The Elementals

Stage Two Insanity: I Make The Worst Decison Of My Life

Coal says cautiously, “I think we should-“

I don’t hear the rest. I spot Breeze up on a hill after I push through some branches. She’s standing against the sun filtering through the trees, and her silhouette is rigid.

    “Breeze!” I shout, waving my arms. I look around more. She’s alone. “Where’s everyone else?”

    “Come with me, please.” She repeats icily. She speaks slowly and accents each word.

I walk up to her, confused. Coal comes behind me. “Breeze, is everything okay?” I ask, shielding my eyes from the sun. I reach her and stop. Her eyes are glazed over, dull, dead. They’re not the bright, clear blue I was accustomed to.

    “If you don’t come,” She says, “I will have to destroy you.”

    “Flippers,” Coal says in warning, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me back.

    “Stop,” I say to him, shaking his hand off, “Breeze, what’s wrong?”

She raises her hand and I’m blown back by a sudden, powerful, gust of wind. I’m in the air for a second, then I hit the ground on a rock, but I barely feel it. I’m still in shock that Breeze attacked me. She was the most peace going person I knew. Coal is glaring at Breeze and he clenches his fists. I scramble painfully to my feet. Rushing up the hill again, my side aching, I run in between Coal and Breeze.

    “Get out of the way, Flippers.” Coal growls.

I ignore him.

    “You’d best do as he says.” I turn around as Breeze brings her fist around and punches me in the stomach.

I stumble back into Coal. He steadies me and tenses, ready to spring at Breeze. I stop him. I stand up, wincing. She’s surprisingly strong for someone so gentle natured. Breeze convulses suddenly, doubling over like someone shot her.

    “Tide…sorry…didn’t…mean to.” Breeze gasps out, her voice back to normal, and her eyes haunted, but recognizably blue.

She shudders and then the robo-Breeze is back. It’s like she’s being possessed. She raises her arm again, and I duck. Then her arm shakes mid-swing as if she’s rebelling against some sort of programming command. Her hand twitches there for a second.

    “Leave.” Breeze chokes. Her eyes flash menacingly, and then both Coal and I are thrown down the hillside by a blast of wind. I roll down and slam my back into a tree. I lay there, gasping like a fish out of water.

    “You can’t win.” Breeze-bot says coldly, mechanically, “Surrender now and live.” Her voice reaches me, even though she’s many feet away.

I push myself up. I can just see Breeze, arms raised to the sky. She’s walking down towards me, with disturbing sense of cold purpose. The wind picks up. My hair blows across my face, blinding me for a moment. I see a streak from the corner of my eye. “Coal, don’t!” I shout but it’s too late.

Breeze throws her hands out and I have to close my eyes because dirt and twigs are flying everywhere. The wind swirls up into a huge tornado. Coal is gone, like a scrap of paper. I crouch, low to the ground. I’m pushed back, my heels leaving trail marks in the earth. I clench my teeth, and grab a root. I use it to pull myself forward. Branches scratch past my face. I dig my fingers into the ground and keep moving. The wind rips at my clothes, threatening to throw me away if I let go.

    “Run!” Breeze screams over the howling, “Run! Get away from me!”

I can’t see her through the dust spinning up in the air, but I know she’s close by. “Breeze,” I yell blindly, my voice being ripped away by the wind. “We can help you, just stop the tornado!”