Earth

Earth

         "Listen to them in there, they think they're all that just because they can do magic." Evie listens to her family practicing spells all together in the house from an open window, while she's outside tending to the small garden that is beside their house. A 12ft by 12ft patch of land that's all hers, to plant and dig in. Evie works long and hard all week to get this plot ready for planting. Grabbing the tomato plants she started earlier in the month, Evie begins planting row after row of sturdy little tomato plants, before switching to cabbage and lettuce. Lastly ending with peppers and green beans, all the while thinking "I'd much rather be out here, in the fresh air and sunshine with my hands in the dirt, than inside learning some long complicated spells, with words I can't even pronounce." 

         Evie looks over her garden, and smiles as if Christmas has come early. Breathing deeply, as warmth spread from her finger tips to her toes, this feeling of accomplishment washes over her making her giggle as if being tickled by invisible fingers. A gust of wind blows in her direction, she doesn't  know when she closes her eyes, but when she opens them she takes stock of her position. She is still kneeling in the dirt, her back aching from bending over so much, she was also sweaty and dirty. Evie stands, taking a look at the position of the sun and guesses that it's around 5 o'clock in the evening. There's going to be a bonfire party in a forest clearing at 7pm, so she should stop for now and start getting ready. Evie brushes some of the dirt off of herself, before heading towards the house.

         On her way inside she can't stop herself from thinking about her boyfriend, and all of the fun they're going to have tonight. His name is Kenny Novak and he's one of the people helping with setup for the party. He's 5'7", with a medium build and broad shoulders. He has wavy brown hair that reaches his shoulders, and light brown eyes that make her melt. The whole world could be burning and she wouldn't care, as long as she could stare into his eyes. Since he's helping with the party, she's planning to  meet him there instead of him picking her up.

         Stepping into the house Evie tries to rush up the stairs to her room before her sisters catch sight of her, but no such luck.

"Well...well...well, look what the pigs dragged in."

Everyone in the house laughs, she even sees her mom trying to hide her giggle behind her hand.

"Shut it Marie! I don't care if you do have powers you still are younger than me, you'd do well to remember that." Evie pushes pass Marie to the stairs but Marie races forward, stepping in front of the stairs blocking the way.

"Are you threatening me mud pie, because I can do more to you with one little spell, than you could with everything you're made of."

"Move, Evie yells."

"Hey, don't yell at her like that."

"Oh, that's right Lisa take up for Marie like you always do."

"Well she is younger than you, you just said so yourself."  Lisa and Marie share a smile, they look to their mom and she smiles with them. Evie looks at the three of them and throws her hands up in the air.

"Will you move out of the way Marie." 

"What's the magic word" Marie taunts.

"Please," Evie says while gritting her teeth.

"Aw see there you do know a little magic."

         Evie stomps her way upstairs to her room, slamming the heavy wooden door. Before it closes, she hears her family downstairs laughing at her. After her fight with Marie she has an hour and a half to get ready for the party. Evie uses the whole allotment of time left getting clean and calming down.

         It was 7 o'clock, and at this time of the year it was already starting to get dark. The crickets and other nocturnal creatures are out and about, singing to one another, communicating and or finding food. Walking through the forest, seeing the animals and hearing all the sounds make Evie feel like she's home. She has this overwhelming urge to take her shoes off and just walk barefoot. Of course, she's not going to do that, because people will look at her like she's crazy. And they might actually convince Kenny this time, that what they say about her is right.

         Walking through the forest Evie fall into a trance like state, and snaps out of it as she nears the clearing, She has no idea how she made it all the way to the party, but it didn't matter now that she's there. Looking around Evie sees the bonfire in the middle of the clearing burning brightly. There was kids jumping around to the music that was playing. She didn't know the song that was playing, but it was so loud she felt her bones rattling, like that of dice shaking around in someone's hand before throwing them down. Evie, turning to her left spots a table full of drinks and decides to make her way towards it. Picking up a cup, she takes a sip and liking the taste of it, she drinks down the rest in one go. Now that that's done, she needed to find Kenny. Evie squeezes pass people who are laughing and hanging off of each other, with cups of some dark liquid spilling from them as they hug and dance.

         The clearing was getting fuller and fuller by the minute, making it hard for Evie to find Kenny. The DJ starts playing a slow song, and many hips and bodies start to sway from side to side like branches of a willow tree blowing in the breeze. "Breathe" by Faith Hill, is one of Evie's favorite songs and as it plays she starts to sway herself. Still looking for Kenny, Evie moves pass some of the people she knows, saying hi along the way. Scanning the crowd, she sees him standing on the other side of the clearing. He's looking around as if trying to find someone. He's looking for her she realizes, smiling to herself she begins to make her way over to him.

         Evie is ten feet away from Kenny when the unthinkable happens. This girl runs up to him throwing her arms around his neck and starts kissing him. And to her amazement he's kissing her back. "What in the blazes is going on here" Evie feels a tightening in her stomach as she watches Kenny try to stutter out a response. Evie looks between him and the girl, not just any girl mind you. Melinda is her name and she's the one that makes the most fun of her, because she has no powers. She also calls her crazy and weird-girl.

         Everyone was quiet, even the DJ stops playing music to watch the scene unfold. Evie looks around at everyone "you all knew this was going on behind my back, and none of you said anything." Evie's breathing starts to pick up pace as her eyes water, she will not let them see her cry. There's this coiling sensation tightening around her middle, making her feel antsy. Turning her back to everyone Evie runs out of the clearing. As she runs she yells "how could they do this to me?" She runs through the forest with tears streaming down her face. Faster and faster she runs not caring where she ends up. She didn't fall, trip or bump into anything, she's nothing more than a blue and green blur. Her dark auburn hair is like a reddish brown banner waving behind her as she flies through the forest as a bird slices through the air when in flight.

         Evie finally stops, noticing that she is in a clearing that she's never been in before. Her chest feels tight and it hurts, she didn't know if it's from the pain of seeing him with her or, from her running like a mad woman. Everything was eerily quiet, nothing made a sound. All you can hear is Evie as she takes a few calming breaths but suddenly switches gears entirely and grabs two fists full of auburn hair screaming out her hurt and frustration. "He said he loved me, that it didn't matter that I had no powers. How dare he kiss that witch Melinda?" Tilting her head back and yelling at the top of her lungs "you are a liar Kenny Novak"

         The coiling sensation was back. Evie felt something coiling tighter and tighter in her stomach. Needing to release all of her pent up anger she drops to her knees and slams her fists on the ground. Once her fists make contact with the ground beneath her, it's like bombs being detonated. Grass and dirt go flying up into the air. When the dust settles Evie's sitting in a deep crater, not believing what she's seeing. Evie is looking around at the crater and trying to calm her racing heart.

         A beautiful lady appears looking around at the destruction. Evie is shaking like a leaf thinking that she is in big trouble, and this beautiful creature is here to punish her. She has tan skin, dark brown hair with honey color highlights, it's curly and wild and reaches to the middle of her back. Her eyes are the color of green moss and has a brilliant sparkle to them. Looking more closely at the lady, Evie sees that she has a smile on her lips. The strangest thought comes to Evie's mind "I wonder if she likes to play with her food before she eats it." Evie hears a laugh, not just any laugh.This laugh has power, a power to make the ground shake and a boulder crumble to pebbles.

         Evie stares at the lady thinking "I sure hope she can't read minds."  There's that laugh again, Evie can feel little tremors under her knees. Evie sits there unblinkingly as the lady introduces herself.

"Hello there little one my name is Lady Gaia." After seeing the blank stare still on Evie's face she clarifies her answer "to most people I am known as Mother Earth."

After hearing that title Evie bowes till her head touches the ground.

"Please Mother Earth, Lady Gaia forgive me for destroying this clearing. I didn't mean to."  Tears begin to fill up Evie's eyes again. Lady Gaia seeing her distress hurries to calm the girl.

"Hush now child, this can be fixed and it will be before I leave this evening. Now stand Evie there is work to do and explanations to  share." Lady Gaia says this while gently petting a deer that has silently made its way into the clearing.

         Evie watches as Mother Earth lavishes attention on the doe, seeing her gentle nature Evie calms further and did as she was told and stands up in the crater. Lady Gaia whispers into the doe's ear and it takes off like a shot form a gun, going back into the forest. Evie looks around the crater trying to find a way out feeling lost and confused on what to do. She starts biting her lip when she realizes that there was no way out of the crater she made. Sighing, Evie sets her chocolate brown eyes back on Lady Gaia and asks "How do I get out of this hole I made?"

         Lady Gaia smiles, not only with her mouth but with her eyes which twinkle like the stars above their heads. Shaking her head "oh child you don't need to search for a way out, silly girl you are going to fix this hole you made in my earth." Evie stands there in unbelief, "what did you just say?"

"No time to repeat myself you need to do exactly as I say. You can follow directions, can you not?" Even though the words are condescending Lady Gaia still has a smile on her beautiful face, which softens the blow these words may have on her ego. Evie waits for Lady Gaia to instruct her on how to fix this crater.

"Now first kneel on the earth." Evie sinks down on her knees quickly and waits for her next command.

"You will put your hands on the earth one on each side of your knees." She did as she was told wondering for the first time if anything will happen. Evie starts to feel giddiness take over and can't suppress the giggles that over take her. She starts rocking to and fro, giving her complete attention back to Lady Gaia. So eager to learn from and listen to Lady Gaia, Evie didn't even notice that the stars are turning out their lights, just as people do before going to bed. The only light source is that of the moon, which has taken on an orange tint. The glow from the moon shines right down on the spot where Evie sits. The wind blows ripping some of the leaves off the trees, like band aids off of healed knees. The smell was sweet but unrecognizable the feeling of home was back.

         Shaking off the lethargic feeling that wants to consume her, Evie gives Lady Gaia her full attention.

"Now you have to will the ground to rise up." Evie repeats to herself rise up ground over and over but nothing happens. Eveie looks back up at Lady Gaia taking in all of her royalty like stature and bows her head back down in shame.

"I'm sorry Lady Gaia it's not working." She hates disappointing Mother Earth but what can she do nothing, she is good for nothing. Lady Gaia looks down on the girl in the crater and feels her heart fill with warmth and compassion for this girl, whom was clearly showing signs of distress. She already knows that she will come to love her as a daughter.

"My child raise your head, it is I who is at fault here. I never told you how to sense your powers, once you tap into them you'll be able to raise the ground in no time at all."

         Evie has hope shining so brightly in her eyes they looked like pools of melted chocolate.

"Yes" Lady Gaia thought to herself, "It's the right decision making this girl my heir. I will have to explain all of thist to her but first things first."

" Evie dear you have to concentrate to tap into your power. You need to reach deep inside yourself."

"How will I know when I reach it"

"Please child let me finish."

"sorry! "

"As I was saying when you reach deep inside yourself, you'll know when you reach it because it will be warm like the ground is on a sunny day. There's a humming sound to it like that of a swarm of hundreds of bees. Lastly it will be coiled like that of a snake ready to strike. Do not be afraid of it, it is yours to command. Once you find it, let it fill you up do not resist or fight the feeling. Focus the energy to your hands that are resting on either side of you and release the energy, telling it to raise the earth till the ground is level again."

         That was a lot to take in but Evie focusing on what Lady Gaia was telling her, follows the directions at once. Her whole body starts to warm up, then  she directs the energy to her hands and pushes it down into the earth, releasing it with the command Mother Earth gives her. Evie has her eyes closed, which happens when she's trying to find her power. Unfortunately with her eyes closed Evie didn't get to see the ground rise but she hears clapping from Lady Gaia and opens her eyes.

"What? Why, all the clapping?" Evie looks down and sees that the crater is now fixed and the clearing is as it should be.

"What? How? Why?" Evie asks with eyes so wide open they looked like golf balls with a dirt smudges on them.  Lady Gaia laughs her wonderfully terrible laugh and hugs Evie.

"Yes child I can read your mind, so I know exactly what you're thinking. You are not a nobody, Evie Navaraux, you're an Elemental, an Earth Elemental to be exact and my heir. Stop with your protests."

"But I didn't say anything." Evie pouts and crosses her arms in front of her.

"I can read minds remember."

         Lady Gaia grabs both of Evie's hands in hers "I know of your struggles and of your hardships here. I want you to leave with me to train and hone your skills. There's a change coming and not a good one. When we Elementals need to find heirs to train, it usually means there is, a battle brewing and you and your team must be ready to meet it and win."

"My team what are you talking about." Evie stood chewing her lip, a nervous habit she hasn't been able to break.

         "I will take you to my dimension, where you will meet the others Lady Isabelle: (Fire Elemental), Lord Alexander: (Wind Elemental), and last but not least by any stretch of the imagination Lord Antares: (Water Elemental). We will each have to find an heir and they will make up your team. I do not know if any of the others have found heirs yet, but I would love for you to meet my brothers and sister. I am absolutely positive they will love you as much as I do."

"Some even more," Lady Gaia thought to herself as a picture of Antares flashes through her mind.

         Shaking off her worries, Mother Earth squeezes Evie's hands "now child tell me do you accept being my heir and all that comes with this position? If yes are you willing to leave with me right now, I'm sorry there is no time to say goodbye to your family and friends, we must leave soon."

Evie closes her eyes thinking back on her life and how everyone made her feel less than, even her own family looks down on her because she didn't have powers like the rest of them. Now here is her chance to prove to them all especially Kenny the lying jerk Novak that she is somebody special. Evie opens her eyes, squeezes Lady Gaia's hands and replies "yes, I'll be your heir, and yes I'll leave with you to your dimension."

         Lady Gaia, Mother Earth herself gathers Evie up in her arms hugging her tight. "It has been a very long time since I've found an heir that I already feel a very strong connection with. I hope you"re ready for a spectacular adventure." Lady Gaia waves her hand and a portal appears out of nowhere. With an arm around Evie's shoulders they walk into the portal talking of all the things Evie is to learn and never stopping to look back.

The End