The Four - Book 2

Chapter 14

Aira

It's been a day and a half.

A day and a half since I watched Paytah being beat up and taken away, since Jackson said she didn't care if we left, since Juris and Lana agreed to go with me, since we ran away.

I hope a day and a half isn't long enough for them to kill Paytah. Just the thought of that makes me a worried wreck. How the heck could I live without him?

How the heck have I lived without him?

It's crazy how I never knew any of these guys just a while ago. I lived with my other elements, not once thinking about seeing other elements. Now it seems so dumb. We are all people, just with a different thing coming out of our hands.

"I think we should take a break." Juris says. I cringe at the word break. We are all sitting around taking a break, while Paytah could be suffering.

"Let's make it quick," Lana reads my mind, "make a fire, eat and go."

We all set out stuff down and gather bushes and wood. Lana fills up our water bottles, while Juris and I struggle to get a fire going.

"Damn, where's Paytah when we need him." Juris mumbles. I would smile, but I haven't seem to smile since a day and a half ago.

"Screw it," Lana says, "let's just eat while we walk. We can find a better spot tonight and start a fire, get a good sleep."

Juris nods, and he hands me a granola bar and some crackers. We all eat while we head through the woods. My body is numb, my headache increases at each step. I tag along behind the other two and slowly eat my food like it'll be my last.

Who knows, it might.

We don't know if anyone else is out here. We don't know if we'll even make it alive. All we know is that we couldn't stay where we were, and we couldn't leave one of our friends to die.

Apparently, people back in history never even had element powers. There's not much information on how it came about, nobody seems to know when it all switched. To me it makes no sense. How could a person just wake up one day and have a power? Nonetheless, I wish it stayed that way. Everyone could live together, no power fighting over another. Just regular people, in a regular world.

I want to be a regular person.

Even with an element, I wish I wasn't picked. I wish I was at home, trying my best to ignore this stupid war. I would've overheard about how four teens created this war. I would hate them. I would tell myself that those four lives aren't worth it, this is the whole rest of the world we're talking about. I would watch Lana, Juris, Paytah and a girl with an air element on tv. I would watch them, curious on how different elements would react to one another. I would be thankful it wasn't me..

Paytah was right when he said the whole world was against us. Even the side where all elements should stay together hates us. There's no choice but to run away, find somewhere else to live. Maybe there will be regular people there, maybe they will accept us...

***

It's nighttime by the time we reach an old torn up city. Some building are still up, while others have fell down. We find the sturdiest building we can and search inside for any signs of life. None. We must really be alone.

Juris calls us over and I look at the room. It seems nice, a small tv with two couches and a table. We set our stuff down on the table and sit on the couches. We are silent, which is strange, especially for Lana. Juris is looking at our map again, and Lana is braiding her hair. I sit there and stare at the tv.

And I swear it turns on.

The others look at it, and Lana's about to speak until a woman appears on the screen. She stands in a narrow grey hallway, looking right at us.

But it's the familiarity that gets me. She has the same dark hair, pale lips, built, and looks.

"She looks just like him." I look over at Lana. Does she know about Paytah too?

"What?" Juris looks confused. Paytah probably didn't tell him.

"It's an honor to be talking to the other three of the four elements that wrecked our world." She says, her eyes narrowing, but still holding her smile.

"It has to be-" I stumble on my words.

"I've never seen such similarity before. It's his mom, has to be." Lana says.

"What the-"

"I've been watching you," the woman cuts Juris off. "Yes, we have cameras everywhere. Don't worry, we aren't going to send people to kill you. In fact, I want you to come. I'm glad you're coming."

I hear a noise in the background. The woman turns to her right and laughs a little. "He's glad you're coming too."

I stand up from the couch. That's Paytah. I hear the noise again. He's banging on the door.

"Shit." I hear Juris mumble under his breath.

"Yes, your little fire friend is still alive," the woman says, but now I can hear yelling from behind that door. I hold my breath as the women whispers something to a guard. I hear the guard open the door.

And I hear Paytah cry out.

"No." Lana says, also standing up.

"You know, I would hurry. He's not being very good here." The woman smiles. I hear Paytah screaming now, his voice filled with pain and agony. I've never heard him like that before, and it brings tears to my eyes.

The woman walks, and the camera follows her to the door that's slightly open. "You want to see him?"

"You fuckin motherfucke-" I barely hear Paytah.

"Or maybe you should just come see for yourselves." The woman says.

"What are you doing-" Paytah cries out again, and I hold in a sob.

"It's your friends, have anything to say?" The woman says.

There's a pause, but then I hear Paytah yell. "Don't come! Don't!"

The door closes, Paytah's screams get quieter as she walks away from the door.

"I would come." The woman says, and the screen goes black.

••••••

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