Academy of Elements: Water

Chapter 19: Home

The limo stops. I stepped from the limo, my feet touching the snow covered floor. I was home. The Academy towers up in front of me, its large glass windows glowing from golden light bulbs and snow resting on the ledges.

"Your things are in the dormitory Jaxon." Mrs. Nicole smiles. Ella was coming tomorrow for her family was on vacation and was getting back late tonight.

"Thank you." I smiled and walked away from the limo.

Pine and maple trees tower up their branches blanketed by soft white snow, its color vibrant and soft all at the same time. Walking along the path, a thin layer of snow on it penetrated by the steps of people walking previously.

Passing the Fire and the Water dorms the trail curves along with the trees. Walking over a bridge spreading over a small stream, its water whispering along like a forbidden secret. I keep walking until I reach the gates of the Ice Dorms. Touching my hand to the snow flake on the front gate it opens the Ice dorms spreading out in front of me.

In the back of the row of homes is a small field area where a large Christmas tree had been erected, golden lights still hanging on it, the Christmas spirit still lingering in the air. Walking along the snow covered ground I climbed the deck my hand resting on the door knob. Turning it the door opens the warmth of the dormitory flooding onto my skin, the warmth covering me like water.

Taking my shoes I step into the warmth walking along the warm hallway to the kitchen. Hands curl around my back as a body smacks into me. Elise embraced me in a hug, her breath whispering along my neck.

Elise pulls from me her smile parting, her teeth appearing. "Welcome back." She smiled.

Walking into the kitchen Sarah bolts towards me, her hands cold against my back. "Jaxon! I missed you!" Sarah pulls back twirling around the room, her flower covered dress spinning around the air lifting it up. Sarah's energy lit the whole room except for one dark corner where James sat, his laptop in his lap.

He looked up, his gaze drifting upon me for a second before he left, closing the door to his room behind him. I diverted my gaze from the door looking back at Elise and Sarah.

"How was your Christmas?" I questioned to them.

"Great!" Elise smiled taking a bite of a gingerbread cookie. "I got thirteen books!"
"And how many are you done?" I asked.

"Ten of them..." Elise said looking down shyly.

"And how about you Sarah." I laughed.

"Good." She smiled. "And yours?"

"Interesting..." I said. Elise and Sarah looked at me quizzically. "Well. Ella and I made up and we went skating but we fell through the Ice and now Ella can't use her powers. Then we got kidnapped by a vampire who tried to rape or suck her blood, probably both, but we escaped and ran from him and we found ourselves at the Academy then we went home then we went to Scarlett's funereal and we fought against Werewolves."

Elise and Sarah's mouth gaped open. "W-what!?" They yelled in unison.

"Yeah..." I replied biting my lip. The door opens letting in the frigid air of the winter world. John walks in shaking off the snow on his shoulders.

"John!" Elise greets loudly running towards John.

John walks into the kitchen. His hair has grown long, chopping at his eyebrows. Parts of his hair are lighter, other strands darker. His eyes are tired, strained, his cheeks hollow. "C-can I talk to you?" He whispers to me. I nodded as he pulled me from the dorm onto the deck.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

"I have a two months..." He replied. "If I don't kill you or Ella... I- He will kill me and my mother will die."

I let out a breath, the tendrils of it licking into the air. The cold air whispers along my skin, my hair blowing in the wind. "You have to tell someone." I urged. John shifted on his feet.

"He would find out..." John whispered to me.

"Who?" I asked my heart beating faster and faster.

"I can't say his name." John answered. "Its jinxed, he can see it through his crystal ball."
"There's actual things called crystal balls?" I deadpanned. I really needed to learn about the magical beings in the world...

"Yes, but regardless... He is one of the most powerful Warlocks in this realm." He added.

"There's Warlocks?" I questioned, the feeling of dumbness sweeping over me.

"You seriously need to read some books..." John trailed off his eyes sweeping over mine.

"Just look him up." John whispered. "And be careful..." He washes his hand over my shoulder his eyes staring into me. He moves forward as I break the contact of his hand on my arm. I walked into the dorms, John still glued to the spot. He was acting odd.

Sitting back at the table Elise looked up at her book. "What do you want to do tonight?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"You know... Its kind of a tradition for everyone to have a party..." Elise trailed off

"Sure!" I said excitedly. "I'll go text Brennen, Haley, Aira, Denen, and Rose!"

"Could we not invite Rose..." Elise asked shifting from her left foot to her right.

"Why?!" I demanded.

"She-, its nothing..." Elise replied walking away from me.

A pool of curiosity pooled in my brain, leaking down and out. What the hell.

Ignoring it, I walked out of the dorms into the frigid world. It was supposed to get down to -24* (-11* Fahrenheit) tonight. Winter during the Academy may have been beautiful, but it was freezing. The temperature usually hung around -10 to 0 (celcious) but today it was especially cold at -12*.

I walked along the snow covered paths, imprints of foot steps where people once stood scattered. It was good to be back. Very good.

Twisting along the paths I stopped right where the water dorms were, the trees separating around them. The water dorms were defiantly the coolest dorms. I had never been in them but I had heard lots of cool things about it. In the back of the area was a pool that was heated year round and inside there were apparently a fountain in the main room. All the buildings were two stories due to the abundancy of Water Elementals.

Meet me outside of the gates. I texted to Rose.

Speech bubbles appeared on the screen as the snow started to fall from the sky even more. The gates opened revealing Rose, wearing some blue jeans a burgundy hoodie, its folds creasing as she ran towards me. Rose embraced me in her arms, her chin resting upon my shoulder. Rose was one of the only people shorter than me...

"I missed you." I whispered to her.

"I missed you more." She laughed as the snow collected on her golden locks. Leaning my head in she mirrored me and we kissed lightly, and yet longingly are lips dancing together. The smell of snow filled my nose as I pulled back, the sound of the wind whispering along the skeletal fingers of the trees.

***
IT FEELS SO GOOD TO WRITE ACADEMY OF ELEMENTS AGAIN!!!!
So you guys probably know I competed in NaNoWriMo. Well... I won!!! My story Eventide ended up being 257 pages, (not the longest but longer than the second HP novel). Anyways... We are about to hit 3k!! Yay!!

Anyways...

Question of the chapter:

If you had to live in one season, and one season only what would it be?

Fall... I love the colors and the temperature isn't to cold or to hot:)