weird rantage. fic on its way later. maybe.

I'm feeling all sorts of immature today. I'm blaming the NDE [My mother is an erratic driver and nearly ran into an 18 wheeler this morning. fun...] for it.

Anyway, so part of my immaturity is looking around at various Barbie sites. Which is odd because as a child I pretty much hated Barbie with an undying passion. [even weirder when you take into consideration the fact that I was a darling sweet as sugar prissy little thing then] Then again, I also hated Ken. Ken was Barbie's bitch and nothing anyone could say would convince me otherwise. He was her fashion accessory and he never did manage to match. Not that this bothered me as I concentrated more on Barbie's friends. Except Christie. Mainly because in the 80's, any Christie doll was bound to look greenish brown, which isn't all that attractive. Anyway, Midge, Theresa, and Kira and any other friend of were all spiffy. Skipper and Skipper's friend Courtney? Also cool.

Now I still can't stand actual Barbie, but catch myself wandering down the Barbie aisle and giggling at the various weird incarnations and oooohing over stuff I know I should loathe just on principle.

*resumes counting the seconds for someone's birthday* My calender is all sorts of filled for September birthdays, especially mid September.

Oh! Run, hide, be safe from the dying Isabel who is apparently not visiting me. *cuddles her VHS tapes, all set for new GG and Charmed*

*looks jake's way and smacks the calender for moving to slow* too slow!

fic fic fic

*sings* I am filler, I am filler, yes I am, yes I am...
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  "Uh huh. Yeah, I see. Thanks for telling us, Darryl. Bye," Paige hung up the phone and looked at her sisters.
  "Another one?" Phoebe asked from her perch on the couch.
  "Try two."
  "Two? In one night?"
  Paige shook her head and flopped onto the couch next to Phoebe. "No, but they just found the other one. From what Darryl didn't say, I'm guessing it was particularly gruesome."
  "So we don't have to go see them?"
  "No, thank God."
  "So, it's the same as the other one?" Piper asked finally.
  "Not exactly. Darryl said that this time the victims tried to run, and it seems like one of them escaped."
  "Really? So if we find her, maybe she can help us figure out who's behind this. Why are you looking at me like that?" Phoebe demanded.
  "Because the only reason they know she escaped was because they found her at the next crime scene. And the only reason they know she wasn't part of that coven is because everyone else was wearing a different symbol. Guess those years with us have paid off for Darryl."
  "Great. Our only chance at getting any information just died. Anything else?"
  "Nope."

-----
  Tom couldn't stop shaking. Ever since that thing had let him go, he'd been shaking nonstop. He knew it was from having seen his friends die, and from nearly dying himself, but that didn't help him when he couldn't even think.
  He couldn't go home because it didn't take a genius to figure out he was being followed, just like that girl Dani had been. If he went home, that thing would find his family. His family who'd just learned their only son was a witch. His parents had strictly forbidden him from telling his younger sister Olivia. Oh, God... Olivia. What if she was a witch too? What if it found her?
  No. He couldn't think like that. But where could he go? He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the older woman until he ran right into her, knocking them both to the ground.
  "Tom! I've been looking for you. Come with me, quickly."
  He looked at her warily. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
  "I'm a friend. I know about your coven. I also know you escaped. You need to come with me if you're to be kept safe."
  "No way. For all I know, you could be working with him."
  She sighed. "Fine, you need proof? I can give you proof." She placed her left hand across his forehead and for a second he thought she was going to kill him, although he didn't know how. And then visions poured into his mind, wiping all other thoughts away.
  He saw himself running past buildings that he hadn't even bothered to look at, saw himself running from the horror of the previous night. Before he could see anything else, she took her hand away and slipped both hands into her pockets.
  "Do you understand now?"
  "You're a Seer," he said in awe.
  She smiled. "Something like that. I have visions. Now, we have to go. Every minute you're alone, you're in danger."
  Funny, he thought. Something about what she said didn't seem right. Then again, he was too tired to think clearly, and he'd finally found some place to go. Someone to take care of him.

-----
  Phoebe felt herself falling for what felt like forever. When she landed, it was in an undignified heap on the ground in someone's backyard. She looked around and saw lanterns flickering in the distance; some carried by people who were walking around in a circle. Soon they began to move faster and faster until the lights blurred and she had to look away before she felt sick.
  'Where am I?' she thought to herself, trying to find something or someone who looked familiar.
  As she was trying to orient herself, she noticed the circle slow and then stop. Everyone waited a moment and then spread out across the yard, chatting loudly.
  "We have to find them. We have to warn them about what's after them," an old woman said.
  "I agree that we have to find them, but not for the reasons you seem to have. This thing is killing 'normal' witches until it finds them. We don't matter to it, but they do. It's them it wants, but we're the ones dying? How's that fair?" a woman Phoebe's age demanded. "I'm not dying for some mythical force of good that can't even take the time to help us out."
  Various others in the crowd seemed to agree with this and Phoebe felt her heart pound in her ears. They couldn't be talking about what she thought they were talking about. It was just too easy this way.
  "Screw the Charmed Ones!"
  "Yeah!"
  They were talking about whatever had been on a witch-hunt lately. Only they blamed Phoebe and her sisters for the deaths.
  "Tell us again, Tom. What was the exact message?" the old woman asked gently, trying to distract the crowd from their rage.
  A young man stepped forward and Phoebe couldn't help but notice how scared he seemed. "He said to tell the Charmed Ones he's coming for them. That's it."
  "Who is he?" someone else asked.
  "I'm so glad you asked," a low voice answered.
  Despite the fact that it was still summer, Phoebe suddenly felt freezing cold. She looked around to find out who had spoken, and her gaze landed on a shadowy figure closer to the house.
  "See, I don't really like giving my name out. Too many weirdos and crazies out there, you know? But I'm glad to know that young Tom here passed my message along. I was afraid he'd go and keep it to himself. I know he was thinking about it. Not that I blame him. You know what they say about shooting the messenger, right?" The figure held out a hand and pulled Tom towards him effortlessly.
  Phoebe pulled herself up off the ground and moved closer to the group, unsure how she could help or if she could even help at all.
  She couldn't. Before she'd taken three steps, the figure had flung Tom across the yard and from the sickening crunch she heard Phoebe had a feeling that Tom wouldn't be getting up again.
  "I know, they say shoot the messenger, but I did that last time. Who wants to get a reputation of being predictable? Still, I think we all know what comes next." In a puff of smoke, a large athame appeared in one hand. With his other hand he grabbed the closest witch and within seconds had slit her throat. She fell lifelessly to the ground.
  Phoebe leapt into action and started trying to pull people away from him. Only she couldn't. Her hands went right through their bodies. "Oh no," she whispered.
  The figure had just grabbed the old woman who had been trying to defend Phoebe's family when he stopped. With one hand wrapped around her throat, he looked around. "I see we have a little invisible guest. Guess what? I know you're there. I'm coming for you and you can't escape this time, Phoebe."
  Phoebe!
  Phoebe staggered and fell, his voice still ringing in her head. He could sense her. More than that, he knew exactly who she was.
  "Phoebe!"
  Oh God, he was still calling to her. The sound of his voice grated on her every nerve and made her feel sick to her stomach.
  "Phoebe!"
  She flinched and curled into a ball, even as blood rained down on her skin. There was nothing she could do anyway. All that was left was to wait for the end to come.
  "Phoebe!"
  Someone was shaking her. Phoebe's eyes fluttered open. She immediately closed them again, but not before noticing that she was inside the Manor. Cautiously she opened her eyes again and found Piper staring down at her.
  "Phoebe, are you all right?"
  "Piper!" Feeling very much like a child, Phoebe slipped her arms around her older sister and began to cry.
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