The Elementals Project

Raina

Chapter one

Raina

Life is strange, is it not? One day you can be in a happy family and the next all alone, as if you had dreamt all of it. But then again, I guess not everyone has the same experiences. My name is Raina, I was 14 years old when my life was changed forever, and not necessarily in the ways you would think. Most people jump straight to family problems, parents' divorcing or something, anything normal... not for me. On my 14th birthday I woke up with... abilities. Yeah, we'll say that. It all started off alright, until I set my birthday cake on fire.

Yep... that happened.

I Don't really remember much after that, they told me I was nearly 15 and I've been enlisted into a school for kids with special abilities, I spent months leading into years seeing different doctors all telling me the same thing... that they could 'fix' me. Until one day I lost it, my temper flared up and with it, my fire, severely burning one of the doctors working with me at the time, after that they left me to my own devices, locked me up and told me I was never allowed to leave. That's when I met my first friend, Adam. He too was a fire user and apparently for some unexplained reason people of the same elements couldn't harm each other, which came as a bit of a relief. He taught me so many things, how to control my temper and in turn control this weird power I had. Through that we became good friends and from there started to plan our escape.

Funnily enough our escape went as planned, I managed to escape when I was 18 and though I never knew Adams age, although I always guessed he was about 18 like me. Once we were outside the alarms sounded, knowing it was because of us, we decided it was best to split up and bolt in different directions. I haven't seen him since then but as far as I'm aware he got re-captured. It's been 3 years and I'm now 21, since then I've changed a lot, I have a normal job but I still try and distance myself from those around me except a few close friends I can't seem to keep away ...

"Raina.... Raina?" I snap out the current daydream to look up at Shane "thought we lost you for a second there, what's on your mind?" he looks at me with a concerned smile plastered on his face.

"You know nothing's wrong you moron" I try to play it off in a playful manner. He looks me up and down and starts to laugh, making me nervous in the process. I look down and check my clothes, before staring blankly at him.

"We've known each other for two years now and you can't even tell me what's wrong, I'll never understand what's going on in your head, honestly" he continues to stare for a second before he sighs and turns back to his work. Yeah work, we're at work how could I forget? I turn back to my desk and stare at my computer screen, this job makes me feel so consumed sometimes. Before I can get lost in my thoughts again, I make myself busy. Records to check, play scripts to approve. So much to do, before I know it it's eight o'clock and everyone's packing up to go home.

"You joining us tonight Raina?" I hear a playful voice from behind me, and turn to see a very enthusiastic Taylor behind me, no wonder, she's currently the youngest in the office at 19 years and still has so much energy after work

"whose 'us'" I ask, my voice blank

"me, Jeff and Shane of course! Who else silly" she says a huge smile forming on her face, she knows I can never say no to her, it's her secret weapon when Shane tells her I look upset.

"yeah sure where are we going, just so I know" I tell her trying to force a smile as best I can.

"just down to the reaper" oh right yeah, the one and only trusty pub in our local little town, I think to myself before continuing

"okay, have I got time to stop by home, wanna at least look good" I joke. She nods in approval telling me they were planning to stop by everyone's anyway as no one wants to go in their work clothes and at that we set off, stopping at Taylors first which was a short five minute walk from Woah and sons Corp and then everyone else's until we finally arrived at my place about an hour later so I could quickly change, lucky enough I was also closest to the pub, being on the outskirts of our little town was useful in most ways. I was close to the busy part of town, all the shops and pubs were close to me, with my background it meant I could blend in easily after I first moved here ... I got myself changed and ran back out to others, then the four of us set off for the local pub. As we arrived I could hear the usual small talk and as always we headed straight to the smokers, our usual spot, except when we got out there, there was another group sat right where we always do, so we took the table next to them, and all lit up a cigarette except of course Taylor who had only tried one when she was drunk and decided after a toke she hated them, which... good for her. Once again lost in my own thoughts I overheard someone on the table next to me.

"did you know about the fire user in town, they say they're dangerous but I haven't heard of any deaths, just been told by news organisations to keep an eye out" I must have turned pale white because Jeff shot right up straight staring at me, before Shane and Taylor followed suit.

"Raina? Are you alright" Jedd asked, sounding panicked; I must have overreacted

"y-y-y-yeah I think so" I managed to stutter out before turning to the new guys and blurting out "you were saying something about a fire user in town? Does anyone know who it is?" Everyone went silent for about a minute before one of the strangers looked me dead in the eye and said "no one knows who he is, they just know he was released from EP not long ago, and apparently he is headed up to these parts" he's heading to these parts. My mind raced, so many thoughts so many questions, no not here Raina not here, you'll blow your cover, you can't. Home. I need to get home, my mind was racing too quick for my body to keep up and next thing I know I was running as fast as I could away from not only my friends but my house and town as well. I'm going the completely wrong direction to be going anywhere I knew and before I knew it I was facing an open space, in front of me fields and behind me the town I call home, I felt the blood drain from my face then my arms and next thing I knew I was on the ground looking up at the night sky, stars all alight and the moon a blood orange colour, bigger than I've ever seen it before and somehow that was calming, the orange of the moon, it made me feel like I wasn't so alone. I wasn't all by myself anymore, someone just like me was heading here and if it was really him I would soon know.