Part Three
Shock. Disbelief. Denial. Anger. Sadness. Desperation. All of those emotions ambushed Prue and Grams instantaneously. They frantically searched the manor. Pulling out draws. Throwing cushions off of the sofa. Digging through boxes in the attic. Rummaging in wardrobes. They were completely baffled and Grams was going to have to make a decision she feared may cause irreparable damage to the girls' futures. She knew that she had no choice but to jeopardise everything.
Two hours earlier, Piper and Phoebe were getting off of the San Francisco tram with their babysitter, Madisyn – their 20 year old neighbour a few houses down from theirs. They were briskly walking home when a blackbird circled them. It startled Madisyn and she dropped her bag. As she was picking her groceries up, Phoebe swore she could see the bird's eyes glow red. Madisyn didn't know about magic though, so Phoebe didn't say anything.
When they got home, Grams and Prue were just leaving. Penny signalled 5 minutes using her hand. Madisyn nodded and shut the door behind them while Piper and Phoebe went to get a drink from the kitchen.
The blackbird flew in through an open window in the attic and knocked over an antique vase when he came down the stairs. Madisyn jumped up and got a feather duster from the cupboard. She started waving it about, trying not to hit it. She ran to the door, opened it and tried to usher the bird out. The bird sat on the stairs and, when Piper and Phoebe ran in from the kitchen, they saw that Madisyn had fainted and hit her head on a coffee table.
Piper knew something suspicious was going on, so she froze everything and grabbed a pen from a drawer. She was going to write a note but the blackbird unfroze and growled at Phoebe.
"Birds don't growl, Phoebe, run!"
The bird dug its claws into Phoebe's shoulders and she didn't dare move, so Piper scribbled something onto Madisyn's arm and lunged for the bird. As she did this, all three of them vanished into a flash of light, just as Penny and Prue walked in through the door, confused as to why it was already open.
"Grams! Madisyn's hurt!" Prue sat down next to her and saw ink on her sleeve. She pulled up Madisyn's sleeve and turned her head to read what was written on it; "Bl-…. Blar-…. Blackbird?" Penny ordered Prue to call an ambulance.
"Tell them she fainted and bumped her head, wait with her until they arrive, then go to her place and tell her mom so she can go with her. After that, I need you to help me look for something very important." Prue did as she was told.
Shock. Disbelief. Denial. Anger. Sadness. Desperation. All of those emotions ambushed Prue and Grams instantaneously. They frantically searched the manor. Pulling out draws. Throwing cushions off of the sofa. Digging through boxes in the attic. Rummaging in wardrobes. They were completely baffled and Grams was going to have to make a decision she feared may cause irreparable damage to the girls' futures. She knew that she had no choice but to jeopardise everything.
"What are we looking for?"
"A picture of your mother in a small gold frame." Grams felt a cool chill down her spine. She then heard a gentle whisper; "don't do it." She could have sworn she recognised the voice, but she refused to listen to it. "I'm doing the right thing" she muttered to herself.
"Found it!" Prue called and ran up to join Grams in the attic. She handed it to her and asked "why do you need it?"
"Prue, I'm sorry. Can you wait outside please?"
"But-"
"NOW!" Prue looked confused and upset, but left and shut the door.
Grams paced with the photo. It was a couple of minutes before she thought of a spell.
"For the Halliwell sisters,
Bind all of their powers,
Save them from,
The demonic hours.
Blur their memories,
Of the existence of magic,
Stop them experiencing,
Sacrifices so tragic."
She tapped Patty's photo and pulled it to her chest. "Not my best spell…. Patty, I'm so sorry. I had to." She bowed her head. She placed the photo down and took Prue downstairs after locking the attic door.
The next morning, Prue woke up with no knowledge of what happened the night before. She felt the need to check in Piper and Phoebe's rooms but wasn't sure why. As she approached Piper's door, the handle turned and there stood Piper, rubbing her eyes.
Penny was in the attic and heard girls talking downstairs, so she finished writing her last paragraph in the Book of Shadows. It read; "Blackbird Demons take vulnerable magic creatures and return them when they strip their powers. They do not kill, but may cause harm. If the magical being loses their powers, however it may happen, the Blackbird Demons will return them safely, as they are no longer of interest to them."
Could Grams have really solved the paranormal problem with one little spell she came up with on the spot? Magic has always done whatever it wants, whether it fits in with the spell caster's plans or not. Could there be unforeseen consequences for the sisters?