Elemental

Chapter One - Ashley

"What do you remember seeing?" said the phycologist. Ashley leaned over and said "Nothing." Ashley couldn't remember the first time it happened to her. It was happening often too. Her parents were getting scared that something might happen next time. Someting even more tragic.

"When did it first start happening?" he said. "When I was eight," Ashley sighed and laid back down. "We were all out camping. It was late, and me and my mom and dad were all crowded around the fire. We started roasting marshmellows. When I put the marshmellow on my stick and held it over the fire, the flames crawled up the stick and onto my hand."

Ashley held up her hand. She was spotted with so many burn marks. On her left ear, right hand, right knee and left foot. It's no ordinary burn marks though. It was more like a tan. They never left her, and it hurt. She could still feel the burning pain every day when she got up. As if she was still getting burnt.

The phycologist looked at his watch. "This is very interesting, but I ran out of time for you today. Make sure to come here next week, and we'll sort this all out. Are you sure you're not being suicidal?" He glared at Ashley like he knew something she didn't.

"No. I'm not. The fire creeps up to me. It wants to kill me!" Ashley screamed. She lowered her voice once she realized that she sounded like a crazy person. She walked out of the room. Turning her head to see that everyone was staring at her. Ashley lowered her head and walked out of the office keeping her pace fast.

Ashley took out her keys and unbolted her bike from the bike rack. Not staring back at that dreadful office. "They don't help me." She muttered. She rode home. Sixteen and still this problem has been going on for half her life.

Once she arrived, she noticed that her parents just got home before her. They exchaged a hello and went into the house. Ashley was sad that it was Sunday. She had to go back to school tomorrow. She dreaded it. Every day she would get bullied about her burn marks. She was so tired though, she just passed out on the couch.

The next day she got up and got ready for school. Ashley pinned up her flaming red hair, and grabbed her backpack and started biking to school. There was that faithful group of girls that would never stop making fun of her. One of the girls spotted her.

"Well. If it isn't Ashley Cook." she said with a grin on her face. "It's Ashley Crook Stacy," "I know." She said interupting Ashley. "What do you want?" Ashley asked determined to find the answer. "Proof."

"What?" Ashley asked with a questioning expression on her face. One of the other girls in the group ran up and gave Stacy a box. "About this." She opened the box and revealed a match and lit it. She dropped it. Thinking at the last moment of what would happen, Ashley punched Stacy in the face and Ashley went up in flames.

Ashley died. "HELLO?!" She said looking into the darkness. All she could see was darkness. Then an old woman with charms tied around her waist, wearing ragged clothes and she came up to her. "This is not your time yet." She said smiling revealing the wrinkles on her face "What?" Ashley asked. Before she could say another word, the old lady waved her hand. Ashley woke up.