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.