The Elements of Rage | ✔

• F O R T Y • T W O •

"My lies are a habit, my crimes an everyday affair. I want to fix this, truly, but I can't seem to break my habits."
• • •

Miles and miles, the sand seems to stretch on forever. My feet pound into the ground, sliding slightly with each step. Sweat is pouring down my face, and I'm not sure if it is because of the dry heat or the constant running.

I would just turn into shadow and travel back home that way, but I can't. The sun is huge, in the middle of the sky, scorching the land and scaring away any and all shadows. I can't travel via shadows if there aren't any shadows.

The sun.

Mentally, I roll my eyes and let out a snort. A couple hours ago, I was missing the sun. Wishing I could see it again. Now all I want to do is escape it. I can feel my skin burning up and my body getting hotter and hotter.

There is nothing here. Just sand, sky, the sun, and I.

And I keep running. And running. And running. Running until I am long past exhausted. Running until my bare feet are blistered and bleeding. I stopped after the third mile and ripped the bottom of my shirt and pants and used the rags as makeshift shoes. Every five miles or so I have to retie them to my feet.

My hair is held back just barely by another strip of fabric. For the most part, my hair stays out of my face so the rag does its job, I suppose.

Sweat gets in my eyes, so I don't even notice the town right away. But it is there, slowly crawling over the horizon. It's a small town, almost a ghost town it's so quiet.

I creep up towards the first building and began to search. I need water, shoes, and a way out of this place so I can get back home. I need to get back to my boys.

I slip through a neighborhood until I find a porch with shoes on it. Darting up, I avoid the windows and stay out of view. As I jam my feet into the shoes, a wave of guilt washes over me, but the shoes I chose are old and the house looks nice, not quite expensive but nice. The owners can afford to lose a pair of old shoes, I'm sure.

Scurrying away, I find a hose and drink from it, hoping I don't get too sick. As the water pours down my face and into my mouth, though, I don't have a single care about how sick I'm going to get. I'm too wrapped up in the amazing sensation of water, even if it is warm.

When I was running, I could've filtered through my sweat to make some water to drink, but that would've taken too long and not given me enough water. Besides, I didn't even think of it until now. Its been so long without using my powers that I'm not used to using them all the time either. Even though it was only a couple weeks or so without my powers, I spent so many weeks alone in that empty box with my powers blocked that I began to get used to living without them even before Kitrina took them away.

As I begin to feel almost normal, I use my ice powers to cool down the water and my water powers to filter through the hose water and remove all the impurities and germs that I can. The cold water feels amazing and instantly cools me off. I'm still exhausted, though, and using my powers on the water has drained me even more. Perhaps it was a waste to use my powers on the water, but it was worth it, at least at the time. However, it does mean that I won't be able to get home through the shadows.

Instead, I head further into town, looking for a bus or a train or anything really that would provide passage back home. I come across a bus stop eventually and quickly pickpocket a distracted man nearby. Discarding the wallet, I pocket his cash and board the train.