The Elementals

Third Rail

"Tide!" Steel shouts from my right. I run toward his voice. I'm in the woods, but it's like the trees are made of shadows, flitting in and out of my sight. I have to get to Steel. He sounded scared, in pain.

"Help!" I skid to a stop. That sounded like Terra. It's coming from the other direction. I look back and forth. I can't see Terra or Steel. A red fog swirls around my feet unnaturally. It coils around my ankles like a snake.

"Run!" It's Steel again, and I hear Sparky and Maple crying. I turn.

"No, stop!" Terra screams. I don't know who to go to.

"Tide," Breeze says from right next to me. "Choose."

"Why?" I ask, desperately looking around for Breeze.

She appears in front of me. "You can't save us all." Breeze suddenly cries out in pain, and her form wisps away into the air. The ground gives way beneath my feet. I tumble into darkness as shrieks echo around me.

I jump awake, feeling like I'm actually falling. It's well into the day; the sun is high above me in the sky. "Why didn't you wake me up?" I ask Coal, who's sitting, tossing a flaming pinecone from hand to hand.

"You needed the rest." He says as the pinecone disintegrates in his fingers.

I stand up, hating the fact that he's right. But I don't feel much better. I can still hear the screams from my dream. "We need to keep going."

Coal rises, not arguing. I don't even pretend to know where I'm going. I just wander aimlessly around, searching for any sign of the others for hours. I check on Coal, just to make sure he's there because he's become strangely quiet all of a sudden. He's trailing behind with a troubled look on his face.

"So you really don't remember anything?" I ask, knowing that's what he's thinking about.

Coal glances up at me. "No." He sounds frustrated.

Okay. If I play this right, things will go back to normal. "Well, let's see," I say, slowing down so we're walking side by side. "After the bear tore you to shreds, I had to drag you to the cave, then you almost died, and now here we are."

He nods, then suddenly stumbles and clutches his head. I hover over him, not sure what to do. Then Coal stands up, looking at me strangely. "I," He starts, "I can see it now. I remember."

"What?" I squeak out in horror, backing up.

He straightens, over his pain apparently. "I knew it!"

"What?" I seem to only be able to say one word. My brain is screaming mayday!

"I knew something happened! You've been acting weird ever since." He spins on his heels, talking to himself.

"So," I say haltingly, "You don't remember anything?"

He glares at me and I know that's the flaw in his plan. He still doesn't know what happened. I want to kick myself for falling for such an obvious trick. "Nothing important happened," I insist, though I know I've already lost.

"If it's so unimportant," he says, pacing impatient circles around me as we walk. "Why won't you tell me?"

I go to protest that I did tell him everything, but it's no use lying to him. "I can't." Is the best I can come up with.

"Why not?"

"Because." I snap angrily. "Just accept it."

"No!" He plants himself right in front of me, blocking my path. I don't even try to push past him because I know I won't be able to. Coal is like a rock when he's being stubborn. We stand there, opposing each other, arms folded. I'm not going to tell him. But I can't lie. So I just stay silent. I'm not budging.