The Elements

Chapter 7 - Alexa

Water. A refreshing wave that washed onto me. It sent a tingle through my skin, every place it touched, spreading through my body. The feeling was miraculous. I was being healed, from the inside out. My head no longer throbbing, my shoulders no longer hurting, I opened my eyes. And what a scene it was that I saw.

It had turned into a full-fledged battle and — it took me way too long to realise this — they had their powers back. It was quite a fair fight — though I should have mentioned that the other people had weapons. Then I realised something. The wave that had splashed onto me — where had it come from? Before I could find out, Aura pushed her arms out and blew the people away (I don't know, what should I call them?). Someone there had started a fire, and it was pushed towards us. I closed my eyes, hoping I wouldn't die, until I realised that I myself had the element of water. Maybe my power had returned. I drew on that power in my gut, pushing it out in waves. And water did come out. The fireball was gone. But I went deeper. I knew I could do more.

I tried to summon more water. I made a signal for Aura and the others to move away, then I continued pulling on that power there. The wave tumbled out, filling the whole house. For a moment, I had to remind myself that I could breathe underwater. I let go of the breath I had been holding. I was going to be okay here. Except I wasn't.

"Well." It was a female voice — the female voice — that I had heard before. I whipped around. Someone was standing in the water. And she was actually able to talk in water! As far as I knew, I was the only person who could do that... Her dark blue eyes were staring at me with an intensity I had never seen before. Emotion — maybe curiosity? — flickered behind her eyes.

"You can, too?" I asked. I shouldn't have said that. Really shouldn't. Because she was probably waiting for that moment — when I proved that I actually had the element of water — to attack.

But there was another thing she must not have predicted. Water was good to me — and to her, but she was standing right next to the edge of the floorboard of the house. If only I could get the water to push her off... I did exactly that, willing the water to move towards her, hopefully pushing her down. But no. The water had only moved inches when it moved back with twice as much force, hitting me in my chest.

Of course, I knew that she could control water too, but don't blame me for not expecting her to be so strong! I mean, I pushed the water with all my might, and then with a single wave of her hand it just came back towards me? Now that was... very, very weird. But I tried again. I tugged even deeper, willing the water to go to her side, to push her over. But this time it just bounced back three times harder.

"Why?" I groaned. Suddenly I felt something. Below me was the floorboard, and then the next step was thin air! I was on the edge too! I quickly took a few steps forward, but was washed back to that dangerous spot. Maybe...

"Why are you doing this?" My voice echoed through the water.

"Because you deserve it." I pushed the water a few inches closer to her.

"Why do I deserve it?"

"You're with them." She was closer to the edge now. Another bit...

"Who is 'them'?"

"You don't know?" I pushed the water to her with all my might. But what happened was more of the opposite. As if expecting it, she snapped her fingers. A single action. But the consequences were way more devastating.

The water just pushed me so hard I fell — and that was how I ended up hanging for dear life on the floorboard.

"That was fun." her malicious eyes were peering down at me, "Now all I have to do is bring you back." The whole time she was talking, a plan had been hatching in my mind. And now it was ready.