Shadows Of the Night
part 11
"Okay, please tell me you remember exactly where it was that you saw it."
"Oh, so you suddenly believe me now?"
"Given some time to think...." Phoebe Halliwell calmly crossed her arms tightly over her chest, offering a prolonged sigh. She threw a glance at her husband rather impatiently, as she held up a single hand, motioning towards the hallway in front of them. "Down here, right? I mean...that is what you said- thought you saw, isn't it?"
"Well, see, now they all look alike," he noted, shrugging.
"Which way did you turn? Left? Right? Did you make multiple turns, what?"
"I think I went left. I...I mean, it wasn't that far from our door. So I would assume it was left."
"What did you assume next?"
"You know..." He stopped in step, turning around to face her, their profiles only inches apart. "I can't seem to help but think this is all one big joke for you. Do you really believe you're the only one out there who gets premonitions? There are people who are professionals in the field that happen to get them all the time. But when someone like me gets a brief vision into some means of the future, I suddenly can't be taken seriously?"
"Look, I don't want to argue this out, Cole. I came with you because I want to figure this out. Because I want to solve it all before it's too late."
"Then leave out the Nancy Drew act, and find yourself as a Charmed One again," he quipped.
"Listen, what kind of leads do we now have on the mystery demon woman?"
"Oh, we're still back at square one with her. Trust me, it'll be awhile before we find out what her deal is."
"On the contrary, one part of what you saw, has proved wrong so far. There was no map. Now who's to say it's all that difficult to-"
"Phoebe, just because a small minor detail has been left out, doesn't change the fact that I'm still clueless about our main villain here...who actually happens to be an incredibly pissed off female. Please try and understand where I'm coming from..."
"Yeah, you know, this is so much better than my new job. Hmm. Think I'll call and resign as soon as I get back. I mean, this place just takes the cake for fun."
"Have you been listening to your sister a lot more these days?"
"Does it show?"
"Vaguely," he deadpanned, looking away from her, as he directed his flashlight down the long stretch of carpet. "You know, it's at timse like these that I really do wonder what prompted my mother to ever get involved with my father. Not to say I'm not happy that I happened to be the result of their little affair, as one may call it, but from what I can still remember of her, she was awfully hellbent on seeking vengeance more often than not."
"Then I guess I'd be asking myself the same thing," she responded, her voice barely leveled above a whisper.
"Phoebe, your mother loved you with all her heart. She may have not been able to be there for you, but at least she never turned her back completely on her husband- even after they'd separated. Of course, in your household, I suppose being dead has its advantages."
"She could have hurt you," she told him. "But she didn't. I...I mean I saw it with my own eyes. She pulled you away...almost as if she somehow planned to protect you from him. Which, given what you already know from your past, makes absolutely- well, in the long run, we're able to draw zero conclusions from it."
"You saw it?" he inquired, his eyebrows raised in surprise, as he continued ahead of her.
"I never mentioned it to you, because I didn't want to get you upset. I mean, for all it was worth, I just-"
"Oh, wait. Let me guess. You were actually worried about me immensely when I was MIA that time I said goodbye to you in the mausoleum. You probably never thought you'd see me again, did you? Of course, that doesn't exactly explain you punching me as hard as you could in the face, but...."
"Could we not talk about this? My premonition had nothing to do with me wishing any kind of violence on you."
"Well, God knows you've done it enough already to cover the both of us by now, don't you think?"
"It came when I was in the mausoleum," she admitted. "Your mother snatched you away from Benjamin, and probably left him to who knows what. It was just a brief flicker of your past..."
"I wonder why he never came for me," he mumbled thoughtfully. "He had all the time in the world. Literally."
"But then you also have that deal with Raynor, don't you? Where exactly does that fit into everything?"
"Inquiring minds continue to want to know."
"So okay. When it all comes down to it- what sense does it really make to come after somebody once, but not try and go for the kill the second time around?"
"Did you learn that in Demonology 101?" she asked him, a smirk covering her pretty face.
"Oh, you're funny. Tell me. How many insults do you think it'll take Paige before she realizes this is extremely childish in behavior?"
"Why?"
"Because it's useless. I always win."
"Oh, now there's the attitude of a big grown man," she teased softly.
"What can I say? I guess on top of everything else, maybe I really do enjoy the competition. She's a sore loser, and should just admit it."
"You know that's never going to happen," she murmured.
"Mmm. Would this be you actually taking my side for once?"
"I don't take sides. I play the referee."
"Oh, so that's it. Tell me...do I have her beat in point value yet?"
"Hmph."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" he returned curiously.
"Hey. You know, wouldn't it just be our luck if Julie came back? And it's really her we've actually been hiding from this whole time?"
"One, I'd say Melinda seriously did take care of her for old times sake, and- well, that was a pretty nasty fall, wasn't it? And two, we're not hiding. We're merely buying time until the sea hag comes back for us."
"I believe you just made a joke."
"Really?"
"Only, I actually met a sea hag on some not so nice terms before," she explained. "Those women are not to be messed with."
He laughed. "Couldn't take her with all of those fins?"
"You know, Cole Turner, someday you will get turned into something hideously ugly, and you won't know where to turn. Then Paige can laugh at you, for laughing at me. Then I guess we could say she'd be beating you hands down in the point value system."
"Don't bet your luck on it."
"And I hate to say this, but I'm not seeing any pictures on these walls. Unless the girl bore a slight resemblance to a ship, I still don't know what you were talking about."
"She looks just like her sister."
"Yeah, except that would actually help if I knew what her sister looked like, wouldn't it?"
"You're awfully cranky tonight, aren't you? If I didn't know better, I'd almost say Paige came along with me."
"Oh, so now you're comparing us?"
"Mmm....there," he suddenly said.
"What?"
"There it is. Right there. Didn't I tell you we'd find it? Didn't I?"
"And while you're in the midst of your self pride, did you ever stop to think that this one could be Jacqueline too?"
"As far as we know, both girls only have one photo on the entire ship. This...is definitely Jessica."
"The girl of your dreams."
"Oh, you make it sound so romantic."
"Hardly. I seriously don't know what kind of a man dreams about ghosts who have long been dead. To be honest, it's actually starting to creep me out just a little bit."
"Maybe you should've brought your night light?"
"Well....according to the nameplate, you do seem to be correct. This is...was Jessica Graves. And if you say Jacqueline is a spitting image of her sister, how do you know we're not being played for the one hundredth time aboard this ship right now? I mean, for all we know, they could be in it together. Ever consider that as an option?"
"Phoebe, please. Consider the facts. From what Jessica said, her sister could've cared less about helping anybody. And seeing that she's no longer a part of this world, what would be the motive for actually helping the people in it?"
"Good point. But need I remind you I apparently don't know as much as you do about this?"
"And that's why you're still learning."
"Someone! Anyone! Can someone help me? Anyone! I'm down here! Please!"
"Oh, you know, Cole. Real funny. Seriously. As if this wasn't enough, you just had to add the voices in too."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I get it. You're trying to replay this whole thing, aren't you? Well, nice touch, but I don't buy it. This is becoming way too borderline frightfest for my taste."
"Phoebe, you're going to have to believe me when I tell you that wasn't me." He shone his flashlight into the darkness, its beam catching the reflection of the lights in the near distance, encompassing them in the vivid glow.
She swallowed hard, looking at him with a worried glance. The color had nearly drained from her face, as she placed a hand securely on his arm. "A guest?"
"Maybe they locked themselves out of their cabin. We should go take a look."
"What? Are you nuts?"
"Well, actually you thought I was crazy before, but that's hardly important now, is it?"
"Cole, I'm suddenly getting the impression that I should be believing you about the whole thing now... Only, I think even my feet are too scared in place to move."
"A Charmed One, scared? Oh, this is a first."
"It's not funny, alright? Things like this just have that affect on me. It was just like watching those movies when I was a kid."
"I'm down here!" the voice beckoned again. "Please! Is anyone out there?"
"Okay. Well, we have two options. One, we can sit on our asses, which is so unlike us unless we're possessed, or two, we go and check it out, see who it is. Personally, myself gets the vote for option two."
She grasped his hand solid in her own, and the two of them slowly began to make their way further down the hall, directly headed into the sound of the saddened protests. A steel doorway loomed in front of them, and looked as if it hadn't been opened in more years than the ship had come into existence. But now it stood open a good number of inches, and swung back and forth by an vacant breeze that seemed to catch it, a dampness emerging from within.
"See. Now that....that doesn't look good."
"Hello?" Cole called out. "Is somebody down there?"
"That's one of the worst things you can say. Because if the person lying in wait wants to kill you, now there's no chance."
"Okay, I'm beginning to think taking movies too seriously runs in the family. Other than that demon, who's going to try and harm us? I can take Sterling in a second- and if you have any doubts about that, you should have gotten the man's weight."
"Look, just...just wait for them to come out, alright?"
"I'm inside!" the mysterious tone called out again. "I...I...I'm afraid I'm stuck. Please! Can you help?""
"Mmm hmm. We'll be right down, ma'am. Sweetie, I want you to pull up a chair, just relax, and enjoy the show. As a matter of fact, why don't you count how long it takes me to come out of there? I mean-"
"And aren't you taking sarcasm just a little over the top at this point? Who in their right mind would want to go down there, Cole? It's freezing cold, and it's too dark to see a damn thing."
"Maybe they fell."
"Oh. Yeah. Right."
"Look, are you coming or not?"
"Well, if the demon woman gets us, don't say I haven't told you so."
"Phoebe-"
"Cole, I care about you too much to let you keep this up. I know that you can be the hero- I...I've seen it with my own eyes more than once. But this...this isn't being a hero. It's suicide. And I don't want you to-"
He brought her close to him, smiling in spite of her stubborness. He lightly kissed her on the lips, as he gently rubbed his nose against hers. Her hands lay firmly against his chest, as she forced a side of her mouth to slightly twitch into a hint of smile. "I promise you. Nothing is going to happen. There are accidents that have nothing to do with evil, and I'm sure you've seen that countless times yourself. Just trust me."
"Please don't say that," she breathed.
"Why?"
"Because I think we already have company."
"Daddy, don't you want to play? The game isn't any fun if you don't play it."
Cole turned around, eerily greeted by a strangely familiar voice, as the shape before him rose to a sense of familiarity, her hands tucked neatly behind her back. The small girl batted her lashes at him, as she parted her lips ever so slightly.
"I'm waiting for you, Daddy."
"Alex? Honey, what are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be with your Aunt Paige? I told you to stay with her," Phoebe told her daughter calmly, reluctantly breaking away from her husband.
"Daddy has to play the game first, Mommy."
"What...what kind of game, sweetie? How did you get down here?" she continued, shaking her head.
"He won't know, until he tries. He has to try. It's no fun if you don't try."
"Ally, what game?" Cole offered, his eyes narrowing with a feeling that had only just recently seemed to touch invisibile fingers of dread upon his entire system. "You shouldn't be down here, young lady, and this is no time to be playing around. Your mother gave you instructions, and you were supposed to follow them. We talked about this. Now, if you'll just take my hand, we can get you back to your Aunt....that is, if she's not already losing it by now. C'mon. Take my hand,honey."
But the petite frame instantly shrunk back into the shadows, her smile only growing wider. "The game is in here, Daddy. You have to come inside."
"What's inside, Ally? Hmm?"
"You need to see. You need to know."
"Need to know what? I don't understand, sweetheart. Can you explain it to me? What's inside that room? Did you find something?"
"I found something," she agreed. "But you have to come in. Please Daddy. Won't you play with me for a little while?"
Cole's eyes found their way to his wife's, and he shot her a glance of pure uncertainty, as he slowly took a single step forward. She shook her head, biting her lower lip, and didn't hesitate in taking a firm hold of his hand once again.
"Alex, your Daddy doesn't want to play. Now let's just go back to the cabin, and-"
"No!" she screamed suddenly, her shriek penetrating the walls around them to reveal a fairly concise echo. "I don't want to! You're no fun!"
"Now, Ally, just...." Cole knelt down to her level, as he attempted to carefully lift her off the ground, his hands outstretched, and nearly touching her waist. But Alex defiantely held up a hand, throwing it at an angle, as she roughly tossed him into the darkness beyond. He landed with a loud splash in a deep pool of cold water, just as Phoebe's screams were heard upon her fall when she landed a few feet away from him, a painful groan escaping her. He could barely regain his footing, and fought to stay afloat in the freezing temperature. His wife struggled to get her sense of balance, but only failed miserably. Shaking uncontrollably, she reached out for a steel bar a few feet ahead of her, her hand slipping immediately, as she rapidly fought to grasp it. Cole watched as the shape that now stood in front of them, slowly took on a new form, revealing herself as the late Jacqueline Graves. His mind was a complete mess from the shock itself, and he tried to think clearly, despite the chill that overcame him.
"It's a test, you see. It's everything you fear, and so much more."
"Why are you doing this?" Phoebe whispered shakily.
"I chose the only way I knew to get him to face what he's been so easily able to deny all this time. Now....it's your one and only chance to face those demons, Cole- to confront your petty excuse for a childhood. I figure this is more than enough....don't you?"
"Dammit," he snapped, as the cold continued to consume his entire being.
"Oh please. Save it, alright? You are nothing more than a worthless cause, and it's all you'll ever be. You and your pathetic little wife don't deserve to know what lies beneath the Crimsom Star. It's a mystery that deserves to stay buried, and you're going to go right along with it. Oh, but don't worry. Your daughter is next. As a matter of fact, I'm headed over there to surprise her right now. So give Death a kiss for me, will you? I've truly missed him so."
And with that, she offered another wave of her hand, and the water valve immediately begin to turn full force, spilling it down into the small room at a surprisingly fast pace. She snapped her fingers, easily securely the door lock behind her.
**********
"Jessi? Jessi, I know you're out there. All ya have to do is come outta hiding. C'mon, Jessi. I won't hurt ya, I promise."
"Isn't that what you told Lowell?" came the faded response. "Isn't that what you told him before you-"
"Aw, now, c'mon. Ya know as well as I do, that that was just an accident. I didn't mean no harm to him. He had it comin'. He was tryin' to hurt ya."
"He loved me," she whispered.
"Wrong again, darlin'. He loved your sister. Not you. It was never you, Jessi. Can't ya just understand that?"
"Get away from me!" she screamed.
"Now you're only makin' it easier for me to find ya. And when I do-"
"You have no control, Orin. Not even now. You were never in control of yourself."
"And we all know you were only her half sister, don't we now, darlin'? Here ya go around spreadin' lies to everybody, and ya aren't even related like that. See? I know it all. I know what you've been tryin' to prove."
"She is my sister."
"Always tryin' to do real good, always tryin' to show us you're like us. Only...we know better, don't we?"
"You're right. I'm not like you. I've never been like you. You ruined Lowell."
"Lowell ruined himself," Orin snapped fiercely. "Now stop playin' around, and get outta there!"
"So you can kill me too?" she hissed, as the tears began to stream slowly down her cheeks. She held her arms tighter to her, as she began to shake, the lingering chill finally taking its toll on her. She nervously tucked a strand of long blond hair behind one ear, as she bit her lower lip.
"Okay. Well, ya know I'm not one to bluff, so I'd say you're more than right on the money with that one."
"I won't tell anybody though," she protested, through her sobs. "I won't tell."
"Now I still wish I could say I trusted ya. But in all honesty, darlin'? I really can't." He briefly adjusted the grip on the knife within his grasp, as he slowly began to twirl it straight into his other thumb, the blade catching the low glimmer of light within the room. Almost instantly, he angrily slammed it into a nearby wooden crate lifted to his level, gritting his teeth in a pure and unrelenting rage.
"He's getting closer," she whispered. "He's getting so close." She carefully began to rock back and forth, unable to put her feelings to rest. She could feel him advancing in step with the silence that penetrated through the air. He'd be upon her any second, and she wouldn't even be able to move- wouldn't be able to cry out. No one would hear her down here. No one ever came down here anymore.
"And I think we forget, Jessi. Lowell never died. Lowell became what he feared. But...but isn't that the whole point though? To actually become somethin' ya could never rid yourself of? He had it comin'. The crazy loon."
"You're the crazy one!" she yelled, and immediately regretted it, as she clamped a hand quickly over her mouth. No...she shouldn't have spoken another word. Shouldn't have kept giving herself away. No...
"One...two...three......four- Jessi's hidin', ain't hidin' no more. Five, six...seven, eight....gonna find her before it's too late. Oh, where could she be? Where could Jessi be?"
Her hands went over her ears, and she continued to rock steadily in motion, the tears clouding her pretty face completely, as her long dress swayed slightly in the breeze.
"Now see. That wasn't so hard, was it? Look at ya, all sad and everything. But I promise. The pain will all be gone in an instant."
The young girl screamed for all it was worth, as she quickly sprung to her feet. Without questioning her strength, she shoved a wooden crate towards him, watching as it easily fell from its height, crashing down in his direction. She heard him mutter curses under his breath, as he let out a wild yell upon the impact. Falling to his feet, he dodged it just in time, his knife scattering clean across the bare wood floor.
She dove for the object at once, throwing herself at the vacant spot it now lay, her breathing increasing with each change in pace. Her hands outstretched, she felt the blow full force, as Orin knocked her to her feet, reclaiming it with little to no effort, as he regained his balance, taking the handle securely in his right hand.
The young girl's heart beat rapidly in her chest, as she fought to fight the fear that had now overtaken her entire being. She looked up at him with wide eyes, the tears having stopped, and her face still stained with the droplets of water that had covered it only minutes ago. "I'll never rest until you're found," she muttered, her voice just above a whisper. "I'll never rest."
"Oh, I feel for you, darlin', I really do. But ya know, there comes a time when you just can't deal with all the competition, hmm?" Raising the knife high above his head, he smiled almost tragically, as he took a single step forward.
"I'll never rest until I see you burn in hell!" she screamed, as he plunged the object deep into her chest. Her eyes fluttered a moment, as she struggled to go against the fate that had consumed her. They then blankly laid themselves to rest, as her whole body became entirely still, her hand carefully revealing something ever so small, as it lay open before him, having been tightly concealed within the palm of her hand.
Orin, noticing the bright glow, reached down, and pulled it from within her loosened grip. A necklace. A small silver necklace with a fairly unreadable engraving embedded upon its heart-like shape. His hand immediately threw it down then, as his hands went to his head. He roughly grasped two tufts of dark hair, his face contorting itself into a mask of horror, as he closed his eyes, repeatedly shaking his head. "No....no, no, no, no. No....Jackie. Jackie, no...why? Jackie....my love...Jackie. No... Noooooo!!!!"
The jewelry that had fallen in a noiseless heap, now clearly read Jacqueline in a condensed script, the chain a clear mass of tangles.