Elements

Chapter 50: Epilogue

Don't worry guys, Heroes is coming up quick🙂

"Any changes?"

"Nothing. She hasn't moved since I helped her here- just lays there facing the wall, silent. Her eyes are open sometimes, so she isn't sleeping-not all the time anyways. Sometimes I think she pretends to be asleep so she won't have to talk about what happened."

"I wouldn't blame her. She shouldn't have had to go through something like that. Not so soon, and certainly not alone. To lose her parents and Ben in the same day... in the span of minutes... it's unthinkable."

The voices fell silent for a moment or two. "Have you tried talking to her? It's been almost a week now. Students are finishing up their last finals and packing there items. Do we know where she plans to go after she leaves the school? She is, of course, welcome to com with me. I've been like an Aunt to her her entire life- I would be more than happy to adopt her. But, if she'd rather go with you or make other arrangements, I'd understand."

"She hasn't said anything about it. She hasn't said anything at all, actually. I talk to her, but she never responds. I bring her food, but she doesn't touch it. I switch out her plate every meal, but she doesn't even look up. I forgot to bring her lunch once, but I don't think she noticed. If she did, there was no indication. She's just...frozen. Numb. Like there's nothing left inside of her."

"...Perhaps. Or perhaps she's planning something. The old Ella would indeed be frozen and numb, and I believe the new Ella would be too. However, I don't think she would entirely shut down. I can't help but feel that she's been planning, plotting, this whole time."

"It crossed my mind, but I don't think she's in any condition to be planning something. Even if she was, what would it be? How would se accomplish it anyways? She's half starved herself and she hasn't moved in almost a week."

"I know. I just can't shake the feeling. I excused you both from your finals, given the circumstances, but she's going to have to leave tomorrow with everyone else. I'll take her back to my house in Sacramento and take care of her there. If she starts responding, I'll see if I can't start training her to control her newly expanded powers. She'll be safe there."

"Okay. I'll visit as much as I can. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. In the meantime, I'll start packing her things."

"Thank you, Anita. You've been a true friend to her- the kind that most people don't find in their whole lives. For that too, I thank you. She needed someone to have her back."

"I'll have her back as long as she needs me."

Footsteps clicked on the dorm room floor, and the door opened and closed. I continued my intense studying of the plaster on the wall.

"I miss him too Ella. But right now, you need to eat and get packed. We're leaving the Haven tomorrow, and you'll be going with Ms. Wren."

I blinked at the wall. I should have saved them, I wanted to say. I should have healed them, but then they were dead and it was too late. My mouth wouldn't form the words, my voice wouldn't come. This is all my fault. I was too slow, I didn't think fast enough. I should have saved them.

The words had been on loop in my mind since that day, as much as I had tried to banish them. But I couldn't deny them. They were true. Ms. Wren had trained me not to only use my hands to control my powers, and I hadn't used that knowledge. I could've... I could've...

"Please just eat something. At this rate you're going to starve to death." Anita implored, but I couldn't bring myself to speak. She sighed. "Or not."

She shuffled around her bed and desk for a bit, packing items away in boxes. Violet, the kitten I had given her for Christmas, curled up around my legs, rubbing its face against my knees.