by W.J. May
***
A few hours later Natalie woke up, tangled in the sheets and covers. She threw them back, checking herself to make sure she hadn’t changed. She sighed in relief when she saw that she was still normal. However, it didn’t explain what happened to her last night. She had to figure this out. She closed her eyes, thinking back on what happened. She couldn’t concentrate. Fogginess clouded her thoughts, blocking all her memory. Her stomach growled and she realized she needed to eat.
She dragged herself out of bed and went to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and poked around. There wasn’t much food since Sharon had been traveling and she hadn’t bothered to go to the grocery store. Checking the freezer she found a few frozen dinners. She popped a lasagna in the microwave.
She sat down at the bar, waiting for her food to cook, thinking about the night before. Vivid images of what she turned in to flashed through her mind. Not only were they in her mind but also etched deep in to every muscle fiber of her body. She ran her hand up and down her arm, recalling the sensations she felt when her body changed and morphed. Her muscles were sore and her body hurt. It felt like she had worked out for hours.
She clearly recalled turning into a burning inferno with glowing crimson and orange flames. No human could have tolerated the intensity of the heat that had flowed from her head to her toes. How could she?
It shocked her, how she had gone from burning red hot to a cool body of water within seconds. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air, remembering how she had become as thin as the air she’d breathed. She shook her head in disbelief. Her ability to fly had been the most amazing thing ever.
She took her food out of the microwave and waited a minute to eat it, allowing it to cool off. She filled a glass with ice cold water and took a few sips. She continued to analyze each and every phase she had transformed into; the heat, the water, the air. They were all clear to her now. However, the vibrant green glowing thing had her stumped.
She ate her food, allowing her mind to recharge. When she finished, she twiddled the fork in her hand, continuing to think. She tapped the fork a few times against the granite countertop and that’s when the idea hit her. Fire, water, air, and earth. The elements of the earth, of course. The green thing she turned into had to be earth. She had changed into the four elements of the earth. Why? How come? She needed to know what caused this and why it happened. Most importantly, would it happen again? She shook her head in dismay when she thought about Ryan. What am I going to do? I can’t tell him about this.
She needed to get out and clear her mind. She thought of the one place that helped her relax and figure things out, the lake. Sure, it’d be risky but the sun would be setting soon. The darkness would prevent her from being seen if she changed. She grabbed Sharon’s car keys and headed out the door.