Water {Elements of Power 2}

Chapter 1: Jasmine

Water pooled around my feet, rising at an alarming rate. I stared-panicked-at the palms of my hands, willing the water gushing out of them to stop as miraculously as it had begun.

I only sneezed!

But there wasn't time to complain about how it had started. I needed to make it stop.

The water was already up to my ankles, drowning my feet along with my favourite boots.

My hair, streaked with vibrant violet strands, hung in drenched ringlets down my back as I reached, desperate, for the door to my bedroom, but the force of the water pushed me back from the handle before I could grip it.

I screamed in frustration. This was not happening! I was stuck in my own bedroom, water rising up rapidly around me. All I had to do was open the door, but I couldn't even do that because my hands were the source of the water!

It was up to my knees now. At this rate, it wouldn't take long to fill the room entirely and then...

No. I wasn't going to think about that. I was going to stop the water before then. I could do that. I could control my powers; I would not let them kill me.

Stop, stop, stop, I willed.

Think of something dry, Jasmine. Think of the Helian Realm; all that sunshine and heat.

The force of the jets increased. "No!" I screamed again.

The water was already at my waist. Tears were streaming from my eyes-as if I wasn't already producing enough water to contend with.

I spotted my dressing table by the window, the top of which was above the water line-for now. I climbed up onto it, dripping, and directed my hands towards the part of the room furthest from me; the bathroom door. Now, if that had been open, I would have been okay-I could have held my hands over the plug hole in the bath until the water stopped.

That was what I had done last time.

And the time before that.

But, of course, this morning I'd had to kick the bathroom door shut on my way out, hadn't I?

The water had already made it over the top of the table. I wanted to tear at my hair, clench my fists or hit something really hard. But I couldn't-my hands were completely unusable.

Defeated and frustrated, I settled for standing on my dressing table, cursing my out-of-control powers at the top of my lungs.

And then the bedroom door burst open and a torrent of water poured down the stairs, soaking my best friend, Brae, in the process.

"Oh," was all I could say in response.

The water stopped.

I cursed again. "These stupid powers are going to be the death of me!" I was being overly dramatic, but I didn't care. Things had been getting desperate.

But then Brae splashed across to the table, stretched out his arms for me to climb down into and held me tight against his dripping T-shirt. And I knew I was going to be alright. This time, anyway.

Unfortunately, my eyes hadn't taken their cue from my hands and were still streaming with hot, salty tears.

"Hey! It's okay, Jazz, I've got you now," Brae said soothingly, stroking my hair as I continued to cling to him.

"Sorry," I mumbled between tears and I pulled away, embarrassed by my water works. Both of them.

He smiled back at me. "How do you get yourself into these situations? I thought I was coming over for a nice, quiet chat and then I see you through the window: stood up on your dressing table, with water rising past the sill! You're even worse than Devon was! We're all going to have to start walking around in raincoats-fireproof ones at that!" He laughed softly, still holding me close. Safe. "I think I gave Caleb a bit of a fright though. Speaking of which..."