Ok, so it's taken a little longer for me to update this time, but I hope you like the chapter! And I know some of you guys really want to know what Prue's secret is, so I promise to include it one of the next few chapters!
Chapter Five
'I know you aren't one of my workers,' Prue told Paige, staring disapprovingly at Paige's short red skirt and midriff-baring top. 'Firstly, because that is not work uniform, and secondly because you would actually be working right now. So, who are you?'
'Paige Matthews,' Paige replied quietly. She hoped that the two women wouldn't know who she was, or else there would be no escaping the guards. 'I'll…I'll just go now, shall I?'
She began to back up slowly towards the doors.
The guards had better be gone…'Piper! Prue! What…?' a voice came from behind her, and she spun around to reveal:
'Leo!' she said in surprise. Leo stared at her in confusion.
'Paige, why aren't you hiding at…?'
Paige cut him off quickly, before he had time to expose her in front of the two women. She definitely didn't trust the black-haired one.
'Leo, I felt like going for a walk,' she told him quietly.
'Hold it!' a voice commanded. The brown-haired woman had crossed her arms with a glare, and there was nothing motherly about her now. 'You two know each other?'
'Yeah, but Piper, we need to talk,' Leo replied as Paige nodded.
'No.'
This came from the black-haired woman standing next to Piper. She looked menacingly at Leo.
'Leo, I think you lost the right to talk to Piper quite a few years ago.' Leo opened his mouth to argue, but Prue continued.
'Now, explain who this girl is, and why she is standing in my auction house.'
'It's alright, Paige,' Leo told Paige. 'They're safe. You can tell them the truth.'
Paige cleared her throat.
For my sake, I hope Leo's right about them being safe. I don't want to go to prison.
'Well, as I said, I'm Paige Matthews. I've…um…been hiding out for the last five months.'
'Why?' Piper asked. Paige shifted her feet uncomfortably, and glanced at Leo. He nodded encouragingly.
'Prattwantedmearrestedforbeingawitch,' she told them very quickly, and in one breath. The two women glanced at each other, and then the black haired woman grabbed Paige's wrist and yanked her into an empty office. Piper gave Leo an icy look before they followed.
'Are you one?' the dark-haired woman half-whispered to Paige. Paige stared at her in confusion.
'Am I a one what?'
'Are. You. A. Witch?'
Paige shook her head.
'No, no. Of course not.' Paige was surprised to see the others looking slightly disappointed.
'You see, Prue, Paige was falsely accused.' Leo explained.
'How do you even know her?' Prue demanded. 'In fact, why don't you both just start at the beginning? You have five minutes. Go.'
Paige began to explain.
'I worked as a social worker. We had just won a case about this little boy whose father was abusing him. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the father was really angry with me. Before anyone could stop him, he tried to punch me. I shut my eyes, and the next thing I knew, my colleague was screaming 'witch' at the top of her voice, and the man was staring at me strangely. I mean, my boss managed to calm them down, and everything. I didn't think anything else of it. It wasn't as if I had done anything…'
She trailed off as she considered this for a moment, and then continued.
'A few days later, guards showed up at my house to arrest me. I still can't quite believe it. Someone at work must have told them. Someone who I thought to be my friend!'
Leo then spoke up.
'Paige escaped from the guards and happened to run into me. Literally. I showed her this underground hideout for those people who have been accused. I help them out, you see. Bring food, clothes and anything else. That's how we know each other.'
Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the hall. Four guards entered, guns in hand. Paige gasped.
'The guards! They must have followed me!' she told them in panic. The next thing she knew, she was standing behind Prue and Piper, when a second ago, she had been facing them.
'How…?' she stuttered, wobbling slightly. Her stomach felt queasy all of a sudden.
'Leo, why didn't you tell us that she's a whitelighter?' Prue demanded. Leo looked as shocked as anyone else.
'She isn't…'
The sound of the guards' feet drew nearer.
Phoebe was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth.
'It wasn't me, it wasn't me, it wasn't me, it wasn't…' she looked up. Pratt had appeared again. He was standing on the other side of the glass, with a horrible smile on his face.
'Oh Miss Halliwell. Self-denial? That won't work now, will it?'
Phoebe scrambled to her feet.
'You're fighting the wrong side, you know. Witches aren't the evil ones. In fact,' and here her voice grew stronger, 'you are helping evil by hunting us.'
'Five hours, Miss Halliwell. Five hours.' He brought his face closer to the glass. 'Don't think that you can redeem yourself now.'
Phoebe's anger spilt out, and she punched the glass. The electric shock threw her backwards, and she hit the floor. A premonition burst upon her.
There were flames. Hot, searing flames. No one to help her, no one to save her. She was being burnt alive. There was laughter in her ears. She tried calling for help, but no one could hear her. 'Nooooooo…''…Oooooo,' she was sobbing, curled up in a ball on the floor. The laughter carried on, and she realised it was Pratt.
'You'll be the first of many,' he told her, a deranged gleam in his eyes. 'I still don't trust your sisters. They'll be next to burn, mark my words.'
So, drop me a review and tell me what you think!
Thank you for your reviews!
Shawn-n-Bell: Totally agree about the blonde hair- it was awful!! heh heh!!
Princess Pinky: I'm glad you liked the way I used the Lost-and-Found Spell!
Awf: I hope this chapter answered your question.
Hotcutii: I promise to include Prue's secret soon! Or maybe I won't...MWHA HA HA HA HAAAA No really, I will!