Fire (Elements Series Book #1)

Chapter 2

II

THAT DEFINITELY WASN’T A SQUIRREL.

            I didn’t care if the voice came from an axe murderer. I rushed to the sound.

            I hoped I didn’t maim anybody.

            There, sitting around what I thought was supposed to be a camp fire, were two girls who looked about fourteen, my age. One was holding an apple that had my arrow stuck in it. I guessed that she was the one that made the sound. She looked like Goldilocks with blonde hair in a French braid. What surprised me was her eyes. They were constantly changing. They were blue, sure. But the shade of blue? I couldn’t tell you. One second, they were sea blue. The next second, they were navy blue. Strange? Yes. But I’ve seen stranger.

            The other girl I guessed to be African American. She looked like Mother Earth herself. She had brown hair, green eyes, brown clothes, brown skin…You would think that she would look boring, but she radiated an invisible glow that was super powerful.

            The blond girl yanked my arrow out of her apple. “This is yours, I presume?”

            I nodded, taking the arrow. “Sorry about that. I don’t take well to strange noises in the forest. I’m McKenna. McKenna Donaldson.”

            “Emma Richards,” the blonde said.

            “Natalie Wilde,” the other girl said.

            “I thought you guys were squirrels.” I admitted, shouldered my bow. Emma laughed.

            “Where are you going?” Natalie asked.

            I shrugged. “Don’t know. I ran away. I have an evil stepmother at home.” I pointed to the wood pile. “Were you trying to make a fire?”

            At the word fire, my body heats up.

            “Yeah,” said Natalie. “but for some reason, we can’t make one!”

            I crouched beside it. “Let me have a look. I’m good with these.”

            Emma handed me a match, and I struck it. I held it to the wood. Nothing.

            I examined the wood. It didn’t look wet, so why wasn’t it igniting? I felt the wood. It didn’t feel wet. In fact, now that I thought about it, it felt warm.

            Emma gasped. “Um…McKenna? The wood…”

            I looked at it.

            A fire.

            “Um.” I stood up and scratched my head. “How did that happen?”

            Only Natalie didn’t seem confused. In fact, she seemed rather excited. “McKenna, here.” She handed me a Kleenex. “Hold this, and concentrate on fire.”

            I wondered why Natalie carried tissues in the forest. Maybe she was homesick. I took the Kleenex.

            I thought about fire. Warm, hot, red fire.

            Instantly, it caught fire.

            I held it in my hands as it burned. It didn’t burn my hands to a crisp. Huh. “So. I can create fire and am resistant to it.”