Realms of Elements

I sit down at the desk in front of me and start to get my books from my backpack out. The day is bright outside, and I hate the fact that I have to be at college when it’s clearly a beautiful day. Spring has finally sprung and the flowers are beginning to bloom. The snow is finally melting and the days are getting longer at last. I look at the window to my left and see the sun in the sky, shining down on us all like the giant orb has never been missing from it all winter.

But just as class is starting to gather in here, just as Mr. Conrad is beginning his lessons, a chill snakes down my spine. I look up, shivering. I realize then that I can see my breath, as well as everyone else’s, and everyone is shivering. Mr. Conrad clears his throat loudly, forcing the confused students to look at him. He narrows his eyes.

“Who messed with the thermostat while I was gone?” he demands.

No one did, I realize, as ice begins to climb up the glass of the window. It isn’t that cold outside. One of the girls sitting to my right begins to scream. I look at her, her eyes wide and aimed at me, as she points at my arms. I look down, and my heart stops. Ice has begun to cover my body.

I yelp and jump up, swiping at the ice on my arms and legs. Mr. Conrad states at me as ice begins to skitter across the floor and up the legs of the students at their desks. Some of them are screaming, but I can’t figure out why. Mr. Conrad takes another step towards me, as I am still trying to get the ice off me, and then he slips on the floor, falling onto his ass.

Confused and more than a little freaked out, I run from the room as ice flows all around me and covers the lockers, the floor, the ceiling.... I run and run until I smack into someone, and then I fall back onto my own ass.

Thalia looks down at me, her electric blue eyes and bright blonde hair remain flawless as always, and she kneels before me, helping me up. Rori wears a simple blue shirt, a black leather jacket, and black jeans and dark red boots. Thalia is eternally the cool student here, and I have always had a bit of a crush on her.

“Gwen, are you okay?” she asks.

She knows my name, she knows my name! Oh my goodness, she knows my —

“Uh, I’m freaking out and freezing everything I touch,” I say, rubbing my arms.

“Here,” she says, and she pulls a black hoodie out of her backpack. She hands it to me, and I put it on. I’m shivering too now, but I am not that cold for some reason, despite the ice coating everything. “I think I know what’s happening to you, Gwen.”

“Really? Wh-what?” I ask, shivering hard.

“You’re like me,” she says, holding up a hand and then, I see small purple and white sparks dancing among her fingers. She smiles and my heart does a flip. “Come on, girl. I gotta get you out of here, to somewhere safe.”

“Wait, isn’t school safe?” I ask, immediately hating how stupid I sound.

“No, not for people like us right now,” Thalia says. She grabs my hand and leads me out into the parking lot. I look all around, expecting my ice to be freezing everything in its path. But nothing happens.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Gotta get you to the Arbiter,” she says. “She will know what to do.”

“The who? Who’s that?” I ask her, feeling stupid again.

“Just get in my car,” she says, directing me to sit in her blue convertible. So I do, and she flips the top down and we speed out of the school parking lot, and as I clutch my purse and bag to my chest as we drive, I realize I might never see my college again. And maybe, just maybe, I’m okay with that.I sit down at the desk in front of me and start to get my books from my backpack out. The day is bright outside, and I hate the fact that I have to be at college when it’s clearly a beautiful day. Spring has finally sprung and the flowers are beginning to bloom. The snow is finally melting and the days are getting longer at last. I look at the window to my left and see the sun in the sky, shining down on us all like the giant orb has never been missing from it all winter.

But just as class is starting to gather in here, just as Mr. Conrad is beginning his lessons, a chill snakes down my spine. I look up, shivering. I realize then that I can see my breath, as well as everyone else’s, and everyone is shivering. Mr. Conrad clears his throat loudly, forcing the confused students to look at him. He narrows his eyes.

“Who messed with the thermostat while I was gone?” he demands.

No one did, I realize, as ice begins to climb up the glass of the window. It isn’t that cold outside. One of the girls sitting to my right begins to scream. I look at her, her eyes wide and aimed at me, as she points at my arms. I look down, and my heart stops. Ice has begun to cover my body.

I yelp and jump up, swiping at the ice on my arms and legs. Mr. Conrad states at me as ice begins to skitter across the floor and up the legs of the students at their desks. Some of them are screaming, but I can’t figure out why. Mr. Conrad takes another step towards me, as I am still trying to get the ice off me, and then he slips on the floor, falling onto his ass.

Confused and more than a little freaked out, I run from the room as ice flows all around me and covers the lockers, the floor, the ceiling.... I run and run until I smack into someone, and then I fall back onto my own ass.

Thalia looks down at me, her electric blue eyes and bright blonde hair remain flawless as always, and she kneels before me, helping me up. Rori wears a simple blue shirt, a black leather jacket, and black jeans and dark red boots. Thalia is eternally the cool student here, and I have always had a bit of a crush on her.

“Gwen, are you okay?” she asks.

She knows my name, she knows my name! Oh my goodness, she knows my —

“Uh, I’m freaking out and freezing everything I touch,” I say, rubbing my arms.

“Here,” she says, and she pulls a black hoodie out of her backpack. She hands it to me, and I put it on. I’m shivering too now, but I am not that cold for some reason, despite the ice coating everything. “I think I know what’s happening to you, Gwen.”

“Really? Wh-what?” I ask, shivering hard.

“You’re like me,” she says, holding up a hand and then, I see small purple and white sparks dancing among her fingers. She smiles and my heart does a flip. “Come on, girl. I gotta get you out of here, to somewhere safe.”

“Wait, isn’t school safe?” I ask, immediately hating how stupid I sound.

“No, not for people like us right now,” Thalia says. She grabs my hand and leads me out into the parking lot. I look all around, expecting my ice to be freezing everything in its path. But nothing happens.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Gotta get you to the Arbiter,” she says. “She will know what to do.”

“The who? Who’s that?” I ask her, feeling stupid again.

“Just get in my car,” she says, directing me to sit in her blue convertible. So I do, and she flips the top down and we speed out of the school parking lot, and as I clutch my purse and bag to my chest as we drive, I realize I might never see my college again. And maybe, just maybe, I’m okay with that.