Wind Keeper: Now

  I no longer have a sense of smell but with deep concentration I am able to see what is happening. A crater large enough to swallow several people is open in the earth. Across from the crater are tall flames flicking there way over the ground and towards what stands  in the middle. My beautiful wife Roxie and my five year old daughter Misha. Misha has Roxie's waist in a death grip. I want to help but in this form there's nothing I can do. I hover above them in the trees wishing with all my spirit that I could save them.

   Roxie raises her hands and I watch as she uses her power to push the flames back towards their source. A man dressed in black pants and a red,yellow and orange shirt that appears to have been tie dyed so that he looks like walking flames. He absorbs the fire into his palms and through his mouth. He let's out a puff of smoke and leers at my girls. He speaks to them, but I can't make it out from so high up. I imagine wrapping hands around his neck and squeezing the life out of him. I know that's not a possibility so I lower myself and breeze around Roxie and Misha hoping they can feel me.

        At that moment an all black SUV screeches to a halt in front of them and I return to the trees. Alexis my brother's best friend exits the vehicle and looks around. She's enraged by the spectacle and it's written clearly on her face. Alexis sits down with her back to one of the trees and places one hand on the trunk and the other hand on the ground. I start to lower myself again and the deep longing to help returns. I see the crater start to seal just before Roxie grabs Misha and makes a break for it to the waiting SUV. The driver leans out of the window and I see my big brother looking stricken. He and Roxie are beckoning  to Alexis. I learned what feels like a very long time ago that Alexis' impure blood line limits her ability to use her powers and recover. I focus again and see that not only did she close the crater but she created a barrier of tree branches that is now being burned to ash. Alexis slumps against the tree. She is now completely drained and the SUV that carries my wife, daughter and brother speeds away. The man wearing the ridiculous outfit gives up his efforts to burn through the barrier and runs off in the opposite direction. 

    My energy hovers in front of Alexis and I beg mother earth and father God to make me whole again. A few moments pass and the there is a change in the wind that only I can detect as I'm now just as much a part of the wind as it is of me. The wind picks up faster and stronger whirling around my energy and I begin to have a sensation that I am back in the world. I stretch what feels like an arm out in front of me and see what looks to be a ghostly version of one. I do the same with one of my legs then the other. I have a corporal form again at least a version of one. 

 "Alexis" I whisper barely making a sound. She does not stir and I see the palm that's resting on the bottom trunk of the tree starting to join with it. The bark has begun to creep over her hand and the skin there is starting to change to the color or bark. "Alexis" I shout this time and it comes out with the force of a hurricane. Her eyes open and she looks at me in shock. 

     "Well I've died" she says. "I'm glad I went out in a blaze of glory" she says with a slight smirk.

     "You're not dead" I say. "I am, sort of. but you've got life left in you. So you have to get up and get inside"

      "What?" She asks still in disbelief. "Jayson? You better not be alive or I'm gonna have to kick your ass for leaving Roxie alone with a baby." 

     "Look it's a long story and I don't know how much time I'll have in this ghost form. First things first you need to get your hand off that tree before you become a part of it permanently". Alexis struggles but after a few tries she manages to break free of the tree. She lifts her other hand from under the pile of dirt that had begun to creep its way over her body hoping to keep her once she was ready to be fully returned to the earth. Alexis gets to her feet then heads to the cabin limping and taking heavy breaths the whole way. I float behind her in my ghostly form. When Alexis finally reaches the cabin she opens the door and steps inside. Before I follow I ask "do you think they'll come back"

  "No. They think I'm dead. No one will be coming back here" she replies. I float in after her and she slams the door shut behind me.

Elementals: After

    We've been living in the safe house the four of us for three months. There has been no hiding of our true selves here.

Many of our former neighbors have moved on and the few who remain only have vague memories of Tony and I living there in the past. Since we left the house has remained empty. Tony had a savings account setup that continued to pay a gardener to take care of the yard and a cleaning service to keep the house tidy and discourage squatters. 

     Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining in it's full glory through the windows. I sit on an arm chair half reading the newspaper half enjoying the heat from the sun. Tony and Alexis come out of their room and sit down on a couch across from me. Misha comes in behind them grinning ear to ear.  Her birthday was last month. Six year old Misha is more independent and confident . "Guess what." She tells me. "What?" I reply jokingly. "I get to have my own room." She says proudly. "That's great." I say trying to sound enthusiastic when really my heart sinks. I look at Tony and Alexis who are wearing slightly guilty expressions. Tony starts "it's time for us to go back." "Don't you worry though. We'll be keeping an eye on you and this little warrior" Alexis says smiling at Misha. I try to hide my disappointment and say "who am I to get in the way of true love? Seriously We'll be ok. You're right it's time for us to be on our own and for you to have your own lives." Then there are hugs all around. 

   Tony and Alexis stay until the evening. As we eat a dinner of steak and potatoes that Alexis graciously put together I finally ask "how did you find us?" Alexis smiles and says "that night I felt myself laying on the ground near the tree. My body tried to return to the earth but my mind refused. I continued to fight it. Just as I thought I would lose the fight I received some help from an old friend." She says nothing more and I decide not to force the issue.

        After dinner they bring luggage that Tony purchased this afternoon out of their room and outside to the BMW. Misha starts to cry a little as we get in our goodbyes. She sniffles and tries to suck it up when Alexis calls her little warrior and tells her to protect me when they're gone. Misha and I stand on the porch watching the black car taking away two of the people we love most in this world. 

    We go inside and Misha heads straight into her new bedroom. I on the other hand go the hallway where a painting of the garden of Eden is hanging. I give the right side of the canvas a small push and the entire painting slides to the left revealing a wall safe. I punch my code on the digital keypad and the safe opens. I pull out a small box that needs a key to open it. I pull the chain that holds the key from around my neck. I've made a habit of wearing it letting the cool metal remind me of who I really and and what I'm capable of becoming. I insert the key and the box opens. 

   The melodic sound of my mother's voice comes out of the box. "Roxie my love I've saved these things for you. Should you ever feel you've lost your true self look inside." I want to play the recording over and over to hear my mother's voice, but I stop myself. Inside the box are journals filled with more information than I thought possible about Elementals. The last journal is held closed by a chain from which a gold locket hangs. On the front of the journal In my mother's handwriting are two words "The Four". This journal is the one that will help Misha should she develop power over all four elements.

    I take the last journal out and close the box. I hear the lock click back in place. After I've returned the box to the safe I move the garden of Eden painting back in place. Before I can head to my room I'm startled by a loud rapping on the front door. I'm not expecting anyone, I think maybe Tony and Alexis have forgotten something. Misha comes out of her room curious to see who's at the door. I look through the peephole in the front door and think I've lost it for sure. There is no way I'm seeing this. When I open the door I know it's not a fantasy. Standing in front of me is a tall man with brown hair and gleaming hazel eyes. Jayson has returned to us. 

Elementals 30

       Tony and I move out of the trees and follow them at a distance. We are as quiet as possible and the men don't seem to notice us. My mind works away trying to formulate a plan. How can we go in, grab Misha and get out of there safely? The men stop at a small clearing where a circle of people dressed in hooded white robes stand. Mr. Flames practically drags little Misha into the center. A chant that I can't quite make out begins as the retrievers step to the outside of the circle. Immediately the fever dream I had flashes into my mind. Only this is worse because Misha is only five and she's standing quietly in the circle looking terrified and confused. She's not tied in anyway and part of me wishes she'd make a run for it. 

    I inch closer and Tony does the same. My body is so warm I think maybe the fever is returning. When we are closer I hear an elder demanding a display of power from Misha. She stands there motionless unable to demonstrate powers that she does not have or is not yet in control of. The wind rustles leaves in the trees above her and I think is that Misha? Then the elder who apparently feels Misha's stillness is an act of defiance slaps her across the face. 

     I see nothing but bright red, flecks of orange and I smell fire. I charge into the circle of retrievers who jump out of my way. Then through to the elders who are gasping in shock. When I reach out to grab the one who is still standing in front of Misha I see that my entire arm is engulfed in flames. The elder's eyes grow large in suprise. I look down and see my legs and feet are also engulfed in flames. I realize then that my entire body is covered with flames. I can't feel them, but I can sense them. My hand connects with the elder's robes. I pull him towards me and away from Misha. He let's out a guttural scream as his robes erupt in flames. I wrap him into a flame laced hug and let go when the smell of burned flesh reaches my nose. He falls to the ground and I don't dare look at what I've done.

    Misha stares at he mother a monster whose body is covered in angry flames. She decides that this is the moment to run. Her legs move swiftly and at one point I swear she is no longer touching the ground running on the wind. The elders and retrievers have scattered caring more about saving themselves then recapturing Misha. I want to go after her but I hesitate. I look around remembering that Tony was here with me. My eyes find him just as what looks like and ocean wave washes over me. The fresh water puts me out completely. I am Roxie again. My stomach knots when I think of what I've done to an elder. I push the thought away, now is not the time. 

   Tony jogs into the woods and I follow as best I can with my t-shirt and jeans heavy from the water. We wind up back at the farmhouse and find that Misha has returned there and so has the retriever Mr. Flames. I try to light up again but nothing happens. I must have used up my stores of energy earlier. Tony doesn't bother with his water he knows water against fire can result in an endless standoff. 

    The retriever is holding Misha in front of him one arms across her chest. I make a step forward and the retriever says "don't even think about it" His finger tips spark. I stand there watching Misha. She appears un afraid. There are no tears  this time and something is gleaming in her right hand. Misha's gaze is locked onto Tony. Tony has one hand behind his back. What happens next is lightening fast. Tony nods his head yes, the small dagger slides down until Misha's small hand is holding it by the hilt. She reaches up in a flash and stabs the retriever in the arm. He groans and his hand falls away. Misha darts off to the side of the farm house where she is cut off by a sleek black BMW sedan. Then a gun shot rings out. I turn my attention away from Misha and see the retriever laying on his back blood seeping from a bullet wound. Tony is standing in the same spot with his arm stretched out holding a gun. "Tony?" I say surprised by the seen in front of me. He slides the gun into the back of his jeans and tugs his T-shirt down over it. Tony heads toward the BMW where Misha is standing frozen by the driver's side. I follow. As we get closer I realize that this particular car looks familiar.

      When Tony and I are close the driver's side door opens and out steps a very weak looking Alexis. My jaw drops just as she says "the three of you look like crap." Tony doesn't hesitate he takes a few purposeful strides towards her, then placing his hands on each side of her face he looks into her eyes and gives her a passionate kiss. While Tony and Alexis have their reunion I carefully approach Misha. I don't say anything instead I bend down and open my arms. Misha runs into them and I sweep her up to my chest. "Mommy " she whispers. "Yes. It's me. Mommy is here now." I say. A cool breeze wraps itself around us. I can hear Jayson's voice on the wind. "I love you. I'll see you soon." I look around but see nothing. "Alright everyone into the car. We have a safe house to get to." Alexis says. We pile into the car Tony at the wheel and head off into the night. I sit in the back seat with Misha one of her hands in mine. After everything we've been through my heart fills with hope from the whisper of a promise on the wind. 

Elementals 29

   When the wind guide reaches the car it steadies itself in the trees. I go to the car and tell Tony "get in". He slides into the driver's side and I ride shotgun. I keep my eyes on the trees and watch the wind lead us north. We come to a fork in the road and Tony asks "what should we do?" I pause tracking the wind in the trees with all my senses. It appears to gather itself to one side and I say "take the right side". We are now heading east on a road that no one would know was there. I see what looks like a small farm house in the distance. The wind picks up speed and Tony presses the accelerator trying to keep up. 

    The breaks screech and I'm thrown forward thankfully my seatbelt stops me from going through the windshield. In front of me parked near the farmhouse is the rental car. "Bastard" I say to myself as I eye the car which has remained in perfect condition. "Now what?" Tony asks looking to me for direction. It's strange to me how our roles have changed. Now I'm the one teaching, leading the way. "First we get out of this car and hide. Someone is bound to have heard us making all that noise." We slip quietly out of the car and off of to the left of the house where the grass is overgrown and the tree line is thick. I decide that it must be rare for anyone to come out here and take care of the yard work. 

   "Where do you think they would have her?" Tony muses. I rub my sweaty palms on my jeans and say "likely inside being guarded. Mr. Flames has to have known we'd come for her." "I wonder what's she feeling. I hope she knows we'd never leave her behind."Tony says this with determination in his voice. I put a finger to my lips to quiet him. The back door of the farm house has opened and a group of people are walking out. Among them is a man dressed like walking flames and he's holding my Misha tightly by the arms as he pulls her along with him. She doesn't make a sound not even when her beautiful hazel eyes meet mine. 

Elementals 28

  We've been driving for over an hour and have yet to see any sign of the kidnapper. I'm starting to lose hope that we'll ever catch up to him this way. The night has fallen and the sky has turned jet black. We can only see the road because of the headlights. "Pull over." I order Tony. "What? Why?" He asks. "I want to try an intercession. It's something my mother taught me." Tony pulls the Homda over and I get out heading for the woods. I hear a beep and soon after footsteps behind me. "Had to lock the car. Don't want anyone stealing it." He jokes. I find a spot that is still close enough to the road that we can make out the outline of the car. 

    I sit on the soft ground that is slightly damp with evening moisture and cross my legs. I gesture to Tony for him to do the same. He struggles a bit getting his tall frame to the ground but after a minute or two he is sitting cross legged across from me. "Give me your hands." Tony stretches out his long arms then places his hands in mine. "We need to ask Mother Nature for a guide and we must ask God for protection." I say. "How?" Tony asks confusion on his face. "We put the feeling that yearning into our minds then into our powers." I explain to him. "Close your eyes and concentrate on that." I say. After Tony's eyes close and his face is marked by concentration I close my eyes too. "Great Mother and Holy Father we ask for your blessings." I murmur this then I dig deep and place all of my need to find Misha into my powers. As the heat creeps up my body I feel Tony let go of my hands. Every inch of me feels like it's burning even my eyes although they are shut. Still I concentrate until I feel the night air encircling me. 

      I calm myself with deep breaths and reign in the fire. When I open my eyes Tony is sitting in front of me his hands touching the ground on either side of him absorbing the water he must have created during our intercession. The air moves from around me and a light breeze brushes through the grass between us before moving in the direction of our car. "Follow it." I say feeling sure that we have been sent a wind guide. 

Elementals 27

       When the red fades to blue and the world comes back into focus I realize that I'm drenched. My hair and clothes are dripping and sticking to my body. Tony is standing in front of me with his hands out. He drops them when my gaze meets his eyes. "What the hell did you do that for?" I scream still a bit hysterical. "You needed to cool down and fast." He says looking anxious. 

      "We have to do something. We have to call Alex..." I start then trail off. It hits me again. I can't call Alexis. It's up to me and Tony to get Misha back, Tony rests a palm on each of my shoulders and says

"We can't call anyone for help. There is no one to call. We have to calm down and find transportation." I take a deep breath and nod my head yes. Tony grabs one of my hands and we head back to the main road.

    Once we make it to the main road I sit at where to road and the woods meet. My heart pounds in my chest as I try to fight the panic. "What now?" I ask. "Now I get us a ride." Tony replies. He walks up the road and and looks around. Tony squats down and places a hand on the road creating a thin layer of ice. 

    The next car to come up the road a blue Honda spins out followed by the next a gray corolla. I feel bad taking someone's car, but I need to get Misha back. Tony approaches the young man at the steering wheel of the blue Honda.  I can't quite see what Tony does but he helps the man out of the car and over to the gray corolla. A conversation takes place then the corolla drives away. Tony waves me over.

     I get in the car with Tony and he speeds away in the direction we saw the flaming man go. "How did you get the car ?" I ask. "Poor guy was pretty banged up. I told him that I would stay behind and call a tow truck. The guy in the second car drove him to the hospital" "You are a genius!" I say. "Now let's go get my baby back. We burn rubber leaving a cloud of smoke behind us. 

Elementals 26

      I have never felt heat like this before. My body seems to be burning from the inside out. I know that I will be able to create massive fireballs and flames that will instantly insinerate anything they touch. Tony streches next to me and shakes out his arms. When he's done he stands strong and tall and ready to drown the first man to come through the trees. 

      "This way." I hear someone say. The two men appear.  They stop moving forward once they lay eyes on us. "There you are?" The second one says. This time they do not negotiate. The first man who is shorter and husky leans one hand on a tree that begins to grow rapidly. The roots shoot out and before I have a chance to dodge they wrap themselves around my ankles. I see Tony staring at me in awe. He creates a stream of water and it jets towards our attackers. The roots continue wrapping themselves up my legs. A massive wind is blowing the stream of water back towards Tony.                    

    "Focus" I tell myself. I take my hands which are still free and grasp the roots. It takes only seconds for me to turn them to ash. When I'm free I run to Tony's side throwing fireballs at his attacker. The addition of the air from the wind makes the fireballs explode into a thick wall of fire between us. Our pursuers are trapped. I grab Tony's shirt and say "let's go." When we start jogging back towards the car I see that my hands have burned a small hole in Tony's shirt.

      I'm out of breath when we get back to the car. Tony's breath is steady and easy. I kick myself for not training enough. The car is just where we left it, sitting undisturbed. As Tony and I approach it I hear a quiet whimpering. We turn in the direction of the noise and see The man who looks like walking flames holding Misha to him with a knife at her throat. "Try anything and ..." He makes a gesture with the knife indicating that he'll cut her throat. "You wouldn't dare." Tony growls at him. "Oh I would. Not everyone believes she is so special and if she is, why should she be allowed to be so powerful?" He presses the knife into her neck and I see a pindrop of blood form there. Tears roll down my Misha's cheeks but she does not call out to me. 

   The walking flames jiggles the key I'd given Misha from his free hand. Tony and I stand frozen watching in horror. "Good don't move. Now me and the girl are going to get in the car and we're going to meet up with some friends of mine. Don't worry I'll keep her safe." He says this all with a menacing tone. Then he drags Misha along with him and into the driver's side of the car. I'm assuming so he doesn't have to walk around and we won't be able to do anything without hurting Misha in the process. He guns the engine and drives away. My heart shatters and my legs feel weak. Then everything goes Red.

Elementals 25

    This time we decide to steer clear of the interstate. I'm relaxed behind the wheel now that I've rested. I look at Misha through the rear view mirror . We have matching French braids that run directly down the middle of our heads. 

Mine is neat and in place, curls are making their escapes as I look at her. She still hasn't said a word and sits silently looking out of the window. Tony has managed to stretch his long frame out as much as humanly possible in the sedan. 

    I attempt to sing along with Carrie Underwood as "blown away" plays on the radio. I try and pretend that this is a normal road trip. "If we were simply going on a family vacation right now where would we be going?" I ask Tony. He turns his head to face me and says "Florida. I would love to explore Disney world with Misha." He looks back at her and she smiles. I inhale and say "we'll plan that trip soon."

     When I pull my attention back to the road I have to lower my speed for the black SUV in front of me. I check my rear view mirror and see another  one behind me.  Not wanting to be paranoid I ask Tony. "Does it feel like we're surrounded?" He looks around and says "try to pass the one in front." I check the opposite lane and see that's it's free of traffic. I step on the accelerator and pass the first car. At first all is well. Then after about ten minutes the SUV I passed changes lanes as if to pass me. Once the SUV is next to me I look over and see that the driver is not attempting to pass me, but to run me off the road. I speed up and jerk the steering wheel to the right driving into the woods. The car bumps along before coming to a stop about half a mile in from the road. 

     I get out of the car and grab my backpack. Tony does the same while I help Misha out. The sound of on coming vehicles better equipped for off roading reaches my ears. I turn to Misha and say "remember where the car is. When I tell you, I want you to come here and hide in the car ok." She nods her head yes. The three of us head deeper into the woods. 

     We hike a little further in, but not so far that Misha won't be able to return to the car. When I think we're in well enough to hide I give Misha one of the car keys. She takes it from me and puts it into the pocket of her jeans. Tony taps me on the shoulder. When I turn around he points to our right and I see a rustling in the trees, then hear deep male voices moments later. This is it I think. I signal to

Misha to run back to the car which is in the opposite direction of where the voices are coming from. Misha runs so fast she is a blur. A light wind follows in her wake. Tony and I prepare ourselves to fight. I let the heat rise within me. 

Elementals 24

     Exhaustion finally takes us and we fall asleep. Tony on one bed and me with my body curved around Misha in the other. Once I'm deep in sleep a black veil lifts from my eyes and I'm in the woods. I'm hiding, crouching low behind a tree. I see the elders standing in a circle. They are all cloaked in white indicating they are performing some ritual I don't know. There is something in the middle of the circle. One of the elders moves and I realize it's not a thing but another person, wearing a blue cloak with the hood pulled up and over their head. I can not see who it is. 

      After a few minutes the elders kneel around the person in the center. The blue one reaches their arms out palms down. A light stream of water sprays the grass at their feet. When the water stops a beautiful blood red rose rises from the ground. The blue one closes one hand tight into a fist and when the hand is opened again a small ball of fire hovers above the palm. The blue one tosses the fireball at the rose and it turns to ash. The blue one now waves both hands and the wind picks up. It grows strong blowing the white cloaks of the elders and encircling the blue one until the hood of the blue cloak is knocked back by the force. Impossibly it reveals a teenage girl with long brown curls, tan skin and hazel eyes. It can't be I tell myself sucking in a breath of suprise. 

       The elders nod their heads approvingly at the display of power over all four elements. They rise tightening the circle around her. I hear a commotion coming from the right of the circle. Two new elders are pulling along someone cloaked in black. This person is struggling to get free but failing miserably. The black cloaked one is shoved into the circle so hard that the black hood falls off. I see a teenage boy with short black hair and olive skin. He looks terrified. He speaks directly to the girl. "I'm sorry Misha." He says confirming my fears. He reaches out and grabs both of her hands in his. Her eyes open wide before a blood curdling scream escapes her mouth and the elders tighten the circle so that I can no longer see her.

        "Roxie!" I open my eyes and see Tony looking down at me. His face is full of concern. I reach up and feel a warm towel on my forehead. "How long have I been asleep." I ask. "Its been over a day. You were burning up. Well more than usual. I think you had a fever. I sit up in the bed and lean my back against the headboard. My stomach growls. "I guess I could use something to eat." I say. "That we can help you with." He moves to the side and Misha brings me a plate of pancakes and bacon. "Thank you baby." I tell her as I tug on a curl and let go so that it recoils. She smiles and kisses me on the cheek; she still does not speak. 

        Once I've finished eating and had a shower I feel refreshed. "I'm not sick" I tell Tony. "I feel good as new. It was probably just from going non stop." I decide not to share my dream. It could have been the result of a fever and not a premonition of what is to become of Misha if we don't make it to the safe house. "Since you're feeling better, we should hit the road." Tony says. "We've been here too long." I agree and start gathering our belongings. We're efficient and precise thanks to Alexis. Our backpacks are packed and the room is wiped clean of fingerprints in 15 minutes. The three of us are back in the rental car and heading towards the border. 

Elementals 23

     When we reach Lyndonville in Vermont I decide we need to get a motel room for the night. Misha has continued to be silent and I want to talk to her. Tony pulls into the lot of the first motel we see with a vacancy sign flashing in neon red. I dig out the credit card and drivers license for Derrick Peterson and give them to Tony. I wait in the car with Misha while he goes inside to rent a room. When he returns Misha and I are standing outside the car with our backpacks. 

     The room is in a corner on the bottom floor. It's at an angle that gives us a full view of the parking lot and office from the window. After locking up the room and making sure the curtains are closed tight I take Misha into the bathroom. "You're so quiet today." I observe as I run warm water in the bathtub. Misha shrugs her shoulders. "Come here." I say on my knees with my arms open. Misha complies and I give her a bear hug. When I let go she undresses and slips into the tub. As I help her bathe I sing "Love Story " to her. She hums along but does not say a word. The water in the tub moves as if a breeze has come through an open window and touched it. I look around and confirm what I already knew. There is no window in the bathroom. "Misha" I say tentatively, she looks up at me and the water stills. "Are you doing that?" I ask pointing to the water. She looks at me quizzically. I try again "have you tried to see if you have wind magic?" She shakes her head no. I help her out of the tub and into a clean T-shirt and underwear. 

       I carry Misha back into the room and lay her down in one of the double beds. Tony stands at the window looking out. "I'm going to get ice, maybe something from the vending machine." He tells me before stepping outside. I make sure the door is locked firmly behind him before I return to the bathroom. I undress and step into the stream of warm water coming from the shower head. In the shower I close my eyes and attempt to wash off the pain and sadness from the last few days. Tears start to escape my eyes and I allow them to fall. I give myself permission to break down alone in the shower. I cry for My mother, Jayson, Alexis, Misha and Tony. I cry until I think Arden himself can feel my sorrow. When I'm out of tears. I turn the water off and rebuild the tough exterior that has helped me get this far.

       Tony is sitting on the double bed across from where Misha is sleeping. His back is to me as I exit the bathroom. His head is down and I can make out a slight shaking of his shoulders. I sit on the bed next to him and put my hand on his. He squeezes it and says in a thin voice "when this is done, when you two are safe I'm going back for her. I can't leave her like that. It's not what she would want," He wipes away tears with his free hand. I've been so focused on my own life that I failed to see that not only did Tony love Alexis, but that he was in love with her. I lean my head on his shoulder and say "it's the right thing to do. I want you to be true to yourself. We'll be ok when the time comes." He squeezes my hand again and we sit like that in silence watching Misha sleep. 

Elementals 22

    After what feels like endless hours on the bus. We pull into the town I've chosen. Bethelham, New Hampshire. I stand up and signal to Tony that we're getting off here. He and Misha stand and pull their backpacks on. We move to the front of the bus past the few other passengers who have boarded the bus at various stops. When I step off the bus I take a deep breathe of the fresh air. The three of us don't smell very fresh after these few days on the run. 

     I head towards the bus station wanting to use a real bathroom after hours on the bus. Misha waits in the lobby with Tony while I attempt to freshen up. I take a small hand towel out of my backpack and wet it with warm water. I scrub my face, then give myself a makeshift sponge bath. It's time to get rid of my shirt. So I pull out a solid gray T-shirt to put on. I toss the one I'd been wearing in the trash. I twist my hair once again into two French braids. After I've finished freshening up I go into the lobby and get Misha. As I was her face I tell her " mommy is sorry for scaring you." She stands silently watching me. " I love you so much that I was really scared when you disappeared." I pause, but she says nothing. "I wasn't mad at you. Do you forgive me?" Misha gives me a hug. I take it as a good sign. I give Misha a makeshift bath and change her clothes as well. Once I've pulled her curls into a tight bun we exit the bathroom. 

      Misha and I meet up with Tony coming out of the men's room also in fresh clothes. "Let's find an inexpensive place to eat." I suggest. We find what may be the only Denny's in Bethelham and sit down for a late breakfast. Pancakes are ordered all around. A silent tribute to our fallen friend. As we chew I pull out a small black case and unzip it. I shift through the doctored identification cards, passports and birth certificates. I take out a driver's license for Ericka Reynolds and put it in my pocket. "I think we should get a rental." I say. " It'll be easier to get across the border if we're driving ourselves." Tony nods and replies through a mouthful of pancakes "I think you're right. This trip is not going nearly as smooth as we'd hoped." Misha sits sipping her hot cocoa and watching us. Her silence worries me. 

  An hour later I slide the credit card and driver's license for Ericka Reynolds to a cashier at the car rental lot. She looks like she's barely 18, easily fooled by them. I get the keys to a four door Ford and head to the car with Misha and Tony following. Misha gets into the back without a word. I take the wheel and Tony rides shotgun. I burn rubber as I head back to the 93. Tony tells me to take it easy a few times as we fly up the highway and I change lanes. I'm on edge and feel that every car is following us. When I decide that taking the main highway is not safe for us I exit and start taking the back roads. Misha has been silently staring out her window. Occasionally rubbing her arms in the place where I grabbed her so tightly. I pull over and tell Tony to take over driving. A cool breeze wraps itself around me and blows passed as I move to the passenger side. I twist the key that still hangs around my neck and remind myself to ask Misha if she's felt powers developing. Tony eases the Ford back onto the road. 

Elementals 21

      I sat across from Eric in the little Italian restaurant. His smile was gorgeous he recommended fettuccine for me. The conversation was easy between us. "If you had to choose between the zoo, library or a museum to live for the rest of your life which would you choose?" Eric had been asking creative questions to get to know me all night. "That's easy. I'd choose the zoo. I need to be close to nature and well that's the closest of the three." I replied. "That's an interesting choice. I do love the great outdoors myself. What's your favorite part of nature?" "Sometimes I just love to be outside and feel the wind other times I just like to enjoy the scenery. Nature can be so beautiful." I had felt that the date was going well. Our waiter interrupted us then bringing dessert. I happily dug into my slice of lemon cake as we continued our conversation. The time had flown by. 

     "You know not all parts of nature are beautiful." Eric mentioned as if we hadn't been interrupted by the waiter. "Like what?" I asked. "Well nature can be destructive too. For example tornandos , or earthquakes and definitely fire." I instantly became alert at those words. I felt something was strange about him saying them. "Are you afraid of a little fire?" I asked testing his response. "Me? Never I always found it interesting. Wondered how it worked." His words were a bit too serious for my tastes. "I should get back. This is the first time I've gone out with anyone since..." I trailed off trying to sound like a nervous mother. He gave me that gleaming smile and stood up.

     As we drove back to the house I tried to keep the conversation short. I didn't want Eric to see that I was nervous. He continued to make small talk. "Ever been burned?" He asked. "No" I replied not wanting to elaborate. The drive seemed to be taking an extra long time. "I have" he continued. "That's why I don't care for fire. I still carry the scars from being burned as a kid." "Sorry" I told him sympathetically.  Just when I was trying to figure out how to jump out of his car we pulled up to the house. He got out of the car, walked around and opened the passenger door for me. He leaned over and gave me a tight hug. I let go and headed towards the the house. Before I opened  the door Eric called to me "Hey Roxie, I enjoyed our time together. See you soon." Then he sped away. 

      I couldn't get inside fast enough. He'd just confirmed it. They'd found us. No one here ever called me Roxie. They all knew me as Anne. I had difficulty getting the story out when Tony met me at the door. "We need to leave now" he'd said. "We will go" had been my reply. 

      The bus hits a bump and I jerk awake. "Sorry about that." The driver calls. Tony is asleep with his head leaning against the window and Misha has buried herself in his back and begun snoring lightly. I check the map again. A few more stops and we'll need to get off. 

Elementals 20

       The bus rumbles north on the 93. We're heading out of Massachusetts and into New Hampshire. Misha is cuddled next to Tony nibbling on trail mix and I sit alone a few seats back and across from them. I pull out the map and look for a place to stop. I know now that we'll have to get off the bus before I planned too. I try to find a random stop as close to the border as possible. After I pick one I put the map away and lean back iny seat. I'm exhausted and need to rest.

        When my eyes close I see myself opening the door to the house in Harverhill Misha toddles in behind me and Tony follows. I feel a sense of relief. After a few months in the cabin with Alexis she helped us find this place. No one had come for us. We felt that we could be ourselves here or at least a version of them. 

      We used altered versions of our real names. I got a job teaching pre-school and became Ms. Anne to my students. Tony found work on the docks and I enrolled Misha in daycare. We didn't pretend to be married. The few people who became as close to friends as I would allow them knew that I was a widow and the Tony was just looking out for us. I even tried to play match maker and got Tony to go on a blind date with one of them. In the end he just wasn't interested. Me on the other hand after a few years of settling in was ready to give it a try.

    A tall dark and handsome single father asked me out for dinner. He had spent the weeks prior dropping his son off at the preschool and making small talk in the mornings. When I came home excited and little scared Tony offered to babysit and prepared me for my first date in years. when Eric arrived at the door I made him wait a few minutes while I talked myself out of calling the date off. Tony and Misha interrogated my new friend. When I heard him charm them both I came out of the bathroom and left with Eric. We got into his E350 and headed toward the restaurant. 

Elementals 19

      I'm frantic only seconds later as I open the door to the bathroom. Misha is standing just outside the door. I'm so full of anger, fear and love that I lose it. I reach out and grab her by the arms tightly. "What were you doing?" I hiss. "I... I thought I heard someone so I came out to check." I give her a shake without meaning to. Tony comes over to us and places a cool have on my arm. "Let go." He whispers in a serious tone. I release Misha and see that my hands are ever so slightly smoking and that there are very light hand shaped prints on the sleeves of Misha's shirt. I don't try to explain. Instead I go into the bathroom and retrieve the back packs leaving my trusted suitcase behind.

      We're silent as we make our way across this little town that I have decided can't have a population of more than 500. I trail a little behind Misha and Tony. I'm racked with guilt over having been so harsh with my baby and I'm worried. I have a feeling, that someone has been following us. 

     When we enter the bus station "Through the Fire" is playing on the intercom. I can't help but smile. "My theme song." I say to Tony who cracks a smile too. As a teen I would play this song while I practiced with my fire. I reach out for Misha wanting to share this moment with her but she pulls away and moves closer to Tony. I go to the ticket counter and look through the list of busses heading out within the hour. There's only one heading north so I purchase three tickets for the bus leaving in 30 minutes. 

     I inform Tony of my purchase and the three of us sit down on one of the three benches in the station. I unzip my backpack and pull out my MP3 player. I look around the station. It's almost empty besides us and the cashier there is buxom woman at the snack machine, and to young men that look like college students on a camping trip. I don't sense a threat so I put my earbuds in and press play. "Truly, madly, deeply" starts to play. I  sigh and close my eyes. I'm dancing on the wind with Jayson. It's our wedding day and this song plays as we have our first dance. 

   I feel a tug and one of the earbuds is yanked out of my ear. Tony leans over and whispers "I don't like the way those guys are looking at us." I look over subtlety and confirm that they are watching us. I don't recognize them, but that doesn't mean anything. Tony gets Misha up off the bench and  slips her backpack on. We get up and head outside to wait for the bus. The college boys start towards the door as well. I start to heat up. Just as I'm ready to create fireballs the bus pulls up. The college boys are moving faster and coming through the doors. I pass the tickets to Tony and he hands them over to the driver. He rushes Misha onto the bus and as I start up the first steps I see that the college boys are arguing with the driver because they don't have tickets but are trying to board. I walk to the back of the bus and open a window. As the driver gets on the bus I throw a fireball that lands between the bus and the boys.   They don't look surprised and as the bus pulls away I see one of them putting the flames out with water coming from the palm of one of his hands. 

       

Elementals 18

      After walking for quite some time my legs are sore and I fear my beloved suitcase is reaching the end of it's life. "I need a break." I say to Tony who is walking arm and arm with Misha slightly ahead of me.

     They stop and I find a piece of a fallen tree just inside of the treeline. I sit there and they join me. Misha rubs her eyes and says "I'm hungry". It's well past lunch time for her and all we've eaten were the doughnuts this morning. I dig inside the suitcase and find a few protein bars. It's not much but it's something. We eat quietly while we rest.

    I notice that I've knocked my journal out of the suitcase. I lean over and pick it up. I know that it takes up much needed space in the suitcase, but I couldn't bring myself to leave it behind. I flip through the first few pages. They are the thoughts and experiences of a sad lonely teenager. My life was about perfecting the use of my power and planning revenge on the kids who bullied me. I open the journal to the middle and feel a pinprick of sorrow. Here I've written in detail about the day Jayson showed me how wind and fire work together. We created flames that I'm sure could be seen from well beyond the community. I slam the book closed and toss it back in the suitcase.

    " we need to get to civilization." I say. " I want to get supplies and backpacks to make this trip easier." " we should try to get another car too." Tony suggests. "We should pay cash for bus tickets. That way we can't be traced." I counter Tony's idea. "Looks like we have a plan." He says standing and taking over the suitcase. 
      After studying the map I find that we are about a mile away from the next little town. We brace ourselves and start the mile, bodies aching all the way. By the time we find a small shop selling hiking gear the suitcase has lost a wheel, Tony has Misha riding piggyback and I'm so tired I'm ready to steal a car for the rest of the trip. I sit on a bench inside the store and Tony lays Misha across my lap. He looks through backpacks hanging on the wall and selects two adult sized and one child sized. He walks around gathering a few other things we could use. I signal to him to grab some snacks. After Tony finishes paying he comes over and informs me that according to the cashier there is a burger place nearby. I wake Misha and we head over. 

     The three of us eat in silence we appreciate every bite. When I'm satiated I take the backpacks and the suitcase into the mother with Misha and me. While Misha is in the stall I repack. I distribute the items from the suitcase across the three backpacks. When I get to my journal I toss it. That part of my life is over. It's time to plan for the future. I make sure the key is secure around my neck then go into the stall while Misha keeps an eye on the backpacks. I have her recite the alphabet so that I am assured she is with me. "A B C D " she continues until very near the end. After S she goes quiet. I call her name and get no response. I hurry and open the stall door. The three backpacks and empty suitcase are on the floor, but Misha is nowhere in sight. 

Elementals 17

   We walk back to the car this way. Hand in hand in hand. A sadness hovers over us, but we are glad to be together. We get in the car and Tony passes out a breakfast of Doughnuts and Milk for Misha, I have apple juice with mine and he has a cup of what has to be like warm coffee by now. I take out the map and look for the route we'd planned with Alexis. I am thankful for her planning skills and how she prepared us. 

    "Keep heading north"I say through a mouthful of chocolate doughnuts. "Gotcha." Tony replies as he eases the car down the road and away from the gas station. Misha's mood seems to have changed. "Uncle Tony, turn on the radio." She calls from the back seat. He pushes a button and love story comes through the radio. I lean back and let the singers voice bring back memories of the beginning of my relationship with Jayson. 

       Misha sings along in the back. She knows every word. I've played this song for her over and over. It was our song. I'm so deep in thought that I don't realize that the ride is no longer smooth. Instead it's growing bumpier by the minute and I smell smoke. Tony pulls over cursing under his breath. He gets out of the car and looks under the hood. I turn the radio down and Misha looks intently out of her window. After a few minutes Tony slams the hood down and comes back to us. "Get what you can carry out of the car." He says. "Car's shot. Looks like it was tampered with." He whispers to me so that Misha can't hear. 

      I get the suitcase and help

Misha out of the car. We decide that for now it's safe to walk along the road . If we feel the threat of a retriever we'll slip into the woods. Tony and I don't vocalize it, but we are certain that's who tampered with the car. Misha walks on the side closest to the woods holding my hand. "I'm bored. Tell me a story." She says. "Ok. Once upon a time." I start

      "There was a shy girl who lived in a small community of very special people. She had a mother and father who loved her dearly. They taught her how special she was because she possessed a rare gift. Do you know what it was?" I ask

Misha. She nods her head no and I continue. " Her gift was fire. Sadly her gift scared the members of her community. She was very powerful and they worried she would hurt them. This made the girl very lonely. Until one day when the girl was sitting alone outside of her house practicing her power a handsome boy stopped and smiled at her. She had created a little flame that floated above her hand. The boy reached one of his hands out and the flame grew bigger and stronger. The boy and girl became best friends. He was kind to her and protective. He wouldn't let anyone tease her and he was proud to be her friend. One day he realized that he loved her and that he wanted to marry her. His parents were against it and her parents thought it was dangerous for the both of them, but he was brave and reckless and and well the both of them were blinded by their love. So he asked her to marry him anyway. Do you know his name?" I ask Misha who appears to be enchanted by the story. "Jayson?" She asks. 

  "Yes, that's right his name was Jayson. He was tall and strong. He had dark brown hair and hazel eyes and he loved her with all his heart." I stop the story. I don't want to go into the hard part. Instead I say. "The boy and girl got married and lived happily ever after." Misha sighs "that was a good story mommy" She tells me just as a wind picks up blowing through her curls, then over Tony and me. The hairs stand up on my arms. I worry that the intensity of the last few days have triggered Misha's power and she is using it unknowingly.

We continue walking, Tony looking around for signs of retrievers and me rolling the suitcase along behind me. We see no one. 

Elementals 16

   Tony finishes pumping the gas and heads into the little convenience store. I turn to face Misha. Her hair is a mess of curls and I can tell she's been crying. "Come on, let's go to the bathroom." I say. Misha rubs her eyes and gets out of the car. I follow locking the car with my set of keys.

     I take Misha into the bathroom which is surprisingly clean. I wet some paper towels and start wiping her face. She hasn't said a word to me and she looks so sad. I've never seen this kind of pain in her eyes. I can't bring myself to ask if she's o.k. So instead I ask if she needs to use the bathroom. She nods her head yes and I walk outside closing the door to the little bathroom. I lean my back against the door and wait. 

       My body aches but it doesn't compare to the pain in my soul. I feel like the fire inside me is close to being extinguished permanently. I move away from the door and take a good look around while trying to stretch out my arms and legs. The rain has stopped and the air is still. Our car is the only one at the pumps. I can see Tony inside at the counter. No one else is here. Misha comes out of the bathroom and walks right passed me heading for the car. A strong wind seems to follow in her wake. I can almost see it wrap around her as she pulls on the door handle. I head for the car wondering if Misha has been blessed with her father's gift. It's the one she didn't try the first day I explained Elementals to her. 

      I take the keys from my pocket as I reach the car. I reach out to touch Misha's tangled hair and ask "baby, are you alright?" She recoils at my touch and I see anger in her face. "No, I'm not alright. I hate you. It's all your fault!" She screams in reply. Before I've completely taken in her harsh words she's let go of the car and taken off at a run towards the woods. I scream for Tony and run after her. 

     I find her not far into the woods sitting in the grass. She's hugging her knees to her chest and her head is down. I lower myself to the ground behind her. I put my arms out and pull Misha into my lap. She doesn't pull away. Instead she turns and buries her face in my neck. I feel her shake with tears. I break down too. The wind picks up and I feel it wrap around the both of us. It warms me and suddenly I am calm.

    "You two need more time?" Tony asks. I let go of Misha and we both stand. I tell Tony "I don't know if I can keep doing this. How can I continue letting others pay for my choices. You've given up a life of your own to help us. I...I think we should go on without you." Tony hugs me tight before I can finish. "I promised my brother I would take care of you and I intend to." "I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to you." I say. "It's my decision." He says. Misha comes over and stands between us. She takes one of my hands and one of Tony's. We head back to the car. 

Elementals 15

     Tony slows down to the speed limit when we've gotten far enough away from the cabin. Misha sniffles in the backseat. I want to comfort her, but my heart is too heavy. I gather up the strength to ask Tony "what happened when you were gone?" Tony let's out a sigh then goes into his story. 

      "I needed a breather after this morning. I drove further than necessary to clear my head. It was strange there was not a car on the road. Eerie. I stopped a maybe the tenth gas station and started to fill up. While I was standing outside the car the strangest thing happened. A strong wind picked up the signs started to twist, poles were shaking but the night was still outside of the gas station. I took it as a sign that something was wrong. I jumped in the car and headed back."

     "When I got back to the road leading to the cabin I saw the fire. I slowed down hoping to remain unnoticed. I continued up the road and stopped when I saw her. She was fighting a Retriever. She was amazing. I think the retriever was Earth, but she was able to keep him so busy with hand to hand combat that he gave up his efforts to use his powers. I jumped out of the car to join her in the fight. My sudden movement distracted the retriever. She moved quickly, she grabbed him around the neck from behind and twisted. When the retriever dropped to the ground she ran inside the cabin."

    "She came out moments later with the map and the suitcase. We jumped back into the car. She told me that you had been training and when she ordered you to catch her she took off running. She slowed when she couldn't hear you two behind her anymore. Before she could turn back she'd run into the Earth retriever opening up the crack in the ground. Well you know the rest." As he finishes I notice he is unable to say Alexis' name.

    As silence takes over the car I look into the back seat and see that the suitcase is indeed in the back with Misha. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is steady, sleep has taken her. I take off my seatbelt  and get to my knees so that I can lean into the back. I open one if the pockets on the front of the black suitcase and put my hand in. I rummage around until I find it. I pull the chain out of the suit case and hold it tight. I zip the pocket and return to my seat buckling my seatbelt. I put the chain around my neck and lean my head lightly on the window. A light rain has begun to fall and I wonder if Tony's sadness is the cause. 

    The car comes to a stop and I shake my head. We are at a gas station and Tony is pumping gas. I don't remember falling asleep. I loosen my hand that has been tightly clutching a key hanging from the chain around my neck. The key is one of the few things my father gave me after my mother passed on. The key opens a box containing something that I know I'll need in the near future if Misha and I are to survive.

Elementals 14

     As the noise gets closer I realize it's a

car and it's moving fast. I take a risk and turn my head so I can see behind me. The SUV flies into view and the passenger door opens. Alexis jumps out  her face twisted with rage. I start to make small steps to turn my body towards the car and remain between Misha and the retriever. The fire retriever is looking at Alexis quizzically. I don't think she's ever been on their radar. 

       Alexis surveys the huge crack, the scorched earth, and charred trees. I have never seen her so incensed. If she was fire we'd be standing in an inferno. The S.U.V. Creeps closer as Alexis sits down at the base of the tree.  The retriever starts to laugh. "Well that was easy, didn't even have to light up."he says arrogantly. 

       He doesn't see what I see. Alexis has one hand on the ground and the other on the tree. She's closed her eyes and I can see beads of sweat on her face. The crack begins to close and the branches of the tree grow to abnormally long lengths. By the time the retriever realizes what is happening I've grabbed Misha and made a break for it across the area that has already been sealed.

          I pull the back passenger door open and Misha jumps inside. I look back and see the retriever lighting flames in his hands. "Alexis!" I yell gesturing for her to run to the car. She shakes her head and keeps her hand on the tree. The branches have reached across to the next tree and begun forming a thick barrier. Tony leans out of the driver side window and calls to Alexis again. "Please, Alexis." Alexis is now the weakest I've ever seen her. She gets out "GO!" Just before she slumps to the ground. I see flames licking at the barrier and the branches weakening. The energy Alexis put into them has begun to fade. I jump in the passenger seat and Tony peels away.

      I can't believe this is happening again. Why do the few people in my small circle of trust keep having to sacrifice themselves to save us. In the little light from the car I see Tony wipe a tear from his face. Tears escape from my eyes as well and I turn to look out my window. As the trees and road whip passed I say to myself "Good bye Alexis of The Hunt. May you return to Mother Earth in peace." We drive on. 

       

Elementals 13

    Fighting fire with fire not so good in this case. The flames are moving quickly and purposefully towards us. I grab Misha  who is starting to fall behind. I swoop her up and say "hold on." I pick up the pace struggling with the extra weight. I know that if the fire reaches us it won't burn me but Misha wouldn't recover from burns like these. I hold on to a tiny ray of hope that the retrievers are just scouting and don't know for sure where we are. 

    As I get closer to the tree I see a large crack opening in the ground. It's coming from the opposite direction of the fire. I'm trapped when I reach the tree so close to the cabin. At this point they have me and I decide to fight our way out. I put Misha down and tell her to stand behind me holding onto my waist no matter what. Her eyes wide with fear and shock she obeys me. I don't have the ability to close the gap that now stands between me and the cabin but I do have dominion over fire. 

     I summon as much energy as I can on this moonless night and concentrate. The flames start to retreat, I push them back towards the area they came from. Just as I begin to feel relieved that it worked a man wearing black pants and a rusty red shirt that appears to have been tie dyed with black so that he looks like walking flames appears. He stands between us and the space I just cleared. His hands out stretched and his mouth open. The last of the flames are retreating into the palms of his hands and his mouth. When he has absorbed them he exhales a thin stream of smoke and says "Now Roxie, that wasn't very nice was it?". 

   It's been a long time since I've faced off with a powerful Elemental and I'm not sure how to respond. My eyes dart back and forth looking for an escape. We could make a run for it, but I doubt we'd even make it by him. "We are not here to hurt you." He says calmly. "Just give us the girl and we'll be on our way". My mind is racing while I try to stall. "Us, how many of you are here?"I ask. "Enough" he replies. "What will happen to her?" I ask him. I want him to think I'm considering handing Misha over. I feel her dig her nails into my waist. 

   "That has yet to be decided" he says moving closer to us. I put my hands on Misha's wrist and we shuffle backwards being careful of the crack in the earth that is now large enough for us to fall in. In this moment I regret how I've let myself become so lax in my training. I wish I had more confidence in defending Misha and myself. I decide to tackle him the way I had done Alexis on our first day of training. I can distract him while Misha runs. I plant my feet and start to pull Misha's hands off my waist when I hear something coming from behind us. 

Elementals 12

    Misha and I have convinced Alexis to give us more training. She stands in front of us her back to the healed tree, arms folded across her chest. In that position I can see the tiny scars that crisscross her arms. Tony told me that she got them when she was still in school and trying to figure out if she had received any Elemental gifts. He hadn't said more. I on the other hand have no scars. I sometimes think that my fire burns them away. "Faster!" Alexis orders pulling me away from my thoughts.

    Misha and I are running in place to improve our cardiovascular stamina as Alexis puts it. When I don't think I can keep going I bend over holding my knees and gasp that I need a break. "No breaks  when you're on the run." Alexis barks. Then says "catch me." As she takes off around the tree and further into the woods. Misha shoots passed me like lightening and I follow. The sun has set and unlike the first night the moon can barely be seen in the sky. No peace for me tonight I think to myself as Misha and I try to regain sight of Alexis.

    I take a second to look around and get my bearings. Misha pauses a few feet in front of me. A breeze kisses the back of my neck then seems to grow stronger as it moves through the trees. The leafs begin to shake and fall off the trees at an unnatural rate. "Sweety, come over to me , quickly " I whisper. Misha makes her way back to me understanding the urgency in my voice. I want to call out to Alexis, but I don't dare. 

    The all too familiar feeling of panic rises in my gut when the ground beneath our feet begins to shake. I grab Misha and try to think fast. For the first time I'm unprepared. I let myself feel safe here in the woods. Using my fire again and again to practice, losing control, making Tony and Alexis use their powers to show Misha. It's my fault I think. The retrievers picked up on us because I got sloppy. 

      When I see a crack beginning to run through the ground and toward the area where we stand I signal to Misha to come with me quietly. We start to make our way make towards the tree when I smell something familiar. Fire! 

Elementals 11

 We return to the house for lunch. Alexis makes roast beef and potatoes explaining that we need to eat something that will stick to our bones. Misha and I enjoy the delicious meal without complaint. When I'm stuffed, I look over at Misha who appears to be deep in thought as she moves her potatoes around on her plate. "What's wrong?" I ask her. She takes a moment before answering then says "I want to be magic too." Alexis tells her "being magic isn't the only thing that makes a person special. Let me show you something." With that she walks out of the room. Misha and I wait patiently. Alexis retuns with what looks like two small leather belts. She walks over to Misha and rolls up the right leg of her pants. Alexis secures what I am now realizing is a holster around Misha's leg. She takes the dagger out of Misha's boot and slides it into the holster where it fits perfectly. "Cool" Misha says looking down at Alexis from the stool where she sits. Alexis rolls Misha's pants leg back down and tells her. "The thing that is more important than magic is love. You keep that dagger there and only use it when your heart tells you to protect the people you love." Misha looks seriously at  Alexis and says "yes, ma'am." 

    After I secure the slightly bigger holster to my thigh and slide my knife in I take Misha to the living room area. The map with our planned route is still sitting on the coffee table. Alexis stops looking out of the window and picks it up. She doesn't say it but I get the feeling she's worried about Tony who has yet to return from his trip to the gas station. She says she's going to put the map in a safe place. A moment later I hear her bedroom door close. 

       I turn to Misha and say "it's time you start your official studies." "School?" She asks. "Something like that, but these studies are different. These are the studies of our kind." I begin. Misha pulls her legs up on the couch then crosses them. She faces me and listens intently as I begin to explain Elementals. 

     This is our way. The history passed down from parents to children to grandchildren. My mother with her jet black hair and smooth chocolate brown skin once sat with me like this. She told me about our Mother Nature and dear father God. She told me the story of Arden the first human to be granted the Elemental gift. Arden is believed to have been a son of Adam and Eve who stood watch at the entrance of the garden of Eden. He devoted his life to making sure the garden was never again tainted by human touch. For his dedication The great mother and dear father granted Arden with power over all four elements. He passed this power on to his children and eventually to us through the generations. My mother who was earth told me the story again just before she came down with a terrible fever. She became very ill and unable to heal herself she returned to the earth. She was a wonderful mother, my best friend and I was heartbroken to lose her when I was a teen. I continued living with my father who was water. He became distant after my mother passed on and I worried that he would dry up like a lake during a drought. Then I met Jayson and our love took me away from that life.

    I reach over and pull Misha into my lap as I finish telling her the story of Arden. She looks up at me and asks "why do we run if being an elemental is a present?" I tell her that few Elementals since Arden have been born with power over all four elements and that some have gotten it into their heads that she will be one of them. "Awesome, I'll be super cool." She replies. "Yes, honey you will." I say pulling gently on one of her curls. "But for now not being magic is a gift. It helps hide you from them. They can't find you if you are not using a power." "What would happen if they found me?" She asks curiously. " I can't say for sure accept that the elders would take you away from me. Some think one person having that much power is a very dangerous thing and that it should be stopped." I don't go into more detail for fear of scaring her. "Ok, lessons over. Now let's have some fun."' I say. 

Elementals 10

    That night I have a dreamless, fireless, calm sleep. The best I've had in days. I wake  up early and move Misha out from under my legs where she must have moved to in the middle of the night. I slip out of the bed and pad towards the kitchen. Just before I enter I hear voices. Tony and Alexis are arguing, I take a beat and try to give them privacy. "No, I can't." Alexis says. "I'm just asking you to think about it." Tony responds. Alexis sighs and says "I'll think about, but I'm not ready." There's a long pause and I take the opportunity to walk into the kitchen. Tony moves away from Alexis, grumbles good morning to me then says he's going to find a gas station to fill up the SUV. 

     "You ok?" I ask. "Fine." Alexis replies shortly. She sits at the counter with a glass of lemonade and sips it slowly. I rummage in the refrigerator for something to eat. After settling on milk and cereal I sit next to Alexis. I eat quietly while Alexis drinks her lemonade. She finishes her glass and says "wake Misha up and meet me back here in an hour." "Why?" I ask. "It's time I take you two to the sanctuary" she says criptically. 

       Exactly one hour later with her curls dangling loosely at her shoulders Misha stands next to me in the kitchen. Alexis approaches in another all black outfit that would make her practically disappear on a moonless night. "Alright ladies, follow me." She orders. We follow Alexis through the front door and around to the left side of the cabin. As Misha and I struggle to keep up with Alexis' long strides a shed comes into view. It's camoflauged well. Branches from trees on either side hang over it and it's been painted brown and green so that it blends in with the woods. "Welcome to the sanctuary."Alexis says while opening the doors. The first thing I can make out is her black BMW sedan. Misha steps forward and tries to see inside the car.  "I can't see in." She complains. Alexis informs Misha that the windows are tinted so that people can't see inside. She moves further inside the shed. Taking a set of keys out of her pocket she unlocks a wall cabinet at the back of the shed. "This is the real reason I brought you here" she says as she steps to the side of the now open cabinet. "Whoa." Misha squeaks. The cabinet is filled with an assortment of weapons.

    "Pick your poison." Alexis says slyly. Misha and I both eye a bow and arrow hanging majestically from the wall. I smile to myself knowing that Misha is likely reminded of the many bow and arrow carrying female characters in recent fiction. I am reminded of Artemis and her hunters. There was a time when I was much younger that I longed to join The hunt. My eyes move to empty hooks on the wall. "What happened there, somebody rob you?" I tease pointing to the empty hooks. "In a way." She responds. "Tony was here last night loading up" Alexis says lightly. "I have my fire. I don't really need a weapon." I say as I continue admiring the collection. "You never know what you might need in an emergency" Alexis says convincingly. I walk to the wall and pick up a gleaming knife with short handle. "Good". Alexis grins at me. "Now slip it in your boot. Always keep it on you." I slide the knife carefully into the side of my boot and stand. When I see Misha reaching for a small dagger I pull her hand back. I don't want my child to remember a life of violence, loss, fear and running. I want to leave her with a legacy of love, laughter and maybe a little fire. That's what I want Misha to always remember about her mommy. 

     Alexis walks over to me and places a hand on my arm. She looks me in the eye and quietly says "she's like me." Nodding her head towards Misha. "Yes, I guess she is." I reply. Alexis takes the dagger off the wall and squats next to Misha. She shows Misha how to use it. Then hands it over. Misha grins and slides the dagger into her little boot. 

Elementals 9

    "What the hell was that?" I yell once I'm back on my feet. I rub my throat and glare at Alexis. Tony stops tickling Misha who is now sitting on his chest apparently having tried to choke him the way Alexis had choked me. Alexis gives me a crooked grin with her hands behind her back and says "It worked, didn't it? You were able to think clearly and get out of a tight situation without using your powers." 

    I take a few deep breaths trying to calm the increasing heat that is growing inside me. Alexis turns to walk away from me. "Duck!" She says spinning back around and throwing a small knife at me. I move just in time and here the knife digging itself into the tree I burned the first night.  At that I lose the little control I was maintaining. The heat inside me is on full blast as I get to my feet and throw a fireball at Alexis. She dodges out of the way and the ball of flames lands in the grass. 

     Tony is on his feet in seconds putting out the fire. Misha wraps herself around my legs whispering "mommy, no". Tony stands between Alexis and me one hand stretched out towards me the other towards Alexis. "Don't make me drench you two." He warns. Alexis walks over to the tree and pulls her knife out. "I think we're done for tonight. It's late, the little one should get some rest." She says  before heading back to the cabin. I peel Misha off my legs and take her by the hand. 

   When we're back inside I sing quietly to Misha while I give her a bath in Alexis' bathroom. I'm not ready to talk to Alexis yet, I'm still struggling with her training methods. "Mommy, why do you burn and I don't?" Misha asks me. I wrap a towel around Misha to dry her off. Wet curls cling to her shoulders. As I help her put on her warm pajamas I tell her my short theory. "We all have a gift, but all of our gifts are different. No two exactly the same. I burn because that is a gift Mother Nature granted me. My flames are strong because I create them with the love I have for my parents, your dad, Tony, Alexis and especially you. You're only five your gift will present itself when it's ready." I hope that she believes me. I take Misha to the extra room and pull out the brown teddy bear she has sweetly named Virgil. It was a gift her father purchased before she was born and has quickly become her favorite toy. Misha lays in the bed with Virgil cuddled to her chest. I watch her until my eyelids get heavy and I fall asleep. 

Elementals 8

   Alexis is taking the training seriously, she has changed into fatigues. Misha is wearing a child sized version. I 've pulled her hair into a tight French braid. I changed into black sweats and I've twisted my hair into two braids one on each side of my head. Tony refused to change from his jeans and T-shirt. We're back at the spot in the woods near the once burned tree.
     Tony grabs Alexis around the neck from behind. Alexis sweeps his left leg out from under him , squeezing his arms tight she leans forward and Tony goes flying over her head. He lands on his back with a thud. Misha immediately starts mimicking the moves. "Wow, you must be strong." I say. "It's not so much strength as it is training." She replies. "You have spent your life relying on your fire to protect you. Now more than ever it's important for you to learn how to protect yourself without using your power." I cringe at the lecture. I hate when people tell me about my life. I look over and see Misha kicking Tony while he's down. She fights dirty, just like her mommy. I lunge forward and tackle Alexis.
  She lands on her back. Unfortunately for me she pulls her legs up to her chest then kicks out. I fall backwards on my butt. Before I can get my bearings Alexis straddles me knocking my flat on my back. She places both hands around my neck and begins to squeeze. "Get out of this hold." she says to me. Just as my vision starts to blur I move my hands from the outside of her arms and bring them together and up through the inside of Alexis' hold on me. I use all my strength and push out on the sides of her wrists and break the hold.

Elementals 7

    Tony, Misha and I lived quietly in that house for six months. Publicly Tony and I were a newly married couple with a daughter. Just as Jayson and I should have been. Tony got a job in construction and made sure he was paid in cash. I was a stay at home wife and mother. Tony kept pictures of Misha in his wallet and showed them proudly to the neighbors. Privately, I was a widow mourning the loss of her husband. I didn't take my ring off, I hoped that every breeze was Jayson returning, I stopped trying to rekindle the flame inside me. Tony was gentle, he never pushed me to move on or suck it up. He kept his distance on days when his brown hair, fair skin, and tone of voice were an overwhelming reminder of Jayson. He spent his time at home entertaining his niece and being the only father figure she'd know. 

     I allowed myself to live this sad existence for six months until one day a breeze moved through the trees out back and I didn't catch my breath and wait for Jayson to appear. I still felt a pain in my heart but it was bearable now. I had been standing at the back door watching the little yard be basked in the light of the full moon. I knew it was time to get my fire back. After all the strength of my fire and the steady command of the Flames is what sets me apart from other Fire Elementals. I stepped off the porch and into the full moon light. I stayed outside under the moon all night drawing from its energy. Tony found me asleep in the grass in the early morning hours. He touched my shoulder and shook me lightly to wake me. When I opened my eyes there was a circle of scorched grass around me and Tony was shaking his hand. "You're burning up"he said. "If I wasn't water you would have burned me". "Sorry" I yawned smiling. I looked at Tony and asked "do you know what this means?" He shook his head then said " we have to leave". 

   "No, it means I'm back!" I said proudly. "I get that, but if you burned all night, we can't be sure that the retrievers won't pick up on it." Tony reminded me. In my mourning state I'd forgotten about the retrievers. A team of Elementals who work for the elders. They are trained in tracking down Elementals who break the rules and keep an eye on those who have chosen to live among the humans. I followed Tony inside and asked "where else can we go that's safe." He told me then of a friend he made during his high school days. Tony was a couple of years ahead of Jayson and me in school and I didn't really see much of him until after Jayson and I got together. Tony explained to me that she was one of us but that because her family had married humans her bloodline was not as pure as ours. He said that because she hated feeling weak that she lived a private life off the grid. Tony also explained that she learned how to take care of herself the way humans do, hand to hand combat and that she was good with weapons. "I guess that's what sets her apart" I said in response. "Do you think she'll let us stay?" "Only one way to find out" with that he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. As he walked away I hear him say "Alexis, I need to ask you something." 

    The front door opens pulling me out of my revelry. Alexis walks in, carrying a few bags and looking like the drive has calmed her. Misha comes running in behind her with Tony on her heels threatening to tickle her. I put the map down as Alexis clears her throat. "Alright, who's ready to train?" She asks. Tony, Misha and I all raise our hands and say "me."