Surviving Camp Cedar

Chapter Nine

Elsa woke up in the middle of the night, freezing underneath her comforter and pajamas. She knew the stress, worry, and fear over losing control of her powers earlier that night was just making them worse, but she was powerless to stop them. No matter how many hot showers and soothing breaths she took, her hands kept seeming to create more and more damage and it wouldn't be long before everyone knew about her talents. Talents that confined her to a bedroom and left her asking thousands of questions that would remain unanswered probably for the rest of her life. She blew out a long sigh, her bangs lifting from her forehead with the air. She had no idea what she was going to do.

The cabin was completely silent, not even the light snores that usually came from Daisy's bed punctuating the darkness and quiet. Once again, Elsa crawled to the window and stared longingly at the moon.

"Please," She whispered, completely unsure who or what she was pleading with at this point, "make it stop. I don't want to hurt people. I just want to be normal." She begged, her voice quiet as tears began to fall down her cheeks. The pain of her powers often felt like it was too much. When she was younger, she would make bets with whatever mystical forces had given her her powers. She would beg them to take the powers back, often crying herself to sleep when she would test them and find out that ice and snow were still controlled by the palm of her small hand. It had been hell, and it wasn't getting any better as the years dragged on.

She sat on the window ledge for a long time, not even caring what time it was. The dead silence of the entire camp put her on edge, and she found herself grabbing a jacket and slipping on her flip-flops, the need to go for a walk overwhelming her. Her feet carried her without her giving them any orders, flying easily over the uneven ground and not stumbling even once. She found herself at the edge of the lake, peering at her own moonlit and distorted reflection. 

"Can't sleep?" Came a voice from behind her, unfamiliar yet comforting. She turned to see a girl with wavy hair, wearing a black t-shirt. She was heavyset and not very pretty, and even in the dark Elsa could see the red lipstick she had slathered on her lips.

"Not really," She answered a little uneasily, wondering why this strange girl was at the lake at this hour. Then again, she was probably wondering the same thing.

"I'm Ursula." She introduced herself, holding out a hand for Elsa to shake. She did, surprised at the cool softness of Ursula's palm.

"Elsa." She answered, feeling as if she was making the wrong kind of alliance but also sensing that Ursula could help her. It was a strange feeling, but Elsa couldn't deny the excitement she felt in her new friend.

"So, how come you can't sleep, Elsa?" Ursula asked, sounding much older than any camper Elsa had come into contact with. She held herself like she knew exactly what you wanted and how to give it to you, the glint in her eyes almost electric as she drank in every detail of Elsa; from her messily bunned hair to her unpolished toenails. Instead of feeling self-conscious, Elsa felt a morbid curiosity at what Ursula could be thinking. She desperately wanted her to like her.

"Um, I don't know." She answered shyly, unwilling to tell her of her powers.

"That's a lie. I know about your powers, dear. I can help you." Ursula promised, Elsa's heart beating faster and swelling at the sudden possibility.

"Really?" She asked, hating the hopeful tone of her voice. She knew her eyes were probably huge and she could feel her palms sweating in participation.

"Yes, of course. I've helped a lot of people... At a price, of course." Ursula replied, a malevolent laugh punctuating the sentence. 

"Help me, I'll give you anything." Elsa mumbled in answer, feeling as if all her prayers and pleadings had finally been answered.