The Four - Book 1

Chapter 7

Juris

I didn't even realize I was taken out of that cell. Hell, I didn't know what happened at all. I was in that cell with the other elements, and now I'm..

Where am I?

I sit up, rubbing my craned neck. I see cream colored walls all around me, with a small chair and desk. I stand up and head for the door, only to see that it's locked.

"Hello?" I speak, my voice raspy. I knock on the door. "Aira? Lana? Paytah?" They have to be around here somewhere. I turn around, not even seeing the window on the other side. I slide the window up, looking at the ground a ways down.

The earth element does come in handy sometimes.

I press my palms against the brick wall, and vines travel down, wrapping themselves around each other to make a ladder. I tie the top and climb down.

"Aw, Earth boys power can actually do something." I look up and see Lana, her elbows resting on the ledge of her own room. I send her a glare, but then smile. "Too bad water can't help get you down."

She crosses her arms and leans even farther out the window. "Oh please, just get me down."

"Not until you say my element is better than yours."

"Looks like I'll rot in here, then." She smirks, and I look farther to the right and see Aira's head poke out. Her eyes lay on me and she smiles. "I can't get down, can you help?"

I immediately make a ladder for Aira, and I feel Lana's glaring eyes right on me. Aira gets down and looks up to see Lana. Her eyes move farther down, and her eyebrows raise. I follow her gaze and see smoke coming from a room. I quick make Lana a ladder, and once she comes down she laughs at the smokey room.

"Paytah, the door will not burn down. Get your ass over here!" Lana yells, and Paytah soon peeks out the window. I once again make another ladder and he climbs down.

"Thanks Juris." Aira says, and I smile a little. I look around, seeing abandoned buildings and gravel roads. "Where are we?"

"Man, there's no life here. Paytah, this must be your home?" Lana sneers, but Paytah is too busy looking around. We all start looking around, for anything. Any sigh that someone was here, or still is here.

"So this is how they want to kill us?" Lana asks, and I shoot her a glare. Aira crosses her arms, mainly from the chill of the air, and looks at Paytah.

"They don't want us dead. It's obviously another test. Juris used his power to get us out of that building, and you could give us some water..."

"No way," Lana hisses at Paytah. "We can't just let them win-"

"The only way we win, is if we die. And I'd be happy to get the job done if that's what you really want. So, give us some water, or I burn you alive." Paytah is only a foot away, glaring right at Lana. Lana is tall, but Paytah is a good inch or two taller. She looks up at him, her lips twitching. "Why are you so cold? Don't you have a family you want to get back to?"

Paytah takes a few steps back, running a hand through his hair. "Y-yes." He spits out.

"Stop fighting. Lana, give us some water. Paytah, make us a fire." Aira says. I make a big leaf, and Lana pours water in it. We all sit around the fire and pass the water around, all silent. I stare at the fire, curious about all the other elements.

"Paytah, you never say much about your element back home. Are little kids just running around setting fires everywhere?" I ask, and Aira laughs a little.

"Little fires. They don't have much control," Paytah says, his eyes resting on the fire.

"I'm guessing you did that a lot as a kid," Aira says, and Paytah shoots a nervous glance at her, but soon he goes emotionless. "Yeah." Is all he says.

Something is off with him.

I shake that thought away, we all are probably a little off. We're all a bit confused, all wanting to go home. Home. My family. I never knew how much I wanted that again, to see my annoying brothers, who mean the world to me. To see my best friend Adam, to just be home...

"We should walk around, sitting here won't do us any good," I blurt out, and I see Paytah nod. Aira blows the fire out, and we all get up and start walking. We stay together, knowing that splitting up won't work. It's bright out, possibly morning, but still there's no people, no life.

"What are we even looking for any-"

"Hey!" I jump at the noise, turning around. I see a girl, pretty close to us. Her long black hair is in a messy braid, and her eyes, they are dark blue.

The water element.

Paytah raises his palms, but Lana stops him, blocking his way from the girl. We all stare at her blankly. She walks up even closer now, and I realize how muscular she is. Shorter than Lana, but muscles like Paytah. Well, not exactly, but she's well-built.

"I thought I would be alone out here," she says, taking a deep breath.

"Who the hell are you?" Paytah asks, taking a step closer.

"Eve. My names Eve. I was taken for testing."

"Testing-" I stutter, choking on my words.

"Where are the other elements?" Aira asks, and Eve shrugs. "Lost, I guess. I can't find them. But-" she turns to Lana, and smiles are her. Lana smiles back, and I understand the convection between them. They both share the same element.

"I know a way out. I can help you get home," she says, her eyes fixed on Lana.

"Really?" Aira asks, a spark of hope in her voice.

"Not you," Eve looks at Aira, and turns back to Lana. "For her. We can go home."

••••••

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