The Camp of Elements

Late At Night By The Drown Hut

"What do you need to tell me, Lauren?" Camila whispers in the dark, her voice cracks whenever she whispers too low.

"I-I'm," I stutter. How can I tell her? How do I tell her we aren't normal? "Follow me."

"I- what?" Camila asks, the sound of her voice raising. The bed crinkles when I slide off of it, my feet land on the ground with a soft thud.

"Follow me." I repeat, scurrying to the cabin door. My feet mindlessly find my shoes, I slip my feet into them. I continue to aimlessly whack at the air around me, I still can't see anything. My hand lands on the doorknob, I grin to myself.

I hear Camila topple off the bed, it creaks again. "Wh—?"

"Just come on!" I whisper-yell, trying to keep my voice down. I turn the knob and push the door open. The cold of the night bites at my bare skin, but it's worth it. Camila is worth everything. I feel Camila's arm press against my side, I run out into the night.

"I think you're crazy!" Camila shouts at me after she closes the door. I sprint down the trail, Camila hot on my trail. The sound of snapping twigs and leaves fill the silent air.

"I promise I'm crazy." I yell back. Wind whips through my hair, which is decently dry now. My face starts to feel numb, the cold is slapping my face without surrender.

I know exactly where I'm going. I'm going to the Drown Hut. The trees begin to thicken, they contort my vision. I start to run faster; she has to know. The heavy breathing behind me indicates that Camila is still bolting after me. I look up as my feet pound on the leaf-covered, worn down path. The sky is a milky black color, the moon shines bright underneath the clouds. The stars don't shine tonight, it's like they have somewhere better to be. The stars light up someone else's sky.

I break into the clearing, the Drown Hut is how we left it. A small shack with no door, I don't dare look at it twice. I continue running, all the way to the base of the wooden dock. I look over my shoulder at Camila. Her eyes are on me, she isn't moving from the spot on the trail. Her feet rest where sand meets dirt.

"Camila," I call to her, she doesn't even flinch. "Come over here."

"I-I can't, you—." Camila's words trip over themselves, her eyes widen. I run over to her and I grab her hand. I pull her easily to the end of the dock, my feet echo against the old wood.

"Camila," I start, I take the side of her face in my hand gently. "You need to listen to me. Stop thinking of the first night at camp and think about right now."

She lifts her gaze off the water and raises it to meet mine. I smile reassuringly, sitting down the edge of the dock. Camila joins me, our feet dangle off the end of the dock. The water glimmers in the dim light being cast by the moon, other than the random shimmers of light; the water appears black.

"I-I'm a Water," I tell Camila, her facial expression is impossible to read. "And you are an Air."

"A what?" Camila asks, her voice raspy from panting while running.

I explain to her everything. How I'm a Water and she is an Air. How we can connect with the spirits and control them. While telling her this, I keep my eyes on her face; it's unchanging and blank. I tell her about the other two kinds; Fire and Forest. When I mention 'Forest', her eyes widen but her face still stays slack. I lastly, I explain that Bea and the 'lunch' lady, Ariana, are Forest and  Fire. She seems uncertain, but I mean, who wouldn't be?

"Lauren," Camila says a few long seconds after I finish telling her everything. "Are you positive this is true?"

I don't even answer. I just make the Water symbol; my thumb and ring finger down, the rest of my fingers on that hand are up. I get on my hands and knees, I dip the back of my hand into the water. It's freezing, I bite my lip but I do not retreat. I mutter the words 'one spirit, all sprits' under my breath. Blue specks of air swirl out of the water near my hand, Camila's face lights up with amazement. The specks join together, creating the same three Blue spirits as earlier. They float above the water, the ends of their figures flickering like blue fire.