Disclaimer: I do not own them they belong to the WB. ...
(Scene: Way past midnight of a cold winter. The residents of the area must be all tucked warmly in bed, snoring away the minutes. Suddenly, the silence was pierced apart by the running footsteps of three women. They came to a three-way alley and stopped.)
Prue (Panting): Which way did he go,
Piper (Panting): I see three alleys, what’s your bet,
Phoebe (Panting): Any idea what each one open out to,
Prue: Judging from the structure of the buildings, they must be open straight to up ahead.
Piper: So we will each take one alley and meet up at the other end.
Phoebe: We have no choice. We have been tracking this monkey man for a week already, boy, it’s cold, and I want to spend the next few weeks of winter in front of our nice little fire at home.
Prue: But the alley is dark, it will be dangerous for you guys to go alone.
Piper: It’s ok Prue, I freeze anything that moves.
Prue: I won’t have a better problem yet but.
(Both Prue and Piper looked at Phoebe who was eyeing cautiously at the alley in front of her.)
Phoebe: …What, Oh, don’t worry about me guys. I can fly remember,
Prue: Not when he jumps on you breaking your wings.
Phoebe: Oh come on Prue, my radar sense are all on red alert, the moment I sense him around, wham! Down he goes and ‘Ah!, I’ll scream for you, ok,
Prue (Reluctantly): All right, you too Piper, scream when you spot him, or better still froze him.
(Piper waved her hand in understanding. Prue watched as her sisters stepped into the alley on both her sides. Watching them vanished in the dim light, she hastened her steps into the middle one, Piper was all tensed. She was trying to be brave but actually she was shaking all inside out. She knew her power was just right when it comes to situation like this. How many times she recalled using it to freeze whatever lethal that had come threateningly at her or even her sisters. She just hoped that this warlock whom they were after wouldn’t know how to break through a freezing spell. As she walked further down the alley, her fears lessened. Other than the dim light, there was obviously nothing that existed in a size for the warlock to hide, unless he knew the power of flight. Frantically at that thought, she looked up and saw, nothing. Quickening her steps, she saw the other exit nearer. She had begun to worry for her sisters since the warlock could be in one of the alleys and hers was not the one. From that distance, Piper noticed this dumped away antique-like clock resting on some heaps of rubbish, a luminated light above it. Nothing special except that it was working. She remembered checking the time earlier and they matched. Suddenly, she heard a commotion and Prue’s shout. Piper broke into a run, just in time to see a blue lightning hit her older sister and she let out a scream falling to the floor. Raising her hands, she froze time. Phoebe was already running to Prue’s side.)
Phoebe: Prue!
Piper: Oh my god, oh my god, Prue! (Collapsed by Prue’s side and quickly checked for a pulse.)
Phoebe: Prue sister, don’t scare me, Prue, Please answer me! (Looking at Piper for a response) How is she Piper,
(Piper covered her mouth when she realized Prue didn’t have a pulse in her. Tears welled up in her eyes. Phoebe seeing her in that reaction knew the worst had happened, broke down and cried even harder.)
Piper: No!, No, this can’t be happening, why are you always so worry about us when you put your own life in danger, Prue! Prue you’re not going to leave us! Do you hear me,
(Piper now had Prue in her arms with Phoebe burying her face in Prue’s chest, sobbing loudly and shamelessly. Piper who could hardly control her own emotions, darted her eyes around for someone to come by. She saw the run-down clock, her anguish turned to anger.)
Piper: Damned it! If I was faster by just a few seconds, if the time could turn back for just a few seconds!
(When those words escaped from her mouth, Piper felt an inner energy accumulated within her own self. She felt funny and she blinked, Piper was walking down the alley and stopped abruptly.)
Piper: Hey, What the, (She looked up and saw the antique-like clock at the far end. She knew what’s gonna happened. She broke into a run, a run to stop her sister’s life from slipping away again. Just as she turned around the corner, she saw Phoebe one step ahead. She had charged straight at a surprise Prue and knocked her down together on the hard ground. Then Piper saw the warlock appeared from supposingly behind where Prue should be, she froze him before he exhibited his powers again. Running to where her sisters had fallen, she tried to help them up.)
Prue: Ouch, ouch, Phoebe! Why did you do that for,
Piper/Phoebe: Are you all right Prue,
Prue: What, , Of course I am all right. But why did you come straight at me, The light is dim but that doesn’t affect your eyesight.
(Phoebe didn’t care for the lecture. She threw her arms around Prue and the latter looked bizarre at Piper who was smiling gratefully for the prevented crisis.)
Phoebe: I thought I lose you forever.
Prue: I was walking down the alley Pheebs honey. It doesn’t seem at all longer than yours, I’m coming out any second you know,
Piper: It’s a long story but first guys, we have to finish with this asshole.
(The three sisters stood up, unfold a piece of paper and chanted on the spell written on it.)
Prue/Piper/Phoebe:
Summon thee powers,
Banish thee hours.
Within this time and space,
Send him away and hasten the pace.
(Upon the completion of the chant, the warlock twisted and bent in his own fate, then bursted away into fragments of ‘food, for the rodents and the ‘night, creatures.)
Phoebe: Aw, we vanquished him but I have no idea he will end up as supper for them.
Prue (Smiling): They appreciate our kindness Phoebe, look, the rat is wagging its tail.
Piper: Rat, Did you just say a rat,
(Piper and Phoebe looked at each other, they screamed and ran out towards the main street. Prue laughed and followed suit.)
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(Scene: In Prue’s car, on the way back to the manor.)
Prue: So you are saying I was dead before, and suddenly you were walking down the alley again, Ok, déj, vu,
Piper: Come on, you got to believe us. Phoebe was there crying her eyes dry for you.
Phoebe (Back seat): Ya, and I have the whole intention to empty my nose contents on you too.
Prue: Yucks, that’s gross Pheebs.
Piper: It happened so fast, one moment we were crying, then I fixed my eyes on this clock.
Phoebe: What clock,
Prue: Ya, what clock,
Piper: There was this run-down clock at the end of the alley I took. Nothing special, but I got this weird feeling, like I was channeling my energy to it or something.
Phoebe: Huh, As in attraction or to make it work,
(Prue laughed and Piper hit Phoebe on her leg.)
Piper: Phoebe! It’s like I was making a wish for time to go back, then I had this lifting feeling from my body and, blink! I was again walking down the alley, given a chance to prevent you from being killed.
Prue: What is this ‘blink, thing,
Piper: I blinked my eyes. (Said it as a matter of fact)
Prue/Phoebe: Huh,
Piper: Ok guys, I know it’s kind of hard to believe, but you have got to BELIEVE me!
Phoebe: Maybe it’s your powers growing. You have always been freezing time. Not at all surprising if you were able to turn it back.
Piper: For a few seconds,
Phoebe: You are greedy Piper. Those seconds did us the greatest favor in our lives. Feel blessed for it.
Piper: Ya, you’re right.
Prue: But how come I don’t remember a thing about this whole rewinding episode, Your freezing doesn’t work on us right,
Phoebe: Your telekinesis sure hit us hard sometimes.
Prue: So our powers do have it’s pros and cons.
Phoebe: I’m not grumbling.
Piper: You never have remember,
Prue: Err, Piper, You know what does having this new power of yours mean,
Piper: It means,
Phoebe: Picture this, Leo coming, you two hugged, you two start touching and smooching and, wait a second, not good, Leo is not doing his best. Blink blink, Leo coming again, hugging again, wow, you can do this forever sister.
Prue (Laughing): Ya, just make sure you’re not in the toilet at that time Pheebs, you will never finish what you’re doing.
Piper (Embarrassed by both her sisters, teasing): Come on you guys, you know I won’t use it for personal gains. I’m too good for that.
(Prue and Piper were giggling away. They had successfully hit on their middle sister’s vulnerable spot and they enjoyed seeing her in this tight sisterly situation.)
Piper (Hesitated): You guys really think I will do that,
Prue/Phoebe: Oh Piper!.
(It was nearly 2 a.m. Prue’s car was heading towards their manor. The siblings continued their frequent squabbling in the car. All looked forward to spend the rest of the dark hours warmly tucked in bed like the rest of the living city,
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(Scene: Outside Halliwell’s manor, Prue’s car came to a silent stop. The trio teased one another all the way to the door. Prue let her sisters in and locked the door behind her. Phoebe ran upstairs with Piper chasing close behind her. Prue chuckled at seeing her sisters acting like 20 years ago again. That had always been her favorite scene. On the way to the stairways, she picked up Phoebe’s jacket which she had thrown it at Piper earlier on before the chase. Then she heard it, her little sister’s yell. There no need a second time for Prue to spring up the stairs,
Prue: Phoebe, Piper, What happened,
(She came to Phoebe’s rooms, stopped short. Both her younger sisters were standing holding together at one corner and Prue’s eyes met their source target. It was the warlock from the alley, the same one they had vanquished only a while ago.)
Prue: I thought we fed him to the rats already,
Piper: The same thought we have in mind.
Phoebe: You think they are actually twins,
Prue: Attic! BOS!
(Prue pushed her sisters out of the room and the trio rushed up to the attic. Phoebe was the first to enter and she yelled again. Their eyes met, the Charmed ones and the warlock from Phoebe’s room, or was he the same one, He saw his enemies suddenly barged in and was startled like them, was about to use his powers when Piper froze him.)
Phoebe: Ok, who volunteer to go check out my room, I thought we left him there only a few seconds ago, Or better still, he should be died already.
Piper: And the fact that he is standing in our favorite place, no doubt about it, he’s after our BOS.
Prue: Let’s go back to the first question we all had in mind, what the hell is happening here, (Advancing slowly toward the BOS)
Piper: Careful Prue.
Prue: He’s frozen Piper.
(As soon as she finished her sentence, the man in question unfroze. He fingered a blue light at Prue and she ducked. Piper tried freezing him again but somehow he was able to break through her power this time. The warlock had by then turned his attention to the other two sisters and let out a blue lightning at them. Phoebe pushed Piper and together they fell sideway. Prue recovered just in time to send him smashing out of the attic window with a wave of her hand.)
Piper: Three of them in just one night! And the exact copy of one another! What’s next!
(Phoebe who had by then rushed to the broken window to look out at the fallen guy. She lingered for a second, turned around and looked at her sisters in a face mixed with bewilder and fear.)
Piper: You better tell me something good Pheebs!
Phoebe: Guys, I think he just picked himself up and ran away.
Prue: What!
(Prue and Piper went to Phoebe’s side. True enough, the fallen warlock wasn’t lying there among the broken windowpane and fragments of glasses. Phoebe turned back in and sat at the couch which was now next to the door because of the commotion earlier.)
Phoebe: This is really getting weird. Where did he go,
Warlock: Nowhere.
(Phoebe jumped at the voice, leaped up and kicked him in his mid-section before he could react. As he backed away, he waved his hand and one of the cabinets in the attic went crashing at Prue and Piper, momentarily disengaged them in battle. Phoebe’s anger surged at the sight of that. She recalled one of her combos mix. Wham! The right side of his face. Ponk! Right on his nose. She raised her right leg and kicked at his side, he retreated back into the stairways. She turned and aimed high, going for his neck, he backed off further. Phoebe ran a few steps, jumped and with both legs aimed straight at his chest. The impact was too strong, he slammed hard against the railings, toppled over and crashed down to the floor below with a sickening thud. Phoebe herself had a hard landing on her butt.)
Prue (Ran out with Piper to help Phoebe up): You ok,
Piper: That’s was so cool sister.
Phoebe: No problem. (Walked to the railings and looked down) Now he’s there all right. That teaches you a lesson not to mess around with my sisters!
Piper: I think he appreciates your lesson, just a little too late.
(Prue turned back inside the attic, Piper dragged Phoebe along.)
Prue: Now the question is, did we really vanquish that warlock, What’s his name again,
Phoebe: Inixus. We should have got him all right. It’s in the book, his presence and the spell was written specifically for him. What could have gone wrong,
Prue: That’s what we’re going to find out right now.
Piper: The other thing, why was he after our "Book Of Shadows",
Phoebe: That’s where we recorded, or maybe it’s our ancestors who did a list of incantations, and obviously the BOS is their scariest enemy.
Prue: Agreed. We have been relying on these records and I can’t imagine the consequence of us without it.
Piper: Right but if they keep coming and start a fight here in this manor, I can’t really imagine the consequence of us sleeping out in the streets. (Walked over to view the wreckage at the window.)
Phoebe: Oh Piper, look at the bight side.
Piper: I am and that’s why I can see that he’s back!
Prue/Phoebe: Huh,
(Both sisters looked up, saw Piper pointing a finger out the window. They rushed over and saw Inixus heading straight at their manor, his focus never once left them though they were high in the attic at the broken window.)
Phoebe: O-oh, something tells me he will, they will keep coming.
Piper: What are we going to do now, Set our defense here and fight to the end,
Prue (Picked up the BOS): Like you say Piper, this house had enough in just one night. Besides, he will keep coming unless we run, at least until we figure out what really is going on.
Phoebe: How do you know he won’t follow us,
Prue: Never know unless we try. Come on!
(Prue with the BOS under her arms hurried out the attic. Piper and Phoebe stayed close behind, remembering that anytime Inixus would come through the door. The trio decided to get ready and gave him a surprise when he stepped in. They waited and waited and still no sight of him. Seconds ticked by, Piper heard a creak behind her. She turned around just in time to see Inixus lunging at her from behind. She gasped, raised her hands and froze time. Prue and Phoebe were also shocked at the turn of events. Not wanting to stay around any longer, the sisters rushed out through the door and climbed into Prue’s car. Seconds later, it sped down the streets,
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(Scene: Inside Prue’s car. Prue was driving and trying hard to concentrate after what had just happened in their manor. Piper sitting next was obviously more agitated by everything and Phoebe at the back seat was feeling too cold to response like her sisters. She had left her jacket at the manor earlier on when she was fooling around with Piper.)
Phoebe: Oh, I’m so cold, Prue, where are we going,
Prue: Trying to think of a cheap motel to spend the night in.
Piper: Great! A home that we can’t go, warlocks we can’t totally vanquished! Tell me it’s the wrong time to happen on this cold winter night!
Prue: It’s not the time for this Piper. Where’s your kitchen attitude,
Piper: Why is that,
Prue: That’s the moment when you maintain calm in posture. We need that right now.
(Piper threw her hands up in defeat. Prue looked in the rear mirror and saw Phoebe shivering behind.)
Prue: Pheebs, how are you feeling,
Phoebe (Cuddling herself tightly): …C, Cold, t, turn up, that, that heater, p, please.
(Piper had already done it before Phoebe finished her sentence.)
Piper: I’ll give you my jacket.
Phoebe: No, I, I’ll be fine, I’ve been building up lately.
Piper: You’re sure, (Saw Phoebe managed a smile, kinda awkward one since she was chattering through her teeth.)
Prue: Piper, maybe you can help look in the book right now.
(Phoebe passed Piper the BOS. Suddenly, there was a loud thud on the car top and a hand came crashing through the back seat window beside Phoebe and grabbed her by her arm. Piper screamed while Prue shocked at the sudden attack had steered the car sharply to the left and she tried to maintain control. In the midst of chaos, the sisters could see that the attacker was Inixus again. He had somehow landed on the car top using the power of flight and now he was trying to pull Phoebe out of the car through the smashed window. Piper had freed herself from the seatbelt, leaned towards the back seat and tried to pull Phoebe in.)
Prue: Freeze him Piper!
Piper: Trying! But he’s still pulling Phoebe! Stop the car!
(Prue stepped down on the brakes and to her shock, nothing happened and the car picked up speed.)
Piper: Prue! I said STOP THE CAR!
(Phoebe by then had half her body outside the car, screaming, yelling and hitting back at Inixus with her other free hand.)
Prue: I can’t! The brake’s not working!
Piper (Turned to look at her): What!!!
Prue: Turn back time! We’ll stop him before he even started!
(Piper concentrated on channeling her energy like before on her watch. But no matter how hard she tried, nothing happened.)
Prue: Piper! Hurry!
Piper: I can’t! I’ve tried but I feel nothing!
Phoebe: HEEELPPP MEEEE!!!
Piper: Oh god PHOEBE!
(The car was going faster, Prue was trying hard to steer it clear of any obstacle. Due to the constant swerving here and there, Piper had a hard time getting a tight hold on Phoebe who was still screaming her head off at Inixus against the cold wind brushing at her face. Prue’s car turned into a dock. Her eyes were darting around quickly for something to ram her car into, to lighten the impact. Then she saw it. Right in front were hundreds of stacks of hays piled up to a container’s height. Must be for some circus animals in town she thought in a lightning. She pulled Piper down onto her seat.)
Piper: WHAT!
Prue: HANG IN THERE PHEEBS!
Piper (Saw Prue’s intention): OOHHH, this is a great ‘hayday, (She bent over and covered her head with both hands.)
(Prue’s car crashed headlong into the stack of hay and swerved to the right side, screeching to a stop just as it was about to plunge into the cold water below that was by the right side of the car. Although the impact was doubly lightened, it didn’t stop Phoebe and Inixus to go flying out into the water. Seconds later, there was the sound of two splashes as both of them hit the water and Phoebe’s scream was suddenly cut off.)
Prue (Trying to get off the seatbelt): PHOEBE! Ouch.
(Piper had fallen into the small space in front of her seat. She had a cut on her forehead when she finally picked herself in a right position. She yelled for Phoebe and opened the side of her door. She nearly fell into the water too had Prue not caught her by her belt in time.)
Piper (Fell back on her seat): Whoa! I see no land!
Prue: Quick! My seatbelt’s stuck! And I think I twisted my left wrist!
(Piper tried to unbuckle Prue’s belt but true enough, it was stuck fast. Frantically, she yanked at the belt and Prue had to squeeze her body out in that tiny space.)
Piper: Out! Out! Can Phoebe swim in the dark,
Prue: You got a flashlight,
(Both sisters rushed to the edge after Piper grabbed hold of the BOS. They were relieved to see their little sister’s head above the water already swimming back. They ran to the flight of stairs not far away and then they saw it. Inixus had re-surfaced and swimming straight for Phoebe.)
Piper: PHOEBE! SWIM!
Prue: FASTER! SWIM FASTER!
(Phoebe heard her sisters yelling at her to swim faster and pointing hysterically in her direction. Already freezing in the below 5 degrees water with teeth chattering anytime breaking them, she turned back and saw Inixus gaining on her. It was like a scene straight from the movie ‘Jaws, and that’s enough to motivate her. Phoebe swam as fast as her arms could take her, leaving the screaming part to her sisters.)
Piper: PHOEBE! COME ON! SWIM! SWIM!
Prue: HE’S GAINING! RIGHT BEHIND YOU!
(For what seemed like eternity, Phoebe finally reached the stairs and her sisters pulled her in. They were dragging and pulling her up the stairs when Inixus came ‘docking, in too. Prue waved her hand and sent him straight into the water again. The trio ran down the street, slowing every seconds because of Phoebe. Finally, her knees crumpled and she collapsed holding her own body tightly in a ball. Prue and Piper took off their jacket and bundled it around her.)
Phoebe: P, Pr, PPPrrueee, y, yyou, you, tttreeww, threw me, o, ooutta, c…ccc, cccaarrrr, car.
Prue (Rubbing her shoulders): I’m so sorry, the brakes malfunctioned and there’s no better way to stop a wild car like that.
Phoebe: I, I’m, I’m, c, ccc, cccoollldddd.
Piper (Wiping her wet face): Prue, we need to find a place fast. Phoebe has got to take off her wet clothes.
Prue (Looked around trying to get her bearings clear): Ok, there’s a motel nearby. We’ll spend the night there, hopefully Inixus wouldn’t find us that fast.
Piper: Worry about him later. Our sister here is ready to start a scale four earthquake.
(Phoebe was shaking so badly that she could hardly walk. The trio walked the rest of the distance like triplets born joining at the chest,
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(Scene: At a motel, in a room dimly lit. Phoebe was fast asleep in bed with sheets of blankets over her, in dry clothes which Piper had spent the last hour ironing it out. Prue and Piper were nearby flipping through the BOS.)
Piper: How’s your wrist,
Prue: Bearable. (Looked up and touched Piper’s dry head wound) You ought to clean this up you know.
Piper: Nah, I’m all right. At least far better off than Phoebe.
Prue: Ya, She scared the hell out of me when I heard her screaming into the water.
Piper: Don’t remind me about that scary part.
Phoebe (Mumbling in her sleep): Prue, you threw me out the car.
Piper (Paused to watch her sleeping sister): I think she’s going to repeat that for quite a few times.
Prue: Do remind me about it.
Piper: It’s been three hours, no sight of Inixus. You think his radar got soaked in the water too long,
Prue: Hopefully. Considering our situation, we can’t run with a sleeping sister.
Piper: Did you find the page in Inixus,
Prue: Here, I don’t get it. We followed exactly the spell here to vanquish him. And it didn’t mention anything about having duplicate copies of him. So why do we keep seeing him around us for the last few hours,
Piper: And did you notice his powers, Or at least his immunity to ours. One moment I was able to freeze him, the next thing I knew he was grinning past it.
Prue: Not to mention he has got powers like mine to match with. Remind me to pay him back for throwing the cabinet on us. And speaking of powers, what happened to you earlier on, Why didn’t you use your new power,
Piper: Like I never try. I just can’t figure that out right now. I feel like we’re seeing the same Inixus but every time he appeared, his powers worked differently. If the BOS has nothing recorded about this, what are we supposed to do next Prue,
Prue: I have no idea Piper, when is Leo coming back for a visit,
Piper: It will be another half a month and by then who knows what will happen to us.
Prue: ...! Just when we needed him most. You know, they should have sent us a temporary replacement at least. How come we never get to negotiate,
Piper: Join in the protesting club.
Prue: Hey, look at this.
Piper: What,
Prue: The dotted lines on the last sentence of the spell.
Piper: What about it, We have enough of dotted lines in our lives.
Prue: No, (Flipping through the rest of the book) There’s no similar sight for the other spells. Don’t you think it’s out of place for just this one,
(At this time, Phoebe moaned in her sleep. Prue and Piper went to check her out. They gently tried waking her but to no avail.)
Piper (Touched Phoebe’s forehead): She’s running a temperature.
Prue (Did likewise): Not at this moment.
Piper: The water is freezing Prue.
Prue: And I threw her in, I realized that already Piper.
Piper: We have to get her to the doctor before it gets worse, it always does for Phoebe.
Prue: It’s only after 5 in the morning Piper, besides, it will be too risky for us to all go out like this.
Piper: She’s burning up!
Prue: Easy sister, you are making me feel jumpy. All right, here’s the plan. You stay with Pheebs, I’ll run down to the nearest 24 hours store to get something to ease her temperature. She must be down with flu, I’ll go for Gram’s usual.
Piper: You sure about the prescription,
Prue: How about plan B, We’ll wait for another 4 hours for the temperature to shoot higher, and then we have a good reason to send her into ER.
Piper: All right go! Be careful but hurry!
Prue: We’ll stay connected by the cell phone.
(Piper locked the door after Prue, went in the toilet, wet a towel and placed it on Phoebe’s burning forehead. Normally, she was already worried when her sister fell ill. Now she was even more worried especially without the comfort of their manor and the presence of a predator lurking somewhere unseen,
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(Scene: Out in the street, time approaching dawn but it was still dark. Prue pulled her jacket tighter around herself. It was too cold and she suddenly felt guilty for having to throw her little sister into the water. She had expected the impact to throw Phoebe out of the car and given another choice, she still rather her landing again in the cold water than on the hard ground. Now she told herself, she just had to hurry to get the medicine Grams had always given to them when they had the flu. After some 15 minutes walk, Prue was about to start cursing at all the close stores wondering aloud how many people was going to die at an emergency, she saw