The Last Elementalist

Chapter 2

The pounding of her feet filled her head, unable to focus on anything else. Crowds parted for her as she passed, long golden-brown hair flying behind her. Her gut told her that the men were still chasing her, trying to undo what she had heard, most likely by killing her. Thoughts rushed through her head about what she had heard and what had just happened, completely focused on the past. She had no idea where her legs might carry her, she just knew that if she stopped moving or exited a public area, things would not be in her favor. Next thing she knew someone shouted, "Lielle!" This voice made her momentarily stop.

Lielle looked around and realized where she was and who had called her. Gabriel ushered her inside and hid her in his house's safe room. Before she knew it, the house was full of screaming, and then deadly silent.

When she was sure it was safe and enough time had passed, Lielle pushed open the trapdoor above her. She walked into Gabriel's room to more silence. She knew he was gone before she saw it. Gabriel sprawled across the floor, bloody and still.

Why she had lost everyone she ever loved, she did not know. Whatever she might have done with her family if she had only had more time. The places she and Gabriel could have explored in this old town. Yet Sierra Vista was no longer her home if she had no one to share it with. She had made the decision when she heard the murder happening. These strange, delusional men were trying to take everything away from her so that she would walk straight to them. As if she hadn't seen enough movies to know how it works.

Lielle knew what she had to do. Her nearest family was a family of second cousins on her mother's side in Edmond, Oklahoma. She had only been there twice, but she was close enough with Amalia, her fifteen-year-old cousin. They constantly texted which would now be an issue since her phone had been dropped back outside her house as it was being reduced to ashes.

She couldn't get to Oklahoma without a bit of money on her. Her first stop had to
be the bank in nearby Los Angeles. The bank was at least a three or four mile walk in the blazing summer heat. With no supplies and little money, she would never make it in time.

A thought hit her like a block of ice. She was standing next to her dead boyfriend whom would have done anything for her in a time of need. Was he alone in the house? She did not want to be found in a crime scene when the police showed up, or even worse his sister whom was currently working at a summer camp for little kids, but wouldn't stay away forever. She would come home to her dead brother and parents, who had been alive and well when she had left.

Lielle dashed downstairs, vision blurred with tears. She grabbed the backpack she had gotten Gabriel for his birthday, filled it with some water bottles, homemade cherry pie, a few frozen peaches, and some money borrowed from his wallet, keeping her eyes raised from his parent's bodies that she had spotted in her peripheral vision.

As quickly as possible Lielle scribbled a note to Dona about what she had witnessed and hid it under the loose floorboard in her room, where Lielle knew she would find it.

She grabbed the keys to the bright red Honda and raced back up the stairs, throwing open a side window. Scrambling onto the side of the building, she peeked around the house to search for the men, but they had either left, or more likely hidden in the crowd that had formed outside. Sirens blared only blocks away, snapping her out of her thoughts. Lielle made her way to the lower level and rushed behind the trees in the front, now only yards away from her escape. Then, only minutes later, the distraction that she needed came.

Everyone began to move to the sides of the street as the cops turned onto the block. Lielle saw this as an opportunity and with all of the noise and craze, managed to shield the sound of the doors unlocking and the engine starting until the streets were clear enough for her to zip out of the driveway, spotting two men in black and gold once more.

Recalling what Gabriel had taught her about driving when he was practicing with her and his father for his permit, and trying to mind the speed limit, she bumped down the road, praying that she wouldn't get pulled over.

* * * * *

After about fifteen minutes of just above lawn mower speed driving, she managed to park the car in the bank's parking lot. She made sure to pull the lever to the park feature before locking the doors and, as casually as possible, marching into the bank.

The air conditioning in the bank was the most refreshing thing she had felt all day. A building full of people whom would see her and think that she was completely normal, minus her obvious body odor from her days on the run, and muddy, dirt stained jeans and sweatshirt.

She walked up to the desk and received a kind, "How my I help you, ma'am."

"I'm taking from Jake Thomas."

"How much?"

"Whatever you've got."

The woman behind the desk gave her a puzzled look. "Wait." She wagged her finger at Lielle, deep in thought. "You're that girl from the news. The runaway girl. The reward money for returning you to your family is massive!"

"What family?" Lielle asked. "I got none. All died. I dunno what you're talking about."

The lady made a sort of twitching movement behind the desk. "All right then. Must be mixing you up with someone else. I'll go get your cash. ID please?"

Lielle handed her the ID she had kept in her pocket. The woman walked away although she looked suspicious. She looked surprised as if she thought Lielle would never come. Would never walk into her trap. Lielle realized what she had done, what the lady had been doing behind the desk. She peered over and found a bomb set for five minutes. Enough time for the lady behind the desk to escape, but not look suspicious. She reached over the counter, pressed the emergency alarm button, and just as the blaring started she yelled, "Bomb!", and heard the screams of the crowd as they all rushed to the door.