Wickedly Charmed! ~ Leo Wyatt

Chapter 3: The Painted World

~~~~ THIRD POINT OF VIEW ~~~~

Prue is standing in her office with a red-haired woman behind her, looking at the painting in front of her with her tape recorder in her hands.

"Painting of a gothic castle, artist unknown, circa 1910s. Oil on canvas, 10-by-18. Miss Franklin, where did you say you got this?" Prue turns to the red-haired woman who is fidgeting with her hands.

"I inherited it a few months ago. But it's been in my family for generations," Miss Franklin looks up at Prue quickly.

"The composition is so unusual. The artist used pure colour straight from the tube and then varnished each layer over and..." Prue starts to explain but Miss Franklin jumps in.

"I'm sorry for interrupting. But do I need to be here?" She wonders and Prue shakes her head, hiding a smile.

"No, of course not. It's just that most people prefer to be at an appraisal, especially when they plan on selling the piece," Prue points out and Miss Franklin shakes her head.

"It's just that I'm kind of in a hurry," Miss Franklin deflects and Prue nods, walking over to her desk.

"Say no more. Just sign at the bottom, and you are free to go," Prue tells her and hands Miss Franklin the piece of paper that she had grabbed from her desk.

"Thank you. So how long do you think it'll take to sell it?" Miss Franklin signs and slides the paper back over to Prue who picks it up and files it in the correct file.

"Well, I'll need to see ownership records before I can do anything," Prue looks back at Miss Franklin who smiles shyly and nods.

"I'll send you everything I have. So is that all then?" She asks and stands up, grabbing her handbag in the process.

"Uh, no, since you want to sell the piece, I'll need to confirm its authenticity and its physical condition. So if you'll just sign at the bottom, that will let us go ahead and x-ray the piece," Prue hands her another piece of paper to sign which she does hurriedly.

"Done. Anything else?" Miss Franklin asks and Prue squints at her in suspicion.

"Well, yes, Miss Franklin. I would like the time to research this. That way I can get you the best price," Prue tries to persuade her but it doesn't work.

"Look, I appreciate your professionalism. I do. But I'm not interested in getting the best price. I just want you to sell that painting as soon as you can, all right? Good night, Miss Halliwell," Miss Franklin holds out her hand for Prue to shake.

"Good night," Prue responds, and once she lets go, Miss Franklin rushes out of Prue's office.

Prue sighs and puts away the second signed piece of paper before returning to the painting.

~~~~ FIRST POINT OF VIEW ~~~~

"MELDOY! PIPER! PHOEBE!" I hear Prue call out from the front door, so I walk out of the kitchen, eating the sandwich I had just made.

"What's up?" Piper walks down the stairs as Prue carries a painting through the manor.

"Follow me into the kitchen, Phoebe can you check the Book of Shadows about a man in a painting?" Prue asks and Phoebe nods, running up the stairs as I turn back around and walk back into the kitchen with Piper following me.

"At first I just thought that it was a reflection of something in the room but then when I moved closer, I saw a man, inside the painting, in the castle. Right, but the moment I saw him, he backed away from the window. And then there was this strange glow that went past the window again. It was just so... " Prue looks up from the painting and notices that Piper and I are not paying attention, Piper is sorting through some papers while I'm slowly falling asleep where I am sitting with my sandwich on a plate in front of me.