The Borealis Prophecy

Chapter Fourteen - Deserted

Luli became so weak that she requested another syringe of Elemental adrenaline. I inserted it into her heart as Dave watched carefully, visibly peeved that she asked me and not him. He came over to make sure I did it properly and we both witnessed her eyes breaking free of their human pale color to a burning vicarious teal under blackened coals. Cayenne watched nervously as Luli gasped from the adrenaline that surged through her. Luli pulled herself out of the sand and visibly appeared stronger as she danced around with Cayenne and excitedly started handling her fire element.

For such a late bloomer, Cayenne was a natural at manipulating fire. She obtained her fire shortly after her Elemental eyes emerged from her placid gray eyes. Cayenne has been asking me frequently to watch what she was able to do with her element now, as Cayenne and Luli have been practicing together.

Cayenne raised a high flame and left it swallowing up the dead plant life and the logs that were hacked from the Oasis. Cayenne smouldered the fire, leaving it to smoke. She then used her pale hands to lift a smoky apparition from the ashes. I was insanely curious as the smoky figure took form into a small puppy.

I pulled out the copper lighter the stranger had given me. He was good. I remembered the kindness the wrinkles under his eyes left behind. I remembered the way he gently tossed me around as I laughed and danced surrounded by the inferno.

He helped me fall in love with the slow burn before reality choked me. The life of an Elemental, especially a Fire&Ash Elemental was rough. He gave me everything, but so little at the same time, leaving nothing but a copper lighter, with my name engraved in a tiny battery-like octagon.

Gloria and I now sat quietly watching her teach Luli how to shape the ash until it combusted with a poof. The ash sprinkled to the dry patches of grass, like silver metallic lights.

* * *

A few hours later I found myself strolling through the darker areas of the Oasis. I was stunned to hear birds, as I hadn't seen or heard them in weeks.

I climbed up into a tree and startled the nest of birds as they wavered themselves away from me. I pulled some fruit from the branches to drop them to the floor. Luli and Dave were with me. Luli and Gloria were convinced that I shouldn't be alone until Gloria knew for sure that I was okay after the long nights of travelling alone in the desert.

Wandering aimlessly in the desert seems like it would be comparable to something adventurous but I assure anyone who is curious, it wasn't. I would scavenge for food when there was barely anything to eat, and when I did find some plantation it was a 50-50 shot at either corrupting my body through explosive diarrhea, hallucinations or something that was safe to eat. So yes, two thirds of the time, I was screwed.

I laid over the cool sand most nights and dug my hands and feet under trying to regulate my temperature. One night I watched a scorpion slither over my belly as I laid almost half asleep. I couldn't remember if scorpions were edible or not, and if they were how I would safely pull the small animal apart so I wouldn't ingest his poison. So instead I just watched as it stopped over my belly button, raising its small yet venomous little tail –praying that it wouldn't sting me- and finally it scurried on its way.

So no, wandering the desert alone was not comparable to adventure, but it was time for my brain to beat the crap out of itself; for all I had time to do was think and obsess about the people I would never see again like Jill, Norman, Simon, and... Elijah. It was the time I needed to mourn over my family knowing I would never get the closure I wanted.

Sure I might've been a little dehydrated when they found me, but I made Luli my main concern as she was the last standing loved one I had left. I followed her around hopelessly and watched over her.