The Elementals

I Meet the Second Bane of My Existence

I'm walking in the same, dark woods again. I look around blindly. I can't hear anything. The fog is thicker, and a silver color. The trees loom out of the mist, black and opposing. I hate the silence. Somehow it's almost worse than the screaming. I feel completely alone.

"Hello?" I call out. No one answers. I walk slowly through the forest. My footsteps don't make a sound. I keep turning and jumping because I think I hear something. It must be my imagination. But it keeps happening. Slowly, I realize I can distinctly make out voices.

"Tide!" Faintly, it comes through the fog. "Tide!"

Suddenly, the forest is gone. It just zips away from my feet, like someone is pulling a rug from underneath. It's rather disconcerting. I'm thrown onto a street. A water tower rolls around in the wind. I look around. It's Rico and Stella's town.

"Tide!" Stella shouts. I turn, searching for her. She emerges from the alley way, running. She spots me and rushes over.

"Stella! How-" I ask, but she stops me.

"I can appear in people's dreams. The woman, Izila," She gasps, "She is here! She is looking for you!" Stella turns around as shouts echo through the empty street.

"I can help!" I say, grabbing her shoulders.

"No!" She looks pained. "Do not come! It is a trap! Get as far away as you can!" She throws one last fear filled look at me and races away. I hear some gun shots and some yelling.

"Stella!" I shout.

I jump awake. I smack my head back against the tree and yelp out in pain. Rubbing my head, I glare at Coal, who's laughing. "We have to go back to the town."

"Why?" he asks. I explain my dream to him. He looks kind of offended, "You didn't tell me she was an Elemental."

"I didn't think it was important." I tell him and get up. It's still dark out; I must have only slept for an hour or so. "Come on."

"She said it was a trap," Coal says, but he follows me, slightly stiff.

"I don't care," I snap, starting to walk faster. "They're in danger because of me."

"You don't even know the way back."

"Yes I do." It might be Stella, or just the vividness of the dream, but suddenly I can clearly picture the path. I need to get to them. I slow down slightly so Coal can catch up. I know he needs to rest but Stella needs my help too.

Choose.

Shut up.

I keep walking, nerves jumping through the roof. The scenery is familiar. What if I'm too late? What if they're dead already?

"Flippers," Coal says, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Calm down." I realize I'm hyperventilating. I try to steady my breathing, but it's hard with Coal right next to me. A crow squawks in the trees. I jump. "Relax," Coal tells me. I try to say "okay" but my voice won't work.

An hour passes. I know we're close. I can hear the echoing of Stella's shouts from my dream. Coal is slowing down though. I glance frantically from him and the woods ahead. We reach the tracks a few minutes later. I sigh in relief.

It doesn't last long.

My lungs start to burn with the smell of smoke. I see a dark, menacing cloud rising from the middle of a cluster of buildings, right where the warehouse should be situated. I let out a small, horrified squeak and race into the town. Coal calls after me but it's like everything around me has been turned down in volume. I sprint to the street where I destroyed the water tower. I can hear my footsteps pounding the road like thunder inside my head.