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Authors: Mia Marshall
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accurately.”
Her words were loaded, but glancing around the car, no one else seemed to pick up on any meaningful subtext. I, however, was overwhelmed. For the last ten years, whenever I’d thought of the fire and its aftermath, it seemed as if Sera and I had very different versions of events. Now, she was explicitly trusting me to tell one story and incorporate her experience into my own memories of the night. She was forcing me to be honest and to recognize her point of view. The woman was diabolical. “Brian, you want to come? You already know the story, and you can help, if…” she tapered off, trying to think of a believable way he could be helpful. I knew she was giving him an excuse to avoid reliving the past.
“If you need anything kept moderately chilled?” he finished for her, laughing. He was unconcerned about the less than impressive way his powers manifested. “Are you asking because you know I love all that science-y stuff?”
“I’m asking because you love the women in lab coats.”
“There’s that. Not as much as I love Aidan, however,” he assured me, making a surprisingly gallant bow for someone strapped into a car seat. “I’ll stay and hear the story.”
Several minutes later, Mac pulled into the driveway. Sera immediately transferred to the Mustang and took off, her music clearly audible even through closed windows. I found myself faced with the task of telling three people I barely knew about the worst night of my life. I really could have planned this better. I briefly wondered if there was any plan I could have made that would have left me alone on a Caribbean island for the next week.
We headed inside and gathered around the dining room table. It was a more formal setting than the living room couches, and this wasn’t a story that encouraged comfort.
“So, should I start at the beginning? How much do you already know?”
“Tell us everything. I want to hear your version,” said Mac.
Everything. Excellent. “Ten years ago, Sera, Brian and I were students at the college, and friends. We met when we lived in the same freshman dorm. There were a lot of elementals here, back then. I don’t know where they all went. Some might still be around. I’d have to ask Sera. But most left, once the killings started.”
“I was one of them,” said Vivian. “I thought it was the smart thing to do. Now, I just feel like a coward for running.”
Simon looked at her. “There is a fine line between cowardice and self-preservation. Do not be so sure you landed on the wrong side of that line.” She shook her head, unconvinced.
“Everyone left because it was an elemental doing the killing,” said Mac, keeping us on track.
“Yes. The humans… their hearts were frozen solid. It’s how they died. With the first body, we hoped it was just a freak natural occurrence. I guess we were trying to be as good at denial as the humans. But then there was a second body, and a third, and we couldn’t do our ostrich imitation anymore.” I glanced at Brian, who gave me a slight nod. “One of them was Brian’s girlfriend, Felicia.” The rest looked at him, their faces a mix of shock, sympathy, and that strange uncertainty when someone has no idea what to say.
I continued with the story, wanting to move past the painful memory. “An elemental was killing humans, and it became obvious he was targeting humans involved with elementals. One of the reasons we live so long is that we are really good at conflict avoidance. You wouldn’t believe how fast the town cleared out. Everyone wanted to distance themselves from the murders. Soon, the only members of our old group still in town were the three of us. I guess we’d spent too much time watching Perry Mason as kids, because we decided we could find this bastard and bring him to justice, or something like that.” Vivian, Simon and Mac all looked blank. Apparently, none of them had been born in time to catch my reference. I didn’t even think
Her words were loaded, but glancing around the car, no one else seemed to pick up on any meaningful subtext. I, however, was overwhelmed. For the last ten years, whenever I’d thought of the fire and its aftermath, it seemed as if Sera and I had very different versions of events. Now, she was explicitly trusting me to tell one story and incorporate her experience into my own memories of the night. She was forcing me to be honest and to recognize her point of view. The woman was diabolical. “Brian, you want to come? You already know the story, and you can help, if…” she tapered off, trying to think of a believable way he could be helpful. I knew she was giving him an excuse to avoid reliving the past.
“If you need anything kept moderately chilled?” he finished for her, laughing. He was unconcerned about the less than impressive way his powers manifested. “Are you asking because you know I love all that science-y stuff?”
“I’m asking because you love the women in lab coats.”
“There’s that. Not as much as I love Aidan, however,” he assured me, making a surprisingly gallant bow for someone strapped into a car seat. “I’ll stay and hear the story.”
Several minutes later, Mac pulled into the driveway. Sera immediately transferred to the Mustang and took off, her music clearly audible even through closed windows. I found myself faced with the task of telling three people I barely knew about the worst night of my life. I really could have planned this better. I briefly wondered if there was any plan I could have made that would have left me alone on a Caribbean island for the next week.
We headed inside and gathered around the dining room table. It was a more formal setting than the living room couches, and this wasn’t a story that encouraged comfort.
“So, should I start at the beginning? How much do you already know?”
“Tell us everything. I want to hear your version,” said Mac.
Everything. Excellent. “Ten years ago, Sera, Brian and I were students at the college, and friends. We met when we lived in the same freshman dorm. There were a lot of elementals here, back then. I don’t know where they all went. Some might still be around. I’d have to ask Sera. But most left, once the killings started.”
“I was one of them,” said Vivian. “I thought it was the smart thing to do. Now, I just feel like a coward for running.”
Simon looked at her. “There is a fine line between cowardice and self-preservation. Do not be so sure you landed on the wrong side of that line.” She shook her head, unconvinced.
“Everyone left because it was an elemental doing the killing,” said Mac, keeping us on track.
“Yes. The humans… their hearts were frozen solid. It’s how they died. With the first body, we hoped it was just a freak natural occurrence. I guess we were trying to be as good at denial as the humans. But then there was a second body, and a third, and we couldn’t do our ostrich imitation anymore.” I glanced at Brian, who gave me a slight nod. “One of them was Brian’s girlfriend, Felicia.” The rest looked at him, their faces a mix of shock, sympathy, and that strange uncertainty when someone has no idea what to say.
I continued with the story, wanting to move past the painful memory. “An elemental was killing humans, and it became obvious he was targeting humans involved with elementals. One of the reasons we live so long is that we are really good at conflict avoidance. You wouldn’t believe how fast the town cleared out. Everyone wanted to distance themselves from the murders. Soon, the only members of our old group still in town were the three of us. I guess we’d spent too much time watching Perry Mason as kids, because we decided we could find this bastard and bring him to justice, or something like that.” Vivian, Simon and Mac all looked blank. Apparently, none of them had been born in time to catch my reference. I didn’t even think
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