EIGHT
The place Cole had led Phoebe to was a small building near the one he lived in. Its only inhabitant was an elderly witch that accepted her in without question. Neither she nor Cole mentioned why she was so friendly with Cole and Phoebe decided not to ask. Apparently she was the only "friend" Cole had in the camp.
A couple of hours after arriving in the camp Phoebe heard a shrill whistle sound throughout the camp. She looked out the door to the house and saw people starting to head toward the front of the camp. Agitha, her hostess, walked up next to her.
"That's the sound to let us know the meals are ready," said Agitha.
"They don't allow us to make our own meals?" Phoebe questioned.
"No," said Agitha. "That would require allowing us to have cooking ingredients. Since many of those ingredients are also used in potions we aren't allowed to have them."
"I haven't noticed any books or writing materials either," said Phoebe.
"Nothing that will allow us to write or research spells," said Agitha. "Although it really wouldn't make any difference. With these collars on the spells wouldn't work anyway. But they don't want to take any chances."
"I guess I should get out there," said Phoebe. "I need to find my sisters so we can put things back like they're supposed to be."
"Go ahead, dear," said Agitha. "I rarely eat dinner."
Phoebe left the house and headed for the front of the camp. People were gathering in lines very similar to the type she had seen in pictures from the Great Depression in the early thirties. Aames and his cronies were gathered in one of the lines. He just looked at her and smiled a wicked smile. Phoebe had doubt what that smile meant.
She looked around for any sign of Piper or Paige. There were so many people in the camp she wasn't sure how she would ever find her sisters. Guards lined the wire around the fences weapons at the ready. But no one seemed interested in the guards. They all seemed to be more interested in the meals being dolled out to them.
Suddenly Phoebe saw Piper. She was standing in one of the lines talking to another woman who had her back to Phoebe. At least she had found one of her sisters. Piper would know where to find Paige. First, though, she had to convince Piper that she was, in fact, her sister.
"Piper," said Phoebe walking up to her, "I need to talk to you. No one else believes me so I don't know why you should but things have changed. We need to get Paige and see if we can put things back the way they're supposed to be."
"Paige?" questioned Piper. "Who's Paige? And just who the hell are you?"
"That's a good question," said the woman with her back to Phoebe, turning to face her. "Why do you need my sisters' help?"
Phoebe couldn't speak. She could just stand and stare at Prue.
"Okay, let's see if we have this straight," said Prue. "You claim to be Phoebe, our younger sister. And somehow the past has been altered and things aren't supposed to be like this."
"That's right," said Phoebe. "I haven't been able to have a premonition for quite a while and I cast a spell to see if I could find out why. Only somehow the spell seems to have changed everything."
"And we have another sister – a half sister – named Paige Matthews," said Piper. "A sister whose father was her White Lighter, Sam."
"Yes," said Phoebe. She hadn't told them about Prue's death. She wasn't sure just how much they would believe and she felt if she told them about Prue it might put them off completely. "I know how this all sounds, but . . . "
"No, I don't think you do," said Prue. "First, we don't have a younger sister. Mom and dad broke up after Piper was born. She died four years later when they discovered she was a witch and she refused to surrender to the authorities.
"Second, there's no way a witch and a White Lighter would ever have a child together. The Elders wouldn't have allowed it. And since mom died anyway there's no way she could have had a child with her White Lighter."
"Third," said Piper, "Paige Matthews is no witch. She's probably the most respected TV anchorwoman in the world. She's one of the primary spokespersons against witches and other supernatural creatures. If she had her way we'd all be dead instead of in this damned interment camp."
"Look, I told you," said Phoebe, "everything has changed. In the correct timeline none of this exists. The mortal world isn't even aware that magic exists and we do everything we can to keep it that way. Even the demons protect the secret."
"Demons working with witches?" questioned Prue. "Yeah, that's real believable."
"It's not like we work together," said Phoebe. "It's in their best interest to make sure magic doesn't become known just as it's in our best interest. If there's any way to put things back the way they're supposed to be we're that chance. We have the Power of Three. Surely that will be strong enough counter what's going on here."
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Piper asked. "Assuming we believe you. How are we supposed to use this Power of Three in this internment camp with these collars on? They keep us from using our powers."
"I'm working on that," said Phoebe. "First I had to find the two of you and convince you what I've told you is true. Then we can work on getting out of here and setting things right again."
"Well I for one don't believe you," said Prue. "If we had another sister she would have been found long ago. The only reason Piper and I are still alive is because there is no third sister. Everyone knows about the supposed prediction of Melinda Warren. Three sisters who will be the most powerful witches in history. If there were a third sister the authorities wouldn't hesitate to kill all of us to prevent us from using that power."
"Prue, you were born on October 28, 1971," said Phoebe. "Piper was born on July 3, 1973. Grams was born on June 23, 1937. Mom was born on April 5, 1950. I know the entire history of our family. I can answer any questions you might have."
"So can anyone with a computer," said Prue. "All of this is available on the internet. The history of all known witches can be found there to help people identify unknown witches. That doesn't prove anything."
"What about Grams?" Phoebe asked. "What happened to her?"
"She was killed," said Piper. "Protecting us. Somehow they identified her as a witch. When they came to get her – and us – in 1987, they killed her when she resisted."
"In my timeline," said Phoebe, "none of that happened. She died of a heart attack in 1998. The three of us live together in the manor. Wait a minute. They identified you as witches in 1987? So Grams never bound your powers?"
"Of course not," said Prue. "Why would she do something stupid like that?"
"Of course she didn't," said Phoebe. "Without me there was no reason to bind your powers. I'm betting the warlock never even tried to kill mom and take her powers so she wouldn't have made the deal with him."
"What warlock?" Prue asked. "What are you babbling about?"
"Look," said Phoebe, "even if what I'm saying isn't true, what do you have to loose by working with me? I might be able to get us out of here. You really want to hang around here any longer than you have to?"
"She has a point," Piper said to Prue. "If she does have a way out of here it's better than being locked up like this."
"How can you get us out?" Prue asked.
"I'm still working on it," said Phoebe. "But if I can will you come with me? Once we're out of here and have these collars off maybe we can find a way to put things back the way they're supposed to be."
"Well," said Prue, "you figure a way to get us out of here and we'll talk about it. We aren't promising anything."
"Fair enough," said Phoebe.
"You," said a guard through the fence. "The commandant wants to talk to you."
Piper and Prue looked at each other.
"Who is he talking to?" Phoebe asked.
"Me," said Prue. "I guess it's time for my weekly visit to the commandant."
"Weekly visit?" questioned Phoebe.
"Yeah," said Piper. "He's taking a liking to Prue. About once a week he has her brought to him for 'interrogation'. If she doesn't cooperate, well, let's just say the consequences wouldn't be pretty."
"You mean interrogation as in," began Phoebe. "Oh, that's just night right. How long has this been going on?"
"Since we got here," said Prue. "I only do it because he said if I don't he'll make Piper suffer. If I get the chance I'll put a knife in his heart. As it is all I can do is submit and hope he doesn't hurt her."
"Once we're out of here and we set things right that won't ever happen again," said Phoebe.
"She only does it for me," said Piper as Prue walked to the front gate. "It's really strange. The commandant used to be a really nice guy. He and Prue even dated in high school for a while. Until they discovered we were witches. He's really changed over the years."
Phoebe listened to Piper as she watched Prue walk up the front steps to the commandants' quarters. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Commandant was standing on the porch waiting for Prue. Phoebe just watched in disbelief as Andy Trudeau escorted Prue into his quarters.