Elemental

Chapter One (Revised)

The delicious aroma of bacon and eggs drifted invitingly into Jade Peterson's room. Her baby blue curtains were pulled down to keep away the early morning summer sunshine. Jade did not want to leave the cozy sheets of her bed, but the sweet breakfast smells tempted her. She slowly climbed out of her bed, a part of her regretting her decision to leave.

Once twelve year old Jade started walking down the stairs towards the kitchen, she realized how hungry she was. Charlie was sitting at the table with egg smeared across his face. Charlie was five and had wild brown hair, unlike Jade's hair, which was pitch black like a starless night sky. Charlie's hazel eyes always wore a playful and innocent look. Jade's eyes were bright green. Her eyes were full of light and laughter.

"It looks like Sleeping Beauty finally woke up." Mom joked as she set a plate of hot eggs in front of Jade as she sat down. Mom was the best in Jade's eyes. She had long beautiful brown hair that was normally put up in a bun. Mom was the best cook Jade knew. She loved to laugh and understood her family well. Mom walked over and helped Charlie successfully eat his eggs without getting it everywhere else.

"Where's Dad?" Jade asked her mother. Dad normally ate breakfast with the rest of the family, and fresh eggs were his favorite.

"Some of his old friends were in the area and he left to go visit them at their hotel. The hotel is a little ways away, so your dad won't be back for lunch. He might have dinner with us, though." Mom answered. Jade nodded. Her father rarely got time to be with his friends because he was always working. Sunday was the only day he did not have to work on the farm. The Peterson home was out in the country because Mr. Peterson was a farmer. The farm was small enough that he did not need to buy that much equipment, but large enough that it would support the family.

After breakfast, Charlie disappeared into the playroom, probably to play trains or stack blocks or something. Mom went to feed the pigs. Jade stepped outside and strolled towards her favorite place. Jade had her very own garden full of flowers and gorgeous plants. Jade admired her father for working so hard with his farm. Jade also loved being able to watch something grow before her eyes and the feeling of knowing that she grew a beautiful living thing.

Her garden was in the small forest behind the house. Dad had put up a little barbed wire fence to keep out hungry forest critters. When Jade walked into her garden, the sweet scent of blue bells and daisies filled the air. Speckled sunlight peered through the lazily swaying green trees covering the little garden. Jade sat down at the nearest plant, a small patch of roses, and started plucking the tiny sprouts of weeds that had grown overnight.

By the time Jade had plucked all of the weeds, cut off the dead plants, and planted a few new types of flowers, Mom called for her. Dad was home!