The Elementals

Coal talks in his sleep-er, coma?-again. I’m sitting in the doorway of the igloo, watching the rain splash into the puddles. It hasn’t stopped for hours so I’m not really sure what time it is.

“Or die. Either one works for me.” He growls. I inch closer so I can hear more clearly.

He shifts, and his hands start to glow. The water around him steams. Before he can burst into flames, I crawl over hastily. I collect a thin layer of ice around my hand and then grab his. They hiss, but I don’t feel any pain. Then they start to melt through the ice. His hands spark a few times. I take my other hand try to keep up with the heat.

“No, don’t you even try. Don’t do it. Don’t-Tide!” Coal jerks awake, much like the last time. He glances around wildly for a second, then focuses on me.

I yank my hands away from his. He looks at me strangely. “You were having a dream. Your hands were on fire.” I mumble, face hot. “You talk in your sleep.”

Coal sits back. I notice he’s breathing hard, as if what was in his dream was actually happening. “Great, I’m no better than the Chatterbox.” He says, groaning, and I smile slightly. After a second, he asks slowly, as if he doesn’t really want to know, “What did I say?”

“It wasn’t the first time.” I cough. Studying my boots with interest, “You just said some stuff about not doing something. Then you woke up.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“Am not!” I protest defensively.

He snickers, and I make a futile attempt at disappearing into the ground. I have the distinct feeling that he knows he was talking about me, just won’t admit it.

“You’ve been out for a week and a half.” I tell him, totally dead pan.

He sits up. ”What?"

I smirk at him, leaving the igloo. “And you said I couldn’t lie.” I let it melt and I hear a satisfying yelp as the freezing water falls over him.

“You’re going d-down, Flippers!” he stutters, shivering, splashing after me.

I laugh and wait until he’s almost to me. Then I side step and stick my foot out. It’s too late for him to stop. He tumbles into the mud. “If I go down, you go down!” I say, grinning at him.

“I agree totally.” Coal replies, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the puddle.

I wipe the mud out of my eyes. Coal is grinning lopsidedly at me.

“You got a little something right...” He says, gesturing to all of me. ”There."

I stick my tongue out at him and get a mouthful of dirt. I start hacking and coughing while Coal is doubled over. I throw some mud at him, nailing the side of his head. I stand up and offer my hand. Coal takes it and I pull him up.

“I don’t know,” I say to him, “I think your face looks better now.”

He goes to reply, then his eyes widen as he takes in the surroundings. “Did I do all this?”

I straighten. “Yes.” There’s really no way to sugar coat it. He looks stricken, surprised even, for a moment, surveying the damage. “You were really mad.” I tell him. It’s a small explanation, but it pretty much sums up what happened.

“Um, yeah.” He says.

We stand there, in the pouring rain, staring at the burnt trees.

“Come on,” I say, nudging Coal. “We have to get the others.” He looks at me, a slightly scared expression on his face. I can tell he’s thinking what I thought before. “They’ll be fine,” I try to reassure him. He nods, unconvinced. I start to walk into the woods.

“Um, Flippers?” Coal says.

I turn towards him, “What?”

“Don’t you want to walk that way?” He says, pointing in the opposite direction I’m going in.

Crud.

I move in circles, suddenly unsure of where to go. All the trees look the same. I rack my brain for anything that will lead me in the right direction. Nope. I have no idea where I’m going. Great, just great. I straighten, trying to look in control. “Yes,” I say definitively, walking in the direction Coal is pointing. “That’s what I meant.”

He looks at me, eyebrows raised.

“What?” I snap.

Coal shakes his head. “Nothing.”

I ignore his chuckling behind me as I stalk away.