Elements

Chapter 8

The second the word left her mouth, vines sprung from the earth and imprisoned all the students- all but me. While they struggled to get free, I struggled to create an animal that would help me win the race. It had to be fast, obviously. I also wanted it to be able to jump higher than the normal animal, maybe even fly.

My powers allowed me to create species that didn't normally exist. Because of this, I was able to mix all of these traits together and shape it into what ever shape I wanted. The shape I chose was pure irony.

I made a giant tortoise, with a few physical alterations: the shell had a notch in it for a very Ella sized person to sit in. It also had something you don't normally see in tortoises- wings.

By the time I finished my creation, a few kids had gotten free and were beginning to run- or fly, teleport, ride, etc. At least they were trying to. As they attempted to cover ground, roots and vines snapped at their feet, tripping them, or pinning them to the ground from the sky. However, I was careful not to hurt anyone. What good was winning a race if it didn't count?

I was finally ready on my tortoise. He began to showcase a very untortoise like quality, incredible speed. we covered ground at a shocking rate together, until we were suddenly yanked back by an invisible force.

May.

I quickly tried to think of a way to get rid if her. Maybe If I tied her up again? no she had managed to get out of that before... Then it hit me.

The ground trembled as a huge hedge maze grew on the track at an alarming rate. It expanded around the entire oval track. My tortoise unfurled its feathery white wings and took flight as soon as the maze blocked May's view of us.

We were about halfway around the track and I decided to scan the ground and see how my maze was holding up against my peers. Most were using their powers to break through the foliage walls. However, there was one that was navigating my maze legit, and successfully. They were close behind me on the ground, so I upped the pace. Unfortunately, so did they.

As we neared the finish line. I prepared to block the exit of the maze to make whoever was down there take s little more time, giving me the chance to cross the finish line first. But before I could do so, the world spun around me. I felt dizzy and I didn't know what way was up or down. When my vision cleared, I realized I had stopped in midair and that I had been passed by the person on foot.

I struggled to regain my lost ground, but I wound up a few seconds slower than... than who?

I landed my tortoise and he disappeared once we crossed the finish line. I had released him in to the world as a normal animal, not a super hero's creation. I turned to the waiting coach and the first place winner. She turned to face me, grinning, and her odd violet eyes met mine.

"Hey roomie!" Anita said in a sing song voice. "Did you like my little dizziness trick?"

It took me a moment to process what had just happened. Then, my smile matched hers and we highfived.

"Yeah! how'd you do it? I thought you could only create illusions!" I said. I didn't even care that I had lost. I just wanted to know how she had done it.

"Exactly. I made the world look like it was spinning to confuse you. That second of dizziness was all I needed to cross that finish line." She smiled. I could tell that she was trying to be modest about winning, but she had a reason to be proud.

A snarky voice came from behind me:"A couple leaves is all you've got today?" May had knocked branches down to clear a path through my maze.

" It seems to have worked on you. I mean, she did beat you and all," Anita said in a cheery voice.I almost laughed out loud at the three shades if red May's face turned.

Anita and I stood in silence watching people come out of the maze, made easy by May's short cut. Once everyone arrived, Coach Clair had us undo everything we had done- I doubted track and field would appreciate a new hedge maze where their track used to be.

"Congrats to our winner, Anita! You will not be graded on this assignment, it was just to test what you can do with your powers. I will see you all tomorrow. The bell will ring in," Coach paused to check her watch,"Three minutes. Until then, work on your homework."

We ha only had one class before gym, allies and enemies, and we only had a little homework on what makes a safe ally. Anita and I worked together and finished as the bell rang.

"So how did you find your way through the maze?" I asked. No one had been as successful as her in my maze, even when using their powers.

"It was easy! It was a fairly narrow maze, because it was purely on the track we were running on. All I had to do was look up at you to see when you turned, and then look to see which path of the maze followed the path you were taking." I was shocked at the simplicity of how she had solved my puzzle. In addition, Anita had some amazing problem solving skills.

We walked into mad science and sat down at our desks. The first thing that happened when the bell rang was a rather loud and smokey explosion from the left side of the room. It was going to be a long year.