EMERALD KINGDOM:The Escape

Chapter 5: Erin

Worst day ever. Okay, so first the greenish fairy people, then the weird evil devil angels and now this? Weird. And worst of all, I don't know what's going on. I stumble backwards in awe. Staring at Emily, I wait for an answer. My eyes travel right through her.
'What...what...'  I babble, unable to speak.
'It's the answer." She says.
'The answer. ' I repeat. 'To what?'
She smiles. 'To who you are. You wanted to know. There you are. The answer.'
'What? That's me?' I clasp my hands together in concentration, remembering what I just said: '"Erin Earth, PowerBorn, Generation 508, Power Of The Earth." That's me? What does it all mean. And why did it happen when I touched the emerald?'
'That is for you to find out on your own. Please, don't ask me why. It's just your destiny.'
I can hear the desperation in her voice. And I get the message.
'So this is it.' I say sadly.
'Yes. I'm afraid it is. You must go on alone now. Follow your instincts until you find a huge bolder. Hold your emerald to the Rock and enter Emerald Kingdom.'
'Enter Emerald Kingdom.' I whisper. 'Thanks, Emily. I guess... What does this all mean?'
'No.'She sighs, miserably. 'I cannot tell you. Like I said, you have to find that out. You will enjoy The Pure World, Erin. I know you will. It's where you belong.'
'The Pure World. What...is that, like, another planet?'
'No. But, Erin, the world you live in is not pure. Not real. Just the world that the humans anticipated.'
I don't know how to take this. The world I've lived in for the past 13 years of my life and it's not even real? Silence creeps into the air.
'I don't know what we would do without you, Erin. And remember: always follow your instincts.' And with that, Emily shimmers into the air and disappears, leaving a few emeralds floating in the air until they pop out of existence. And I am alone.

Before I sigh, I stop myself. I must be brave. Reaching my arms backwards, I tighten my ponytail and take a deep breath in. And I start by moving forwards.

I barely make it 10 metres before I trip over a tree root. Great. Clumsy me. I continue for a while. The woods are silent, but birds that sing in the trees. I glance up at a starling as it feeds it's young ones. They look so peaceful. I wonder if this is what The Pure World is like. The Pure World. Emily said the world where I come from isn't pure. It isn't real. Whatever that means. The world where I come from? Is the pure world free of war and hate? Is that why I have to go there?
I don't know.

All is peacefully silent, but the rustle of the leaves above me and the cry of the birds and bugs. Follow my instincts. Forward. 'Always look forwards.' Anne would say. Anne...suddenly I feel sad inside, like a lump of depression has just appeared in my stomach. But it wouldn't be the first time. I remember Anne so well; every last detail from the mole on her shoulder to the bright smile she wore, no matter the situation. I remember her short auburn her, curling at her chin, complementing her dark green eyes. Scattered on her face were cute freckles. Oh Anne, I think, why does it have to be like this? Okay, Erin. Just keep moving forward.

A boulder. That's what Emily said. I have to look for a boulder. It would have been slightly helpful if she told me how far I have to travel, in case I need to set up a shelter for night fall. The sky is already a blotchy pink colour, as if someone has spilled ink in to it. And the air is colder now, nipping at my cheek. Maybe I should build a shelter. But out of what? Big sticks? I remember building dens at the foster home, but only small ones that barely two people could fit in. I remember the den that Anne and I once built, where we stored secret sweets and books and things. I even remember attempting  to build a tree house, and trying to give up after three days. But Anne wouldn't let me. She told me I could do it, and with luck I did. Eventually. So I can do this now. I look around. Of course, all I can see are small twigs resting in the soil that matches the colour of my hair. Fantastic.

I wish...I wish. I wish all the large sticks and twigs would gather and morph into a small house. I don't know why, but I close my eyes. I imagine. Suddenly, I hear a clanking sound. I open my eyes. My jaw drops. Wow. I did it. I did it! Sitting before me is a large den, big enough for me to sleep in. It's made out of long branches, with leaves on the roof, as if they been sprinkled on. Woah. Did I just do that? Reluctantly, I duck my head and poke it in the door way.

Nothing. Just earth. I lose my eyes again and focus on the soft leaves in the bushes around me. I imagine them away cushion and a soft bed to lie on. I hear rustling around me, and a cool breeze passes. I feel a presence. A connection. I open my eyes to see a swarm of leaves descending in the den. I feel at home. Then I remember...Power Of The Earth. I know who I am. Erin Earth. Power Of The Earth. I can control the soil beneath me. My eyes...everyone's always said they reflect the green fields surrounding my foster home. And my hair. I hold out my palm and a lump of soil sprouts in my hand. I let out my ponytail and compare my dark locks to the dirt I hold. The same. It's exactly the same colour. But how? I move towards a gap in the trees with the sun shining through, but is slowly fading as the sky grows red. Walking into the light, the colour of the soil gets lighter and so does my hair. Cool!
This brings back a memory. I remember a trip to the beach I took with my foster home when I was about four; a sunny day filled with ice creams and sand castle building. Although it's fuzzy, I remember stepping into the sand and people staring. I barely remember my carers questioning me about something, saying that something had changed. Now I understand. Taking in the colour of the sand, my hair colour must've changed to a sandy blonde. Of course. Although I was too young to understand why, people steered clear of  me for the next few days, even though my hair went back to its natural brown colour. Only Anne would play with me. Will the same thing happen in 'The Pure World?' I've never been sociably amazing. I don't know how to make friends. The only friends I've had came to me, including Anne. And that's only because they were forced to live with me, and all knew what it was like to live without parents.
My head starts spinning. I'm exhausted. Crawling into my new bedroom, I lie down and gently close my eyes. I've never slept on solid earth before, but it feels so comfortable. Switching from house to house, I've never been truly at home, but I can imagine this is what it feels like. Slowly, I drift off as I become one with the soil beneath me.