The Elementals

Finish The Story

"So let's find her." I say, close to screaming again. "Find her and do whatever we need to do. Coal and I will go to the north side, Audrey and Stella -"

"I'm staying right here." Coal interrupts.

I shake my head, standing unsteadily. "You're coming with me. So we -"

"I'm dangerous. We don't know what will set me off, and I could burst into flames at any minute now. It's safer for me to stay here." Coal says evenly.

I go to protest but Stella cuts me off. "Coal is correct. It is best for him to stay where he cannot harm anyone for the time being. We must find the clone and bring him back, and then go from there." She guides me to the door gently.

"No!" I twist around. "I'm staying."

"No, you're not." Coal replies unhelpfully. "Just leave."

The door clicks shut.

I whip around, ready to reopen it and run back in but Oh'Rian is there, obviously expecting this. She takes my shoulders, spins me around, and walks me up the hallway. "It's okay Tide, he'll be fine. You just need to calm down." She says.

Calm down? I need to calm down?

I can't focus. All I can hear is the catch in Coal's voice. I'm the only one who noticed. He's struggling to stay cool and collected. It's taking every ounce of energy in his body not to freak out. He is just barely hanging on, holding it together for everyone else, for me.

Terra is uncharacteristically silent as I sulk all the way to my room. Audrey said that I "was in no shape to go out in the snow" and I know she's right but at the same time I really want to jump on a snowmobile and go as fast as I can over a cliff. That wouldn't help anybody though so I fall onto my bed, head in hands. Terra says a quiet goodbye that I reply to with a grunt. She pauses before leaving, as if she wants to make me feel better but then she walks away dejectedly.

As soon as she's gone I grab my pillow and slam it against the wall. "Why?" I shout, punching it as hard as I can. "Why him? Why not Caelum? Why not me?" Every word is another blow at the cushion.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" I scream, pounding the wall as hard as I can.

I slip down into a hunched position and cry. It's not loud, not the insanity show I put on down in the file room. The tears are silent, rolling down my cheeks in big fat drops but no sound comes out of me. My body trembles as I take in a breath.

"Tide?"

I try to gather the energy to turn towards the small voice. It's Maple, standing shyly in the slight crack that she opened the door. I'm a mess, kneeling on the bed with tears staining my cheeks and my hand still curled in a fist against the wall.

I gulp in a shaky breath, swallowing hard and giving a weak smile to her. "Hey Maple." I croak out, voice tight from crying. "You can come in."

She opens the door further, slipping in quietly and sitting lightly next to me. I sit down normally, legs dangling over the edge of the bed.

"It's about Coal." Maple says softly but clearly. She glances up at me to see my reaction. I nod numbly for her to go on. She looks down at her feet, slowly swaying back and forth. "Well, he...he was telling me a story."

I frown. "Coal? Like, the one sitting alone downstairs?"

She nods. "Uh huh. And he said last night that he would tell me the rest of it, but..."

The pain comes back like a bulldozer. I suck in a breath and nod again. "Yeah."

"Well I - I was just wondering if you knew the rest of it." Maple says. "It was a really exciting part."