The final words updated october 16

[Nite Owl]

Author: AliT

Hi guys.
So here is the 'Prologue' to my new story... hope it whets your appetite for more!


The book was waiting. Waiting for the one who would open it and read it. Waiting for the one who would fulfill this task, who could be drawn into its web, unsuspecting.

It lay on the bed, the weight of its heavy pages creasing the crisp white bedspread it lay upon, as the autumnal afternoon sun lit the room and its inhabitant. She sat in the chair next to the window, enjoying the peace and quiet so rarely achieved with her two small sons and watching the trees outside move in the breeze, their leaves just beginning to curl and turn the golden shades of autumn. From downstairs the smell of cinnamon and apple baking drifted up, and she shut her eyes briefly, tempted to drift off to sleep.

But instead she found herself reaching for the book, opening its dark leather bound covers and smoothing her hand over its first page.



Edited by: AliT at: 10/16/04 7:25 pm

charmedgirl411
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 80
(10/10/04 9:20 pm)
Reply cool!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


hey this sounds really interesting so far! please post more canr wait to read it!


ps: check out my posy called the bomb! idea for a new charmed story

Esmeralda
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 1750
(10/12/04 12:44 am)
Reply
Re: Teaser
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, Ali, I see you haven't lost your fantastic talent at beautiful story-telling! I love your descriptions--they just make me drift off until BONG! you hit me with something scarey! And I've got a hunch that that's what's up next!!

Pleae update soon; I've got a feeling I'm going to love this!!

AliT
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 37
(10/12/04 9:31 am)
Reply Some more....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With a swirl of blue light Paige orbed into the kitchen, exhausted after her day at school, and desperately needing some coffee. She was loving her work; although it was more challenging than anything she had ever done, she also found it the most rewarding. Just as she had been doing when she was working as a temp she was really making a difference to people, but this was something else as well. This was her legacy to the next generation, and something she felt she had to achieve in order to show the Elders she was worthy. Although she no longer felt threatened by the memory of Prue, this was still a way in which she could really carve her own place in magic, a role in magic she could really make her own. Even so, she wished she didn’t feel quite so wiped out after every day.

The smell of the bitter coffee she had put on began to revive her, and she began to idly wonder where Piper was. She knew that Phoebe had an important dinner tonight with the newspaper company, but it was unusual and slightly unnerving to come home at this time and not find Piper either cooking in the kitchen, or playing with her two boys in the living room. Instead, everything downstairs was quiet and dark with the remnants of the afternoon sun fading fast. Frowning at the reminder that the days were quickly becoming shorter, Paige wandered upstairs.

Slipping into the nursery she smiled to see Wyatt sat up in his bed playing contentedly by himself with the building blocks Leo had brought home for him last week and baby Chris still fast asleep in the cot. Not having Chris around still hurt, but the new baby was beautiful, and there was a deep happiness in the family, especially as Leo and Piper seemed to move closer to each other as each day passed and their sons bloomed in front of them. Picking up Wyatt, Paige moved along the corridor into her sister’s room, opening the door slowly in case Piper had fallen asleep, but instead found her curled up in her white comfy chair with an open book.


Edited by: AliT at: 10/12/04 5:26 pm



Esmeralda
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 1758
(10/13/04 10:30 pm)
Reply
Re: Some more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Absolutely fantastic, Ali! Your descriptions continue to blow me away; they're *so* beautiful! i love the way you understand Paige and the way you write her--how important it is to make her own mark on magic, not to get her out of Prue's shadow, but just because it's what feels right to her.

I love the description of the family and how much they miss Chris, but how much Baby Chris is helping heal that wound and how much Leo & Piper's coming together is helping heal all of their wounds. There's no mention of how the killing of Gideon has affected them, so I hope it means the Elders have decided to look the other way, since what Leo did helped put the Cosmic Design back on track.

Just when I thought something had happened to Piper, there she is, reading a book. I still got a feeling that you're trying to lull us before you whack us (see, I'm onto you!!!), but up to this point, I totally love it!!

Please update soon!

[Nite Owl]

AliT
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 40
(10/14/04 4:38 pm)
Reply Part 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Piper looked up as her younger sister came into the room, her long hair falling back over her shoulders like a river of chocolate, and glowed at the sight of her eldest son. He seemed to look more and more like Leo everyday, her heart warming at the features of her beloved angel, and the beauty their love had made in their babies. Since Chris had died they had begun the slow healing together as a family; the Elders, though surprised at Leo’s actions, understanding the need for them. They had given him a month break from duties as an Elder, officially so they discuss his future after the death of Gideon, but Piper suspected that a couple of them wished him to be able to spend some time with his family. She had never liked the Elders particularly, but she recognised the concern that Gideon’s actions had caused amongst them, and that some of them were now more inclined to aid the Halliwells, though from fear or respect of Leo she was unsure. And she was no longer sure about their own relationship. Every time her she saw him, her insides melted and she felt as though she was falling in love all over again, even though she knew she had never fallen out of love with him. But despite his attentiveness and closeness, nothing had actually happened, and neither of them seemed brave enough to discuss the subject.

Looking at Paige now, she smiled, noticing once more how well her newly dark hair suited her, and motioned to the book in her hands, commenting on how interesting it was. She’d been so enthralled that she had lost track of time, and realizing that it was almost time to feed everyone, pulled herself away from the book with a struggle. Still, there was always later to read it.

The youngest sister looked strangely at Piper as she left with Wyatt. Sure, she’d brought the book home from school because she thought it would be an interesting read, but was surprised that such a tome on the history of magic teaching would really appeal to her sister that much. She was even more bemused when Piper called back over her shoulder that a book about bringing up magical children in the mortal world would be really useful in this family….


Edited by: AliT at: 10/14/04 4:40 pm

Esmeralda
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 1770
(10/14/04 11:20 pm)
Reply
Re: Part 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hmmm. Somehow I have a hunch something in that book is going to backfire--hence "The Last Word", but I haven't quite figured it out yet. I *do* wish the Elders on TV could be a little more understanding the way yours are--losing one son and almost losing another *has* to have had an effect on a father!

Again, tremendous job, Ali! Please update soon!

AliT
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 43
(10/16/04 7:24 pm)
Reply More....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning was decidedly more gloomy than the previous day, the clouds that hung in the sky in sharp contrast to the golden sunlight that had lit the world less than twenty-four hours ago. Glad that it was finally her day off, Phoebe made her way down the smooth wooden stairs and out of the corner of her eye noticed the book Paige had been reading last night left on the sofa. She'd come home to find her half sister engrossed in the weighty volume, continuing to read well into the night, and wondering what had captured Paige's attention turned the book over to read its title. Embossed in gold on the front page she ran her fingers over the words, 'Explaining love and fear for the Empath', and without thinking, flipped open the book, her need for a late breakfast forgotten as the golden words seemed to entice her and call her. Without even realising she was doing it, or wondering why she wanted to, she sank down into the comfortable sofa and began....

....
Five men sat around a old ebony table, its surface blackened with age, in a room that seemed to have no boundaries; no walls, no ceiling.... Fog filled the air and softened every line, hiding every facial expression. It was known as the Room of Disguise, for the features of those men were indistinguishable; your brother could be sat opposite and you could not tell it was him, for the magic smoke that filled the room protected the identity of each and every one.

And the man at the head of the table, a black shadowy form in the swirling fog, The Writer.

Am having slight problems with this story, i know where i want it to go I'm just having issues getting it there! Is it working okay?!!

Edited by: AliT at: 10/16/04 7:27 pm

scififantasychic
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 979
(10/17/04 3:49 am)
Reply
Re: More....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why do I get the feeling that you're going to make me think twice about reading a book when this is done?

You are definitely doing it again, getting us into a state of false security before WHAM! you scare us. That book they're all reading seems very interesting, and very creepy.

The story most certainly is coming along very nicely!

[alit]

Not sure if i can just continue on same thread as I had before - so please tell me if I'm wrong!

And I know this story is now very old - got bogged down in work, had major essay due in at uni last Friday, and I got mumps! unbelievable... If you don't want to read it - just say!

Hope you all had a lovely holiday.

.........................................................................................

Over the next few days, each of the girls found themselves enthralled in the book, reading whenever they had a free moment. Every time Wyatt and Chris were asleep, Piper would take the book from the coffee table were it rested and engross herself in the various techniques suggested for controlling her children's powers. Phoebe would often be found sat in the conservatory, rather than working on her column, and her youngest sister would often stay up late into the night after marking her pupil's magical papers.

However, despite Paige's earlier confusion about her sister's interest in the text, none of the girls thought to question why they were all so interested in its contents. It did not seem at all strange to Phoebe that her siblings found the thoughts of an empath as interesting as she did, and Piper merely accepted that the rest of the household wanted to know how best to raise the next generation of magic. And Leo was completely unaware of the hold of the book over them, for he saw a different tome in the hands of each one....

Nor was there any conflict about who was reading the book at any particular time. It just fitted into their lives seamlessly, if one sister was reading, the others were busy with their lives, each one waiting til they had a chance to open the heavy book and delve into its pages. And none of them noticed the daily darkening skies and howling winds.....

.....................................................................................

"We have done well...." The Writer claimed to his council of faceless figures.

"For our art has fallen into the hands of the Charmed Ones. We could not have hoped for better. As long as they each read the book alone, never looking in it together, their power will make my ending unstoppable"

[CanadianHalliwell]

This is absolutely amazing. Keep it up and please update soon

[scifi]

Yes, Ali, you and your writing are well-remembered! I'm glad this one wasn't lost in the shuffle, because you are a master at creeping me out. I love the setup of the book taking on a different appearance for each sister, and this Writer sounds pretty sinister to me. Hey, is that a knock at all writers, lol? Love this meta-writing premise. Please, do keep updating!

scifi

[alit]

Wow! Thanks! So nice to come back and have people remember me, am honoured!! This next bit has taken a while i'm afraid....but here we go!!

.........................................................................................

In a swirl of white lights Paige orbed into the dark conservatory, lighting up the gloom. For the first time that week she did not move directly to the book where it lay in its customary place on the coffee table. but instead she moved towards the window. She hadn't before noticed the increasingly darkness, with little difference between night and day, nor the way in which each day the wind beat more heavily against the panes of glass and the trees outside, nor the way in which black rain had fallen in sheets continually. But whilst she was presiding over the senior lesson on magical weather control that afternoon, a thought had flashed through her mind, like lightening breaking through thick clouds, and she found herself gazing out into the garden and calling for her brother in law, the book's hold over her temporarily weakened.
........................................................................................

The Writer bent his head in frustration. He knew that no-one around the witches would comment on the changes that were occuring outside...the power in the book combined with the power of three would result in each and every person accepting the darkness that deepened daily. Even the eldest's husband and his fellow Elders would be effected by the spell, his presence creating a link between the power of the book and them. Indeed, the fact that the Halliwells had got hold of the book had solved many potential problems, through their immense magical strength.

However, here was one he had not anticipated. With the great power of the Charmed Ones came a great instinct about good and evil. And it seemed that this was not completely masked by the net created by his creation, as it had now weakened the hold of the volume's magic over the youngest sister. If she associated the storm that raged outside with his work, and merely looked at the book with her sisters, all would be undone.

But still, he thought, it will be only two days till they all reach the end of the book. And no magical instinct will be able to prevent the inevitable then. Being so close to the end, he could afford to use some of the reserve of power that he had carefully preserved to draw her back to the book....

.......................................................................................

As Leo appeared behind her in a shower of light, Paige turned, and asked him if he'd noticed the weather outside. However, as he contemplated her question, she felt a tug towards the book, and forgetting her queries settled once more on the sofa, telling her brother in law that Piper was with the children upstairs, and opened the book again....

[scifi]

Found your story again, lol.

Very creepy, this Writer. I'm very interested in what his ultimate purpose is, since he's obviously gone to great lengths to dupe TCO into lending their power to his designs. And very neat that it's Paige who caught on to the weirdness. Great instincts, that one.

scifi