Heart of the Elements: Thorn

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At three o' clock pm, a thirteen year old girl with light brown hair and blue eyes walked into a forest a couple of block from her house. She walked deep into the forest to a tree with thick branches. Climbing the tree, the girl came to a thick branch up near the top. From there, she was exposed and anyone who was walking through that forest on that particular fall day would see her form up high in the tree. The girl, whose name was Elizabeth, leaned against the tree's large trunk. Elizabeth sat with one leg streched out and the other dangling over the branch.

Elizabeth, is that you?

Elizabeth looked down to see an orange tabby cat sitting at the base of the tree. She sighed and responded, “yeah Enchanter it's me. About time. I've been waiting almost two hours.”

Sorry, I...had to take care of something before I came here.
   
Elizabeth sat up straight as the voice of the wizard filled her mind. “Come on up. I need to talk to you.”
 
With a swish of his tail, Enchanter disappeared in a puff of orange smoke. He then appeared again on Elizabeth's out streched leg. Elizabeth reached out and pet the cat's head. Enchanter purred and rubbed her hand with his head. Then he sat down on his haunches and looked at Elizabeth with curious cat eyes.

Yes, Elizabeth?
   
“I wanted to say thank you, for teaching me about what I can do...about magic." Elizabeth looked away from him with a sigh. “Thank you for teaching me.”

You didn't drag me all the way out here just to say that did you?

“You didn't let me finish.” Elizabeth lifted Enchanter up, shifted her body so she could sit cross-legged, and sat Enchanter before her. “As grateful as I am that you thought me how to control and use my magic but I-”

You don't want to learn magic anymore, do you?
 
“No.” Elizabeth turned away from him and started to climb down the tree. “I want to move on with my life. I'm going to be going to a new school soon.”

I know. George told me. I checked out the place. Your mom would approve.

“She would.” Elizabeth stepped on to another, thicker branch. She stopped and waited for Enchanter to join her. “Hopefully I can make some new friends.”
 
I thought you had friends.

Elizabeth lifted Enchanter into her arms. His body began to shrink and suddenly, the large orange tabby turned into a fluffy orange kitten. He climbed onto Elizabeth's shoulder.

 “I don't. I...I abandoned them when I started learning magic.”
 
I never meant for you to push people away. I only meant-
   
“I know.” Elizabeth began to descend down the tree again. “But I was concerned about hurting them. Hell, I could lose control just using magic to grow a daisy.”

That was no reason to abandon your friends Lizzie.

"It was. What if I hurt them? And besides, it's not like I could have told them 'oh, look, I can grow an apple in the palm of my hand!' They'd think I was crazy.” Elizabeth grabbed onto a smaller branch, about five feet from the ground.
 
Unless you showed them. I find skeptical humans tend to believe the impossible if they see it with their eyes. Careful.

Elizabeth looked down. She was hanging onto the branch. “I know they would have believed me if I showed them. But think of the danger I would put them in.”

I understand. But are you sure you want to stop learning magic? What if-
 
"No. Look, there's no reason for me to learn magic. What would I even do with it?” Elizabeth interrupted the wizard as she let go of the branch and fell to the ground in a crouch. She took Enchanter from her shoulder and set him on the ground. He transformed back into an adult cat and rubbed against her leg.
 
You could help me.
 
“No.” Elizabeth walked over to another tree, reached into it's trunk and retrieved a small book bag. She put her arms throw the straps amd briefly glanced behind her at the patient cat staring at her. “I'm done with magic.”

Elizabeth...please, listen I-

“No!” Elizabeth swiveled around as her voice echoed in the relative empty forest. “I'm done with magic. I'm done with putting myself in danger just to learn how to grow a few flowers.”
 
She shook her head and began to walk away. Enchanter began to follow her.
 
Elizabeth, there are things coming, things that could mean trouble for the Element Hearts.
 
“I don't care. Find someone else.” Elizabeth shook her head and began to move her hand in a simple spell.
 
Elizabeth, please-
   
“Don't bother me again Enchanter. Ever.”
 
Elizabeth-

 But Enchanter's words fell into a telepathic void, for Elizabeth had vanished in a puff of green smoke.