Elementally Chosen

4 - A Second battle in a day!

After being satisfied that I am far enough from my ex-home, I stop by the edge of the forest to remove my cellphone and call Shelly to inform her that I am staying at her house. Since my ex - home is closer to forest, it is far away from other houses and the surroundings give me the creeps even after 4 years of living in it. The sky is now purple which will soon turn black. The forest in which I have spent countless mornings playing on my own and searching for flowers is like a nightmare during darkness. I can't even see through the thick shrubs covering the entrance while I walk. There are hidden places to enter through about which only a few people are aware of. The thin shadows of bare trees which reach up look like scary fingers in the ominous atmosphere. I pick up my pace to go away from here as fast as I can.

What the hell! Shelly isn't picking up her phone when I need her the most. What should I do about this girl? I am exasperated. I guess I have to just go there unannounced. Suddenly, two huge stones crash on the road a few feet in front of me; the road beneath me vibrates and I struggle to maintain my balance. Are these meteors which have landed? But when they move forward and I get a clear look at them, I realize that they aren't stones or meteors, they are the same creatures as principal Quinn, but vary in sizes. Even in the darkness, their marble - black layer of skin with red circuit - like veins shine and reflect in the dim moonlight. They also have sharp ears and nose. When one opens its mouth I am greeted with the sight of rows and rows of pincer - like teeth dripping with thick acid saliva which damages the road where it touches, leaving a small hole- I hadn't noticed that previously with the principal.

The sight of those I-don't-know-what creatures turns my knees into jelly and I can't move. One was difficult and there are frigging three of them this time. And don't forget those hands with sharp black talons which look like they can easily rip my skin to shreds. Also add in the fact that the road is empty; I can't see anyone for miles- not even the headlights of a car! They walk toward me slowly, like predators who know full well that their prey is cornered and can't escape. I try to concentrate on bringing my power. I search to the core, but focusing is not easy and by the time I might gather enough power, I might be happily dead.

Still, I try to gather power. During that, I try to buy me some time by acting scared (which isn't hard considering the fact that I am already scared.) I keep stepping backward with an expression of feigned defeat and pain and they laugh hysterically in their screeching voices which echoes through the quiet night while their shadow ball forms and grows in size. When i think all is lost, I finally reach the deep sources of sizzling and flowing power and in my haste, call both lightning and water to me. This time, they combine and flood each and every part of my body with the rush of sizzling hot mixed with cool and calming. They reach my hands, making them glow different colours-one crystal aqua and the other vibrant cobalt. This has never happened before. I look at them with confused wonder.

I don't know how to release dual powers so I do what I can think of. I cup both my hands to form a ball of power. Streams of both powers come out and entwine together, the lightning weaving into water. Soon, a a long chain of current-charged water forms, not a ball. So I turn both hands towards them and release the jet of combined power at those despicable creatures. It flows out of my hand, and hits one, blowing it away so far that I think it flies away to the other side of the world. This has ultra force; atleast a hundred times more than the previous one.

The rush of power excites me and the same happens with the other one. I was so busy concentrating, that I didn't notice the third one sneak behind me. "Owww" I cry out when a hot fire of pain starts at my left thigh. It burns up my legs and I look down to see thick crimson blood oozing form three long, deep gashes from my thigh which is dripping on the road, staining it red. Eeew. The sight of my own blood and the flaring pain sends me tumbling down. My power has long stopped flowing since my concentration has been broken. I look up through my curtain of dark hair, helpless against the now forming ball of shadow which will soon hit me.

He prepares to throw it at me, his hands raised and I feel a sense of dèjá vu. When last time I saved myself, this time I won't live. The excruciating pain and me being a novice in using my powers makes it impossible to concentrate and reach it.

I squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to face my death. I wait for it, but the shadow force doesn't hit me yet. It is agonising to wait. "Come on! Get it over with", I scream in my head.

"Are you okay, little girl?" a non-screeching voice asks.