Elementals (#Wattys2017)

Sunrise Sunset

I woke up that morning alone. Pine was gone but there was a note on his pillow. On top of the note there was a rose. I picked up the rose, smelled it then, read the note.
Hey,
I'm sorry I had to leave before you got up. Tricity called me for a short meeting.
Meet me at the cliffs around nine, if you're awake by then. If I remember correctly you can't
train for a few weeks so, someone has to take care of you. I'll see you in a little bit.
I love you,
Pine
I giggled at his note.
I climbed out of bed and walked across the hallway to my room.
Being careful that no one saw me. They might get the wrong idea.
I pulled on some fresh clothes and started down the hall. I could smell Breeze making breakfast all the way from the other side of the compound. I wonder, do I have enough time?
I looked at my watch and it read 8:50. Nope. Darn. I'll have to get some later. I'd rather miss breakfast then, miss meeting Pine.
I walked out the door into the forest and found my way up the staircase.
When I got there Pine was already standing there, looking out over the cliff. I didn't exactly know what to say so I just went...
"Hey, you."
Really? That's the best I got? That's embarrassing.
I walked closer to him.
"Pine?"
As I got closer, I could see that it wasn't Pine.
The figure turned towards me. It was the same cloaked figure that attacked me when I got stuck in the rain.
"You...who are you?" I asked cautiously.
"That's not important now..." A masked voice said. "We have a lot to talk about."

Pine walked into the conference room.
"Tricity?"
There was no one in there. The room was dark and echoed through the the room.
He turned and left for the common room.
"Hey, have any of you seen Tricity?"
Breeze and River looked up at Pine. Breeze was making breakfast and River was scrolling through something on a tablet.
"No, not since yesterday."
"Weird. She called a meeting with me but never showed up."
"Well, that's suspicious." River said straightening up a bit.
River scrolled through her tablet again and looked back up with a seriously worried expression on her face.
"Pine... Tricity left this morning on a supply mission."
"What? That's impossible." He said.
"Pine, where's Lina?"
"I'm not sure." He lied. "River can you check the security cameras."
"Sure." She got up and walked over to the screen on the wall.
"Pine, I don't see her anywhere."
Pine's heart dropped.
They exchanged looks and all hurried to the bedroom corridor.
"Lina!"
Pine opened his door and didn't find her. Then he opened Lina's door and went inside.
He saw the note on Lina's bed.
"Pine, what is that?" River asked.
"It's a note. Telling her to meet me at the cliffs." He said softly. "I didn't write this!" He said, crumpling the paper and throwing it to the ground. When he looked down at the crumpled note he saw a rose petal on the ground.
"Come on!" He said.
They all ran outside and up the steps to the cliffs.
"Lina!" They called into the woods.
They finally got to the cliffs.
"Lina?" Pine called out.
There was no one there.
"Breeze, can you search the area around here?"
"Yeah."
"River, can you go back to the compound and make absolutely sure that she's not there?"
"Sure, Pine."
He looked at them seriously.
"If you can't find her, call for Tricity."
They nodded and left.
Pine turned, not really sure what to do.
Then he saw the rose lying scattered on the ground. He knelt down and picked it up.
Next to the flower was drops of blood.
"No..." He whispered.
He looked in the direction of the blood and saw the disturbed dirt.
"Breeze! River!"
He ran down the steps. Breeze and River met up with him.
"She's gone. She's been taken."
"What?! By who?" River exclaimed.
"I don't know but we're going to find her." Pine said.
"We have too! I can't do this again!" River sobbed.
"Hey, we will." Pine said soothingly.
River looked as if she was about to breakdown.
"Contact Tricity. Tell her what's happened. Every minute we spend, is another minute she could get hurt or worse."
All happiness had left Pine's eyes. All that was left was determination.
"I'm going to find her."