The Elementalists

MARK

                  

I'm in a huge city, and my scooter has run out of gas. I decide to wait until I get out of the city before I use fire-power to move it along, so I just walk alongside my scooter as I push it down the sidewalk. As soon as the last building has vanished from sight, I get on my scooted and prepare to take off.

   I look around to make sure that no one is watching, and I see no one save one girl. She looks to be about nine, maybe ten years old. She's staring at me with a puzzled look on her face, and I realize that I'm in the same clothes that I left school in.

   "What?" I ask. "Do you have an issue with gym clothes?"

   The girl shakes her head, on foot on her scooter and one on the ground. She tilts her head and asks, "Why do you have an old-person scooter?"

   "'Cause I can!" I say, and then I burst out laughing. I must look so odd to this girl, with my electrical scooter that doesn't work and my gym clothes on. I must be filthy, too, since I haven't showered or changed clothes since I escaped. With my crazed laughter, she probably assumes I'm some escaped mental patient.

   "You're weird," the girl says. "I thought I was weird, but I was wrong. You're the definition of weird."

   And I'm about to get weirder, I think to myself, but I don't say it aloud. Instead I say, "Well, farewell, kid. Nice chat."

   I face the palm of my hand away from the scooter and—making sure that I won't burn the girl to a crisp—I close my eyes and focus the burning sensation solely in my hand. When I open my eyes, fire shoots out of it, and I shoot forwards. The girl's eyes nearly pop out of her head, and then I hear her scream. I look back and realize that her shoe string had gotten wound up on the wheel of my scooter--and with her untied right foot resting on her scooter, I could've accidentally burned her!

   Not good, I think. This girl's bad luck has just changed her whole life. Not. Good.

  The girl is screaming her head off as we speed throughout the countryside. Her flimsy scooter is twisting and turning, and she's holding on for dear life. I stop the flow of fire, and wait for the scooters to slow to a stop. I run over to the girl, who's collapsed onto the ground, crying.

   "What the heck are you?!" she yells. "Go away! You're no fun to mess with! I wanna go home!"

   I frown. "It's too late for that," I say. "You're in on this now. We're already miles from your home, kid. Plus, I don't want the government people to be told of a sighting of me. I guess I'm stuck with you."

   "No!" the girl screams. "Take me home! Take me home now!" Tears well up in her eyes, and choices run through my head.

   If I take her home, I won't get to the others in time, I think, but if I don't take her home, it could be considered a kidnapping. What do I do?

   The girl's eyes are full of fear as she asks once more, "What are you?"

   "I'm an Elementalist," I reply. An idea pops into my head, and I ask her, "What's your name, anyways?"

   The girls blinks slowly, before replying, "My name's Elizabeth, but I go by Liz. Why?"

   I force a smile as I say, "Well, Liz, how would you like to go on an adventure with me?"

   A smile crosses the girl's face. "Really?" she asks. I nod, and she says, "Yeah! Adventures are much better than my stupid foster home!"

   So she's a foster kid, I think. Maybe they won't notice she's gone for awhile, then... No, of course they will. I'm screwed either way...

   "Then let's go," I tell Liz, and she begins to jump up and down with excitement. "C'mon," I say, "I have to get to my friends." A puzzled look crosses her face, and I add, "It's more of a challenge than an adventure. We have to get to my friends before time runs out, 'kay?"

   Liz nods eagerly. "Gotcha," she says. She hops on the scooter and looks around eagerly before asking, "Are we going now?"

   I nod. "Yeah," I say. I close my eyes and take a deep breath as I think, Well, kidnapping a kid won't look good on my college records.... Actually, disappearing for over a week probably won't either.... Ugh...

   I shake my head to clear away the thoughts before I can begin to think of how worried my parents must be right now. They're probably hysterical, and I feel horrible for what I'm putting them through. Then o have to wonder if they knew about any of this--and if so, why hadn't they told me about it all? Either way, I decide I have to go see them and let them know I'm alive; we can tell the other kids' parents, too.

   No, I think to myself as I face the palm of my hand away from the scooter—and away from Liz—, Robin comes first. She'll die if we don't hurry; my parents will be fine, just hysterical.

   I sigh and close my eyes. I feel now-familiar warmth surging up through my arm, and as soon as I open my eyes, fire shoots out of the palm of my hand. Liz screams, but whether in joyful or fearful surprise, I do not know. When I turn around to check that she's okay, she's smiling and laughing. I relax a bit and continue on ahead.

   After about twenty minutes have passed in silence, Liz asks, "Where're we gonna eat and sleep, anyway?"

   I moan. I hadn't planned on stopping for food or rest until I'd found the others, but I couldn't let Liz go hungry. Plus, if she got tired, she might just pass out and fall off of the scooter, and if she fell off the wrong end and got barbequed...then I'd have kidnapping and murder on my hands.

   Plus, the kid's kind of growing on me.

   "We'll stop somewhere," I tell her. "I'll make sure you get food, too, okay? I won't let anything happen to you; you're safe with me. I promise."

   Liz beams. "I know," she tells me. "I can tell you're really nice." She frowns and states, "You never even told me your name yet, and I already trust you. What is your name?"

   "I'm Mark," I tell her. I immediately want to hit myself; I shouldn't have told her my real name. But, then again, if she's going to help us save Robin, then maybe her knowing won't do any harm.

   Yeah, right. Like the cops are going to go easy on a kidnapper once they learn his name, I think. I look up at the sky and remember how, not too long ago, I was looking up at the same sky, preparing for final exams. It seems like it was so long ago, but I know it's only been about a week at most.

   I look back at Liz, and think, This is going to be a long trip.

  But with a huge smile on her face, it seems Liz doesn't care at all. I wonder how she can be so happy at such odd times, and I wish that I could be more like her. I smile and try to force down my worries, but I can't.

   Robin's life is resting on my shoulders.

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