Teacher's Pet *repost and update*

[redphoenix]

Chapter 1

“Give me my notebook back, Nicholas, or I’m gonna tell!” a shrill voice called out.

“Oooh,” the fifteen-year old Nicholas taunted, “I’m so scared, the teacher’s pet is going to tell.” He laughed at his own little joke, and threw the small, red notebook labeled Clyde into the air. “Come and get it, Clyde.” He sneered, his voice laden with sarcasm and faux sweetness.

Clyde jumped from his seat and lunged forward, intending to catch the notebook as it fell down on the ground; but Nicholas was bigger than him, in fact, everyone in the room was bigger than his five feet tall frame. I’ll get you for this Nicholas, he thought angrily. Try as he might, Clyde couldn’t catch the notebook as it flew over Nicholas’ head. Up and down, up and down, his body bobbed through the air in a futile attempt to catch his notebook. He looked around at his other classmates, trying to get some help, but he was very disappointed to see them laughing along with Nicholas. “Give it back, Nicholas,” he screamed, his shrill, little voice drowned by the incessant roar of laughter of his classmates. Clyde watched as Nicholas threw the notebook one more time into the air; with one final attempt, he dashed upward, and grabbed the notebook by its cover. He pulled with all his might, ignoring Nicholas’ immense strength. He tugged and pulled, but he was no match for Nicholas’ bulk.

Nicholas yanked the notebook on the notebook as well. Clyde and Nicholas tugged on the notebook, until *rip* the red notebook was torn in two. The entire classroom broke into another round of laughter, and Clyde stared angrily at Nicholas.

Outside the door, a woman was standing, sighing. Hearing the thunderous roar of laughter from inside, she tried pinching herself, as if trying to wake herself from a horrible nightmare. Confirming that she wasn’t awake, she gave in to defeat and sighed. She lolled her head from side to side, and read the gold sign drilled on the wall absent-mindedly. Seventh Grade- Intermediate Spell Casting. And below the gold sign, another smaller one was shining below it, Handled by Professor Paige Halliwell. She pinched herself again, Oh please, let this be another dream. She wished in vain, as she only succeeded in hurting herself. “Sigh,” she muttered, “Seventh grade? More like point-seventh grade.” Steeling herself, Paige turned the doorknob, and pushed the door as hard as she could.

The entire class stopped laughing. Some students rushed to return to their assigned seats, while some looked down at their books and pretended to read. Nicholas hurriedly slid down to his seat and threw Clyde’s notebook to his face. “Oh hey, good morning, Miss Halliwell,” he greeted Paige with a fake smile plastered on his face.

Paige walked over to the front of the class and laid her books on her desk. She glared at the class, her eyes sending her message loud and clear- I’m losing my patience with all of you. Her angry eyes washed over the entire class, causing all the students to stiffen up. Her eyes darted from one student to the next, and her gaze finally stopped at Nicholas. “What happened here?” Her gaze hardened, as she saw Clyde slink back into his chair, mending his torn notebook.

“What?” Nicholas smiled sweetly, “Nothin’, Miss Halliwell, I swear. I was just playing with my little friend, Clyde, over there.” He snickered, his grin broadening.

She turned her attention from Nicholas to Clyde, and softening her tone, “What happened here, Clyde?” She looked sympathetically at the skinny fourteen-year old. Clyde was an exceptional student, a straight A student, and a skilled Conjurer; yet he was always alone, a loner, as Paige called him. But he was the only one among her thirty-two students who she liked the best, which made him the center of attention. Paige knew better than to play favorites, but Clyde was the only student listened to her, who paid attention.

Clyde looked at Paige, and pointed at Nicholas. “Miss Halliwell, Nicholas harassed me and he,” he paused and lifted his notebook for everyone to see, “tore my notebook, Miss.” He sniffed and, for a minute, Paige thought that he was going to cry.

Paige stared at Nicholas again, who was holding has hands out in defense, “What have you got to say for yourself, Nicholas?” She strode angrily to Nicholas’ desk and crossed her hands over her chest. “Well?”

“I didn’t do nothin’!” He spat out, glaring at Clyde.

“Why do I find that hard to believe?” Paige said. She thrust her hand out and motioned, “Nicholas, Detention!” Paige watched as her student disappeared in blue and white orbs. She looked at her students boldly, “Now, does anyone else want to mess with me?”

All the students stared at her in shock, too afraid to protest.

“Good,” Paige smiled, a huge satisfied grin plastered on her face. “Now, get your manuals out,” she instructed, “and turn to page 372, Intermediate Spells for the Teenaged Witch. I want you to read this, and after half an hour, we’ll be having a short quiz.”

Paige rolled her eyes as her students moaned and groaned in unison, signaling their protest. She turned her back on her students, and began to walk toward her desk. Without turning her head, she declared, “I saw that, Estella. Stick your tongue out at me one more time and I’ll be giving you twenty demerits.” She grabbed the edge of her desk as she neared it and eagerly sat down on her chair. She rubbed her throbbing temples as she took a quick glance at the group of students in front of her, “Oi, this is going to be another long day.” She rubbed her head harder as her headache pounded on her brain.

She closed her strained eyes for a second, and when she opened them, there was an apple sitting on her desk. Used to this, she scanned the room and looked at Clyde, who was smiling at her. She smiled back, and mouthed a pleased “thank you” to her student, before slumping into her chair and biting into the magically conjured apple.

[redphoenix]

Chapter 2

Paige turned the knob of the door labeled Paige Halliwell: Assistant Headmistress. She beamed proudly as she read the golden sign that hung on the door of her office. As she walked into the spacious room, the memory of how she became assistant headmistress surfaced, and she smiled.

It was a tense autumn afternoon, and the Charmed Ones just came out of yet another magical ordeal. Piper and Leo was possessed by the Hindu Deities, Shakti and Shiva respectively; and not finding a solution in the Book of Shadows, Paige then decided to go to the Magic School to find a spell to “de-god” her elder sister and their Elder. However, when she got there, she found books missing from the shelves and boxes lying on the floor- there were boxes labeled Spells and Potions for the Beginner Witch, The History of Magic, Conjuring Creatures 101, and Basic Charms and Talismans. She looked around to see Mrs. Winterbourne and a handful of other teachers pulling magical texts and tomes from shelves and boxing them up.

“What’s going on in here?” she asked quite sternly.

“Isn’t it obvious?” a male teacher retorted, “We’re closing down the school!”<br>
“B…but…” Paige stammered, “But, why? Who’s going to teach the next generation of witches? How will they learn good magic if you close down the school?”

“Sigh,” Mrs. Winterbourne stopped packing books and finally turned to Paige, “We share your concerns, Paige, we really do…but, without Gideon, there’s no one left to take care of the school. Look, like him or not, Gideon was the only Elder who was really passionate about maintaining the school.” Mrs. Winterbourne gingerly took Paige’s hands in hers, and sympathetically added, “I know how zealous you are about the Magic School, Paige. I remember how you love teaching. But, without Gideon, there’s no one left to fight for the school. There’s nothing much we can do. I’m sorry.” Reluctantly, she left Paige to wonder about that as she returned to packing more books.

“Not while I’m still around,” and with that, she hurriedly orbed out, reappearing in- the Elder-land (Up There). Steadying herself, Paige called out to the Elders, hoping to let them see the importance and significance of the Magic School in the magical community. Squinting against the brightness, Paige waited for her eyes to adjust to her new surroundings.

“Click-clack,” a Whitelighter squealed as she saw a Charmed One in their sanctuary. “What are you doing here?” she asked her in English.

“Oh…I…I need to see the Elders,” she said, “Please! Now! It’s urgent!”

“Right away then!” the Whitelighter answered, sensing the urgency in Paige’s voice. Running toward the set of huge golden doors, the Whitelighter left Paige in search of an Elder.

Minutes later, the Whitelighter walked toward Paige with an Elder behind her.

“Elder!” Paige exclaimed.

“What is this about, Charmed One?” the Elder asked her, looking at Paige from beneath her robes.

“It’s about the Magic School, Elder,” Paige stuttered, “You can’t let the school close down, you MUST not let it close down.”<br>
“You dare tell us what we can or cannot do, Halliwell witch?” the Elder looked at her severely, clearly surprised at Paige’s gall and chutzpah. “Our word is law, witch, do not forget that.”

“I…I mean no disrespect Elder,” Paige cried out in desperation, “but I beg you to reconsider your decision about the school. The school plays an important role in the magical community…w…without it, the next generation of witches wont have any place to learn their Craft! Please, listen to reason!”

The Elder in front of Paige scratched her chin, thinking about what Paige just said. “Very well,” the Elder said, considering what she just heard, “I will convene with the other Elders. Elizabeth,” she motioned for the young Whitelighter, “we wish to be undisturbed.” She glanced at Paige and gave her a quick nod. Turning around, she hurriedly walked over to the golden doors from which she came out of earlier.

“And she finally came out of those doors and agreed to keep the school open,” Paige smiled proudly. “IF and only IF you can run the school smoothly, AND you must retain the name Halliwell, for this is what indicates that you are a Charmed One.” The conditions of the Elder echoed in Paige’s ears. She remembered protesting to the Elders, that she was Halliwell-Matthews, but the Elders’ decision remained. “Fine, I’ll be Miss Halliwell.” Paige threw her arms up in defeat.

“Let’s just hope my class doesn’t make me think of going back to the past and changing my decision.”

[redphoenix]

Chapter 3

Returning back from her nostalgia, Paige slumped down on her chair, the stress from teaching her class taking its toll on her. She rubbed her tired eyes, and drew in a sharp breath. Stifling the urge to summon Mr. Right, Paige waved her hands over her table instead, where a stack of test papers magically appeared.

Retreating into the comforts of her chair, Paige slinked back and took her red pen from her desk drawer. As she yanked the wooden drawer open, her eyes fell on a framed photograph of her and her two sisters from behind the high stack of unmarked test papers.
She grinned, taking the picture frame from her desk, and grasped it firmly in front of her. “Piper, Phoebe,” she whispered, a hint of longing and sadness in her voice. She cast a tired look at the stack of unmarked test papers lying on top of her desk, and then glanced again at the framed picture; deciding between finishing her work and visiting her sisters.

She looked at the test papers once more, and finally decided. “Screw it, I’m going home!” she exclaimed excitedly. Closing her eyes, she focused on the image of Halliwell Manor, fondly remembering the house’s warm ambience, and concentrated until she sensed the familiar feeling of her body dissolving into tiny blue and white orbs.

Within seconds, her body reappeared in a brilliant show of blue and white orbs in the Sun Room of the Manor. She opened her eyes, excitedly taking in her surroundings, and squealed in delight. “I’m home!” she exclaimed to herself.

Paige turned her head as the sound of laughter echoed throughout the Manor. She listened carefully, and followed the jovial sound- the roars of laughter were coming from the living room. She hurried to the living room, where she found Piper resting on the couch, watching an old re-run of a Harry Potter movie on cable television. Paige noticed the letters WB blazed on the left-hand screen of their television; looking up from the huge white logo, Paige saw a young red-haired wizard casting a spell using his wand.

Upon seeing this, Piper burst into another fit of laughter.

Puzzled as to why Piper would laugh at a wizard casting spells when she herself was a witch, Paige entered the living room and called out to her eldest sister, “What’s so funny, Piper?”<br>
Hearing her youngest sister’s voice, Piper turned around in surprise and jumped from her seat. “Paige! You’re home!” Piper rushed to where her sister stood and hugged her tightly. “It’s been so long! How are you? How’s the school? Have you been eating well?” Piper began bombarding Paige with questions, while she hugged her tighter and tighter.

“Ow!” Paige screamed, cutting Piper’s questions, “You’re crushing my ribs, Piper.”

“Whoops!” Piper finally released her hold on Paige. “I’m sorry, Paige, but it’s been five whole months since you’ve been here! How are you? We’ve missed you so much!” Piper looked at Paige once more and smiled, happy to see her sister again.

“I’ve missed you so much, too!” Paige answered cheerfully, returning Piper’s warm smile. She was looking at Piper, memorizing her eldest sister’s features, comparing them with the image of Piper five months ago.

Paige squinted, scrutinizing Piper’s face thoroughly, and snapped, “I knew it! I knew there was something new with you!” Paige detected a change in Piper’s face the moment she turned around from her chair and ran to her, but she just could not place her finger on it.

Piper jumped, this time in shock, as Paige suddenly shouted unexpectedly. “Goodness, Paige! You made my heart skip a beat! What? What is it?”

“There,” Paige said matter-of-factly as she pointed to Piper’s cheek. Paige noticed a slight difference in Piper’s facial skin tone when her elder sister ran to her and hugged her. It was as if Piper had applied on too much make-up on one side of her cheek to cover something- something that Paige could not distinguish, something that Piper was trying her best to hide from Paige. “What’s that on your face?”

Paige saw Piper grimace, a facial expression that the sisters equated for “Oops, busted.” But, Piper decided to play hardball and innocently asked, “What? Haven’t you seen make-up before?”

Paige stared at Piper accusingly, crossing her arms over her shoulders. “Make-up? Yes. A successful lie coming from you right now? No. Now what are you hiding behind that make-up? Don’t make me use a Truth spell on you,” Paige threatened.

“Nothing, Paige! I’m not hiding anything,” Piper repeated exasperatedly, though her previously defiant look softened and her gaze lingered on the floor, which added to Paige’s rising suspicions.

“Oh, really?” Paige pressed on, “then what do you call this?” She held her hands out, an image of a towel appearing in her mind, and called out, “Towel!” Suddenly, a towel magically orbed from the laundry-room and materialized into Paige’s hands. Before Piper could react, Paige threw herself forward at her eldest sister, using all of her weight to pin her. Her hand grabbed Piper’s head and held it firm, and with her other hand, used the damp towel to wipe her sister’s face. She wiped a little too harshly and Piper winced in pain, pushing Paige back instinctively.

“Ow! What was that for?” Piper said, rubbing the sore red spot on her face where Paige rubbed it too fiercely. As she continued to massage her cheek softly, the make-up cleared and the redness of her face slowly faded, exposing a long scar embedded on her once smooth face.

Paige gasped as her eyes fell on Piper’s cheek. “Piper! Wh…what happened to your face? Who did that? When did you get that?” Paige’s eyes bulged from her eye-sockets, as it was her turn to bombard Piper with her own set of questions.

Piper covered her ears as Paige continued to ask her more questions about the mysterious scar, and slumped back down on the couch, waiting for Paige to finish. “Done?” Piper asked her youngest sister as she saw her lips stop moving. Reluctantly, she withdrew her hands from her ears and looked at Paige.

Paige stopped talking and nodded her head. “So, what happened?”

Piper turned her head up from the couch and shook her head, as if trying to forget a hurtful memory. “A lot of things apparently,” Piper replied and sighed. She looked at Paige and tried to force a smile. “Ever heard of the Witch Huntress?” Piper asked, referring to the demon that attacked the Manor a couple of weeks before.

“The Witch Huntress?” Paige cringed; the mere mention of the demon’s name sent shivers down her spine. She shivered as she remembered the information she had collected about the demon from her WitchCraft studies. Paige slowly discerned to Piper what information she had on the demon, “The Witch Huntress is an upper level demon with sharp claws that are highly lethal to witches. She kills and drains the powers of witches on…” Paige paused, and quickly realized something, “on the night of the blue moon…and the blue moon was…”

“…two weeks ago,” Piper completed Paige’s sentence and smiled weakly.

Paige’s eyes widened, “Oh my Goddess, Piper! I am so, so sorry! I wasn’t here to help you vanquish the demon!” Her eyes looked apologetically at Piper. “It…my…I was so caught up with all the test paper checking and all the research in Magic School…I am so sorry, Piper. Do you want me to help you vanquish the demon now? Because I know just the perfect spell to vanquish her sorry ass,” Paige explained, trying to make up for her absence.

“No need, Miss-I-am-so-busy-with-Magic-School,” Piper joked half-heartedly, alleviating the situation. “We already took care of her sorry little ass.” She winked and grinned triumphantly at Paige, remembering the fiery vanquish in the Halliwell attic two weeks ago. “Along with two bounty hunters, Trok Demons, a couple of delusional warlocks who thought that they could take on the Charmed Ones,” Piper said as she slowly lifted her fingers, ticking her mental checklist of the demons that had been vanquished for the last five months since Paige was in the Manor. Piper was about to continue to recount the various vanquishes that happened when the younger Halliwell interrupted.

“Wait, hold on a sec,” Paige said, “Stop and rewind.” She stared at Piper as if she were the one who was delusional. “You already vanquished the Huntress? How? You can’t vanquish the Witch Huntress without the Power of Three, remember?” Paige looked at her sister, checking for signs of stress and fatigue.

Piper nodded, “You’re right, well, sort of.” Piper closed her eyes and tried to remember the vanquish that happened a fortnight ago. “Actually, Paige, we found another way to vanquish the Witch Huntress.”<br>
“Another way?” Paige’s eyes widened again, this time in sheer disbelief. “How?”

“Well, according to the Book of Shadows, the Witch Huntress can indeed be vanquished by the Power of Three,” Piper said, the entry of the Witch Huntress from the Halliwell Book of Shadows popping immediately into her mind. “But, there was one more piece of information you missed out on. A very crucial piece of information. Apparently, the Witch Huntress has another weakness besides the Power of Three- the Undead.” Piper paused and looked at Paige, waiting for any reaction or response.

Paige blinked rapidly, obviously confused with what Piper had just told her. “Come again? Did you just say the Undead? As in ghosts?” she asked curiously, a million questions running around her head. “Where and how did you get a ghost to help you? As far as I can remember, most ghosts are not very well known for their charity.”

“Didn’t have to find one,” Piper shrugged nonchalantly, “we had Phoebe.”

Paige looked at her sister incredulously, “Phoebe? What do you mean?”

[redphoenix]

Piper was about to explain to Paige how Phoebe had stabbed herself with an athame in order for her to turn into a ghost, when the house shook with an intense vibration. Piper and Paige heard a loud explosion that came from the attic. Before the two Charmed Ones could react, another loud explosion followed, shaking the entire Manor, and both witches fell on their feet. “The hell!” Piper screamed out, as she hurriedly got up to her feet and helped Paige get up.

Rushing to get to the attic, Piper grabbed Paige’s arm as they ran to the stairs, taking two steps at a time. As they got to the top ring of the stairs, Piper thrust her arms out and blew the rickety door of the attic. “Phoebe!” she screamed out worriedly as she saw smoke streaming out of the attic. “Phoebe!” she called out again.

Waving her hands in front of her rapidly, Paige entered the attic with Piper, calling out to her other sister. “Phoe *cough cough*!” The thick smoke that streamed out of the attic assaulted Paige’s eyes the moment she stepped inside, sending a burning sensation to her eyes. Her eyes welled up with tears and her vision clouded; she walked blindly around the attic, fumbling around to find her sister, blinking madly. She coughed as the smoke forced its way into Paige’s nose, and constricted her throat. *cough cough*

A gust of wind suddenly breezed its way into the attic from a broken stain-glassed window, blowing the black vapor out of the antique-laden room, leaving ashes and soot inside the attic that marred the furniture and antiques with a black smudges.

In the center of the tousled room in between blown up antique tables stood Phoebe, face covered with soot, grinning sheepishly. “Hey, Piper!” she said as she held up a glass vial overflowing with a bubbling greenish-blue liquid on her right hand, and a glass vial half-full with a reddish liquid on her left. She turned her head and was surprised to see her younger sister standing beside Piper. “Paige! What a surprise! I have news for ya, never mix Mandrake root with Dragon’s Blood, it’ll blow you away!”

With that, the two glass vials slipped from Phoebe’s grip, and she slumped to the floor, unconscious, lying in between the two potion puddles.

[redphoenix]

Chapter 4

“Phoebe!” Paige called out in surprise as her sister fainted to the floor. “Piper! P…Piper!” She began to panic and looked at her eldest sister for help. “Piper!”

Paige waited worriedly as Piper opened her mouth to call for someone. She stared anxiously at the ceiling, expecting Leo to come down in a shower of blue and white orbs and heal her sister. However, she recoiled in shock, when she heard Piper call out another person’s name- a woman’s name.

“Melissa! MELISSA!” Piper screamed to the heavens, calling out another person’s name. “MELISSA! Get down here this instant!”<br>
Paige looked at Piper, a confused glimmer burning in her brown eyes. She scanned Piper for answers, and when Piper saw the baffled look on her sister’s face, she opened her mouth to explain. But before any sound could escape from Piper’s mouth, a shower of blue and white orbs came from nowhere, solidifying hurriedly into a plump woman with brown hair, in her mid-twenties.

“Piper?” the female Whitelighter looked at Piper, apprehension in her eyes, “What’s going on?”

“Phoebe!” Piper replied a little too sternly, pointing at her unconscious sister, “heal her!”<br>
Nodding, the Whitelighter followed Piper’s orders and rushed quickly to Phoebe’s side, and hurriedly knelt beside her. She laid her hands carefully on her charge’s forehead, where a shard of glass from the broken glass vial had cut her, and waited for her healing energies to flow. Within seconds, the Whitelighter’s hands glowed golden, and the blood from Phoebe’s forehead disappeared, the wound sealing itself magically.

Phoebe opened her eyes, squinting against the sunlight that had poured in from the stained-glass window of the attic. She eyes soon became adjusted to the brightness, and she found herself staring face-to-face with a familiar face.

“Hey, Melissa,” Phoebe said as she sluggishly pulled herself to her feet, “Thanks for the save!” She staggered backward and almost lost her balance, when the young Whitelighter caught her and helped her balance.

“No problem, Phoebe,” the Whitelighter smiled softly at Phoebe, “Just doing my job.”

Phoebe smiled back and looked at the other two people in the attic. She remembered briefly seeing her youngest sister before everything went shaky and she blacked out. She excitedly looked around the room, forcing her vision to focus, the hazy images around her suddenly becoming clearer, more centered.

“Paige!” Phoebe screamed in delight, “It IS you! I thought I had hallucinated when I saw you! You know, what with all the potion fumes and stuff.” She rushed to Paige and gave her a quick hug, taking in her scent. Pulling back gently, she asked, “What brings you here, sis? I thought you were supposed to be teaching at Magic School, you know, be Super-Teacher Paige Matthews.”<br>
Paige smiled at Phoebe’s remark and answered, holding her sister’s hand firmly in hers, “I did… I mean, I am. I’m supposed to be there, you know, teaching and stuff, but I really missed you guys so much! Five months is a long time!” Paige paused and continued, “And apparently, I’ve missed out on a lot,” she added and nodded toward the new Whitelighter’s direction.

Melissa, the new Whitelighter, bowed her head politely, waiting for her to be introduced to Paige.

Phoebe glanced over her shoulder and looked back at Paige. “OH! Right! Piper hasn’t told you yet?” She gave Piper a hard look that said “Why didn’t you fill our youngest sister in on what’s happening?”

Piper threw her hands up in mock defeat, “Hey, I’m sorry! But I was in the process of telling her when you single-handedly blew up the entire attic! So technically, it was your fault.” She stuck her tongue out playfully at Phoebe, and joined her sisters, putting her hand on Paige’s shoulder.

Paige laughed at Piper’s little joke, a broad grin spreading on her lips. “So, anyone mind telling me what’s going on? Or do I have to blow something up too to get some answers around here?” She kidded along, missing the way she and sisters used to joke and play around.

“Whoa there, sister,” Piper removed her hand from Paige’s shoulder and slapped her back, “One Femme Nikita sister is enough, I don’t want you turning Rambo on us, too!”

Phoebe stared at Piper and pouted her lips. “Hey! I resent that!”<br>
The three sisters burst out laughing, and Melissa tried her best to stifle a giggle.

Finally, the three sisters stopped laughing. Phoebe turned her head and motioned for the Whitelighter to come closer. “Paige, meet Melissa, our new Whitelighter. Melissa, Paige. Paige, Melissa.”

Melissa courteously extended her arm and introduced herself, “Nice to have finally meet you, Paige! I’ve been waiting so long to meet you!” She smiled eagerly as Paige took her hand and shook it.

“Nice to meet you, too, Melissa,” Paige forced a smile. She shook the Whitelighter’s hand curtly and turned to her sisters. She whispered, “New Whitelighter?”<br>

[redphoenix]

Piper’s head nodded and confirmed Paige’s question. “Yeah. She’s the newest addition to the family. First, there was George, then Maria, then Markus, then Jeffrey, and then Nina, and now, there’s Melissa.”

Paige lifted her fingers and counted, “Wait a minute, you mean to say there had been at least five Whitelighters before her?” Paige’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What happened to Leo? To the other five?”

“Oh, that, well, all five of them died…Actually, four of them did, poor Georgie was petrified by the Basilisk Demon, which Piper blew up anyway,” Phoebe said nonchalantly, as if the death of Whitelighters were a normal, everyday occurrence.

Paige’s eyes grew wider, “Five Whitelighters in just five months?!?”<br>
“Yeah,” Piper said casually, “The Elders kept on assigning us novice Whitelighters who couldn’t keep up. Well, except for Melissa here; she’s lasted a week longer than the other five.”<br>
Melissa smiled proudly.

Paige turned her head and asked, “I see. What happened to Leo?”<br>
“He’s been sent to the Seventh Plane of Existence- the Dimension of the Soul- where his soul is being cleansed of…you know,” Melissa answered meekly, referring to the murder of Gideon, the Elder and former Headmaster of the Magic School. “The Council of Elders is still waiting for his soul to be purified and to return to his body.”

“Oh,” Paige said, her eyes searching around the attic for a chair. She found an overturned antique divan just beside Phoebe and flipped it on its legs. She sank heavily on the wobbly chair, letting what she had just heard to sink in. “Five Whitelighters in five months. That is something,” she thought uneasily to herself.

Paige looked at Phoebe and then to Piper, her eyes falling on Piper’s scar, and she wondered restlessly how her sisters had dealt with demons and warlocks without the Power of Three. Besides the infamous Witch Huntress, Paige was certain that there were still other hordes of upper level demons that had struck the manor and targeted her sisters- to steal their powers and end the Charmed lineage. Paige remembered too clearly that demons that would stop at nothing to kill the Charmed Ones and attacked on a daily basis. Oddly enough, her sisters had not called her, not even once. However, she knew from instinct that that didn’t mean that her sisters had not been attacked.

“Are you okay?” Piper asked as she saw her youngest sister palely sink down on their grandmother’s favorite chair.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She rubbed her forehead and looked questioningly at her two sisters.
Finally, she asked the million-dollar question that had been pounding on her head like a hammer. “I was just wondering, how did you guys manage without the Power of Three?”

“Oh,” Phoebe answered as she stepped up to Paige, “Are you talking about the Witch Huntress? Oh, I kicked her scary butt back to the Underworld. Well, of course she kicked our butts first, but I killed myself and possessed her freaky tattooed little body, and showed her who’s boss around here! You should’ve seen her blow up, way freakier than when Piper blows everyday normal demons up.” Phoebe gestured her hands and imitated an explosion, “BOOM! Flames and all.”

“I see,” Paige said, trying to visualize the vanquish of the dread demon. She shook her head out of the visualization and continued, “But that’s not what I meant, Phoebe.”<br>
“What did you mean, Paige?” Piper stepped up and cocked an eyebrow.

“I meant how did you guys get rid of the different upper level demons that have attacked? I’m sure that the Witch Huntress isn’t the only upper level demon that had attacked you guys ever since I went to Magic School! How’d you do it without me? Without the Power of Three?”

Phoebe looked uneasily at Piper, uncertain how to answer. “Well, we…uhhh.” She stuttered, unsure how Paige would react. She sighed in relief as her elder sister took the initiative and answered Paige’s question.

“Potions,” Piper replied curtly, as she recalled the countless vanquishing potions that she and Phoebe brewed after Paige had left to teach at the Magic School- there were red potions that erupted in flames upon contact, purple vials that duplicated Piper’s exploding power, and small orange bottles that momentarily blinded demons which allowed Piper and Phoebe to escape.

Knowing that she couldn’t keep the truth from her youngest sister, Phoebe slowly gave in. “And spells, of course,” Phoebe added, the repetitive chants and myriad incantations springing to her mind unexpectedly.

“Wait,” Paige said, a puzzled look clouding her brown eyes. “Potions, I can understand; but spells? Are we talking about Power of Three spells here, Phoebe?”

Phoebe’s hands began to sweat; she didn’t know how to tell Paige how they managed to fight off the weekly demon activity in the Manor without her and the Power of Three. She squinted, trying to come up with the words to slowly tell her what happened. “Ummm…yeah… I mean, we…umm.. we, yeah, we used… P…Power of Three spells, Paige.”<br>
Paige’s eyes grew wide with bewilderment, “How, Phoebe? Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t Power of Three spells need,” she paused, raising a finger and pointing it at Phoebe, “you,” then to Piper, “Piper,” and finally to herself, “and me? So how could you cast them without me?”<br>
Phoebe and Piper exchanged a nervous glance, one that Paige quickly recognized.

Though she lacked Phoebe’s Empathy, Paige still had her instincts; and these instincts were telling her that Piper and Phoebe were still hiding something from her. “Well?”

“Who’s going to tell her, me or you? I’m kinda thinking it would be you, since you’re the eldest,” Phoebe anxiously whispered to Piper.

“No, you tell her,” Piper whispered back, trying to keep a straight face. “You have the Empathy, you can tell how she’ll feel when we drop the news on her.”

“I know, that’s why I don’t want to tell her, I can tell that she’ll blow up!”<br>
“Spill it, guys!” Paige began to get impatient. “What are you whispering about?”

Piper finally answered, avoiding Paige’s eyes. “We…uhhh…We called Grams to help us cast the Power of Three spells.”<br>
“GRAMS?”

Melissa jumped in surprise.

“GRAMS???”<br>
Paige’s head began to throb and she felt a tinge of anger swell inside her. “Why the hell did you have to call Grams? Why couldn’t you have called me instead? Grams is dead, I’m not! So why not call me???” Paige’s anger was building. She rubbed her aching head furiously, the veins on her forehead throbbing faster as each minute passed. She could feel her blood boiling and she felt her cheeks fluster with color; her skin was hot and her vision blurred.

Piper stepped forward and reluctantly laid a comforting hand on Paige’s shoulder; she felt the heat rising off Paige’s body, and wondered whether to keep safe distance or not. She sighed in relief when Paige didn’t push her hand away.

“We’re sorry, Paige,” Piper began, “But, Phoebe and I knew how much you wanted to teach, and…and we didn’t want to bother you with…with all the vanquishing and the demons and stuff.”

“Yeah,” Phoebe chimed in, “We wanted you to concentrate on your teaching, your passion.”

“But I’m still a Charmed One! Grams IS NOT!!!” Paige argued.

“Yes, Paige,” Phoebe said with a whimper, “But…But she’s got decades of Halliwell magic coursing through her.”<br>
“Still, I don’t see why you couldn’t have just called for me…” She paused exasperatedly, hearing a familiar tinkle in the air that only Whitelighters can hear. “Like what Mrs. Winterbourne is doing right now.” Paige sighed in frustration and looked at her leather-strapped wristwatch, “Damn, I’m late for the weekly teacher’s meeting.”

Paige slowly stood up, feeling her blood rushing downwards from head and flowing back to the other parts of her body. She shook her head delicately, feeling slightly dizzy. She leant on to Piper for support, steadying herself as she planted her feet firmly on the creaky attic floor.

She turned to the new Whitelighter and muttered, “Melissa, take good care of my sisters for me, okay?”<br>
Paige then turned to her sisters, looking at them with a fierce determination in her eyes, “This talk is far from over.” Paige closed her eyes, hearing her name being called once more by Mrs. Winterbourne, and visualized her room at the Magic School.
Piper and Phoebe watched as their sister disappeared in a show of swirling blue and white orbs.

“Told you she can be scary at times,” Phoebe whispered.

Inside an old office in the Magic School, blue and white orbs flashed from nowhere and suddenly materialized and reformed into Paige. Waiting for her whole body to solidify, she rushed to the full-length mirror beside her table, and hurriedly smoothed the wrinkles of her flowing, black robe. Inhaling the coiling vapors emanating from the sandalwood incense burning atop her altar, Paige’s nerves calmed down gradually. With one final glance at her mirror, Paige nodded determinedly and reached for the door and went out, oblivious to the glinting athame raised behind her chair and the pair of eyes staring at her angrily from behind the shadows.

[redphoenix]

Chapter 5

Paige walked briskly as she neared the Teacher’s Conference Room. She checked her watch again, “Shoot, I’m seventeen minutes late.” She hastened her pace, and within a couple of minutes, reached her destination.

Standing before the towering wooden doors of the conference room, Paige forced a smile as she pushed the huge door open. She marched in, trying to avoid the eyes that stared at her disapprovingly. “Hey, everyone! Sorry for coming in late! What’ve I missed?” She asked casually as she strode quickly toward her seat and sank into her chair beside Mrs. Winterbourne.

“A lot,” a familiar female voice called out from across the room. “Forgot that there was a meeting, Miss Halliwell?”

Paige looked up and rolled her eyes. She knew to whom the icy voice belonged to all too well- it was the voice of the head of the History of WitchCraft and Wizardry Department, Regina Forlanee.

Regina Forlanee had been a professor in the Magic School for ten years, serving first under Gideon’s rule before his unfortunate “resignation.” In her mid-thirties, Regina had pale, white skin, red, curly hair, and icy blue eyes that Paige was certain she had seen before, and she had a temper worse than any demon and warlock that Paige had ever encountered. It was rumored that she liked to torture her students with fifty-page long examinations. Even some of the teachers tried to avoid crossing paths with her.

“And I can see why,” Paige whispered to herself.

Regina had been harsh and austere on Paige the moment she entered the Magic School as a teacher. Paige hated the fact that Regina didn’t recognize her as fellow teacher, but rather, as an “irresponsible child who had no real knowledge of the Craft except for brewing vanquishing potions.” She also had often complained to the Council of Teachers that Paige Halliwell was always “too easy on her class and didn’t challenge them to their fullest.” According to Regina’s report about her, Paige’s tests were too easy that blindfolded ten-year olds could answer them perfectly. She had also commented on how Paige lacked the proper training and initiative to handle and discipline her class.

“Well, why don’t we try switching classes and see if she can handle a class of adolescents and last a whole day without trying to pull all of her hair off!” she had muttered to Mrs. Winterbourne when the older teacher gave her a heads-up about the report that Regina Forlanee had sent to the Council about her.

Inhaling the fragrant scent that was coming off from the frankincense incense that coiled on the center of the table, Paige glanced up past the long, rectangular, rosewood table and looked Regina Forlanee straight in the eye.

“How could I?” Paige said sweetly, “When it’s dear old Regina’s turn to speak. Oh, please, do carry on!” She blinked innocently and gave the scowling teacher her biggest smile. She waved her hand, “Well?”<br>
Regina Forlanee glared at her, holding Paige’s gaze unwaveringly; shooting Paige an icy stare with her cold, blue eyes. Without averting her gaze, she spoke again, her voice echoing through the huge room. “As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted,” she squinted angrily, “we need to….”

Paige returned the older teacher’s gaze without flinching. She could feel her anger rise to her head, causing her blood to boil again. She resisted the urge to orb the infamous “Witch Bitch” to an angry volcano, and sacrifice her to a malevolent Volcano God.

Paige’s gaze began to dwindle as she felt a hand on her shoulders, snapping her back to reality. She hesitantly looked back, slowly taking her gaze off the angry teacher.

Paige was relieved to see the round, pudgy face of Mrs. Wheatcliffe, one of the teachers who taught Astral Projection 101, smiling at her softly. As if sensing her thoughts, the stout teacher whispered, “Don’t let her get to you, Paige. Almost all of us here have thought of sending her to another dimension.”

Upon hearing this, Paige’s mood lightened and chuckled at Mrs. Wheatcliffe’s joke. “Why don’t you and me drag her off to the Underworld and see if she can boss those demons around?” She snickered softly again.

“Tempting,” Mrs. Wheatcliffe snickered along, a huge smile on her face, clearly liking the thought of Regina Forlanee being surrounded by demons.

The two teachers giggled quietly; Paige was thankful that there were teachers like Mrs. Winterbourne and Mrs. Wheatcliffe around. Both of them were the two of the few teachers who had helped Paige get around the school when she first came to teach at the school five months ago. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the raspy voice of the speaker, who was calling out to them from across the room.

“Miss Halliwell!” Regina’s steely voice called out angrily, “For the third time, would you care to share to the rest of the room what you and Melanie find so funny?”<br>
Paige’s mood darkened again. “I’ve had it with this bitch,” she thought to herself.

“No, what Melanie and I think is between the two of us. Why don’t we continue with this conference, Regina?” Paige glared, daring the enraged teacher to fight back.

The two women eyed each other, measuring each other’s capabilities, physically and magically. After a tense second, Regina withdrew the fierce look on her face looked back at the board behind her, an eraser erasing the chalk off by itself, as if being used by an invisible hand. Walking toward the board, Regina picked up a chalk and began to scribble on the board, white chunks of the chalk falling down on the floor as she wrote heavily.

Nodding her head in disbelief, Paige sighed, feeling that this won’t be the last from the dread Regina “Witch Bitch” Forlanee.

[redphoenix]

Chapter 6

“And that concludes this week’s teachers’ conference,” a voice rang out, causing Paige to jump out of her sleep.

“That was one hell of a conference,” Paige said as she looked at her wristwatch. 6:49. “Three hours and a half,” she whispered sleepily, “Darn meeting lasted for three hours and a half.” Paige tried her best to stifle a yawn and looked around her- her fellow teachers, most of whom were as sleepy as her, were getting up from their seats and was beginning to file out of the conference room, the sound of their shuffling feet causing Paige to fully wake up and sit up straight on her chair. Paige tried her best to remember what had happened in today’s meeting, but she came up with a blank- all she could recall was her little argument with Regina and something about increasing the school’s library. She couldn’t remember when exactly she fell asleep, but she knew she must have had dozed off in the middle of the lengthy conference.

Paige rubbed her eyes and glanced up at the blackboard. She saw the words “Next Week’s Meeting: 3:00 p.m. sharp” written boldly in red chalk on the board. “Ugh,” she groaned exhaustedly, “I absolutely cannot stand another one of these long and boring meetings.”<br>
Gathering her folders and teacher’s files together, Paige got up and stretched lazily, and began to head for the towering oak doors that lead out into the Great Hall. Clasping her hands on the large brass door-handles, she pulled as hard as she can and walked out into the vast hall, staring down the entire length of the seemingly endless hallway. Paige still marveled at how the hallway seemed to stretch out forever. Starting to walk at the northern end of the hallway, Paige then decided to go to the school’s library.

“Might as well write the lesson plan for tomorrow’s class,” she thought as she began to trace the distance of the Great Hall to the library. Walking down the silent empty hall by herself, Paige hummed gently to break the unsettling silence. Goose bumps erupted on her smooth white skin as she watched dark shadows starting to creep around the walls, slowly covering the entire hall, and smothering the light. Paige nervously checked her wristwatch again. 7:27. As shadows created dark silhouettes around her, Paige quickened her pace, still not used to the scary darkness that enveloped the enormous school as the sun rolled into sleep and nighttime began to inch into the sky.

Hastening her pace, Paige’s footsteps echoed throughout the vast hallway. Clutching her folders tighter against her chest, she walked faster, her footsteps pounding on the ebony black marble floor. As she turned around a corner, Paige suddenly heard another set of heavy footfalls coming in from behind her.

Tok. Tok. Tok.

Wondering whom it could be, Paige convinced herself that it could be a fellow teacher who was on his or her way to the library as well. She straightened her posture and, forcing a smile, turned around to greet whoever it was behind her. What she saw behind her made Paige freeze. Or rather, it was what Paige did not see that made her freeze.

Paige blinked rapidly and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light cast by the newly risen moon on the marble floors of the Great Hall. Standing behind her was- empty space. The Great Hall was still and empty, void of any life forms, save for the cold, dancing shadows that seemed to flee from the radiance cast by the full moon.

Paige squinted hard. Could it be a student playing a prank on her? Paige decided to find out. “Hello?” She called out, more goose bumps erupted on her skin as her voice echoed down the hollow hallway. “Hello? Is anyone there?”<br>
Silence.

[redphoenix]

“Hello?” Her voice echoed warily again out into the darkness, her shaky voice bouncing off the hollow hallway. Shivering under her black robe, Paige stole one more glance into the darkness and tried to convince herself that it could have been the winds blowing against the walls and the windows. “Yeah, could be the wind,” she whispered softly to herself. “You’ve been watching way too many horror flicks, Paige.” she added the joke to herself.

Paige nervously continued her walk down the dimly lit hallway, clutching her files closer to her chest. She began to hum louder, the tune of the Goddess’ Hymn playing itself magically into her head, calming her wavering nerves. Paige had gone only a few steps when she heard something that made her heart skip a beat- it was the mysterious noise again.

Tok tok tok.

Paige froze again, her breath caught in her throat. She paused, her heartbeat thundering loudly in her chest, the heavy pounding of her heart ringing in her ears. “Those are definitely footsteps,” Paige was fairly certain as the familiar tapping sound of heeled shoes pounding on marble bounced around the empty space of the grand hallway rang in her ears. Without turning around, Paige listened intently, straining her ears to hear where the footsteps were coming from.

Silence again.

The fine hairs on the back of Paige’s neck stood up, as a wave of fear soon washed over her. Craning her neck, Paige looked behind her. Still, shadows played around on the floor and on the marble floors. More goose bumps erupted on Paige’s pale skin and she broke out into a cold sweat- her hands turned clammy and slippery, sweat beads formed on her forehead.

Remembering her training as a Charmed One, Paige finally confronted her fear and decided to do something about the mysterious footsteps. Squeezing her eyes shut, Paige visualized the way she had walked from the conference room. She waited anxiously as she felt the familiar tingle of her body dissolving into tiny million light particles. Without losing the image of the Great Hall, Paige suddenly re-materialized from where she began- the entrance to the conference room.

Scanning the entire length of the Great Hall before her, Paige searched the hall for the source of the footsteps. Squinting hard against the shimmering light emanating from the moon, Paige tried to focus her eyes on any object that moved, besides the shadows dancing around in the dark.

Paige expected a fellow teacher, maybe Mrs. Winterbourne or Mr. Restmond, to be hiding amongst the shadows, playing a trick on her. Or maybe a student who was gutsy enough to try and pull a prank on her. Slowly walking down the Great Hall, she studied her surroundings, searching for the cause of the heavy footsteps; however, as she searched the vast hall, she sensed no other presence but hers.

Fear soon enveloped her. Firmly holding her folders against her chest, Paige quickened her pace. She broke into a sprint, her own heeled shoes clicking wildly on the marble floors; her own footsteps echoing along with the echoes of the invisible footsteps behind her. Seeking the entrance of the massive library, Paige finally decided to run, the flaps of her black robe fluttering as she ran toward the huge swinging doors of her destination.

Tok tok tok.

The footsteps were coming closer and closer, and Paige could feel that they were only inches away from her.

Tok tok tok.

Paige ran as hard as she could, forcing her legs to move faster. She was sweating now, the sweat beads rolling down her face; she can taste the saltiness of her own sweat as droplets fell to her lips. The footsteps were getting louder and louder.

TOK TOK TOK.

Adrenaline rushed through Paige’s entire body, propelling her legs forward. Her heart began to hammer inside her chest, and she can feel it beating wildly. The Great Hall fell into a blur as she gained speed, her eyes fixated on the swinging doors of the library only inches ahead of her as she sharply turned into a corner.

TOK TOK TOK.

Paige raced for the library, reaching frantically for the door. She panted, her breath coming in jagged gasps as she ran to her destination.

TOK TOK TOK.

The huge oak doors of the library were only centimeters now. “Oh, Goddess, give me strength, grant your daughter speed,” she muttered a prayer under her breath as she neared the entrance of the library. She ran faster, urging her tired legs to move quicker.

“Come on, just a little farther,” Paige whispered, stretching her hands out to open the doors of the library. Suddenly, without warning, the doors swung open, and Paige collided head on with the librarian, Ms. Wrinkleberry.

“Ooof,” the elderly librarian cried in pain as she fell on her back.

“Ow!” Paige cringed, as she also fell, the folders and sheets of paper clutched in her hand slipping from her grip and flying all over the floor. “Oh!” Paige exclaimed as she saw the elderly woman lying in front of her on the cool marble tile.

Rubbing her head, she got up and gingerly helped Ms. Wrinkleberry to her feet. “I am so sorry, Ms. Wrinkleberry,” Paige muttered as she guided the older woman to a chair near the entrance of the library. Checking the older woman for any injuries, Paige sighed in relief as she saw none on Ms. Wrinkleberry.

“Miss Halliwell???” the librarian finally said as Paige helped her to a seat. She stared at her in confusion, not knowing why the younger witch was doing running down the Great Hall. She rubbed her back gently and asked, “I don’t understand, what are you doing out here? Were you running?”<br>
“Y…yes,” Paige did not realize that she was panting. “I…I’m sorry, Ms. Wrinkleberry. But…but, someone was chasing me…I…I…”

Ms. Wrinkleberry’s went wide in alarm, “What?!? Someone was chasing you?” With great difficulty, she got up on her feet, and peeked around the corner where Paige had just come from. Staring out into the moonlit hall, the old librarian watched as the shadows continued to play under the moon’s light. Puzzled, she turned to the wheezing Charmed One.

“Miss Halliwell,” the confused librarian intoned, her patience barely held in check, “What are you doing? Is this some kind of a joke? You rush to my library, crash into me, and cause me to drop centuries-old tomes, and for WHAT? Shadows dancing around under the moonlight?”

“But…But…” Paige stuttered, unable to explain what had happened, “There really was someone who was…”

“Ah ah ah!” the librarian interrupted, “As you can see for yourself, Miss Halliwell, there is no one chasing you. And how can there be? We are inside the Magic School, one of the safest places there is. I’ll have you know that we have more than enough magical charms around the perimeter of the school to keep all demons, even the Source of All Evil, at bay. That is all, Miss Halliwell, I have more work to do.” The irritated librarian bent to pick up the books that she dropped to the floor, and with one glance at the stammering Halliwell, disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Paige behind alone standing in the dark.

Shivering in the dimness of the Great Hall, Paige closed her eyes, and visualizing the comforts of her room, disappeared hurriedly in swirling blue and white orbs.

Inside the dark blanket of the shadows, a sharp athame glinted, a silhouette glaring wrathfully at the trail of blue and white orbs left behind by the Charmed One it had been hunting for the last half hour stood defiantly. “Ssooonnn,” it hissed ominously.

[redphoenix]

Chapter 7

Hours later, a shower of blue and white lights emerged from the marble ceilings that materialized into Paige. She was back in the Great Hall, wearing nothing but a lavender nightgown. Deciding to investigate who was chasing her earlier, Paige decided to probe deeper into the hallway in the dead of the night, clutching a small athame in her left hand. The full moon’s light shone brightly down on her through the high windows of the hallway, illuminating her milky white skin. Under the moonlight, Paige looked around her, and cringed- the eyes of the paintings seemed to be following her every move. She took in a breath, goose bumps erupting on her skin as she gingerly took a step forward. She shivered as her bare feet treaded on the cool marble floor, the coolness of the night seeping into her body.

Paige surveyed her surroundings and found everything to be in the same exact place she had seen them when she had been chased earlier- the vases, the paintings, the chairs, everything. Drawing in a sharp breath, Paige calmed her frazzled nerves and convinced herself that there was nothing to be afraid of; the words of Ms. Wrinkleberry echoed in her ears, “I’ll have you know that we have more than enough magical charms around the perimeter of the school to keep all demons, even the Source of All Evil, at bay.”

Nodding in resolution, Paige took a few tentative steps forward. However, she suddenly paused, her body tensing up, her breath caught in her throat, as without warning, heavy, dark clouds washed over the skies and covered the moon, encasing Paige in a blanket of darkness. Even in total darkness, Paige tensed up as she faintly saw flickers of movement in front of her. Reacting on instinct, she clutched the athame above her head, ready to strike, and slowly inched her way forward.

Feeling her way through the darkness, Paige backed up against the wall and slowly paced forward, athame grasped firmly in hand. As she reached her target, she plunged her black-handled athame forward, and yelped in surprise- her blade struck nothing. Paige pulled her athame backward, and swung it forward again- still nothing. Shaking, she stood in silence, waiting for what seemed like hours. Finally, the black clouds that only seconds ago blocked out the moon’s light rolled away, revealing the full moon once more.

Paige sighed in relief as the moon’s light washed over the dark hallway again, revealing nothing except for the still shadows of the chairs and vases of the Great Hall. Standing in front of her was the empty hallway, still and motionless, save for the shadows that have been cast beneath the moon for hours.

Continuing her exploration of the hallway, a gentle gust of wind slowly brushed against her bare neck, causing her fine hairs to stand on end. Paige whirled around, her body tensed for battle, and probed her surroundings. She stood firmly in silence, trying to listen for stray sounds and movement that might betray an assailant.

As expected, silence enveloped the entire school- the only sounds coming from the howling wind blowing outside and the crying crickets. Sensing nothing dangerous, Paige spun around again and decided to continue her trek down the lengthy hall. However, the moment she turned around, Paige heard a familiar clicking behind her that broke the night’s silence.

Tok. Tok. Tok.

Paige’s whole body froze. She stayed standing, hiding beneath the shadows, and using them for cover. She gripped the athame tightly, her pulse quickening as the footsteps echoed louder and louder.

Tok. Tok. Tok.

Suddenly, the reverberating footfalls faded away into nothing, as if they disappeared into the winds. An eerie silence fell over Paige like a huge blanket. She stared into the halls, watching as the shadows leapt high into the walls as the moon was hidden yet once more behind heavy, dark clouds, and dropped back down as the moon shone again as the dark clouds rolled away. The shadows seemed to writhe in pain as the moon’s luminescence washed over them.

Paige waited for her pulse to slow, and then continued walking. Her delicate nightgown clung to her skin as she broke into a cold sweat. She lightly rubbed her arms, shivering under the moonlight. “Okay, Paige, steady yourself,” she whispered to herself coarsely, her throat dry and heavy.

PHLAK! Somewhere behind her, a vase crashed, breaking into tiny million shards of porcelain. Paige’s head whipped backward anxiously, searching for the source of the crashing noise. Under the radiance of the moon, she suddenly caught a fleeting glimpse of a billowing cloak draping inches behind her.

“Who?” she thought warily.

As her eyes scanned the area of the hallway behind her, a stray shadow loomed ominously behind her. It was uncharacteristically larger than the others, moving closer and closer to her than any other shadow. Unlike the other shadows that clung to the walls of the hall and remained motionless under the moonlight’s watch, this one seemed to make its way nearer to Paige.

Tok. Tok. Tok.

The heavy tapping of heeled shoes once again broke the eerie silence.

With the moonlight shining brightly down on the hallway, Paige could distinctively make out the silhouette of a cloaked figure coming closer.

Tok. Tok. Tok.

Paige remained frozen, paralyzed by her own fears. She looked around, searching frantically for a weapon, when she saw something glint in her left arm. Suddenly, she remembered that she had an athame with her. Gripping her blade tightly, Paige felt more secure. Closing her eyes, Paige tried to pin down the location of her stalker by tuning in to her Whitelighter-sixth sense, a natural instinct that had never failed her before. Instead of “sensing” for a witch in danger, Paige honed in on any one with hostile intentions. Compared to the cool shadows and calm auras of the sleeping students and teachers inside the Magic School, the aura of her stalker burned hot red- its crimson aura scorching the area of the Great Hall behind her.

Without opening her eyes, Paige quickly spun around and hurled her athame. The glinting blade flew at a blinding speed, slicing through the darkness and propelling towards its target. Paige squinted through the darkness and looked on as the blade of her black-handled knife flashed under the moonlight. After a tense second, the athame stopped moving and hung in the air.

“Argh!” a wail of agony shattered the silence of the night.

Paige’s heartbeat thundered in her ears as anxiety crept into her. “I hit something,” she thought uneasily as she dashed forward to what her athame had struck. Paige ran as fast as she could, her footsteps echoing through the night. She quickly closed the gap between her target and herself. Nearing her target, Paige eyed her surroundings warily.

Expecting to see a cloaked demon or a shape-shifting warlock, Paige braced herself for whatever it was that her athame had hit. However, she reeled in shock when she saw emptiness in front of her. Silence and shadows blanketed Paige as an unexpected wave of fear washed over her.

“What?” was what she could manage before she felt the presence of another being standing behind her. Frozen with fear and panic, Paige could feel slow, warm breathing on her neck. Suddenly, she felt something cool and metallic touch her bare shoulders- shuddering with anxiety; she soon realized that it was her own athame that was sliding down her body. Paige found herself paralyzed by her fear, and her body rejected her instincts to run and flee; even her concentration wavered, and she could not access her gift to orb.

“Witcchhhhh….” the cloaked figure behind her hissed, causing more goose bumps to erupt on Paige’s skin. It was a low, hollow whisper, and Paige shivered involuntarily and broke again into a cold sweat, as the coldness of the night seemed to intensify. A stray gust of wind blew in from one end of the hall, and Paige felt the coldness of the wind crawl down her spine through her nightgown.

The cloaked figure behind her traced the outline of her arm with the sharp edge of the athame. “Witch…witch…witch…” it taunted in a low, hollow voice, an empty whisper being blown by the wind.

Paige shut her eyes close. She could hear the thundering beat of her heart; her heart beat beating wildly against her chest.

One wrong move and I could die. Orb, Paige, orb, she forced herself nervously.

“Yooouuu sssshhhallll dddiiiieee…” the cloaked figure whispered ominously as it pressed the sharp edge of Paige’s athame at her stomach. “Witcchhhh…witchhh… witch…” Its voice seemed to echo hollowly against the cool marble floor, bouncing off the walls and the high windows.

Sweat beads ran down the side of Paige’s cheek, as the mysterious figure ran the smooth blade of her athame on her left cheek, the coolness of the metal sending shivers down her spine. Escape was the only thought that clouded her mind, yet the very thought of running seemed impossible, as terror and fear gripped her entire body in an icy grasp, paralyzing her within the cloaked figure’s reach.

Then, as if everything went into slow motion, Paige felt the tip of the athame plunge strongly into her stomach, slicing deeply into her flesh.

“Aaaaaaaaaaa,” Paige wailed in pain. “aaaahhhh!” She felt herself slowly falling down, as if a hole had opened up beneath her feet.

[redphoenix]

Paige’s eyelids fluttered uncontrollably as she winced in pain, her body thrusting upward in pain. Then, without warning, her eyes suddenly snapped open.

Silence.

Crick crick crick. Crickets.

Paige looked around her, her vision dry and blurry; and it took a few moments for vision to adjust to her surroundings. Paige began to realize that she was inside her room, and not in the Great Hall. “It was just a dream…just…a… dream…” she panted wearily. Breathless, she took in huge gasps of air as she tried to look around her and focused- she was in the safety of her room, sweating profusely on her bed. She was lying on sweat-soaked pillows and her raven-black hair clung to her damp pillowcase. She soon became aware that her flimsy nightgown hugged her clammy body tightly. Remembering her dream, Paige’s moist hands quickly slid down her stomach and felt around to where the shadow in her dream had stabbed her.

Nothing.

Paige sighed in relief. “It was just a dream,” she repeated to herself, “Just a dream.” She was shaken up and shivered as she recalled how real the dream felt. Shaking her head, she grabbed her thin blanket and wrapped it around her body as she slowly stood up from her bed. As she began to walk toward her open window, she instantly felt the coolness of the night as a stray gust of wind blew inside uninvited, brushing her cheek lightly.

Panting, she looked up at the bright full moon and gazed at the luminescent orb in the sky. As she stared up at the moon, her breathing gradually returned to normal; staring at the moon always gave Paige a sense of security and tranquility. Minutes passed and remnants of her unsettling dream slowly drifted away into oblivion as Paige continued to stare into the moon, and she soon found the words from the Wiccan Rede floating unconsciously in her mind.

“Bide within the Law Ye must,
In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust,
Live you must and Let to Live,
Fairly take and Fairly Give.”<br>
Paige chanted the Rede until a blanket of calmness and peace washed over her. “Blessed Be,” she whispered to the glowing moon and smiled as she finished the entire Wiccan verses. Drinking in the serenity of the night, she closed her eyes as another gust of wind blew from outside; this time, however, she welcomed it merrily. “Just a bad, bad dream,” she whispered reassuringly.

Thinking more calmly and clearly now, Paige dismissed the possibility that it was a demon or warlock that had been following her earlier in the Great Hall. She then decided that it was probably one of her rowdy and gutsy students playing a malicious prank on her. “How could it not be?” she mused half-mindedly as words from the Rede still echoed in her mind, “I’m handling pre-adolescent monsters!” She chuckled at her own joke and remembered that it was also a pre-adolescent who had conjured the Headless Horseman a year ago. “I have nothing to worry about,” she convinced herself with a nod, “Heck, I vanquish demons from the pits of hell on a daily basis, compared to that, these kids are a piece of cake!”

With that resolution, Paige smiled yet again. She inhaled deeply, thanking the Goddess for clearing her thoughts and restoring her peace of mind. “Yawn,” she stretched and exhaled tiredly as the stress of the day crept into her body. The clock on her table read 3:53. “Might as well go back to sleep,” she thought.

Before retiring back to bed, Paige looked at the Faery Gardens that was directly below her window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Faeries and Earth Gnomes dancing under the full moon. She looked down disappointedly as she saw nothing but the potted plants and the budding flowers. Yawning once more, Paige bid the moon goodnight and was about to turn around when something shiny below her window caught her eye.

“What?” she cried in terror as she looked down and recognized the glinting object that was shining before her.

Standing in the center of the Faery Gardens was the cloaked figure from her dreams, waving the same athame at her in mockery. The figure looked up and seemed to be staring at Paige through its red cloak, waving the athame at her, staring at her with cruel eyes. Then, in the literal blink of an eye, the cloaked figure was gone; leaving Paige to debate with herself whether the figure really was there or was it merely her imagination playing a sadistic trick on her.

However, one thing was certain, Paige knew that sleep would be elusive.

[redphoenix]

Chapter 8

The early morning sun slowly ascended into the sky peeked delicately into Paige’s room, sending thin rays of orange-yellow light on her bed and across the floor. The peaceful chirping of the birds filled the air, and the light tingle of bells filled the Faery Gardens below her window. A light breeze blew in, carrying with it the sweet fragrance of early morning dew and newly opened roses.

Paige slowly stirred from her bed as the faint light from the early morning sun stretched forward on her bed, caressing her face with a soft golden hue. She forced her heavy eyelids to open, and she rolled onto her back.

“Ohhh,” she moaned, a deep protest echoing from her throat as she slowly extended her right arm forward; she cried out in pain as tiny pinpricks broke out on her arms, tiny needles pricking her blood veins- the painful consequence of sleeping on her arm. She shook her hand vigorously, yelping as the tiny “needles” pricked her, as she tried to force the blood to flow back normally to her entire arm. Her head throbbed with pain, and Paige gingerly massaged it with her left hand. Turning her head, she glanced at her heart-shaped clock. 6:12.

Her eyelids drooped wearily and she groaned. She had gotten barely 3 hours of sleep and her entire body felt like lead. Paige had not been able to rest peacefully; shadows played around her the entire night, and dreams of cloaked demons wielding sharp athames permeated her sleep every time she closed her eyes.

“Ahhhh,” Forcing her body to sit up, Paige flung her hands upward and stretched lazily. “Got to get ready for the day,” she whispered tiredly, the thought of having to face a class of noisy pre-adolescent tricksters weighing her down more. She yawned as she dragged her heavy body up and headed towards the small altar by her dresser.

Rubbing her eyes to clear the rest of her sleepiness away, Paige began to prepare for her daily morning Wiccan ritual. She arranged two pillar candles- one silver on the right, one gold on the left- in the center of the white altar cloth, and then proceeded to gather the rest of the materials for her ritual. From the drawer beneath the small, antique altar, Paige produced a soft, white feather, which she positioned meticulously on the eastern portion of the altar; a red votive candle, which she placed on the southern portion of the altar; a smooth auger shell which she situated at the western portion of the altar; and finally, a round polished stone with a painted pentagram in the center on the northern portion of the altar.

Yawning once more, Paige searched around for her lighter. She looked for her white lighter, her eyes darting all over the altar table. Finally, she found it hidden inside the small cauldron that Paige used to brew her Sleeping Potions in. “Ah, there you are,” she said to herself, as she took the small lighter. Clearing the rest of her sleepiness away, Paige closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She breathed in, her stomach gently inflating as the cool morning air entered her nose, and then deflating as she released her breath. Feeling more refreshed and more awake, Paige then proceeded to light the two candles- lighting the silver candle first, and then the gold. She lit the red votive candle as well. She tucked the small lighter back into the small cauldron and then sat, in lotus-position, in front of the altar. She began to chant in a sing-song voice as she swept her hands in a circular motion around her altar,

“Ancient Ones of the Earth so deep,
Mistress of Moon and Master of Sun,
I shield you in my Wiccan way,
In this circle round,
Asking you to guide my space,
And let your magic forces down.”<br>
Her voice rose and fell in a rhythmic hum as she continued to chant the magic incantation, feeling the Earth’s golden energies flowing through her legs, then up to her arms, then finally to her head. Strength and a renewed sense of peace filled her body, and, as her voice rose to its pinnacle, she stopped chanting. Her eyes fluttered open as she felt her prayer take effect, a blanket of tranquility and power wrapping around her.

“Blessed Be,” she finally whispered as she pushed herself up on her feet, “The spell has been cast.” She looked at the two altar candles, and with a smile, pinched them to put the fire out. She pinched the small wick of the votive candle as well. She stretched once more, sensing the new strength inside her.

Thanking the Deities one last time, she then turned her back and glanced at her clock. 7:58. “Only an hour to get ready,” she thought as she walked over to her closet and pulled a black robe from her cabinet. Whistling an old Gaelic song, she stepped inside the bathroom and took a warm shower, the worries of the previous day dissolving down the drain.

Paige walked to class, feeling refreshed and renewed. However, as she turned around a corner and strode into the Great Hall, something made her heart freeze. In the center of the Great Hall lay tiny broken shards of porcelain, remnants of an ancient Egyptian urn.

“It couldn’t be,” Paige muttered, the images from her nightmare coming back to her. She vaguely recalled hearing something break from behind her in her dream. Paige was not certain if it were a vase, but she had a sinking feeling that the vase that lay shattered in front of her was the one that she heard shattering from her dream. “Could it?” An icy cold fear gripped her heart.

Suddenly, Paige turned in surprise as a slouching old man that she assumed to be a janitor, came from the custodial room, brandishing a broomstick in his left hand, cussing beneath his breath. “Reckless young’uns, running around, breaking priceless antiques,” he grumbled audibly. “Oh, good morning, miss,” he smiled, revealing teeth severely yellowed with age, as he turned his head and looked at Paige. He curtly nodded and proceeded on to sweep the shards of porcelain.

Paige sighed in relief. “Get a hold of yourself, Paige,” she scolded herself as she grinned at the old custodian and walked on to her class. However, as Paige strode to her designated classroom, she could not shake the feeling that she was being watched; the fine tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end, and she felt eyes boring at the back of her head. Refusing to give in to her rising fears, Paige determinedly looked back. A chill suddenly ran down her spine; as soon as she turned her head, her eyes fell on the old custodian, and realized that he was smiling eerily at her, staring at her with a mouthful of decaying teeth. His heavy-browed eyes followed her every move unwaveringly, his eyes penetrating hers. Shivering, Paige spun her head back and hurriedly turned into another corner, avoiding the creepy old man’s strange smile, and finally ducked into her classroom.

Paige sighed, as she finally pressed the door shut behind her.

[redphoenix]

All chatter and noise soon stopped as she entered the room. A handful of students hurriedly grabbed their books and feigned reading. A few rushed to their seats. And as usual, Clyde was back on his seat, mending another damaged book, clearly a victim of one of his classmates’ childish pranks.

She walked to her desk and haphazardly threw her folder on top. Catching her breath, she clutched her chest with one hand, and pulled her chair backwards with the other. She sank to her chair as her breathing slowed, and looked at her class crossly, stress and weariness making her more short-tempered than usual. “What’s happening here?” She paused and looked at the sobbing student, “Clyde?”<br>
Out of the corner of her eye, Paige saw a female student, Ashley fidget slightly and sink lower in her seat.

Without answering, Clyde slowly raised his book, which had a scorch mark in the center. He sniffed, and lowered the book down.

Recognizing immediately where the scorch mark came from, Paige quickly turned to the female student who was twitching irregularly on the edge of her seat. “Ashley!”

The student named Ashley turned pale and sank deeper into her seat. She began to sweat and hand turned clammy. She began to stammer in protest, but before any words could escape her, her body turned into blue and white orbs, as Paige sent her to detention with her orbing powers.

She then turned to the rest of the class, all the students shooting her scared looks, and shouted, “Everyone, send in your reports. NOW!”

The sound of shuffling papers filled the room as students hurriedly scrambled to get their reports ready. Lack of sleep and stress taking their toll on her system, Paige dropped to her chair, and massaged her throbbing temples. Feeling too drained to teach, Paige instructed the class to answer their Spell-casting manuals.

“Clyde?” She weakly called out, “Can you please collect the reports and bring them here please?”<br>
Clyde silently wiped his nose and the sleeve of his robe and nodded. He slowly stood up from his desk and began collecting his classmates’ reports. He was faced with angry stares and scorn for indirectly ratting Ashley out. He meekly lowered his head to avoid the eyes of his classmates. After gathering the reports, he marched directly to Paige’s desk. He gently placed the stack of reports at the center beside her folders, and smiled shyly.

“Thank you, Clyde,” Paige smiled back.

Nodding his head silently, Clyde waved his hand over Paige’s desk. An apple magically appeared once more, and he flashed a quick smile at Paige, his blue eyes twinkling brightly. He turned around, and walked quietly back to his desk.

Paige smiled, fragments of her stress melting away as she bit into the juicy red apple. All the stress, fear, and apprehensions from her nightmare and her brief encounter with the disturbing custodian slipped away into oblivion. Her mood gradually lightened as the sweet taste of the apple tickled her taste buds, filling her with a heavy feeling of drowsy tranquility, as if she were floating in space.

For a brief moment, Paige closed her eyes peacefully.

Soon, Paige’s eyelids fluttered heavily as a sharp ringing echoed and cut through the calm silence that filled her mind. She opened her eyes and looked at her watch. 12:00. She woke with a start, her head jerking awake, realizing that the sharp ringing was coming from the class bell and that she was still inside the classroom. Before she could say or do anything, the rushed sound of scuffling feet filled the class, competing with the sound of the lunch bell.

“Class dismissed,” she murmured drowsily, her voice drowned by the incessant ringing of the hallway bell and the cheerful cries of her students.

She gingerly rubbed her sleepy eyes and tried to remember what had happened. Everything from the past few minutes went by in a blur. “What happened?” she thought. Closing her eyes, Paige recalled instructing the class to submit their reports, and asking Clyde to bring them to her. She also recalled the sweet, red apple that Clyde gave her. Yet, everything after that had become hazy, jagged memories that made her head ache as she tried to remember them.

Straining to jog her memory, Paige was finally able to retrieve some of her memories through the haze in her mind.

Squinting, Paige remembered that she checked her watch fifteen minutes before the lunch bell. Her eyelids then felt heavy, and it became difficult for her to keep them open. She recalled a heavy feeling was weighing her down, and Paige tried to fight it. Yet, it finally conquered her, and she finally gave in. Her eyelids dropped and Paige drifted off to sleep.

She tried to recall more when a little voice called out to her.

“Miss Halliwell?” a tiny voice squeaked, causing Paige to return to reality. “Miss Halliwell?”<br>
“Hm?” Paige’s eyes slowly opened and she waited for them to focus. She soon found herself staring into the deep blue eyes of her favorite student. “Clyde?” Paige noticed that every student had already left the class, and only the two of them remained inside. She looked back at her student and was drawn by his blue eyes.
Paige saw a worried look cross the student’s face. He asked in a timid voice, “You…you look pale and tired, and I was wondering- are…are you okay? Do you feel sick?”

Paige smiled at her student, despite of her fatigue. With a shaky voice, she replied, “It’s sweet of you to ask. But, I’m fine, Clyde, thanks.” However, as she pushed her chair back and tried to stand, Paige felt her knees turn into rubber, buckling under weight; she sank back into her chair, a wave of nausea hitting her. “Or not,” she gasped under her breath as she slumped weakly into her chair.

[redphoenix]

Chapter 9

“Miss Halliwell!” Clyde cried out in surprise as Paige dropped back into her chair. “Miss Paige!”

“Uh,” Paige grimaced as everything in front of her blurred into a pallet of indistinguishable colors. She felt lightheaded, and struggled to catch her breath. “Uh, Clyde?” Paige closed her eyes tightly, resisting the urge to throw up, “Tell me, is the world still spinning?”

Disoriented, Paige tried to stand, but as soon as she pushed herself upward, she staggered, falling weakly back into her chair. She closed her eyes again, her head drooping to one side.

“No, don’t stand up,” Clyde hurriedly rushed to Paige’s side and helped her sit back down; he propped her head properly on the chair, tilting her head backward. Waving his hand over the table, a small basin of cold water and a bottle of smelling salts appeared. He reached into his robes and pulled a light blue handkerchief, and immersed it into the small basin. He placed the soaked handkerchief on Paige’s forehead, then proceeded to open the small vial of smelling salts. Gingerly, he waved the small vial under Paige’s nose.

As the fumes of the salts coiled into Paige’s nose, her head snapped forward. The damp cloth slid down her cheek and she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision steadied dimly, and her eyes focused slightly. Coughing, she asked, “Ugh, what was that?”

Relieved that Paige was coming to, Clyde sighed in relief and replied sheepishly, “Magic Wake-me-up.”

“Oh,” Paige muttered as her vision became more stable. She remained silent for a few moments, waiting for her perception to return to normal. The colors that were swimming before her eyes minutes ago were gradually starting to sharpen, changing back to the familiar desks and lecture posters. She closed her eyes, and opened them once more. Her vision had completely returned to normal, and she felt better- all traces of nausea were slowly dissipating from her body. “That was some strong stuff you got there, Clyde,” Paige smiled faintly at her student.

Clyde returned her smile. He glanced down and read the label, “Extra-strength.” He looked up again and grinned sheepishly at his teacher.

Paige reached out from across her table and touched Clyde’s hands, “Oh. Thank you very much, Clyde.”

Clyde blushed, his face turning red, “It was nothing, Miss Halliwell. I was worried.” His tone became serious, and it was soon laden with worry and concern. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, ma’am, but what happened? Is everything alright?”

Paige hesitated. She herself was unsure and was mystified of what caused her episode. Dismissing it, Paige surmised that it was probably her lack of sleep and her brief encounters with her subconscious that were causing her sudden dizziness and lack of strength.

Paige exhaled and answered, “I…I’m fine, Clyde, thank you. I…It’s just that I haven’t got much sleep these past few days. That’s all.” She gave him a reassuring smile and, feeling her strength slowly returning to her body, pushed herself up to her feet.

Seeing this, Clyde rushed to her side and supported her up. “Miss Halliwell, are you sure that you can stand? Are you okay? I…I…”

Grasping the edge of the desk for support, Paige slowly raised her left hand. “I’m fine, Clyde. Really. Thanks to you. I just need to get a little rest.” She teetered slightly as she struggled to gain balance. Regaining her stability, Paige gave a faint smile to her student and proceeded to gather the stacks of paper and her folders. Lifting them up, she saw Clyde inch forward and reach out with his hands, motioning to carry the load for her.

“Here, let me,” the lanky student offered. He reached over and attempted to carry the stack of papers, but he was too thin to lift them up. “Ooof,” he muttered as the weight of the papers proved to be too much for him.

“Are you sure that you can carry those?” Paige asked, this time, it was her turn to be concerned. She watched on as her student struggled to clasp the papers within his grip. Paige looked on as the frustrated conjurer tried with a great effort to contain the load.

“No, actually, they’re a bit too heavy for me,” the skinny teenager admitted embarrassedly, “but, I have a better idea.” Sighing in defeat, Clyde waved his hands, and a small wooden wagon with a black handle and four rusty wheels appeared. “There we go!” Clyde announced, clearly pleased with his conjured wagon.

“Gee, how innovative,” Paige kidded. “Come on, I’ll lead the way to my office.” Upon seeing the concerned look on Clyde’s face, she quickly added, “I’m fine. Really.” Gathering her folders, Paige walked toward the door.

Clyde trailed behind, pulling the wagon close behind him, the rusty wheels squeaking as he pulled. He meekly followed in silence, walking beside his teacher along the Great Hall. However, after a few minutes of wordless quietness, Clyde finally mustered up the courage and tried to start a conversation up. He found his voice and squeakily began, “Uhmm…Miss Halliwell? I wanna ummm…, I wanna thank you…for…um, for helping me out earlier…”

Paige looked at her student and nodded. “Don’t mention it, Clyde. Just don’t let them bully you again the next time around.” Paige recalled the innumerous times that she had seen and heard about how other students always made fun of Clyde and she felt a twinge of anger. “I’m not saying that you should fight back, Clyde, but don’t let them just boss you around. Stand up to them.” Paige recounted how she herself had once been the target of bullies, and wistfully narrated how she had gathered her wits about and stood up to her antagonists. “A few wads of super glue applied to their seats in Miss Carrie’s class showed them that it’s not nice messing up with Paige Matt…er…Halliwell!”

The two broke out into a fit of giggles.

“Now, I’m not suggesting that you do the same thing,” Paige hastily added, “All I’m saying is that, don’t give them the satisfaction of bossing you around.”

“I…Thanks, Miss Halliwell,” Clyde whispered.

Paige nodded. She felt a rising feeling of satisfaction welling inside her; she was finally doing what she had been longing for- to teach and reach out. She felt happier and lighter, her tiredness soon slipping away. “And thank you for helping me find my path again,” Paige thought to herself, mentally addressing the young Conjurer.

Turning into another corner, Paige was about to open her mouth to speak, when she saw something that made her stop. Standing in the middle of the hallway, sweeping the floor, was the same old custodian that Paige had run into earlier. As the teacher and student walked nearer the old custodian, he stopped what he was doing and looked up. He stared at them, flashing a toothless grin at Paige yet again.

“Good afternoon, miss,” he greeted, the corners of his eyes creasing into wrinkles as he smiled.

[redphoenix]

Paige reluctantly smiled back. “Good afternoon,” she muttered nervously. Without a moment’s hesitation, she hastened her pace. “Let’s go, Clyde, I still have to record those reports.”

Clyde did as he was told and pulled the little wagon faster. Its rusty wheels scraped against the cool marble floor, a squeaking sound signaling the wheels’ protest.

As they strode along the Great Hall, Paige walked closer to her student, her voice dropped to a mere whisper. “Clyde, do you know who that old man is?”<br>Clyde looked up at looked into the questioning eyes of Paige. “Oh yes, umm… that’s old Mister Finchem, the new Groundskeeper. Creepy, huh,” Clyde replied and watched as his teacher nodded her head in agreement.

“New Groundskeeper? What happened to Mister Patterson?” Paige inquired, a look of confusion crossing her face.

Clyde was silent for a few moments, and Paige noticed her student fidgeting around with the handle of his wagon.

“Clyde?” she asked, “Is there something you’re not telling me?”<br>
“Um,” Clyde began, “Er…Well, Mister Johnson told us yesterday that Mister Patterson disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Paige cut in, troubled, “What do you mean disappeared?”<br>
“Well, according to Mister Johnson, he simply vanished into thin air,” Clyde said in a disbelieving tone. “The school was searched when his daughter, Marissa, complained that he hasn’t returned to their hut all day yesterday since he reported for work. The entire school was investigated by a small group of student Trackers, but there was no sign of him anywhere.”

Paige was troubled at this piece of news. Yesterday, she thought, bothered. Yesterday…that was also the same day I heard those mysterious footsteps following me! Could Mister Patterson’s disappearance have anything to do with those footsteps?

“Miss Halliwell?” Clyde looked at his teacher questioningly, “Miss? Did I say something?”<br>
Paige snapped out of her thoughts, “Oh, uh, no, no, I…I’m fine…” Shaking her head, she looked weakly at her student, “I must still be tired…” Walking into another corner, Paige pointed to a mahogany-colored door with a gold-plated sign where the words Paige Halliwell was engraved in elaborate calligraphy. “Here we are,” she whispered as she turned the doorknob wearily, a tinge of doubt and hesitance clouding her mind as she pushed the door open.

“Wow, so this is where your office is…” Paige heard Clyde mutter in awe.

However, as she held the door open, gesturing for her student to enter, a slight movement caught her eye.

“What?” She gasped in shock as her eyes fell on her Wiccan altar. A sole black candle was burning excitedly on top of her altar, its orange flame dancing back and forth; the gold and silver pillar candles were nowhere to be seen on the altar. Paige stood unmoving by the open doorway; her eyes remained transfixed on the black candle and her mouth gaped open, a familiar fear crawling up her spine. Suddenly, without warning, an uninvited breeze blew in, causing the fine hairs on her body to stand on end.

“Miss?” Once more, Clyde’s voice broke through the silence and brought Paige out of her thoughts.

Snapping out of her trance, she remembered that she was not alone. Head spinning, Paige looked back at her student, and hurriedly decided to send him to the safety of his room.

“Clyde, thanks for the help. You’ve been wonderful, but…erm… I really have to check these papers right away,” she ushered Clyde out of her office gently, “Thanks again for the help!”<br>
“Uh, it’s my pleasure, Miss,” Clyde said as Paige continued to guide him out the door. He took one last peek at the office and left the rusty wagon full of papers and reports, before he turned around to return to the Great Hall, scratching his head in confusion as he walked.

Paige closed the door as soon as Clyde left and turned to her altar, her heart beating mercilessly in her chest. She gingerly walked to her altar, eyeing the black candle carefully. “Where did this candle come from?” she thought aloud as she reached the wooden table. As if to answer her question, a small folded piece of paper materialized two inches away from the mysterious candle.

Paige’s heart now pounded on her chest, and she could hear each single heartbeat thunder in her ears. With sweaty palms, she reached forward and picked the paper. She opened it and stood in shock as she read what was written. There, in the center of the paper, was a single word, written in blood, which sent jolts of fear through Paige’s body- SURPRISE.

Without warning, the mysterious piece of paper suddenly erupted in flames and was instantly turned to ashes. Paige shivered as she stared at the small pile of ashes in her hand. Then, she looked at the burning black candle atop her altar, and was now shaking with fear.

[redphoenix]

Chapter 10

Dark clouds rolled heavily outside the school, covering the entire Great Hall in a murky haze. A blanket of shadows played ominously along the walls of the hallway, taunting Paige with their dark forms as she trudged heavily along the marble floor of the Great Hall toward her class. In the distance, she heard thunder rumbling.

Paige inhaled deeply. Her whole body was sluggish, her feet were like jelly, and she felt that they were going to give way any minute. Sighing, Paige felt another yawn coming, and she tried her best to stifle it, to push it back; however, it still came out, like the other hundred yawns that she had unsuccessfully pushed away. She was too exhausted, and it took everything that she had left to keep them open.
She closed her eyes for a second.

Sleep had been elusive for Paige. Everything that had happened- the mysterious footsteps, the unexplainable dreams, the cloaked figure, the black candle, and the note- had entered her mind uninvited every time she had tried to close her eyes. Paranoia had sunken into Paige’s mind, and she had twitched at every sudden movement and noise around her.

Relying on her magic, Paige had spent her entire time the previous day expending her magical energies casting protection spells around her office and herself. Images of the cloaked figure from her dreams and the mysterious black candle had permeated her thoughts and had flooded her with an inexplicable fear. She had been terrified to close her eyes- the fear of an unknown assailant striking her if she allowed herself to let her guard down had paralyzed her. Deciding to use her magic, she had cast spell after spell, using a variety of protection incantations and rituals- Latin, Chinese, Greek- she had learnt from the different spell books in the school.

However, in spite of all the protection that she had cloaked herself in, she had still felt trapped by an evil that she could not see, yet one that she could distinctly feel. It had been like a whisper that taunted her from deep within the shadows, a cloud of doom that loomed above her from beyond the darkness.

Paige opened her eyes and cringed- the memory of the mysterious figure still clung at her mind, and sent chills crawling up her spine. With clammy hands, she rubbed her goose-bump-ridden shoulders and shuddered. A new wave of fear washed over her, and she felt vulnerable and alone. A sickening combination of paranoia and fear frazzled her nerves, making her senses stand on end.

Instinctively, Paige raised her guard up. She stood in full alert now; her sleepiness slowly drifted away and was suddenly replaced by a cumbersome prickling feeling on her neck- it was as if someone, or something, was watching her.

Paige brushed off her exhaustion and sleepiness, determined not to let her mysterious foe catch her off-guard and vulnerable. She turned her head and looked at the Great Hall. Weird, she thought as she surveyed the hallway before her and realized that it was surprisingly very empty. With an effort, she raised her left hand and checked her wristwatch. 8:46. Very, very weird. It was usually around this time that students rushed to their classes to make it through to the first bell, yet the entire Great Hall was deserted, void of any movement. Paige suddenly grew very aware of the deafening silence that enveloped the hallway. The blanket of silence was so overwhelming that Paige could hear a pin drop, literally.

On instinct, Paige’s body stirred. She noticed that the only sound that she could hear was her own jagged breathing. Everything was still- the birds outside did not chirp, the winds refused to blow. Eerie silence. Rubbing her arms, Paige decided to investigate and was about to take a step forward, when a swift movement along the wall caused her to stop.

What? Paige caught a glimpse of a lone stray movement along the walls beside her in her peripheral view. A dark form glided quickly behind her; it was almost imperceptible- it was gone as quickly as it came. Senses on full alert, Paige slowly turned around and followed the fleeting black form.

Nothing.

Paige froze. Was it just a trick of the light? she thought. Maybe I’m just seeing things. However, as she scanned the hallway, Paige caught another fleeting glimpse of movement along the wall beside her. Bright colors assaulted Paige as she swiftly spun around; a head rush attacking her weak body. Steeling herself, Paige waited for the colors to clear.

Empty space. Nothing.

Paige’s pulse quickened and her heart raced. She could feel her heartbeat pounding heavily inside her chest, the rhythm almost deafening. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead and her arms. She closed her eyes and tried to orb out, but nothing happened; she could not feel the magic coursing through her body.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump Ba-dump.

Her heart pound on her chest faster and faster and she feared that it would burst out of her chest.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

She felt her chest about to explode.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Out of the shadows, an icy hand reached out and grabbed Paige.

Paige’s scream filled the Great Hall.