The Elementals

Stage Two Insanity: I Make The Worst Decison Of My Life

I wake up feeling better than I’ve ever had in ages. I stand up and stretch. The cuts on my side are pretty much healed, and it only feels a little tight, no pain. I look around and meet Stella’s gaze. She smiles. I don’t bother to wake up Coal. As soon as he smells the bacon on a portable grill someone brought in, he’s right next to us.

    “You’re going to burn yourself.” Rico warns as Coal reaches for a piece straight off the pan.

Coal grins and lights his hand on fire, grabbing the slice and popping it into his mouth. Rico is staring, wide eyed. “Yep,” Coal says, “I’m one too.”

Rico looks between me and Coal. “Shouldn’t you two, like, hate each other?” he asks, “You know, fire vs. water?”

I shrug. “I manage not to kill him. Some days it’s very hard.” Coal looks at me in a fake offended way. I shove him.

    “Your wounds have healed exceptionally fast,” Stella points out.

    “Well, he had some help,” I say, motioning to her neat bandaging on the shot.

    “And we do that,” Coal says unhelpfully, snitching another strip of bacon. “Fight things, beat them up, heal quick. It’s kind of a cycle.” Rico rolls his eyes.

    “He’s got a bit of a Napoleon complex,” I whisper to Rico. He smiles wryly.

    “I heard that.” Coal says through a mouthful of toast.

    “Heard what?” I ask innocently, and Stella holds back a giggle. I don’t want to leave. It’s amazing, really. These are the people who just yesterday were cold and cautious, ready to shoot us. Now I feel like I’m their sister. Even the other gang members were friendly. I feel welcome, and safe, and protected.

I feel like I have a family. And now I’m going away.

The others are your family too. I remind myself. I have to find them, make sure they’re safe. I want Maple and Sparky to feel exactly like this someday. Wanted, loved, protected. Not living in fear of what some messed up grown-ups might do to you next.

The goodbyes are harder than I expected. Rico scrounged up some money, and Stella gave me some of her old clothes, which fit me perfectly, surprisingly enough. I feel like some strange biker in the worn leather jacket and ripped jeans. She smiles sadly, and hugs me tightly. Silent understanding passes between us.

    “I told him.” She whispers and then lets go and says good bye to Coal.

Rico doesn’t hug, but he says, “You stay safe alright?” like all those big brothers in the movies. I smile and nod.

We cross the tracks- I pay careful attention to stay off the third rail this time- and back into the woods. It’s weird at first, but I quickly readjust to the sounds and smells. The forest brings back the tension of the argument of the day before. I glance at Coal, realize he’s doing the same thing, and quickly go back to staring at the ground. We travel like this for an hour or so; I can’t see the sun through the dense foliage to judge time.

    “Hello.”

Coal whips around and I turn also, but not as fast. It’s quiet, distant, but I recognize the voice. “Breeze?” I ask, hope rising inside me. I peer through the underbrush for her.

    “Come with me, please.” She says. There’s something strange about her voice. It has an almost robotic hint to it.

    “Where are you?” I ask. I ignore the bad feeling in my gut and move towards the source of her voice.