The Spirit Child

Chapter One

"How long did they keep you in there?"

Katrine slowly slumped back into a wide tree trunk, wondering if leaving her cell was a good idea. Mum told her father that she would be too dangerous to raise. They gave her to someone who claimed they were the caretaker of the Spirit Newborns.

He wasn't. He was a no good scientist. Katrine spent almost every day watching her friends suffer.

"Seven." Katrine uttered. "Seven. years."

Valerie's pink eyes widened, "Oh dear. You're very young. How old are you?"

Katrine looked up at the gorgeous young woman. Valerie had long ginger hair with bangs that barely covered her left eye. She was wearing a magenta tank top with a grey knitted scarf. She only wore black leggings, tears were all over the leggings which showed her olive skin.

"I'm..." Katrine paused, "Why should I tell you anything?!"

"You're right." Valerie said, adjusting her scarf. "You don't have to tell me anything. We should keep on moving, I haven't been able to close the tunnel. They probably are on our tails right now."

Katrine looked back at the large hole in the ground, it still was emitting the vibrant magenta light. She looked back at Valerie and gave a determined nod.

They walked along the long, uncut grass. The cloudy, still dark sky was still being lit by the moon. There was a cool wind, it's been so long since Katrine has seen the outside.

"C'mon, just a little further." Valerie smiled, looking over her shoulders. "The Secret community will be thrilled to have a new member. Oh, I shoulda told them sooner so they could prepare a ceremony."

Katrine tilted her head, "Ceremony?"

Valerie let out a chuckle, "Where you are assigned a specific role for your future duties."

"Like a job?" Katrine asked, "Like how my friend Lily told me. She used to talk a lot about how her parents always left to go do their jobs. She doesn't talk a lot anymore. They did something to her..."

Valerie flinched at those words. "Seems like you've been through a lot."

"Can we go back and get them too?" Katrine asked.

"We--" Valerie shut her eyes, "We will try Sweetheart."

It was silent after that, nothing but the sound of grass brushing against each-other.

"Anyways." Valerie said finally, "The Assigning Ceremony is nothing like, human jobs." Putting emphasis on human. "We are assigned something like...."

Valerie stopped walking, turning towards Katrine. She opened her palm wide and a small pink heart slowly appeared, then faded away.

"My assignment was Love." Valerie sighed dreamily, "Cupid's Element, as most Spirit people call it-- I bring happiness to the humans. It prevents many arguments. Probably even wars." Valerie winked at Katrine.

"There of coarse are other elements." Valerie smiled sweetly, "Fire, Wind, Water, Animal life, and a lot more." My sister was recently assigned an element... She's 12 now. Her element is Earth.  She helps farms grow and stuff."

Katrine's cheeks went a soft shade of yellow, "Earth sounds cool."

"Elements usually work great with others. Birth and Love. Plants and Animals. Wind and Weather..."

"Here we are!" Valerie exclaimed, slowly walking towards an entrance to a cave that was built under a rather large hill. Katrine hesitantly followed.

That's when she heard lots of hollers and claps. A bright spotlight gleamed atop her.