Post by StoryGirl83 on Aug 29, 2008 19:05:33 GMT -5
Chapter Eight – Getting Started
Upstairs in the attic, Prue was flipping through the Book of Shadows. She looked at home, standing there.
Andy was standing next to her, reading the titles silently as the pages turned. He didn’t know if he would spot something his wife had missed, but he needed something to do and this seemed to be the most useful.
Pat was sitting on the edge of the couch. Her eyes were wide as she looked around the attic. Though not a common visitor to the Halliwell Manor, she easily recognized that time had made a huge difference between this attic and the one in her reality.
Melinda, like Andy, wanted to be useful, so she was looking at the potions lining one wall. She read each name wondering if any of them would prove helpful. So far, none had.
Wyatt walked in from downstairs. “Aunt Paige said, she’ll be here soon.”
Prue looked up. “Did you call Phoebe?”
“Not yet,” Wyatt admitted. “She kind of left a few days ago and they don’t have phones with them.”
“They?” Prue queried, not used to associating the plural word with her younger sister.
“Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Coop,” Wyatt informed her before wondering if he should have.
“Uncle who?” Prue asked.
Wyatt smiled. “Uncle Coop. He’s a cupid and he’s married to Aunt Phoebe. They have three daughters.”
“Well, then call their daughters,” Prue instructed. “Maybe they can find them.”
Before Wyatt had time to answer blue-white orbs appeared in the center of the room turning into Chris, Piper, and Leo. Once they had fully materialized, Chris let go of his parents.
“I need to give that girl a raise,” Piper announced to no one in particular.
“What girl?” Prue asked, smiling at her sister.
“Drinka,” Piper informed her. “She’s my hostess and she was amazing with the crowd. She got us in and out faster than I would have thought.” Spotting the open book she asked, “Find anything yet?”
Prue shook her head. “I haven’t been looking long yet. To be honest, I’m not sure I expect to find anything. I think we are going to have to figure this one out on our own.”
“Perhaps some sort of conjuring spell,” Piper suggested, trying to think back to anything remotely similar. “I seem to recall fairytales coming to life.”
“We aren’t exactly fairytales,” Prue pointed out, “and we are already here. The point is more to keep us here.”
“Maybe something that makes things real,” Melinda suggested. “I mean that’s what they are saying isn’t it? That we aren’t real, that we don’t exist.”
“That’s certainly worth looking into,” Piper agreed, warmth in her voice.
“How can I help?” Chris asked, eager to get something done, never liking to stand idle.
“What are you good at?” Prue asked, used to being in charge.
“Magic,” Chris informed her. It wasn’t exactly bragging. It just was.
Prue raised an eyebrow, wanting an explanation.
“In general,” Chris added. “I’ve had lots of practice.”
“So lucky,” Melinda commented. “I’ve had almost none.”
“That’s right,” Piper said, remembering. “I made you promise not to use your powers, to protect you from Nathaniel Pratt.”
Melinda looked at her startled. “You remember that?”
“I only have a minutes worth of memories with you,” Piper reminded her. “I remember every second.”
Melinda grinned and looked over at Prue. “Aunt Prue, we have to make this work. I want to stay.”
Prue looked around the room. A slight smile formed on her lips. “Let’s get to work then. Someone find something to write on. We need to write down any idea that comes to mind. We’re going to try them all.”
“Even the dumb ones?” Pat asked.
“Pat,” Prue warned.
Pat shrugged. “When you’re brain storming, there’s bound to be something strange that comes out of someone’s mouth.”
Andy chuckled. “Your mother said all, so we will try them all.”
Prue shook her head, smiling. “We’ll try the more likely ones first.”
Pat nodded as around her everyone started to find something to do.