Charmed: Reality Bites

Chapter One: "Just Out of Sight"

Paige

Paige Matthews sat on a highly uncomfortable chair in the heart of San Francisco. She turned and twisted, but every position remained the same, utterly intolerable. As the nearly thirty something year old sat impatiently, she drummed her fingers against a metal table. She was currently stationed outside an insignificant cafe, where she'd been instructed to wait. A familiar Elder, who she recently learned was named Elizabeth, insisted she meet her two sisters here at 3:00 pm. Paige thought the request was quite strange... if Piper or Phoebe were so desperate to talk to her, why didn't they just tell her themselves? They could have easily phoned her and she would have instantly orbed to their houses, sparing her from having to endure this god forsaken chair. Perhaps they couldn't reach her? Additionally, as far as Paige was aware, her family wasn't very friendly with "The Elders" anymore. She knew there must be some scary demonic issue brewing, but since it involved all this secrecy, she didn't protest. If her sisters had enlisted an Elder to come down from... "up there"," then it must mean something was terribly wrong.

A strong gust of frigid wind blew at the witch from behind. Her raven hair blanketed her eyes and she hastily brushed it aside with a jaded sigh. It was currently autumn in San Francisco, but the weather was quite peculiar. There were scattered gray clouds and wisps of snow here and there, yet the temperature remained oddly warm. The fall had already began and the leaves had wilted into an orangey brown. There were occasional gusts of chilly wind every few minutes or so, but the city never got too cold during this time of the year. The season often averaged around the fifties and forties with rarely any snow appearing until early December.

More pedestrians strolled past Paige as she attempted to relax outside the small café. She couldn't recall its name and didn't care enough to glance up and look for it. She had ordered a small black coffee when she arrived and was still waiting for its delivery. The people around Paige were all quite preoccupied. Most of them were scrolling on their cell phones and listening to music. Each of them were absorbed in their own worlds and completely oblivious to the danger that perpetually threatened them... the danger she was destined to protect them from.

Paige stopped her melodic drumming and examined her cuticles for over a half an hour. Her coffee finally arrived and she sipped at it sparingly. She sighed and sulked as she observed the continuous flow of faceless people swarming around her. A frigid looking man in a sharp gray suit was shouting angrily into his phone behind her. A young woman wearing skinny jeans and a loose white sweater sat peacefully on a bench across the street. She was reading intently and cradled a gray kindle in her hands. A beautiful assortment of birds flew overhead and into the southern distance. Cars passed and a little boy with a big book halted at the end of the street.

The child had crinkled tangles of dark brown, nearly black hair. His skin was slightly tanned, but he still managed to seem pale. He wore oversized glasses with thick black frames that he kept readjusting. He stood anxiously at the intersection and bit his nails as he waited to cross. He looked around 13 years old... maybe 14? Why isn't he in school?

Paige intently watched the flustered child cross the street. Something was off about him. As he neared the other side, a red truck came barreling out down the street and directly towards him. The incompetent driver was concealed by dark shadows and clearly distracted. Paige's hands clenched as she began to stand. The boy was oblivious to the danger; he was too occupied studying the strange looking book in his hands. Was it a book?

"WATCH OUT!" Paige roared. She desperately wanted to orb him to safety, but remained powerless due to the risk of exposure. The scrawny child's head snapped up, his chocolate eyes wide. He stared at Paige with shock and...

Everything froze.

The scarlet automobile abruptly halted as well as its surroundings. The migrating birds Paige had been admiring only moments before, hung mid flight, like floating statues. People throughout the visible street remained motionless and silent. Cars and bikes were rooted in place as if they had all been purposely posed there. Everything encompassing the witch remained seemingly anchored in time, except for herself and a familiar figure quickly climbing up the sidewalk. Paige instantly recognized her older sister Piper Halliwell. Piper's frizzy locks of brunette hair bounced behind her as she approached her sister.