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.