The Last Elementals

1 Alexandra

It happened, again. So I ran away, again. I wish I could control it, then maybe I could actually live somewhere, have a home, instead of running away all the time. But most of the time when I try, it ends with someone hurt or dead. This time, I left before anyone had a chance to get hurt. I was outside and a fire started. I yelled, and when my latest foster dad came outside, I went in the house, grabbed my backpack and ran. I was currently in L.A. I have lived in California, Oregon, and Washington. Social Services wanted to keep me in that general area in case my parents magically appeared and claimed me.

I have been planning this for months. My last escape. After this, no way will Social Services ever find me. I am going to take a bus to Sparrow's Wing, Oregon. I'll stay there a couple months before going to somewhere else. I'm going to keep moving like that. After about a year, I'll have made my way to the east coast. No way will they find me across the country. I have $1000 saved, enough to get to Sparrow's Wing and find a place to stay. It's a little town, practically nonexistent. The perfect place to hide. Take online classes using the laptop my old foster parents gave me. Set up a tent in the forest surrounding the town. No one will think to look for me in Sparrow's Wing.

After what felt like forever, but what was probably just like three hours, I finally arrived in Sparrow's Wing, Oregon. I bought a sleeping bag and tent in a little store, and headed for the forest surrounding the city to make what would be my home for the next few weeks. I found a tiny clearing in the trees that made an almost perfect circle. The area was just barely big enough for me to set up the tent and start a fire a safe distance away.

Two weeks into my life in Sparrow's Wing, and everything was going perfectly. Like planned, I took online classes using wi-fi from a little coffee shop in town. Nobody questioned who I was, which surprised me a little, but that was okay. I wasn't here to make friends. That was one of the reasons I didn't go to the public school, I didn't want to become attached to this place. That, and the fact that I couldn't go to the school without being caught. I would need an adult to sign papers and stuff. Anyway, I would be leaving soon. Well, crap, maybe everything wasn't going perfect, I thought as I noticed the familiar face of my social worker as I walked down the street.

I started running to the forest. Maybe, hopefully, she hadn't seen me yet. Plus, she's wearing heels, no way will she run in those six-inch torture  devices. How could she have possibly found me? What in the world could possibly have given her the idea to look in this tiny little town? As I reached my small clearing in woods, I started shoving my few possessions in my bag.

Too late, I realized my panicking, afraid, emotions had caused a downpour to start. Now I couldn't stop what would likely soon happen. If only I had calmed myself while I was running. Any minute now the lightning would begin, and the beautiful, clear day would become a rainy one. And someone would die.