Consuming Fire

Chapter 28

Eli said he went walking to clear his head, but truthfully, he went in search of Amelia. She was the only reason he kept himself sane in this weird compound. Sure, he'd only met her yesterday, but everything had changed since then. No longer did he feel like the third wheel with Jenny and Joshua, or the useless tag along, or the one who was never noticed because he didn't have special powers.

The SSS compound was buzzing after the announcement, but Eli paid no attention. To be honest, he didn't care that Zac was about to jump head-on into FBI central to spy on the law. He didn't even care that they hadn't heard from Joshua as to whether Hunter had been rescued yet or not. He'd never met Hunter. Why should he care?

Eli stopped to ask a woman where the greenhouse was – because apparently that would be where Amelia spent most of her time – and she pointed down the end of the corridor, telling him to take the second door and go down. Eli happily followed her directions. As he passed a door with a reasonably clear reflection, he made sure his hair was neat and brushed back. Then he found the door marked 'GREENHOUSE' and went inside.

The greenhouse was much bigger than he imagined. It was in a sort of cave, a very large cave. The walls made of rich, red dirt stretched over his head where, far above, there was a crevice in the roof letting sunlight beam down. That was where the plants thrived the most, all bending toward the light as if desperate for its warmth. There was a tree in the center, roots growing long and thick out of the dirt and branches stretched over the rest of the plants surrounding it. On his left and right were rows of different plant life. Several men and women in containment suits were watering and fertilizing them. Eli strained his neck and saw her small figure and short-cropped hair near the tree. He started toward her when someone stepped in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" asked a thin man with a white chemical suit and a pair of secateurs in his hand.

"Uh, I ... I'm here to help Amelia."

"Well you need to gear up," he said. "Follow me."

He led Eli to a separate shed on the right where there were plastic containment suits, helmets, gloves and shoes. The man helped him find his size and suit up. After thanking him, Eli hurried to Amelia, careful not to trip over his own clumsy feet.

Amelia stood over a beautiful bed of tulips, her sleeves rolled up and her hair tucked behind her ears. She wore a suit just like Eli and was using a strange device to scan the flowers before noting down numbers on a checklist. Eli cleared his throat as he approached and when she looked up, he caught his breath. The sun flittered through the tree canopy and brightened her hair and her eyes. It had been a long time since he'd had an asthma attack, and he wasn't about to start now in front of a beautiful girl.

"H ... um." He scratched the back of his neck, wracking his brain for words. "I ... that's a ... a very cool tree."

Amelia's lip twitched in a smile as she turned to the tree and looked back at him. "It is."

Eli wanted to kick himself. "Uh ... why exactly do you have a greenhouse down here?"

Amelia dropped her clipboard. "When my father brought me here, there wasn't much for me to do. I had a tutor, and someone who specialized in aviation taught me everything there is to know about aircrafts. But I didn't have anything that was ... mine." She started toward the tree and Eli quickly followed. "I found this tree here, and I couldn't understand how it grew in such a dark, empty place. But once the sun shines down on it, everything in the room seems to brighten and becomes filled with life. Something about the nutrients in the soil here causes things to grow rapidly. I decided to start a greenhouse."

Amelia and Eli arrived at the base of the giant tree. She bent down and sat herself on one of the roots, patting beside her for Eli to sit. He nearly tripped in his haste to sit down.

"What is this tree?" he asked.

"It's an Arizona White Oak. They don't normally grow this big, but I believe if you give something enough love and attention, it'll try hard to mature."

Eli smiled slightly. "I wish my dad could hear that. I'm surprised I'm not a midget with the amount of love and attention he gave me."

Amelia peered at him. "Is that why you're so insecure and unsure of yourself?"

For a moment, Eli felt as if she'd slapped him. "Uh ... no, I mean-"

"Obviously you grew up not being appreciated. That's why you feel like no one cares about you, right?"

Eli felt as if Amelia could see right through him, and even if they'd just met, he found himself spilling everything to her. About his past and the animal rights movement he was once involved in, about his mother abandoning him for a new life, about living with Joshua and Jenny and always feeling useless and worth nothing.

"Sometimes I wish I had superpowers just so I'd get noticed."

Amelia bent down and picked up a leaf from the white oak, twirling it in her delicate fingers. "This oak was here alone when our compound was built several years ago. It should have been half the size it is now, but instead it grows bigger every day. Why would it try so hard when there was no one around to impress?"

Eli shrugged.

"Because it doesn't care what anyone else thinks – what matters is how it views itself. It's going to grow into the best tree that it can be, and that's what makes it special."

She moved her hand to his and gently opened his fingers, placing the leaf in his palm.

"It doesn't matter if you don't have a superpower, Eli. It's just a label. It doesn't make you who you are."

"Who do you think I am?" he asked, conscious of her hand still holding his. The intensity around them sizzled and all he could see was the glow in her eyes.

"I-"

"Amelia!"

The both of them jumped, Eli nearly slipping from the roots in fright as the Captain marched at them. Amelia sprang apart from him and ran to her father.

Eli couldn't hear them talking, but he could see in their gestures that the Captain didn't like him associating with her. Amelia glanced back at Eli, gave him a sad wave and walked away. Eli waved back but stopped himself when the Captain gave him a 'stay away from my daughter' glare and followed her out of the greenhouse.

Sighing, he looked down at the oak leaf in his hand and committed Amelia's words into his unstable memory. Not only because he admired her and thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, but because she was right.