Elementals: Earth

Chapter One

**Please comment if you have suggestions, questions, or have noticed something that doesn't make sense**

Nobody likes to go somewhere they don't want to be. Emma Smith; a girl around the age of 15; a girl who had to go to her cousin's (Katie) 16th birthday party. Fun, right? Wrong. This was that place you don't want to be. This was that place that would cause you to do something reckless. Emma was no exception.

Emma went straight to her room after school. She buried her face in her pillow and screamed. Was this going to be her life? Being forced to all of Katie's parties? It couldn't be. She wouldn't let it be.

She heard her uncle stomp up the stairs. He knocked on her door, and in a stern tone said, "You better be getting ready for Katie's party. I won't let you ruin it! It's her 16th birthday for crying out loud! Oh, and make sure your gifts are ready."

Emma sighed, then mumbled, "It's my birthday too." This wasn't exactly true. The two used to be best friends, and they always celebrated their birthdays on the same day. Emma would be turning 16 the following day, but, that was close enough for her.

Emma huffed. This wasn't fair. Nothing was these days. She grabbed her backpack, emptied it out, and tossed it onto her bed. This was the day. She would be giving herself a birthday present - one she had already packed for.

Emma opened her closet, grabbing a bag that read, "To be opened on The Day". She poured its contents on her bed; a sleeping bag, cans of soup, two jugs of water, a map of the city, a multitool (given to her by her dad), snow boots, a windbreaker, gloves, and two other outfits she could change into. She had packed for winter, convenient because the season had just started.

Emma smirked. She was almost free. Free from her uncle, James, whom she was forced to live with when her parents died in a car crash. She wasn't going to miss him and his horrible daughter. She wasn't going to think twice about it. If she was leaving, it had to be now.

Emma threw the warm clothes on. She picked up the backpack and couldn't help but feel both excited, and nervous. What if she couldn't make it? What if she died? What if she got caught? Emma nodded the thoughts away. It'll be worth the struggle, she reminded herself. But what if it wasn't?

She had to stop thinking about it. It was already nearing the time of the party. Emma opened her window and was ready for the climb down the two-story house. She put herself in a good spot and started to climb down, begging her muscles to not give out.

After five, long minutes, Emma finally was on the lawn, walking on its dead grass. She looked back at the house. She had grown up in that house, and now, standing here, she realized that she would never see it again. Just go, she thought. She tied her brown hair into a bun, putting her beanie on over it.

Then, Emma ran. She ran as though she had never run before. She ran down the street until she was in the forest. She took out her map and began to go deeper into the forest. Where would she go? She hadn't thought that far. She panicked, thinking of all of the horrible things that could happen to her.

Emma sat on a stump. Snow began to fall lightly, and then soon heavily. She started to cry, remembering the time she had first played in the snow. She was around the age of 7, her mom and dad had wanted to do something fun. They went to the forest and built a snow castle. Emma remembered not liking how cold it was. She remembered almost tripping, but a branch caught her. That was impossible, though. Such a thing couldn't move like that.

Emma sighed, wiping her eyes. She wasn't far enough away. If anybody sent a search team, she would be found quickly. She had to continue on, no matter how cold. She only needed to reach the next city, but it felt like an eternity away.