Fate

Prologue:

   She stood at a black gate, her eyes moist with tears and a gentle breeze playing with her hair. Her slim figure shook as she watched the man she loved walk away from her. She didn't know who he was, where he was going or when he'd be back. All she knew is that she could feel the pain of heartbreak. The man turned around to reveal a rugged yet soft looking face. His eyes shone with tears as if leaving her was the hardest thing in the world. His mouth moved but she couldn't hear what he said. The tears she had tried to keep at bay slipped down her cheeks as he then signed the words: I love you.

 

   "Nooo!" she cried out, reaching towards him.

 

     He gave her a sad smile and shook his head, signaling he couldn't come back. Meeting her eyes, he tore his gaze away and ran down the walk to where a car waited to take him somewhere. When he reached it, he paused and looked back at her one more time. Finally, she broke down and fell to her knees, clutching in her hand the only thing she had of him- a necklace he had given her only a few days before. Her lips moved in a plea, begging him to stay. But, instead of coming back, he got into the car and the door shut softly. A few seconds later, the engine started up and the black sedan drove away and out of sight.

 

Chapter One:

 

    Arianna Briar Parker woke up with a start, drenched in a cold sweat. Her face felt wet and she touched it with the tips of her fingers to find that she had been crying. Her heart still ached, though she had no idea why. She didn't know the man in her dream though, he had felt somewhat familiar.

 

     She shook the feeling off and glanced at her clock. 8 am. She sighed. Her surrogate mother, Piper Halliwell, had wanted her to sleep in till at least eleven. Last night had been busy. They had had some family friends over to celebrate her Sweet Sixteen. And, tonight, Piper was going to let her and Leandria go to the club. Of course, they wouldn't be able to drink but, they'd be able to be clubbers versus helping to keep the place running smoothly. Arianna laughed softly at the thought. Piper always made sure they never got to join the customers. "Club rule," she  would always say. Though, Arianna had a feeling it was to keep Leandria from doing anything too rash.

 

      She yawned and stretched. Unable to go back to sleep, she slipped out of bed and pulled a robe around her to keep off the cold. For some reason it was always cold in the morning. She ran a hand through her gently tousled long dark copper red hair as she walked out of her room, opening her door softly as to not wake anyone. Arianna then tiptoed down the hall, the stairs and to the kitchen. There, she found the table cluttered with bowls, spoons, plates, and spices. On the stove, there was a pan sizzling lightly. The curtain of the window was pushed neatly to the side to allow the warm morning sunlight in. She glanced at the cabinets and found many wide open. With as tsk, she went over and closed them, putting things back where they belong. There was only one person who would make such a mess to make breakfast.

 

     "Craig!" she whispered loudly.

 

     "Hm?" Her older brother said, poking his head in from the conservatory.

 

     Craig Tristan Parker was, in looks, complete opposite of his sister. Where Arianna had red hair, Craig had dark brown hair. She was as spitting image of their mother, he their father. The two siblings had always been incredibly close despite the two year difference in their ages. They've had to be. When they were four and six years old, their mother was cruelly murdered and their at first loving father turned into a depressed shadow of a mCraig an who had turned to spirits and liquor for comfort instead of comforting his young children. Because of that, Craig suddenly had to grow up at the tender age of six and as best he could take care of Arianna. By that time, they had been put in the care of the Halliwell family. Still, even though, he felt the need to protect her from all possible harm- emotional, physical, mental. Despite his efforts, however, Arianna had times where she was unstable emotionally and psychologically. Especially after a traumatic event.

 

   "Mess. Kitchen." Arianna stated, pointing behind her.

 

   Craig laughed, putting a hand behind his head in sheepishness.

 

   "Oops," he said and went to the kitchen to clean up.

 

     His little sister followed him to make sure he did it properly. He had a tendency to put things back in the wrong places even though he'd been here long enough to know otherwise. Craig was never around the kitched enough and had never really wanted to learn where everything was even though he was a great cook. Arianna sighed in exasperation as he began asking her where things went.

 

   "Oh, Craig..." she laughed and helped him. "You're impossible."

 

    Craig chuckled and once the last plate was put away, he grabbed her hand pulled her upstairs. Arianna uttered nonsensical words of protest to which her brother merely laughed and kept pulling her up the velvet carpeted stairs to Leandria's room. When they got there, the siblings found their friend looking at herself in the full length mirror that hung on the wall opposite of the bedroom door. She stood there, one hand holding up her long light brown hair, the other rested on her hip. She was dressed still in her purple and white stripped pajams and a form fitting tank top. Arianna heard her sigh as she let go of her hair that fell to midpoint on her back. The blue eyed girl saw her friends' reflection and turend to face them, with a smile. She then grabbed the towel that hung on a nearby chair.

 

     "Creepers!" she laughed, throwing it at them and missing. She walked over to them. "What exactly are you doing?" She looked at Arianna, her look questioning. Leandria laughed again when her friend gave her a shrug.

 

     "Craig dragged me up here." The young teenage Brit stuck her tongue at her dark haired counterpart.

 

    "Well, I just thought we'd go find Piper at the club." he protested, throwing his hands up in defense. "I mean, it's not like there's anything going on here right now. ... Not that I'm complaining." He quickly added.

 

       "Well, I guess it would be a good idea to get out for a while. Especially for Ari." Leandria contemplated.

 

    "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Arianna demanded.

 

     Leandria chuckled. "You haven't been out in awhile. Especially since we've been demon free for a little less than a month. And, well..." she trailed off. It was for Arianna's sake that they rarely ever brought up a breakdown she's had. It was always hard on her friend to be told that she had been a burden to her family.

 

     "Let's go then!" Arianna changed the subject. "Though... I think we all need to change."

 

Chaper Two:

Author's Note

More to come! ... Eventually!