Elemental by Leah Crowe (red queen ebook .TXT) 📖

Forward:

I’m different. And no, I don’t mean pink hair or crazy scars. I’m talking about the kind of different that changes things; the abnormality that epic tales are born from. Here is my story:

I lived in an orphanage near the beaches in Maine. It didn’t feel like an orphanage though. It felt like home. I’d been there for as long as I could remember. There were acres upon acres of land for us children to traverse upon. It was almost like living in an enchanted forest. For the longest time, Dawtry Orphanage was a magical place. In the fall, the land was tinted orange. You could hear the ocean at the edge of the property banging and crashing against the shore. And yet, despite such fearsome power, the sound of the waves calmed me. Sometimes when the constant nightmares became too much, I would sneak out to the beach and bask in the moonlight. There was a special cave near the end of our property. It was my secret hideout. I would spend hours there, just staring at the waves and thinking. Eventually, I’d get called back to the Main House by Miss Medley, the owner of the orphanage. She was like a mother to us all. Sometimes, I would pretend like she was my real mother. But then the dream would fade and I would remember that my parents didn’t want me.

There were five children at the orphanage, despite the enormous size. I was always puzzled by this, but I had my own room and lots of space to roam so I wasn’t going to complain. My best friend Puck would sometimes sneak into my room and we would spend the night talking. Talking about our future; wondering about our past. I was happy though. The orphanage was a kind place and I felt loved there. Soon, I would be old enough to live on my own, and the thought made me sad. When Puck and I were younger, we used to plan what we would do when we had to leave. Puck was two months older than me, so he’d leave first. I made him promise to wait for me. We used to say that we’d get married and live right next to the orphanage. We would never give up our children. We would cherish them, just like Miss Medley did for us. Now, I look back on our crazy schemes and laugh. Puck always wanted to learn how to fly. He said he’d learn when he got out. I vowed to help him ascend to the air. I wanted to learn how to swim, but was too afraid to step into the churning and vast ocean. Puck said we’d learn how to once we left. We had our whole lives planned ahead of us. I loved my days with Puck, out in the sunshine, but now I am seventeen. I am almost a woman. I have to grow up and act like one.
I will forever remember the day my world fell apart and came crashing down. The beautiful forest burned black. The once peaceful ocean churned with a fearsome power that scared me. The orphanage was swallowed in yellow flames. The little gardens I planted shriveled up and died. The soft grass was charred black. The birds didn’t sing. The magical trees were left mere stumps. My heart became cold, like ice. It froze the moment I saw Miss Melody gone. It froze the moment I saw Puck. I will forever remember the day Puck, my best friend, died in my arms. The only thing that lifted my spirits was the thought that Puck was free. He’d finally learned how to fly.


~CHAPTER 1~
“Tania! Hurry up already. Miss Melody rang the lunch bell and if we don’t hurry, Thompson will eat all the food!” Puck shouted down the ridge to me. “Coming,” I replied simply. I began to tear my eyes from the hypnotic waves and turned to face my best friend. He stood there, the salty winds teasing his hair. The sun seemed to cast a halo around his dark blonde hair. He was so beautiful. Tall and strong, with bronze skin, he looked perfectly at home with the rugged landscape behind him. I raced up the ridge and we began the walk back home. The trees enveloped us, hiding the sun’s harsh rays from us. I sighed in content. It was a beautiful day, the first day of fall. The slight chill in the air promised of winter. As the leaves crunched under my bare feet, I turned my thoughts to the future. This winter I was to leave the orphanage. Puck was going to leave in a week. I would miss him dearly, but I knew he would wait for me. He always did. “What are you thinking about, Tania?” Puck asked softly, drawing me out of my head. I stopped walking and turned to face him, suddenly blurting my thoughts. “About you. Puck, I don’t want you to leave.” I replied simply. He began to laugh, which upset me. I huffed and turned away from him. “Oh Tania, it’s only for a couple months. Then you’ll be out too. We can learn how to fly.” He said, smiling, “We’ll be free.” I began to walk towards the Main House once again and I heard him follow behind me. Without turning around, I asked, “Don’t you like it here, though?” He replied, “Oh I like it fine, but I really want to see the rest of the world. You and me, Tania, we’ll go explore!” I chuckled. Puck had always been a wild and free spirit. For a time, he was entranced by Dawtry Orphanage, but Puck could never be satisfied. The magical woods here just weren’t enough. For me though, Dawtry was my home. I could never grow tired of the rocky beaches and untamed forests. I would miss this place. It seemed as if I’d been here forever. Puck seemed to understand because he grew quiet and let me soak in the views as we walked. After several minutes, I felt a warm hand grab mine. I smiled and tried to walk on, but Puck wouldn’t move. I turned to ask what the matter was, but he wasn’t looking at me. Following his train of vision, I turned to see what he was looking at, but there was nothing there. “Puck, what’s the matter?” I asked. He shook his head. “Nothing,” he said, “I just thought I saw something.” I narrowed my eyes. This was very unlike Puck. He seemed reserved and sad today. I decided to ask him about it later as we reached the Main House.

That night, I heard a knock on my bedroom door. Rap, rap, pause, rap, rap.

I knew instantly who it was. “Puck,” I whispered, “Aren’t you too old for this?” He opened my door, grinning. “Yes, I know but I was lonely.” He said in a mock childish voice. I laughed and patted my bed, signaling for him to sit next to me. His chocolate brown eyes sparkled and his blonde hair was tousled. Was it my imagination, or had he gotten taller? The bed creaked as he sat down beside me and took my hand. I couldn’t help but smile. Without thinking, I whispered, “I’ll miss you.” I heard him sigh. “I will too,” he replied, “So are we still going to get married after this?” He asked with a wicked grin. I punched his arm softly. “Very funny,” I said, “We were just little kids. We didn’t know what we were talking about.” He sighed. “Too bad.” He said with a chuckle. I laughed. Puck always knew how to make me smile. I rose from the bed and pulled him up. “Let’s go onto the balcony.” I said. Hand in hand, we walked out into the soft moonlight. I turned to Puck and asked, “So what will you do while I’m still here?” “Well,” he replied, “I will try and get a house by the water and have it ready for you.” “Thank you.” I said, breathless. The moon was so full and beautiful. It took my breath away. “Lovely, isn’t it?” Puck said. “Yes,” I replied and leaned on his shoulder. He put his arm around me and led me back to my bed. “You should get some rest.” He said. I began to feel my lids droop. They were so heavy. “Stay with me?” I slurred. He smiled and got into bed with me. “Goodnight,” He whispered and drowsiness overtook me. I fell asleep, lying next to my best friend.

Burning. Everything was burning. Yellow flames engulfed everything. The orphanage was burning! I could only stand there, paralyzed. Had to do something… The familiar tug pulled me towards the sea. If only the waves could wash away the burning. I saw Puck, burning, screaming in the woods! A sob escaped me. Had to save them… I screamed and the waves roared in my ears. Calling to me… Calling to me…

I woke up screaming! Puck was holding me in his arms as tears ran down my face. He was alive. Everyone was alright. I began to calm down and he kissed me on the cheek. My face burned. “Was it the same dream?” Puck asked, concern written on his face. I simply nodded. He sighed and began to stroke my hair, which calmed me down. After a while, he pulled me to my feet and began to lead me to my cave by the water… The moon was still high overhead and the ocean waves soothed my ragged spirit. Puck stood a few feet away, giving me my space. For that I was grateful. I needed to be alone with the waves. I breathed in, out, in, out, the salty air filling my lungs. I began to feel sleepy again and leaned against the rocks for support. “We should head back.” Puck said, breaking the silence. Slowly, I turned my back on the beloved waves and trudged home.
The next morning, I carefully walked down the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast. Suzie raced by with Laney right behind her. “Gimme back my dolly!” Laney cried. “Only if you can catch me!” Suzie replied, laughing. I smiled and kept walking. The children here were so full of life. It made me happy to see them this way. “Good morning Tania.” Called a voice from behind me. Thompson, a little Caribbean kid, stood at the top of the steps, waving down at me. I turned and waved back. He raced down the stairs towards the kitchen. His favorite thing to do was eat. As I walked into the room, I saw the faces of all the ones I loved sitting around a big wooden table. At the head was Miss Melody. She was a middle aged woman with a kind, open face. Her brown hair was streaked with grey, making her look mature and wise. Her blue eyes regarded with such love that I couldn’t help but smile. She turned to face the four other faces in the room. “Ok everyone. Today I will be gone most of the day getting supplies ready for the goodbye party for Puck. Everyone can have the day off from their schoolwork since it’s Saturday but no leaving the property. Be good!” She said, turning to face each and every one of us. There was a chorus of “yes ma’am” and “Okay” throughout the circle. Miss Melody nodded and turned to leave. “Goodbye then everyone! Be nice and Puck is in charge while I’m gone. If he says anything stupid,