The Elementalist (2 page)

4

~The S
é
ance~

Claire

Hundreds of dancing shadows writhed on the basement walls, and darkness grew thick in every corner. Candles flickered on a low table, the ambiance exactly right. Claire had made sure of that. Everything had to be perfect.

Her four closest friends were in attendance, one to represent each of the elements. Fire, for herself, symbolic of her flaming, auburn hair. Water for Jamie, her best friend, because he loved his H2O. He was on the swim team, and Claire had seldom ever seen him without wet hair. Earth, for Katelyn, because she was so grounded, solid, and reliable—her words, not Claire’s.

The twins represented Light and Shadow because Wade and Kaden were more connected, yet more opposite, than anyone Claire knew. They weren’t identical though. Kaden was way into sports, tall, and ripped. He succeeded at anything physical and made sure everyone knew it. She sensed he had a dark side, but she had yet to see it. He was perfect to represent Shadow.

Wade, on the other hand, was on his way to being a professional ballroom dancer, with arms as graceful as a ballerina’s and white-blond hair that shined like a halo around his almost-feminine face. He was kind and sensitive, with a warm smile and a gentle heart.

The book
sat before Claire, its musty pages worn and aged, yellowed with time. The title for this spell was
Appropriating the Supernatural
.
The five teens held hands and gazed into each other’s eyes. Goose bumps sprouted along Claire’s neck, and the hairs on her arms rose. Wade seemed afraid, with his wide, dilated eyes glancing around the room at each murky corner and darkened window.

She liked that.

“I need to be home by five,” he said. “I’ll be grounded if I’m late, and I have dance practice.”

Kaden snorted in response, breaking the ambiance. “You do not. Mom and Dad aren’t even home tonight.”

Claire tried not to grind her teeth. They were ruining it. They always did. None of her friends realized how important Elementalism was to her. They were about to bond with spirits from the other side, and the last thing she needed was for something to go wrong because of these idiots. It was too painful… on a variety of levels.

“Don’t be a wuss, Wade,” she said. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. We’ve done this before, and you’re still alive.”

Wade shook his head, his expression one of terror. “No. This feels different. Doesn’t this feel different?” He searched the group, but everyone averted their eyes.

Kaden stared off in the other direction, probably embarrassed to be related to such a crybaby, but Wade was right. This did feel different…

Katelyn stuck out her jaw. With her eyebrows raised, she said, “Let’s just do this.”

“Okay, fine. Be quiet. This will work, so get ready.” Claire closed her eyes and inhaled, wishing she hadn’t invited them at all, the tangy scent of beeswax filling her lungs. Soon, the soothing quiet and natural creaking of her house began to lull her senses, and she fell into a peaceful trance. She began by chanting the words from the book, which were written in Latin. They had taken some time to decipher, but eventually, she’d worked out the translation.
Flesh becomes flesh, blood of the soul. Bring back what was lost (or taken) to bind the living. Two hearts intertwined, broken only by release.

She repeated the spell over and over, her voice growing louder with each refrain. The room quickly grew warm and sweat dotted her forehead, but she resisted the urge to wipe it away, knowing the circle could not be broken. Wade heaved deep, asthmatic breaths and would soon need his inhaler, but she couldn’t be distracted by that. This had to work. If she just believed strongly enough…

The candles flickered in an unseen breeze, the flames bending in an artful dance. It was happening. This was her destiny. It would all come together in one culminating moment.

Until Wade started wheezing and jerked his hand away from Kaden’s. He stumbled from the circle, clutching his chest and reaching for his backpack. Instantly, all sound was amplified in Claire’s ears as Wade pulled on the pack’s zipper.

She screamed as pain plowed through her head because of the interrupted spell. She fell to her side and pulled her knees to her chest, rocking like a baby on the floor, the pain hammering against her mind.

“Claire? You okay?” Jamie’s hand was warm on her arm.

She managed to gasp out, “Fine. I’m fine. Just go. Everyone. Please.” She scrunched her eyes shut, hiding tears of frustration and failure.

5

~Alone at Last~

Alisa

I watched Claire and her entourage go down into her basement of dark shadows and hidden corners. Bad things happened in basements. I knew that first hand.

Claire commenced to light candles, placing pillows and blankets on the floor. A large tome was the last thing centered on the blanket. What was she going to do? Have a séance? Perform some evil ritual? I waited in dread fascination as though this were some horror movie I was about to see. All we needed was a huge bowl of popcorn to make it perfect.

A couple of Claire’s friends were familiar to me, but my high school had been freaking huge, and one could easily go through four years of classes without meeting everyone. I remembered Katelyn though. She was a cheerleader, a girl I hadn’t liked, and from what I’d seen of Claire, they were a perfect match.

I couldn’t figure out Jamie or Wade though. I remembered seeing them around the high school, and they had been nice guys, so what were they doing here? They didn’t seem like the sort who would hang out with a wicked witch, but what did I know? Kaden had been a jock and still was. Enough said.

Claire started her spell. I sat outside the circle, watching, as they held hands. A chill spread through the room, and her friend, Wade, became jittery and jumpy, startling at any creak in the ceiling or any motion of the candles. In my opinion, that was a good thing—to be sensitive to the evil that was accumulating. It didn’t take long for the darkness to grow, and if I’d had a body, it would have been covered with goose bumps. I didn’t like what was happening, and I was half tempted to leave, but… that girl had my earrings.

None of the others seemed to feel what was happening because they all just sat there, but I was a trained guardian. I could do something. I
had
to do something. Slowly, I moved closer to Wade. I was growing worried about his breathing because it had started to hitch. The moment I touched his arm, he jumped up and ran for his inhaler. The circle broke, and the freaky ambiance disappeared. That fast. I didn’t feel one bit sorry for Claire when she lay there on the floor in obvious pain. Served her right.

***

Later that evening, Claire sat alone in her shadowy basement. She didn’t plan to call the gang together again. She didn’t have the time to plan around their schedules. That could take weeks. She would perform the ceremony alone. It would be harder, but she could do it. She had the necessary items: a hairbrush and a pair of pretty, silver earrings in the shape of a double eternity. How appropriate.

Surrounded by the flickering candles, Claire opened
the book
to the appropriate page. She closed her eyes and held Alisa Callahan’s stolen earrings. The girl had killed herself a year ago. She knew as soon as she heard about Alisa that this was her chance—her lucky break.

Claire let her mind drift back to that day after the suicide. She had been alone in the locker room at school.

It had been dim, with one florescent tube light flickering at the end of the row. She could still feel the chill in the air as she snuck down the long aisle to Alisa’s locker. It hadn’t been locked, but even if it had, she’d been prepared with a story about rescuing Alisa’s personal items and taking them to her parents. She wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip past. Alisa’s brush had been clogged with her long, blonde hair, and next to the brush were the earrings.

Claire hadn’t really known Alisa Callahan, who’d mostly kept to herself. She’d seen her in the halls their sophomore year, and had noticed her in a couple of classes, but nothing about her stood out in Claire’s memory. She was just a girl who had given up. The perfect candidate to command on the other side. Someone so passive—so benign and inhibited—would be easy to control.

Claire was ready to perform the ritual. She could feel the spirits on the other side, cheering her on, pushing her forward, and inspiring her mind. That wouldn’t be happening if this were not meant to be. The five elements were displayed around her. Water in a dish, a tiny candle for light and fire, a tipped bowl to show a shadow, and a handful of earth from the backyard.

Breathing slowly, she began the chant. The words of the spell tumbled from her mouth, and the basement grew chill. Clouds of steam puffed from her lips as she chanted, but she didn’t stop. The candles flickered, a gust of wind blew through the room, and then the candles flamed out, leaving her in darkness with the cold breath of a damned soul tracing its icy fingers over her shoulders.

The prickle slithered down over her arms, as though there were hands resting there, and a moment of fear enveloped her. This wasn’t right. It was
too
cold, too… something. Had her spell gone wrong? She’d done everything right.

It happened fast and without time to react. The force of a thousand fists plowed into her chest like a sledgehammer and Claire gasped for air, but nothing released the pressure. She clawed at her chest, desperate to keep whatever was trying to get inside at bay. White dots glazed her vision and vertigo seemed to spin her in circles.

She had made a terrible mistake. This was not how it was supposed to feel. She wasn’t supposed to be in pain. Claire fell to her side and time slowed, her cheek taking a million years to hit the ice-cold cement floor. Frost formed on her eyelashes as she lay there, unable to move, unable to breathe, unable to even blink.

6

~Bound~

Alisa

It happened fast.

One minute, I was sitting there trying to figure out how to get my earrings back while watching Claire do her freaky séance thing, and the next, I’m ripped—like a page shorn from a book—and stuffed, no, slammed, into a space that was too tight and suffocating, my screams choked off before I could even utter them.

Every cell of my soul screamed out in protest. I couldn’t imagine a scenario to explain what was happening to me. I couldn’t even begin to understand. Was this a test? A punishment for going down to Earth without permission? Was God tired of my complaints and whining? It was the only thing I could think of that made sense.

A moment later, I lay still, gasping with each exhalation, my skin chilled, goose bumps peppering my arms and legs. I gulped huge mouthfuls of air, trying to focus my eyes, which felt like they had huge gobs of Vaseline covering them. I struggled to a sitting position, disoriented, with panic consuming me.

My whole body ached, and I groaned as I pulled myself to my hands and knees. Thick waves of auburn hair tumbled over my shoulders, reaching to the frigid, blanket-covered cement floor.

I froze. “What the…?” Grabbing the long strands, I stared at them. My voice sounded wrong too—gasping and raspy, deeper than normal. I gazed down at my body, at my hands. These fingers weren’t mine! They were shorter, but with longer nail beds. My arms were lightly dusted with rust-colored freckles and my boobs… wow!
Huge
! Like twice my normal size. This was
not
my body! I was in someone else’s body. This couldn’t be happening!

Stumbling to my feet, I hurried over to the flight of wooden stairs, only to realize I was too dizzy to walk. Stars danced before my eyes. I lost my balance, finding myself back on the floor, my hands and knees aching with the sudden contact with the cement.

Desperate to escape this house of nightmares, I scrambled up the steps to the door at the top. I plowed through only to fall against the legs of an unfamiliar woman who stood at the kitchen counter washing lettuce.

She turned to me, confused. “Claire? I thought you were at Katelyn’s. You didn’t go after all?” Wiping her hands on a towel, she leaned against the counter, studying me as I lay sprawled at her feet.

What
? She called me Claire. It couldn’t be true. Was I really in the body of that two-faced, lying, stealing… I couldn’t even think of a good enough name to call her!

“Claire?” She pressed a hand to my forehead. “Oh, my goodness! You’re burning up! Let’s get you to bed.” She pulled me the through the kitchen, up the stairs, down a long hall, and through the last door on the left, where a twin bed with a lacy, blue quilt awaited me.

Claire’s room looked so much like my old bedroom that I stopped to stare. I didn’t get the opportunity to relish the memory though, because the woman threw the quilt back, stuffed me into the bed, and made me into a burrito. I had the presence of mind to shut my gaping mouth, but I was breathing as though I’d just run a marathon.

“You rest, now.” She kissed my forehead and stared down at me with worried eyes. “I’ll be back to check on you in a minute. How does that sound?”

I nodded, not knowing what else to say. I was still in shock. Not just because I was tucked away so quickly, but also because I was in a body. A real human body.

Once Claire’s mother was out of the room I threw back the covers, placed my feet on the floor, and wiggled my toes. They were delicate and painted pink. Perfectly shaped. I was wearing shorts. No wonder I’d been cold down in that basement.

Standing, I took stock of my situation. I couldn’t panic. This was a test. Raphael had everything under control. He knew I was here, surely, and would come rescue me, explaining the whole situation.

Touching my once-fevered brow, I noticed I was no longer burning. I was cool, or at least a more normal temperature, and most of my goose bumps were fading. I was starting to feel better. Shrugging my shoulders, I noticed my body wasn’t as achy as before either. My spirit was already adjusting to its new environment.

Sitting back on the bed, I tried to come up with a plan. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I knew that. I would have been told. Everything in heaven was completely organized, if nothing else. Nothing happened randomly, so this was either an accident or a mix up.

I had no idea this sort of thing could happen, and where was Claire? Because, at the moment, I couldn’t feel her inside this body. Had she gotten pushed out?

I wasn’t sure where to go from here. Claire’s body felt tired and smelled sweaty.
Gross
. I needed a shower. A shower! I hadn’t had one in ages. Suddenly, I was running across the room, remembering there was a bathroom across the hallway.

I ran inside, locked the door, and stripped off my clothes. Standing naked in front of the mirror, I studied my new form, stunned at what I saw. This girl… was beautiful. Perfectly proportioned. Even the dusting of freckles across her nose seemed alluring, not just cute. For the first time ever, I was drop-dead gorgeous. I could get used to this.

Twenty minutes was not enough time to stand in the shower, letting the steaming water cascade over my skin. I made it as hot as I could stand, luxuriating in the sting across my shoulders. Soap slid lazily down my back and torso, and I could feel each tiny bubble, each caress of moisture, kissing my skin. Now
this
was heaven.

As I stood there with my eyes closed, I relaxed, but a strange sensation began pressing at the back of my mind. The pressure grew and I leaned forward, feeling faint and resting my head against the tiles. For a split second, my brain felt like it was going to explode, and I had to catch my breath. I reached out, balancing against the shower walls, closing my eyes, willing the nausea and pain to subside. Then it did… vanishing as quickly as it had come. I heaved in huge breaths of air, expecting the pain to come back, but when it didn’t, I decided it had been a fluke and that it was time to get dressed.

Wrapped only in a towel, I darted back across the hall to Claire’s bedroom, where I felt safe again, like these four walls could protect me from any other surprises. The softness of the terry cloth towel rubbed against my skin like a massage, so I continued to rub myself down long after I was dry, luxuriating in the sensation of touch—something so new and so forgotten.

Standing before Claire’s dresser, I wondered what taste in clothes this girl had. Slowly, I pulled out the top drawer, the intake of my breath the only sound in the room. Bras and panties of all colors and styles, mostly in silk, assaulted my senses, and I couldn’t keep my fingers from threading through the delicious material. I’d never had these kinds of things. All I’d ever worn were white, cotton briefs. My mother was a little conservative.

It felt almost sinful to be indulging in so much softness.

I picked out a bra and panty set my mom would never have let me buy, let alone wear. They clung to me like a second skin, making me feel way more sensual than was healthy for a teenage girl who was
not
looking for trouble.

On to the walk-in closet, which I opened with a flourish. It held twice as many clothes as I’d ever had. Slowly, reveling in a moment that might never happen again, I slid my fingers over the designer jackets. Prom dresses hung at one end. Shelves were at the bottom with more shoes than I could count. Row after row of designer jeans were hanging above them, their glam pockets winking at me in the bright light.

This was going to be even more fun than the dresser.

I pulled out a deep red dress that slid over my head, clinging to my new curves. I couldn’t believe Claire’s mom would let her wear this. The neckline dipped so low that my cleavage showed, and I mean, it
showed
. I was playing dress up and felt womanly, which was a first. I walked from one end of the room to the other, enjoying the silk as it swished against my legs.

After a while, I peeled off the dress and snagged a pair of jeans from the shelf. They slipped on easily, and I turned, admiring my perfectly shaped butt and the alluring way the pockets defined my hips in the full-length mirror. All of Claire’s clothes were beautiful. I tried on every pair of pants, every skirt, and every designer T-shirt just to make sure.

This was the happiest accident I’d ever had.

Soon, the excitement of the afternoon took its toll, and I felt exhausted. An ache began to grow in my belly, unfamiliar and uncomfortable, but it developed into a loud churning. I frowned at the mirror, rubbing a hand over my stomach, and then it hit me.

I was hungry! Hallelujah, I wasn’t pregnant. You never knew with some people.

I clapped my hands and laughed out loud, waiting for the rumble again. What a wonderful feeling! I stood there, enjoying the sensation, and then I tiptoed from Claire’s bedroom to peek into the kitchen.

The woman sat the counter, rummaging through bills, her figure like Claire’s, but more mature, curvy. Not wanting to alarm or worry her, I said, “Mom?” very quietly.

She whirled around in surprise. “Claire! You’re supposed to be in bed!”

“But I’m fine. See?” I tipped my head up for her to feel. She stood and was only slightly taller than I was, with thick, auburn hair a little darker than mine was. Her green eyes narrowed as she laid her hand on my brow and shook her head, trying to figure out my body temperature.

“Hmm. You’re right.” She gazed into my eyes, and I automatically placed my hand on her arm to see what she was feeling, but I got nothing. I was confused for a split second—thinking I’d lost my gift—and then realized it was only because of this awesome body that I couldn’t feel her emotions. I gave her a reassuring smile.

“I just… um… got scared downstairs. That’s all.” I smiled sheepishly, wondering if Claire would ever really say that. I’d never been a good actress, and lies seemed to plaster themselves to my forehead, screaming out their untruth.

“Scared?” she asked. “You were scared down in the basement?”

“It
is
kind of freaky down there.”

“Freaky?”

Why did she keep repeating everything I said? I couldn’t help but feel a moment of panic. I wasn’t doing this right. She knew something was wrong. She knew I wasn’t Claire!

“Oh, honey. You haven’t been scared of that basement for years. You spend all day down there. What happened?”

Before I could answer, the phone rang and I was saved.
Could I get another hallelujah!
Claire’s mom sighed and went to answer it, and I took that moment to escape outside. Closing my eyes, I inhaled. It felt so good to have oxygen fill my lungs. I loved the feel of my chest rising and falling with each breath, so I stood there breathing, just to experience it over and over again. I could do this all day.

The sun shined, and for the first time in a very long time, I was able to feel it.
Really
feel it. The heat warmed me and instinctively, I knew if I sat there long enough, I’d get sunburned. I needed sunscreen. Turning back to the house, I wondered where Claire kept it
.
I didn’t want to rummage through every room, because that wouldn’t look suspicious, would it?

“Claire?” the woman said from the front door.

“Yeah?” I turned, a lazy, sun-kissed sensation filling my whole body. It felt so good to have a body! I couldn’t say it enough.

“What are you doing?” She held a dish towel in her hands, wiping her fingers.

“Um…”

“You better put on some sunscreen or you’ll burn.”

“Right,” I answered. “Now where did I put it?”

“Isn’t it in your purse?”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah. It is.” Heading back to Claire’s room, I found a smallish, brown leather purse hanging from her bedpost. The expensive sunscreen was tucked inside—specially formulated for sensitive skin. Nice. I dotted the precious cream onto my face and rubbed it in gently, relishing the feel of the moisturizer. How quickly it soaked up, and how soft my skin felt. Again, I sat there and breathed it all in.

And then an amazing thought hit me.

Brecken
.

I could visit him in this human body.