Eternal Elements

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Apparently, I had passed out for a day and a half while he drove us to Jackson. He had to pick something up there, something he refused to tell me about. It had been a couple hours since we left the shady gas station and we had mostly been sticking to the interstate. But as I looked around, I noticed we were on a rocky road that seemed to go on forever. When we pulled into it, it was surrounded by trees so I didn't even notice it was there.

I glanced at Russell and then back at my hands. I was sitting in the passenger seat, my hands curling around the orange soda I had yet to open. I don't know why I was saving it, as if it was of sentimental value. We had barely spoken and the only thing to fill the silence were my own thoughts.

Where was he taking me? Was he lying about keeping me safe? Is he telling the truth and someone will jump out and say “Just kidding!”? If I was the fire carrier and he was the air carrier, what about the earth and water carriers? What really happened after we kissed? Did he mean to kiss me? Was kissing me a distraction? Would he kiss me again?

A small, hysterical sound escaped me, barely audible above the sound of the tires rolling across the rocks. Oh God, what if he could read my mind? I looked at him again with wide eyes and then forward. I shook away that thought and calmed my heartbeat. If I kept going, I would have a mental breakdown. I've never been a thinking person but being around him, there was nothing to do but think. It was like an addiction.

I looked at him out of my peripheral. His hands were resting on the wheel and he was laid back. He looked so exhausted. I wondered when the last time he slept was. I found myself looking at his hair again and his smell filled my nose. Damn. Air conditioning was my worst enemy around him. I clutched the orange soda closer to me and sighed.

“You seem tense.” He said, looking at me for a moment. His blue eyes showed playfulness as his mouth curved into the smile I was starting to get to know.

“Can you blame me?” I smiled back tightly and leaned into the seat.

“I guess not.” He looked forward and gripped the wheel. “We're almost there.”

My heart skyrocketed.

“Where are we going anyway?”

“A little passed that Eudora place. Actually, we passed it a long time ago.”

“Oh. Then why did you say we were going there?”

He shrugged. “It was the closest thing I could remember.”

“What's going to be where we're going?” Slaughter house? Torture chamber?

“I can hear the worry in your voice. Calm down. There's only a couple of people at the house.”

A house? That's something at least.

“Okay...”

A moment or so later, he slowed down his driving pace and then glance at me.

“It's right there.” he pointed out the windshield. “Past the trees.”

I looked and at first, I only saw the trees. But when we made it farther up, I could see a large expanse of land. In the middle of it was a large, magnificent barn house. There were a lot of sheds and barns around, centering around the main house and the large lake.

“It's amazing.” I said, slightly in awe. It was so different than anywhere I've been before.

“I agree.” He smiled at me and cut the car across the grass and up to the barn house.