Chapter 1

Snow falls to the ground creating a white slippery carpet, kids run around laughing, throwing snowballs towards each other, funny how a harmless game to them means a possible death to me, I scoff as jealousy fills my heart, jealous that I never got the chance to experience life to the fullest, that I was being punished for something unknown to me, cursed and thrown to the side as if I'm some trash a freak, a monster.

Sighing heavily I slam the window shut and make my way to the mirror, I reach for the pin keeping my hair in place and remove it letting it fall in waves, my eyes dart to the firey strands that seem to magically emerge out of the blue

I remember feeling ashamed of my hair when I was younger I hated how it reminded me of fire.. my fire, the fire that took everything away, but that's what I am right! I am fire as much as I'd like to deny it, fire's a part of me after all.

A gentle knock on the door interrupts my thoughts " Come in "

My grandmother walks in with a kind smile on her face, but it fades when she notices the opened window " You gotta be careful dear, we don't want a repeat of what happened last year now do we? "

One night I had forgotten the window opened and to my luck, there was a snowstorm, that night when I was sleeping small snowflakes hit my skin, it might seem harmless to anyone, but to me it felt like being skinned alive, the burning feeling on my skin and the smell of burnt flesh still haunts me to this day and what made it all worse was the fact that I couldn't be taken to a hospital, fearing that my secret would be revealed so I had to endure the pain with my grandmother trying to calm me down.

I look at the white scars on my arms and fake a smile "Don't worry granny I'll close it right away "

She gives me a gentle smile and closes the window " I'm sorry you have to go through this darling, but always remember that you're not cursed, Elda you're blessed even if it doesn't seem like it, your power's a gift honey " she pats my back " Oh I almost forgot, uh... I don't know how to say this, Elda the neighbours are gossiping about you again "

I roll my eyes " what's it this time? "

She takes a deep breath and sits beside me " It's your clothes, Elda, it's freezing out there and you go out with tank tops, hun I know it's hard for you, but at least wear a sweater yeah? "

I sigh knowing where this conversation is going

" well grandma I'm cursed what can I possibly do about it? Why should I hide who I really am for people's comfort! "

My parents were elementalists and for some reason they had an enemy, grandma never told me why they were rivals, but when mother was pregnant with me he wanted to kill me, burn me in my womb and surprisingly I didn't die was I harmed in any shape or form instead I was born with a special power which is fire, I have the ability to control fire and as a result, my body is almost always warm and that should explain why I hate wearing sweaters and hoodies.

" Elda, I get where you're coming from, but they'll get suspicious and if they find out about you, they'll kill you and you know I won't just watch this happen to you. "

fiddling with the hem of my shirt I nod " I'll try."

Grandma smiles " I'll go get some groceries, want me to get you anything? "

I smile like a child " Candies and ice cream "

" Anything for my baby " kissing my forehead she leaves me to the darkness in my head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour's already passed, grandma's not here yet and I'm dying of boredom, a thought pops in my mind it won't hurt if I practice my power a bit will it? I make sure the curtains are properly drawn and take a seat on the ground closing my eyes I silence my raging thoughts and focus on the fire within me, I feel it rippling inside me dying to come out after months of being caged, I hum to myself as I feel my palms getting warmer, opening my eyes I smile in satisfaction when I see the flames rising from my hands, I feel light as a feather it's like I can finally breathe after being choked for hours.

"FREAK" a loud shriek makes me jump from my spot accidentally touching the curtains and that's all it takes for everything to catch fire.

Panicked I quickly try to put out the fire

" A witch, there's a witch in that house I saw her"

I could hear murmurs from the street, but I focused on putting out the fire.

" She's a monster "

" Is she possessed! "

" We should get her out of here "

" She's dangerous "

" She's a demon, she can't be human "

Harsh words fall from their mouths each one opening a wound in my heart as much as I try to ignore their words I can't, the fire around me getting bigger and bigger as time passes.

They start throwing stones at my window and that's when I realize where I had gone wrong, I didn't draw all the curtains leaving a place for their curious eyes to watch me, after all that's what they've always wanted, for me to make a mistake.

" Get out of this town we don't want you here "

" Yeah no one wants you, you freak "

" Get. out .get. out. get .out " The start chanting.

A rush of adrenaline surges through my whole body as I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs, it feels like I'm dying, I can't breathe, I can't hear, I try to inhale, but in vain, I see my life passing in front of my eyes, falling to the ground I hear my mother's voice " Get up Elda, get yourself out of there, you have it in you baby "

I gasp as my lungs finally fill with oxygen, the ringing in my ears stops and I can hear the people chanting again wanting me out and that's when I burst " ENOUGH "

Gasps and loud gulps are all I can hear now and as I calm down and take a look at my surroundings my eyes widen.... water, water was everywhere the fire died, I frown in confusion where the hell did it come from, I look at the mirror beside me and stifle a scream my palms no longer emitting fire instead a water bubble surrounded me!!!

they start murmuring again, but at that moment I couldn't care less I keep staring at myself hoping to understand what's going on, but it is hopeless, dark spots fill my gaze and I'm met with the hard floor.