipped in through a window or something…" When I looked up at Jamie, there was a small smile on her face. I could tell that she knew I wanted to keep the cat, and when I glanced down at Paige I could see her crossing her fingers at her sides. "Paige, you want to hold her?" I asked, hoping that if Paige were attached to her as well, then Jamie might say yes. I couldn't give her up…Grams had sent her to me. I handed the cat over to Paige as she held out her arms, and smiled as Paige held her close and she started to purr. I heard Jamie sigh as she continued to look at the cat, and knew that she had relented.

"Okay, okay!" she finally said, and I smiled widely as Paige shouted with glee. "But, we're putting an ad in the newspaper for a few weeks. If someone lost her, then I want to return her to them." I nodded as I took the cat back from Paige, shut the front door, and walked with Jamie back to the car. I knew no one would claim her…she was mine.

To Be Continued…