The Elements

Chapter 1

Flora was outside in the late August summer heat, planting some herbs in her garden with her mother, Lilly.
"It's so hot out here today." Flora sighed, wiping the sweat off her forehead, but that didn't seem to help.
"Well, what do you except honey? We live in Augusta, Maine and its summer, of course it's going to be hot." Lilly replied, her earth brown eyes shining in the blinding sunlight.
Flora has lived in Augusta, Maine all her life, but she still wasn't used to the usual Augusta summers. Her copper blonde hair was done in a low, loose ponytail as always, her bangs sticking to her forehead with sweat, and the gardening gloves on her hands burning with heat. Flora's outfit was simple as it always was, because she was a simple thirteen year old girl. Her outfit consisted of a black floral print dress, a cute jean vest over it, white knee length leggings (depending on the season she'd change the length), black wedged ankle boots, and black fingerless gloves under the gardening gloves she was wearing. Just as Flora and her mother were finishing up Flora watered the herbs, but the water that streamed out of the watering can had a faint purple tone to it.
It seemed Lilly noticed it too." Flora dear, what did you put in the watering can? Did you not wash it from when you were five and you decided to put chalk in it?"
Flora's cheeks began to slowly grow pinker. This was a story she did not like hearing from her mother. Another detail to 'The Chalk Story' was that Flora had also poured it all over herself, and anyone who walked by her house. When Flora had done this, she laughed and spilled MORE purple chalk water on herself.
"I don't know what happened! I didn't do anything to the water! I gave it a good washing before I actually put water in it!" Flora raised her voice in rage, and she knew her mother wouldn't believe her.
Then Flora saw something in the woods. It looked like a bright green dot, and was near the center of the woods in her property.
This was when Lilly grew paler in the face.
"What's that?" Flora wondered under her breath.
Is it, magical? She pondered in her mind.
But no, that couldn't be.

The next day, Monday was the first day of school. Flora wasn't nervous, she just kept her thoughts focused on the green light she'd seen the day before.
"Hey Flora, what's up?" A perky voice called to Flora.
This was her best friend, Arabella James, almost skipping down the hall. With her gorgeous almond shaped eyes in the color of a sapphire blue, her black glasses with a shimmery pink bow, Arabella's short chocolate chic brown curls, and slightly tanned skin she could be recognized from a universe away.
"I like your outfit." Flora said, admiring Arabella's pink headband with a bow on it, white tang top also with pink bows, pink shimmery skirt, and her pink Converse sneakers, also with a DIY bow.
"Same to you!" Arabella chirped, clutching her hands together in glee.
How could a person be this happy on the first day of school? Flora wondered in her head.
"Well, I gotta get to class Arabella. What class do you have first?" Flora asked her best friend.
"I have," Arabella read down her schedule." I have science first."
So it was then, just as the warning bell rang, after the girls grabbed their stuff, they headed to class.
They were soon in the seventh grade science room, taking seats next to each other.
I'll find you, Flora, you can count on it. A voice whispered in Flora's head.
Flora didn't react out loud, but she cursed in her head, not knowing the voice in her head....
Was something much worse.

Later after school, Flora ran to where she'd seen the green light just a day earlier, as if it a loved one had been hurt.
Soon enough her mother, Lilly came outside wondering where her daughter was.
"Flora, what on earth have you been doing?" She questioned with just a little bit of concern in her voice.
From running off the bus and straight to the entrance to the woods, Flora was out of breath.
"I-I-I saw.... A green light......Yesterday when....We were gardening." Flora took deep breaths, but she was still out of breath, and a wave of dizziness rushed over her like dodging a boulder.
"Honey, just take a deep berth and sit down," Lilly advised, she and Flora sitting down. " that must not be true, I haven't seen a green light ever since-"
Flora held onto her mother's words, hoping she wouldn't pass out before her mother spoke them."Is.....There.....Something.....You need......To tell.....Me?"
But before Flora heard an answer, her eyelids were closed, and she couldn't hear another word.

It was at ten at night that Flora discovered herself lying in bed, all dressed in her PJs.
Okay, what the heck happened? Flora thought, knowing something was up.
Soon enough, Flora heard a Tap, Tap, Tap, on her window.
She went over to the window and saw Arabella, dressed in her clothes, and yet tapping on the window. Quickly, Flora slipped into her clothes and opened the window.
"What are you doing here?"She hissed, and looked Arabella in the eye.
"Well, I know you might not believe me but, I saw a green light behind your house.It was in the woods."Arabella whispered in reply.
Flora was now horrified at what her best friend had just said.She couldn't tell Arabella the details, but this was her chance, her only chance to find out what the green light had been.
"If we're really quiet we can see what it is, okay?" Flora whispered calmly, jumping out the window to the ground below.
"Okay," Whispered Arabella, nodding.
They carefully crept closer to the green light, it now shining brighter then ever.
"Flora?" A voice called out, worried almost.
Oh no.This was Lilly, who always came to check on Flora at ten thirty every night, which Flora had forgotten.
In Flora's eyes, the light shone brighter, and Arabella could tell this wasn't good.
"Fight it!" She cried in fear, worry, and maybe some anger.
"NO!" Lilly cried, just as Flora's eyes suddenly closed, and she couldn't hear anything else.
This was bad.
Soon enough Flora heard a soothing, melodic voice, even though the world around her was dark.
"You are the Earth Obtainer, but as you are, you have a price to pay. A great price."
What the hell does this mean? Tell me!
What did it mean?