A/N: Everyone! here's chapter 6! :) P.S. Succubus, i edited something in Chapter 4 to clarify your question :) hope you guys enjoy this update :)
"And that concludes this week's teachers' conference," a voice rang out, causing Paige to jump out of her sleep.
"That was one hell of a conference," Paige said as she looked at her wristwatch. 6:49. "Three hours and a half," she whispered sleepily, "Darn meeting lasted for three hours and a half." Paige tried her best to stifle a yawn and looked around her- her fellow teachers, most of whom were as sleepy as her, were getting up from their seats and was beginning to file out of the conference room, the sound of their shuffling feet causing Paige to fully wake up and sit up straight on her chair. Paige tried her best to remember what had happened in today's meeting, but she came up with a blank- all she could recall was her little argument with Regina and something about increasing the school's library. She couldn't remember when exactly she fell asleep, but she knew she must have had dozed off in the middle of the lengthy conference.
Paige rubbed her eyes and glanced up at the blackboard. She saw the words "Next Week's Meeting: 3:00 p.m. sharp" written boldly in red chalk on the board. "Ugh," she groaned exhaustedly, "I absolutely cannot stand another one of these long and boring meetings."
Gathering her folders and teacher's files together, Paige got up and stretched lazily, and began to head for the towering oak doors that lead out into the Great Hall. Clasping her hands on the large brass door-handles, she pulled as hard as she can and walked out into the vast hall, staring down the entire length of the seemingly endless hallway. Paige still marveled at how the hallway seemed to stretch out forever. Starting to walk at the northern end of the hallway, Paige then decided to go to the school's library.
"Might as well write the lesson plan for tomorrow's class," she thought as she began to trace the distance of the Great Hall to the library. Walking down the silent empty hall by herself, Paige hummed gently to break the unsettling silence. Goose bumps erupted on her smooth white skin as she watched dark shadows starting to creep around the walls, slowly covering the entire hall, and smothering the light. Paige nervously checked her wristwatch again. 7:27. As shadows created dark silhouettes around her, Paige quickened her pace, still not used to the scary darkness that enveloped the enormous school as the sun rolled into sleep and nighttime began to inch into the sky.
Hastening her pace, Paige's footsteps echoed throughout the vast hallway. Clutching her folders tighter against her chest, she walked faster, her footsteps pounding on the ebony black marble floor. As she turned around a corner, Paige suddenly heard another set of heavy footfalls coming in from behind her.
Tok. Tok. Tok.
Wondering whom it could be, Paige convinced herself that it could be a fellow teacher who was on his or her way to the library as well. She straightened her posture and, forcing a smile, turned around to greet whoever it was behind her. What she saw behind her made Paige freeze. Or rather, it was what Paige did not see that made her freeze.
Paige blinked rapidly and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light cast by the newly risen moon on the marble floors of the Great Hall. Standing behind her was- empty space. The Great Hall was still and empty, void of any life forms, save for the cold, dancing shadows that seemed to flee from the radiance cast by the full moon.
Paige squinted hard. Could it be a student playing a prank on her? Paige decided to find
out. "Hello?" She called out, more goose bumps erupted on her skin as her voice echoed down the hollow hallway. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
Silence.
"Hello?" Her voice echoed warily again out into the darkness, her shaky voice bouncing off the hollow hallway. Shivering under her black robe, Paige stole one more glance into the darkness and tried to convince herself that it could have been the winds blowing against the walls and the windows. "Yeah, could be the wind," she whispered softly to herself. "You've been watching way too many horror flicks, Paige." she added the joke to herself.
Paige nervously continued her walk down the dimly lit hallway, clutching her files closer to her chest. She began to hum louder, the tune of the Goddess' Hymn playing itself magically into her head, calming her wavering nerves. Paige had gone only a few steps when she heard something that made her heart skip a beat- it was the mysterious noise again.
Tok tok tok.
Paige froze again, her breath caught in her throat. She paused, her heartbeat thundering loudly in her chest, the heavy pounding of her heart ringing in her ears. "Those are definitely footsteps," Paige was fairly certain as the familiar tapping sound of heeled shoes pounding on marble bounced around the empty space of the grand hallway rang in her ears. Without turning around, Paige listened intently, straining her ears to hear where the footsteps were coming from.
Silence again.
The fine hairs on the back of Paige's neck stood up, as a wave of fear soon washed over her. Craning her neck, Paige looked behind her. Still, shadows played around on the floor and on the marble floors. More goose bumps erupted on Paige's pale skin and she broke out into a cold sweat- her hands turned clammy and slippery, sweat beads formed on her forehead.
Remembering her training as a Charmed One, Paige finally confronted her fear and decided to do something about the mysterious footsteps. Squeezing her eyes shut, Paige visualized the way she had walked from the conference room. She waited anxiously as she felt the familiar tingle of her body dissolving into tiny million light particles. Without losing the image of the Great Hall, Paige suddenly re-materialized from where she began- the entrance to the conference room.
Scanning the entire length of the Great Hall before her, Paige searched the hall for the source of the footsteps. Squinting hard against the shimmering light emanating from the moon, Paige tried to focus her eyes on any object that moved, besides the shadows dancing around in the dark.
Paige expected a fellow teacher, maybe Mrs. Winterbourne or Mr. Restmond, to be hiding amongst the shadows, playing a trick on her. Or maybe a student who was gutsy enough to try and pull a prank on her. Slowly walking down the Great Hall, she studied her surroundings, searching for the cause of the heavy footsteps; however, as she searched the vast hall, she sensed no other presence but hers.
Fear soon enveloped her. Firmly holding her folders against her chest, Paige quickened her pace. She broke into a sprint, her own heeled shoes clicking wildly on the marble floors; her own footsteps echoing along with the echoes of the invisible footsteps behind her. Seeking the entrance of the massive library, Paige finally decided to run, the flaps of her black robe flapping as she ran toward the huge swinging doors of her destination.
Tok tok tok.
The footsteps were coming closer and closer, and Paige could feel that they were only inches away from her.
Tok tok tok.
Paige ran as hard as she could, forcing her legs to move faster. She was sweating now, the sweat beads rolling down her face; she can taste the saltiness of her own sweat as droplets fell to her lips. The footsteps were getting louder and louder.
TOK TOK TOK.
Adrenaline rushed through Paige's entire body, propelling her legs forward. Her heart began to hammer inside her chest, and she can feel it beating wildly. The Great Hall fell into a blur as she gained speed, her eyes fixated on the swinging doors of the library only inches ahead of her as she sharply turned into a corner.
TOK TOK TOK.
Paige raced for the library, reaching frantically for the door. She panted, her breath coming in jagged gasps as she ran to her destination.
TOK TOK TOK.
The huge oak doors of the library were only centimeters now. "Oh, Goddess, give me strength, grant your daughter speed," she muttered a prayer under her breath as she neared the entrance of the library. She ran faster, urging her tired legs to move quicker.
"Come on, just a little farther," Paige whispered, stretching her hands out to open the doors of the library. Suddenly, without warning, the doors swung open, and Paige collided head on with the librarian, Ms. Wrinkleberry.
"Ooof," the elderly librarian cried in pain as she fell on her back.
"Ow!" Paige cringed, as she also fell, the folders and sheets of paper clutched in her hand slipping from her grip and flying all over the floor. "Oh!" Paige exclaimed as she saw the elderly woman lying in front of her on the cool marble tile.
Rubbing her head, she got up and gingerly helped Ms. Wrinkleberry to her feet. "I am so sorry, Ms. Wrinkleberry," Paige muttered as she guided the older woman to a chair near the entrance of the library. Checking the older woman for any injuries, Paige sighed in relief as she saw none on Ms. Wrinkleberry.
"Miss Halliwell???" the librarian finally said as Paige helped her to a seat. She stared at her in confusion, not knowing why the younger witch was doing running down the Great Hall. She rubbed her back gently and asked, "I don't understand, what are you doing out here? Were you running?"
"Y...yes," Paige did not realize that she was panting. "I...I'm sorry, Ms. Wrinkleberry. But...but, someone was chasing me...I...I..."
Ms. Wrinkleberry's went wide in alarm, "What?!? Someone was chasing you?" With great difficulty, she got up on her feet, and peeked around the corner where Paige had just come from. Staring out into the moonlit hall, the old librarian watched as the shadows continued to play under the moon's light. Puzzled, she turned to the wheezing Charmed One.
"Miss Halliwell," the confused librarian intoned, her patience barely held in check, "What are you doing? Is this some kind of a joke? You rush to my library, crash into me, and cause me to drop centuries-old tomes, and for WHAT? Shadows dancing around under the moonlight?"
"But...But..." Paige stuttered, unable to explain what had happened, "There really was someone who was..."
"Ah ah ah!" the librarian interrupted, "As you can see for yourself, Miss Halliwell, there is no one chasing you. And how can there be? We are inside the Magic School, one of the safest places there is. I'll have you know that we have more than enough magical charms around the perimeter of the school to keep all demons, even the Source of All Evil, at bay. That is all, Miss Halliwell, I have more work to do." The irritated librarian bent to pick up the books that she dropped to the floor, and with one glance at the stammering Halliwell, disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Paige behind alone standing in the dark.
Shivering in the dimness of the Great Hall, Paige closed her eyes, and visualizing the comforts of her room, disappeared hurriedly in swirling blue and white orbs.
Inside the dark blanket of the shadows, a sharp athame glinted, a silhouette glaring wrathfully at the trail of blue and white orbs left behind by the Charmed One it had been hunting for the last half hour stood defiantly. "Ssooonnn," it hissed ominously.