The Storm of Elements

Shadows and Making Plans

After the Exhale Spa, we all decide to call it a night. It may be only around 9:00, but we're all exhausted from the trip and it's just been a long day. So we all day goodnight to each other then start to go into our rooms. 

I smile up at Jake, taking both of his hands in mine. "Goodnight, Jake." 

He kisses my forehead. "Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning. Bright and early." 

I smile over my shoulder as I pull away and walk into my room. "Yeah, that's going to happen." 

He just smiles and waves. 

I immediately throw on the pjs I brought, which is just yoga pants and a baggy cotton t-shirt, take off my makeup, brush my teeth and hair, then collapse on the bed I'd chosen earlier. 

Then, just in case it was not clear, I look up at the other girls. "This is my bed, just so you know. I claimed it." 

"Good to know," Lenae looks up and smiles from the couch.

"No worries, we weren't going to fight you for it," Raina says, sinking into the bed across from mine. 

"I know there's like another whole room in our room, but I think I'll just sleep on the floor," Myria says. "It'll be weird sleeping in there by myself. I'd rather be out here with you guys." 

"Didn't know you loved us so much," Raina says. 

Myria pretends to roll her eyes as she starts spreading the fleece blanket she brought onto the carpet. "I didn't say I did. I'm just saying it'll be rather.......dull alone there by myself." 

Raina grins at me. "Yeah, she loves us."

"You're impossible," Myria says. 

Lenae looks up at the ceiling from the couch and says soflty, "Guys, have you ever realized that at this very moment, Rave could be listening in on our conversations and watching us sleep?" 

We all look at her.

"Just think about it. This whole incognito thing we've been doing could be pointless. They could already know where we are right now. All of our secrecy would be all for not, so why even try?" 

For a moment we're quiet. 

"That's a scary thought," Myria says. "Since we've gone through all the trouble of staying low-key this far." 

"Well, we do all that because what if they don't know we're here?" I say. "And if so, we've just given ourselves an advantage in this fight. Plus, Falcon wouldn't take any unnecessary precautions or do anything to risk us being discovered." 

"I know," Lenae says, pulling her blanket up higher. "I'm just saying."

We're quiet a minute longer. 

"Please don't say something like that to me right before I'm going to sleep," Raina suddenly says. 

"Okay." 

I barely sleep the rest of the night. 

But in the middle of the night, I awake with a jolt from a nightmare. I take a moment to calm myself and shake it off, then try to call back asleep. But just as I'm closing my eyes, movement catches my eye. 

A shadow darts across the room. 

My thoughts immediately turn to the memory of two months ago when the same thing happened in me and Crystal's old apartment. The night before Rave kidnapped her. 

My eyes look frantically around to see if it'll happen again. But it doesn't. 

It's hard going back to sleep.