Elementals
Chapter 4

The three friends searched every spot in that hospital they were allowed to go to. There was no sign of the man. Eventually, they gave up. Rosalie told Jane they were just looking for a decently priced vending machine, which was pretty believable. When they were finished, Tyler, who was now getting used to the crutches again, went home with his mom. May’s dad made her leave because he wanted to get home and see the new episode of his favorite sitcom when it aired. Rosalie and Jane stayed for a while, to see if she’d get a chance to talk to Lillian, but visiting hours ended and that chance never came.

Rosalie had a quick dinner then went to bed, telling jane and her mother she was shaken up from everything that happened and needed rest. She laid there in bed, tired but unable to sleep. It was only eight o’clock and the events of that day were rushing through her mind, feeling as though she imagined them all. The tornado, the lightning, the magic, and that weird man all just seemed too surreal to have really happened. Did it really happen? she wondered. Maybe May is the only one who still has powers… Who was that guy? Do I even have any abilities myself? She took a deep breath and sighed. I guess there’s only one way to replace out…

Rosalie laid flat on her back and stretched her arms out in front of her, reaching for the ceiling. She closed her eyes and thought, What was I feeling when it happened the first time? I wasn’t really feeling anything. It just a reflex. I guess I was scared and panicked? No, I wasn’t that scared. I wanted to save May. I wanted to help someone. I didn’t care about what the teachers said. I didn’t care if I got in trouble. The idea that I could get punished for it just drove me more, like I wanted to prove them wrong. It was an addicting feeling, to know I was breaking rules but going through with it anyway. I was filled with adrenaline. Everything was going crazy all at once. The wind, the rain, the yelling, knowing I was going to be in trouble, the tornado closing in, feeling like I might die, thinking the school might get destroyed, all the chaos. It was… exciting.

Rosalie remembered the adrenaline that had filled her when she was out on the storm. She was focused on one thing, with everything going on around her. The mix of fear and excitement… Then, a strange light seemed to soak through her eyelids. She opened her eyes, only to see a sphere of red light hovering in between her hands, right in the space that was directly in the middle of her palms as they were turned towards each other. Only, the light was different now, Earlier, it had been pink, but now was a deep, crimson red.

Rosalie stared at the light in astonishment. This is real, she thought. I wonder if I can control it? May just thinks about what she wants the wind to do and it does it, so maybe… Rosalie imagined the sphere moving to her right hand, and it did. It condensed and turned into a translucent orb, much like the force field from earlier, and strongly resembled a rubber ball.

The orb hovered just above Rosalie’s right palm, resting neatly in her hand without really touching it. Rosalie slowly sat up, careful not to lose focus on the orb. She sat on the side of her bed, holding the light. As she moved her hand, the orb moved with it. This is so cool, she thought happily. I wonder if I can make it do things…

Rosalie held the orb like a baseball, and threw it. The orb left her hand and shot across her bedroom like a bullet, before colliding with a picture frame on her desk. The frame flew off the desk and shattered as the orb came in contact with it. The orb disappeared as it hit its target, but the damage had been done.

The picture frame sounded a loud, CRASH! It hit the floor, now in pieces. Rosalie rushed to try and clean it up, but before she could, her door flew open. “Rosalie, are you okay?” her mom, Clara, asked worried. “I’m fine, mom,” Rosalie answered, instantly throwing on a forced smile and acting as though she hadn’t just destroyed a picture frame with a violent form of magical orbs of light, “I just bumped into the desk and the picture frame fell. I’m cleaning it up.” “Oh, okay. As long as you didn’t hurt yourself. Be careful picking up the glass.” “Okay.”

After cleaning up the broken glass and moving the picture (it was of her and Jane at a carnival) to a drawer so it will stay safe until she replaced the frame, Rosalie went to bed. When she had woken up, she learned that school had been cancelled for the rest of the week so repairs can be made to the gym, greenhouse, roof, and football field. Rosalie slept in that morning, and when she woke up it was lunch time. She had a poorly put together sandwich, then sat on the couch to watch some tv. As she did, she noticed there was a small piece of paper on the coffee table. She looked at it and it read:

Rosalie, mom is at work and I still have to go to school. It’s pretty sunny out today, so I left some money on the counter in case you can go to the convenience store down the road. We’re out of milk. Thanks!

-Jane.

Rosalie sighed. She really wanted to stay in and do nothing today, but now she has to make a trip to the store or Jane will be disappointed. She’s lucky I love her, she thought, smiling to herself. Rosalie watched tv until about noon, then got dressed and headed out. It was a short walk to the store, so she really didn’t mind that much. The weather was much nicer than she anticipated, and as she enjoyed her calm surroundings, she wondered if everything from yesterday had actually been a dream.

Rosalie got to the store, and was staring at the milk, wondering which kind her family usually got. Since when are there so many types?! she wondered. She sighed in frustration, ready to give up, but knew she didn’t come this far for nothing. “Hello,” came a voice from behind her. Rosalie, startled, whipped around to see who was speaking to her, and her stomach seemed to drop to her knees as she saw the man from the hospital standing directly behind her.

“I feel like I owe you an explanation about yesterday,” he said casually. “DO YOU THINK?!” Rosalie shouted. People began to stare. The man sighed. “Listen, I’ll explain everything I can about the powers you and your friends have, but not here,” he said quietly, “There’s a park across the street and it’s empty. Come with me there.” “Oh, yeah, because when you are a teenage girl and strange men who look like they’re 50 ask you to go places with them, you definitely do that,” Rosalie answered sarcastically. “I’m only 47,” the man mumbled, “I realize it’s strange, but there are plenty of security cameras and you can even send your sister a text message to let her know where you are. I won’t ask you to get into a car and there’s no way anything bad could happen without people seeing. Besides, you do have magic you can fight with.”

It’s not like I can control my powers, and you might have magic too, Rosalie wanted to say, but he had a point. There was no practical way he could kidnap her or anything like that anymore at the park than he could right there in the store. Besides, she might finally understand her powers. “Alright, fine,” she said. “Good. Now, if anyone asks, I’m your father,” he said calmly yet seriously. Rosalie nodded. She paid for her groceries then walked across the street to the small playground on the other side with this stranger, questioning her decisions the entire time, and all the while looking around to map out where she could run and what she could grab to use as a weapon. There were plenty of people around, so she calmed down a bit, but she didn’t let her guard down.

The man sat on a bench and motioned for Rosalie to join him. She did, sitting as far away as she could. “Now, for starters, you may call me Samuel. Samuel Carter. It’s nice to meet you, Rosalie,” he said, holding out his hand for Rosalie to shake. Rosalie ignored it. “How do you know my name?” she asked suspiciously. “I have access to this town’s public school records.” “How?!” “I moved here after being hired as the public high school’s principal. I start next year.” “What?! No! You can’t be my principal! Dang it!” Rosalie ranted, jumping off the bench and shouting. Samuel merely sat quietly and waited for her to finish. When she did, she sat back down and caught her breath.

“Are you done?” Samuel asked. Rosalie opened her mouth to shout again, but she was out of energy, and she didn’t even think she had any words left in her vocabulary, so she just nodded. “Good,” Samuel continued, “I’m sure you want to know about your powers?” Rosalie nodded again. “Alright. Well, I guess I’ll start from the beginning,” Samuel explained.

“The elements that make up this world, you know them?” Samuel asked. “Yes,” Rosalie answered, “Earth, air, fire, and water.” “Exactly,” Samuel replied, “However, there are many more than that. The elements are earth, air, fire, water, electricity, ice, plant life, and a few others. The elements have conscious minds. They can think and feel, and therefore can also make decisions. They have a purpose, and that is to serve a master. They choose their own master. In order to be chosen, that person needs to already have magic or have been exposed to magic. You, Rosalie, have been born with magic. It’s hereditary and you inherited it from your father. The people around you have been exposed to magic through you, and therefore are possible masters for the elements.

“I saw what your friend did yesterday, and she appears to have control over air. I haven’t seen you use your powers yet, but I heard from the middle school’s principal that you were present during a lightning strike, so it’s likely that you have electricity powers. I could sense four people at the hospital that day with powers, so I know you and your friends - Tyler and May, I believe - have powers as well.

“Each element is different. The material ones that revolve around matter are as powerful and difficult to gain as they are strong. Air is the weakest and easiest to gain control of. In order from weakest to strongest, it goes air, water, rock, and ice. It may not make sense that rock is weaker than ice, but rock includes things like talc and metals like gallium, which are rather fragile.

“The energy-based elements, like fire and electricity, never come alone. A second power always follow with them. This power can be practically anything. It depends on the person who is wielding the element and what that element is.

“The elements that involve life are a bit different. Life is not something a human should have control of. Therefore, they always come with a price. It’s usually something psychological, but anyone who has control over a type of life has to pay for it in one way or another.

“The way someone gets control over an element is actually a bit strange. They have to be close to death. If someone who either has magic or has been exposed to it is about to die, and an element replaces them worthy, the element they need to survive will let them control it as long as said element does not already have a master. May was about to be killed in a tornado from what I heard. She was nearly killed by wind, so she got the power to control wind.

“Now, there is a name for the masters who control the elements; they are called Elementals. There have been Elementals in the past, but they only appear in this world when they are needed. It’s normally once in a century. The Elementals usually only gain power after two things appear: an Enlightener and a great evil. I am the Enlightener.”

Rosalie sat silently, trying to process all the information she had just received. “So, if I’m understanding this, Tyler, May, and myself are three of the next generation of some magical element-masters and you’re some kind of omen that shows up when evil does?” she asked. “Not exactly,” Samuel answered, “I am the Enlightener. It’s my job to enlighten the new generation of Elementals on what they are, why they have their powers, and what their purpose is. The Elementals begin to gain powers usually between thirty and fifty years after the Enlightener is born.”

“So, what is our purpose?” Rosalie asked. “Do you remember me saying there is a great evil?” Samuel asked. “Yes.” “Well, it’s the job of the Elementals to fight it.” “What?! Who says we’ll even do that?” “The elements wouldn’t have chosen you if you were not going to fight.” “Oh.”

I guess my fate is sealed, Rosalie thought. “What kind of ‘evil’ are you talking about?” Rosalie asked. “Well, if it were the normal type, like vampires and ghosts, then the usual sorcerers and angel-bloods could handle it,” Samuel explained, “No, the type of evil you and your friends will be facing are more along the lines of demons.” “Demons? Like, butlers who assist their twelve-year-old masters in Britain, right?” “No, not like that. Evil creatures who possess human bodies and have great, destructive powers that can do a lot of harm with little effort. Normal magic that almost anyone can practice just isn’t strong enough to fight them. However, the elements hold an immense power, and only those who can wield them are possible of comparing to the demons.”

Rosalie sat there, silent, pondering on what she should say next. Almost all her questions had been answered, except… “So, what do we do now?” she asked. Samuel stopped and thought for a moment, as though he had not expected this question. Or maybe he did plan for this question, but decided to pretend that he was unprepared so he’d appear more relatable to the teenager and less intimidating. “Now… No, once school ends, we will begin training,” he said calmly.

“‘Training?’” Scarlet asked. “Yes, to help you and your friends learn to use your powers,” he explained, “You will be fighting monsters of the dark, after all.” “Yeah, because that isn’t frightening,” Rosalie replied sarcastically. “Well, if you couldn’t handle it, you wouldn’t have been chosen,” Samuel said calmly. He smiled a bit. Rosalie had hated him the day before, and she realized now it was for no specific reason other than her just getting enraged by his mere presence. Yet, now he seemed like someone she could trust.

Rosalie had let her guard down during their conversation without really meaning to, but she felt as though there was no danger in it. After their conversation, Rosalie walked home. Luckily, the milk wasn’t out in the heat that long. After it was put away, Rosalie sat down on the couch. She thought it wasn’t fair that she now understood all this when no one else did, so she called Tyler and told him everything that had just happened.

She and Tyler were on the phone for an hour, trying to make sense of everything. They brought May into the call and explained it all to her, as well. Now, the three of them knew everything about their powers. Yet, for some reason, they still felt like they didn’t truly grasp the situation.

“So, I have rock powers, I guess, huh?” Tyler said. Rosalie and May agreed. “He said I might have electric powers,” Rosalie said. “I have wind powers! That’s awesome,” May boasted. “Yeah, he said that’s one of the weakest powers,” Rosalie replied. May’s ego deflated just as fast as her smirk fell. May had a bit of a tendancy to get a big head, and it got quite annoying. Tyler and Rosalie were always there to give her a nice little dose of humility to bring her back to Earth. They were never too mean to her, and only let her know enough to make sure she realized she wasn’t a godess. Besides, if she got cocky now and overestimates her powers, it could get her killed.

“I wonder what evil we’re going to face,” Tyler said, staring off and out of his bedroom window, as though the evil would be in his backyard. “Samuel said something about demons, I think,” Rosalie replied. “What?! No! Demons are scary! I’m not doing it,” May ranted. “Yes, May, you are,” Rosalie responded. “Oh, yeah? What makes you so sure?” May asked defensively. “Because,” Rosalie explained, “If you wouldn’t, if any of us wouldn’t, we wouldn’t have been chosen.”