~My first story! This took me all day!! I'm really new here so i still don't understand a lot of this so if i did something wrong please tell me the right thing. i hope you guys like it! Please feel free to critique and help me (Rated PG for blood guys! There's some in this one but not a lot so don't worry.) Please Rate and Review!  

I've never felt anything like this. It’s like my problems just stopped. The cold water soaked my face as I dunked my head into the sink.  

My face slowly lost its feeling. The ice cold water soon is warm to my cheeks. All I heard was the soft lulling of water.  

My nose was burning from the cold. It was almost like it was trying to hold out from becoming numb like the rest of me.  

After fifteen seconds my lungs started to burn. I forced myself to keep going until I was teetering on the edge. My arms started cramping from holding my weight from the sink.  

Finally, I felt the all familiar headache I always got when I used up all my energy. I slowly took my face out of the water watching the cold drops fall off my nose.  

I looked into the mirror at my new rosy cheeked face. My face was very cold and numb like the rest of me.  

I grabbed my towel and slowly wrapped it around my cold, stringy hair. My face was stinging now from the sudden heat as I rubbed my cheeks to get some feeling.  

I looked up and sighed knowing that I had to stay alive at least for the year. I knew I had to stop numbing myself even though I couldn't take the pain these elements gave me sometimes.  

I reached into my cabinet to grab my hairdryer. As I closed the door to the cabinet my heart stopped.  

There standing behind me was the killer to my scary movies. This was the person that was out to get me. He wanted my new powers so badly he’d kill me and anyone in his way. His face was hidden behind a black mask and he held a stake to the point of weakness on my side.  

I forced my eyes shut and let out a cry out of sheer terror. I felt no one near me but I swear I felt someone breathe down my neck. I looked behind me and there was nothing.  

My face turned pale and clammy with cold sweat beading down my neck and forehead. It was so vivid. It was my worst fear coming true.  

My heart was beating erratically in my throat as my ears hummed, buzzed, and roared. My hands shook uncontrollably and my eyelids fluttered as I tried to stay conscious  

EARLIER THAT MONTH  

“Watch where you’re going you crazy kid!” a driver yelled as I splashed across the street. He sped off as soon as the light was green again. His wheels left skid marks on the cold hard cement and splashed a wall of water on the sidewalk behind me.  

I hurried through the now pouring rain. The cold drops stinging my cheeks as I ran up the steps on my apartment. I slipped down the steps a few times where the water had frozen over from last night.  

I quickly unlocked the front door and ran inside leaving the door open. With a thunk I dropped my school stuff on my desk. I opened my closet and dug under and around my miscellaneous object till I clasped my hand around the familiar synthetic material.  

I hauled the bag over my shoulder and took my bicycle from the corner before hurrying out into the cold rainstorm again.  

After arriving at the end of my stairs I let out a sigh remembering when I was six how I would play the game of going out to the clearing but on a secret mission or to jut calm down from all the problems my life had even at six. But now I was going to calm down the anxiety that rose in my stomach like I was needed over there.  

I rode up to the cul-de-sac of houses on Northeast Holm Circuit and pushed my bike through the brambles near Mr. Benson’s house. I rode through the deep and dark part of the small forest till I reached the highway that connected Baywatch Circuit.  

I cut across the slow moving traffic and rode all the way to the empty lot. I pushed through the familiar branches and weeds. It was different from six years ago. New trees and brambles had grown in where the old one’s had died. I hid my bike behind a thick bush before covering my trail through the thick branches with twigs and a small log.  

I then kept running to the middle of the deep dark forest I nicknamed: “Serene”. Serene was where I could go to calm down after a busy day or cry when the neighborhood bullies teased me. It now was old with spider webs glistening in the little light came from the clearing opening at the canopy.  

I looked at my right at the old oak tree. In it was my name I carved with the army knife I always carried with me. It said “Michelle Rose 2-21-03”. Today I noticed that there was another carving under my name. It said “I’ve been waiting for you”.  

Eyes wide with shock, I looked around the clearing. I noticed how suddenly the wind had stopped and the birds and all unknown noises stopped. My breath came in gasps as I realized something was happening.  

As I thought of all possibilities of what could be happening, all the ice that was on the ground melted and turned into puddles and made one big bog right in front of me.  

The long grass and weeds under the trees shook and whirled as a strong wind almost knocked me over. I tried to regain my balance but ended up falling into a mud puddle. I tried to sit up but the wind kept me down.  

I stared at the wind funnel that had leaves and twigs in it. It just spun for what felt like forever. It got bigger and bigger till a twirling stick scratched my cheek making warm red drops fall down my numb face.  

Sticks and dirt raced past me so fast that my jeans had new rips on them and my arms and cheeks got even more scraped. I whirling only increased as I tried to get up again. It was deafening and felt like I was in the middle of a large hurricane or tornado. But, there was no chance of that happening in the middle of a forest in Washington.  

Suddenly, the whirling ceased. The leaves, twigs, and dirt just floated in air. Then like a magnet they all went toward the invisible force creating a human-like sculpture.  

Then, everything fell off the sculpture revealing a beautiful goddess. Her long strawberry-blonde hair fell down her shoulders curling slightly at the ends. She wore a long flowing cream dress that had grass stains all over it. Braided into her hair were wildflowers that I never saw in the dreary days like this in November.  

“Michelle Rose.” The woman spoke floating down to Earth. Her dress barely touched the ground as she hovered over to me. She squatted right next to me and reached out with a pale white finger to trace my cheek. Where she touched it the blood stopped and my face seemed to have stitched the wound.  

“Who are you? Are the person that’s waiting for me?” I scooted away from her touch. Where her fingers barely traced the scraps and cuts on my cheek her cold and pained. She came back over to me and helped me up.  

“I am the Goddess of your Earth. I am Mother Nature as you humans call me. But I prefer Gaia.” She brushed all the dirt of me with a flick or her finger. I stared in awe at her as she smiled a sweet smile to me.  

“My child, we need your help,” She said her smile evaporating and concern crumpling her forehead. “There are dark forces working under the elements. We need your help to expel them before they take over the universe.”  

My jaw dropped as she said her words. She reached over and with one finger pushed my chin closed for me. How in the world could I stop this dark force when the goddess of Earth is standing in front of me? She had power and didn’t her existence mean that there were other gods?  

“No child, there are no other gods or goddess’. They were made up to show how things are. I am the only real one and always have been. But there are other elements though. They are each represented by a god or goddess like me.” She explained.  

I was getting confused. She must’ve seen the look on my face and called out in ancient Greek to the other elements.  

“This is αεροπορικόσ or air,” she said gesturing to a kind old man in white cotton pants and shirt. His hair was white with age and his face had skin cling to his bones and rippled and crumpled. It was as smooth as peach skin and crinkled in the usual places so he looked like my Grandfather. And his eyes had eons of wisdom. “He goes by Anemos meaning wind.” Gaia said and Anemos nodded his head to me as a greeting.  

Gaia motioned for another woman who looked a little older than me around sixteen. Her brown hair was curly and shoulder length with two braids framing her face. Her blue dress looked like Gaia’s except it was surrounded by water on the edges so when she moved her dress hem rippled.  

“This is νερό or water. She goes by Deilos meaning shy.” Deilos quickly studied me, gave me a smile, and then quickly went to stand by Anemos.  

Gaia looked around for someone else. She looked irritated but before she could open her mouth a teen with the same outfit just as Anemos but dark blood red and with singed ends. His black hair was gelled up from his face and showing a scar right above his eyebrow. He wore black biker gloves that seemed to have been smoldering.  

“The names φωτιά or fire but please call me Kapnos which means smoke.” He said holding out his hand for me to shake. I gingerly shook it careful not to burn my hand on the smoldering patches of leather on this glove.  

Gaia looked pretty annoyed with him. I wouldn’t be surprised if this happened a lot. He seemed like a teenager like Deilos. He seemed like the mischief kind that was always in trouble with Gaia.  

Kapnos saw her glare and gave her a smirk before standing with the others. Like Gaia they floated inches of the ground as if they didn’t want to get their bare feet dirty with mud.  

“Young Michelle Rose,” Began Anemos. “We have heard much about you. We have heard of your courage, intellect, strength, and special bond with the elements of Earth.”  

I had no idea what he was talking about. I only showed courage when I crossed the street. I was only smart when the answers were in front of me. I was nowhere near strong in fact I’m so weak that I could make new born kittens look like Hercules. Now the bond with the Earth I couldn’t say I didn’t have. I always felt my best when I was in water, near fire, standing in the wind on a cliff, and sitting admiring or around the Earth.  

“Oh but yes you are all those things even if you don’t know so,” Deilos said quietly. “Like have you noticed all of your efforts pay off in the water, wind, near fire or earth?” I was surprised when she spoke louder sounding confident with herself.  

“Maybe, but why pick me? I don’t have any of your powers or anything! I’m just plain Mitchie!” I said so perplexed and exasperated that I could cry. My arms stiffened and my heart beat rose erratically as I realized something.  

“You’ve guessed right Michelle Rose. You’re going to stop the dark forces at work under us. We are all going to give you a fraction of our powers to help you do the job.” Anemos said smiling causing his aged skin to crinkle causing deeper laugh marks and fun to play across his face with a simple smile.  

“Okay,” I said agreeing that getting the elements would help so much. “I’ll help you guys and stop whatever is causing the problems.” I stood tall and looked at them and thought I saw Kapnos wink at me and Deilos whimper and look like she was very sorry for me.  

They all put their hands together in sync and chanting in ancient Greek. “δίνω κλάσμα πάνω” which I later found out to be give fraction up.  

A blue sphere formed in Gaia’s hand shining with energy. I saw fire, water, earth, and air flickering around the sphere like electrons around a neutron.  

Gaia whispered a few more inaudible Greek words then blew the sphere at me like it was a feather. The sphere knew where I was and floated over to me. I guess I expected it to just land in me filling me with energy.  

The sphere hit me like a truck, no, a bulldozer. I was squished by it force. All I heard was roaring in my ears and my eyes swam with visions of gleaming knives, flames, waterfalls, avalanches, mud slides, tornadoes, then one was stuck in my head and I couldn’t get it out.  

It was a man coming toward me with a stick. He raised it to hit me but he froze. I heard a voice slowly sink into my mind causing the roaring too briefly go down a decibel. The voice was like honey, trickling down the walls of confusion, glazing them with reassurance and love. But a small voice in my head poisoned it causing the honey to slowly turn to acid a replacing my confusion with pain and fear.  

“Michelle dear, I want you to focus on a spot where we will be able to have the elements enter and exit from anytime you need. Focus on a spot that you wouldn’t get hit in battle or no one would ever find out. If it gets hit you will instantly die and be out of our reach for eternity.” I heard Gaia chant in my head.  

I focused on the spot on my back where my heart and spinal cord meet. It could be easily hidden by a backpack and if it was hit without that focused spot there I would still die anyway.  

“Good, now just brace yourself for more pain it might last a while.” I heard Deilos chant in my head. Then I knew exactly what she was talking about.  

A sudden burning searing pain went through the place that I focused on. Another pain only this one was stabbing and stinging pain through the opposite side. I screamed as the pain became too much. My eyes swam again with tears as I fell over into the mud. I saw red and black making zigzags in my eyelids and yellow flash through every time a stabbing went through me.  

Finally, it went the pain focused to a small pinpoint and was almost gone when it exploded and evaporated from my body. Exhausted and tired all I could do was squeeze my eyes shut from the sear light all around me and just float off to my own world where everything was okay and there was no such thing as the elements.