Son of Fire

Inside Evan's Head: The Element Series

Kind. Patient. Sweet. Friendly. These are not words anyone would ever use to describe Layla. Evan felt some of her actions made her barely even human. A more accurate description if you asked him she was some obsessed dictator who didn't hesitate to blast one of her students for failing a so-called lesson, but never not even once gave praise when someone excelled at a task. There is no such thing as exceeding Layla's expectations for they were set to only be achieved by something immortal.

And the lessons only got harder as time passed on. In the beginning it was about connecting with your own element. Evan had to learn to manipulate the fire he created, Adam explored local waterways, and Calla was supposed to talk to nature. Yes, have actual conversations with trees and flowers. The people of her own circle didn't question it as much as the kids at school did. She was labeled Weird Hippie Girl and this resulted in many fights between Evan and their classmates. One time Evan's temper got the better of him and he burned the other kid. Thankfully it was a light burn on the kids arm that even quickly covered up with with a quick scratching.

Layla stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, "You lack disclipline. You let the fire control you instead of controlling it."

Evan rolled his eyes, "Get some new material. It's been three years and still the same speech."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to keep repeating myself if you actually listened the first time I said something."

Evan's fists balled up, "Who do you think you are? My mom."

Layla snapped, "No, you're mom is dead because she lacked discipline too."

Evan threw a fire ball at her which she quickly deflected with a small gust of wind. This was not the first time he had attempted to attack her in anger and it wouldn't be the last. He was the one used to pushing other people's buttons, not the other way around. This was a one-on-one training session. Because Layla wasn't in school she had plenty of free time to make training schedules: some were group, some one-on-one with her, others they were paired off, and some they were done completely on their own with specific instructions from her.

She waved him over to sit by the creek. "Adam only overpowers you because you let him. What comes from fire is heat and heat can boil water. No one element is stronger or better than the next, yet they have the ability to expose the weakness or enhance the strength of each other."

Evan couldn't believe what he was hearing,"If you think I would boil my brother you're just plain sick."

She looked at him sternly. "Sometimes we don't have a choice who we go up against." Before Evan could respond Layla stood up, brushed herself off, and walked away.

He placed his hands to the water letting the heat radiate from them. Deep breathes in, deep breathes out. Slowly the water began to bubble, but he pulled away in fear he would hurt anything living in the creek. He shut his eyes focusing on the slow body burn he had been practicing for the last several months. Feel the heat, be the heat. Don't let the heat consume you. This was a common fire meditation technique he often went to in moments of frustration. Almost any interaction with Layla resulted in Evan getting frustrated.

One of the first lessons Layla had taught them was about darkness verses light. All people, common and of the elements have the ability to fall into darkness or light. Free will allows each person to determine which path they will choose although there are certain factors that may pull someone towards one over the other. Those born of fire are especially prone to becoming power hungry and following that lust into a very dark place.

Evan knew very little of his mother, but the bits he did know was that she had given into her inner darkness. Although he may look just like her, that's where the resemblance needed to end. He wondered if Layla acted the way she did because she lost someone to the darkness too. Three years working every day together and he barely knew anything about her. His curiousity constantly plagued him about who she was and where she came from. Everyone has a back story, what was hers?

****

Their bedroom was silent except for the scratching of pencil to paper as Adam wrote in his journal. This was also part of the schooling from Layla, healthy ways to express the natual instincts. Children born of water can often become consumed by their emotions. Adam found journaling helped keep his emotions at bay. For Evan it was art, any kind: painting, sculpting, drawing, photography.

Unlike other situations where Evan has no problem taking front center stage, it is with his art that he is more private. His artwork reflects his dreams, the actual dreams that come to him each night. They are so vivid he sometimes wakes up unsure of what is real. And in these dreams he sees things that lurk in the deepest fears of his heart. Things he's not sure he can or should tell anyone, even grandma or Adam. He knows he isn't supposed to have the gift of intuition like them yet these dreams often make him question that.

More than being afraid of falling into these dreams each night Evan was more afraid of losing these dreams altogether. They told a story of a life both foreign and familiar to him. Most important it was his best and really only connection to her.