The Blue Door

Chapter 3

"I knew you could do it. Keep going."

It slipped into my good arm and then my hand. It was like herding a sleepy moth toward an open window. It wandered some, but I pushed the shimmering blue thread to the end of my finger. A silvery blue filament as thin as a hair curled from my fingertip. It shattered into a single drop, like a fallen tear. It smelled of rain and the icy winds that roll off the mountains in fall.

Cindy clapped her hands again. "You did it! See, you're so a weaver."

I scowled down at the droplet. "But I wasn't done, and I was trying to make fire."

Cindy giggled, slapping a hand over her mouth to stop herself, but continued to laugh at me through her fingers.

My scowl tightened. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry. I'm not laughing at you so much as at your lack of education." She frowned. "That came out wrong. I just keep forgetting that you haven't been taught anything."

"Enlighten me, oh wise one. Why is it funny that I failed?"

"Because you didn't fail. You're a blue. Blues make water. It's who and what you are now. You'll never make fire. It also takes time and practice to master your element."

My internal excitement at becoming master of all the elements deflated. "Oh."

Cindy went on. "Don't be like that. Blue is cool, especially if you're as strong as I suspect you might be, starting this late. A strong blue should be able to do some of the fringe colors, like purple or green. I can do purple and orange weaves, which blends the aspects of two elements together."

My scowl fell away. "That makes sense...kinda."

"It will get better, I promise. You'll find your limits. You'll probably be even stronger than me, mister I waited till sixteen to weave. Maybe you'll be able to make a very yellow-green or a very reddish-purple, but you'll never weave a pure red or a pure yellow, sorry."

"Got it." I traced a finger over the scorch marks left behind by her fireball. "Fire has to be a hard one to do, with our history anyway."

Her face drained of blood. "Yeah, it's a love slash hate thing. Fire is a part of me. I can't help but be drawn to it, like you will be with water, from now until the day you die."

"That explains a lot about my day actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Water's been following me, literally chasing me from room to room. It's been a long, weird morning. I'm glad to find out I'm not going insane."

She crossed her arms. "No, that is weird. I've never heard of that happening. I'm glad fire didn't follow me around when I was ten. Can you imagine? Would have made sleepovers terrifying."

I nodded. "Great, so I'm a freak amongst freaks?"

She choked back laughter. "You should be used to that."

"Nice. Mock the one-handed boy." But I grinned at her.

She smiled back. "I suppose it could have been weaves building up inside you, calling out to their element, but I don't know." The smile faltered. "Honestly, there's more I don't know about weaving than I know. Tell me if it keeps happening."

"Will do." I glanced at the small pond I'd created next to the wall. "That isn't rolling up hill, so that's a good start."

She whistled. "Really? Uphill?"

"You have no idea." I shuddered. "There was a near incident with the urinals."

"Gross!" Her eyes flashed orange at the water. "It does look deeper on this side. You doing that?"