The Elementals

I Am Princess Leia

Author's note: What's up? How is everybody? God, this chapter gave me soooooooo much trouble, I'm quite nervous about posting it actually. I hope you guys like it. (Don't feel pressured to though) Anyway, this is dedicated to AnEmperorPenguin, because they are fantabulous and have voted and commented. (Their book, The Strange School is also worth reading) (Seriously, you should) (I'm not joking) But once again, I cannot say thank you enough to all of you readers and voters and commenters who make me happy. So, yeah...I'm just talking right now I don't think people read these anyway. Bye!

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He said his name was Shylock.

At those words, Coal and I freeze, faces dropping. Oblivious, Kenny continues. "He's kind of scary looking. Got burns all over his hands and half his face." Kenny drags his fingers down his cheek, stretching the skin to look gruesome.

Through my peripheral vision I see Coal turn to me, silently asking for help. I try to calm my own expression before facing him.

His entire posture is rigid, jaw tight and fists clenched. I assume I'll find anger in his eyes but instead they're glazed over with fear and awful memories. Caroline is looking at him curiously, and then suddenly she winces, holding her head. I'm guessing mind reading isn't so fun anymore.

"- but he wants you to come." Kenny finishes, peering at us. "Are you okay?" he asks Coal, who has not spoken.

Coal doesn't move for a second and then he shakes his head quickly, clearing it. He still doesn't look any better though, and Jensen jumps in.

"Kenny," he says. "We're going to play Star Wars, like we used to, okay?"

Kenny's eyes light up and he nods eagerly.

"Good," Jensen smiles tightly. "Now you're Luke Skywalker -"

Kenny crosses his arms. "But I wanna be Darth Vadar!"

Jensen grimaces. "Fine, fine. You're Darth Vadar. Now that man up there is, um...Obi Wan Kenobi and you have to go kill him. But," Jensen elaborates as Kenny turns to leave. "You have to tell him we're not here so your men can take Coal -"

"You mean Han Solo?" Kenny asks.

Jensen nods. "Yes, Han Solo, and Tide -"

"Princess Leia."

"Right. And R2D2," Jensen points to Caroline, who looks insulted, "To the Death Star as prisoners."

"So what do you do?" Kenny inquires. "You're Luke Skywalker."

Jensen looks briefly pleased with such a high role but he quickly returns to seriousness. "I'm a...um...a prisoner too. For now. But I'll escape and come back for you!" he threatens Kenny and ruffles his hair, shoving him off to the house lightly. Once he's out of sight Jensen ushers us along. "You need to get to the airport."

"But we don't have a flight." I say. "Not until two more days."

"I can take care of that." Caroline steps forward, tapping her forehead. "Mind control. I've been working on it."

"Good, now get to the airport." Jensen says. He notices my blank look and starts pushing me up the beach. "Come on!" He grabs Coal and drags him along after he does nothing in the way of moving.

We race through the foliage and then emerge onto the narrow gravel road leading to the orphanage. Staying along the tree line, Jensen leads us all down the path and then onto an actual paved road.

"Go!" Jensen ushers me on. He has the same horror look in his eyes that Coal does. This must have happened when Coal first got taken. "Take a right, then two lefts, and another right, and then - Caroline, you have the rest?"