Warm, wet tears dripped onto my hands as I shoved the last of the few belongings I had into my worn leather pack.

“Time’s up, witch!” A strong hand gripped my wrist and pulled me upward, causing a scroll to fall out of my pack.

I reached for it, but the guard was already propelling me out of the house, and it landed on the dusty, cracked floor, unrolling to reveal a painting - a tall, handsome man and beautiful woman smiling and embracing their daughters.

I looked up, and the same man was staring out of the window, refusing to look at me or show any emotion. He gripped a small paint brush in his hands, his knuckles turning white. The same woman who wore such a beautiful smile in the painting, now looked at me with pain in her eyes and tears flowing freely down her face. She embraced one of the girls from the painting, who was also crying quietly.

My eyes lowered to the ground, my lips quivering, and a few more warm tears rolled down my cheeks. Time seemed to slow and the warmth in my chest blew out from me as I was thrown out of my doorway and fell to the ground. Dust shoved in my eyes as rocks scraped my cheeks.

I coughed and dirt blew out from my mouth. A sudden mix of gasps and shouts began around me. I rubbed at my eyes, and the stinging became intense. I couldn’t see who was there, but I could hear a large crowd from all around me.

“Witch!” “Demon!” “Freak!”

My eyes stung again, the mixture of dirt and fresh warm tears filling them up. My hands ached and burned, but not from the impact of the fall.

“I didn’t mean to…” I whispered, clenching a fistful of dirt, as more tears fell to the ground. The brown dirt warmed beneath my hands.

“Get up!” shouted the guard. He grabbed me again and forced me to my feet.

The crowd went quiet, and I lifted my eyes for a second. Looking through the dirt and tears, I saw so, so many familiar faces. The only people I’d ever known. The only family, the only friends, the only place I’d ever been. My chest felt like it was ripping in two. Searing pain fluttered across my right cheek and I touched at it, leaving glossy, sticky redness all over my hands. My hands warmed again, leaving a molten ache in the veins going up my arms.

“Move it, witch!” He said, shoving me forward. I kept my eyes on the familiar dusty road below, my knees aching and burning with every step. My veins turning molten with each step I took.

No

My heart started to race as the dust turned to rock. I clenched my fists, the heat rising in my body. I couldn’t look. I couldn’t see what I’d done. It hurt too much.

“Elowyn”

My head shot up, eyes wide at the familiar voice, only to catch a glimpse of flowing blonde hair as something hard smacked me across the face.

My body went cold.

The crowd backed up, making sure to not get too close to me. My hands softened and I spread my arms wide, and looked at her. The tears in her narrowed blue eyes and tight lips betrayed her expression.

“I’m…I’m so sorry, Rayla” I choked out.

My lips quivered again and salty tears stung at the fresh wounds on my cheek. I opened my arms wide and bowed as best I could, wincing as my legs buckled slightly. The cherished gesture in our town, my only way of seeking forgiveness.

I looked up, and for a second saw her brows start to slightly unfurrow. Mine raised slightly in response, but then her gaze shifted slightly upward, her features becoming tight again, and she held my gaze with ice in her eyes.

“Get out of here, you monster”

She lowered her eyes and walked into the crowd.

My eyes stung again, and the scent of smoke filled my nostrils as the guard once again shoved me forward. I looked to where her gaze had shifted, and there it stood. Wood burnt to ash. A home my dear friend and I had once laughed in. Played in. And now it was gone, and it was all my fault. My hands burned again, but I shoved them down .

No, I commanded them. Stop it.

Water continued to flow from my eyes and hit the dusty road, like molten lava. With every splatter, they sizzled and popped.

You’ve ruined everything.

I clenched my fists harder and harder, but they only became warmer and warmer. A heat of emotions flooded me and I ground my teeth, stopping in my tracks.

No.

The crowd around me gasped and moved back. The guard behind me drew his sword.

“Witch! Stop now!”

You won’t control me. You won’t ever do this to anyone again! You won’t ever do this to me again!

My nails dug into my hands, and sticky redness started to drip onto the rocks below. Wind started whipping around me, like the rage filling inside my heart. The crowds started to disperse and run, and the guard behind me was now thrown to the ground, like he had done to me moments before. My eyes turned red, and flames erupted from my hands.

No! No!

I was losing myself in my powers again and there was nothing I could do. All I could see was red. All I could feel was the heat in my veins.

“Elowyn!”

Everything stopped. I blinked and it was gone. There, standing in front of me was that tall, handsome man from my painting, holding my painting.

“Please, Elowyn.” He looked at me with tears in his wide eyes.

The breath whooshed out from me, and a cool wind blew the fire out of my veins.

“Father?”

I fell to my knees, but he caught me before I was on the ground.

“I love you” he said as he kissed my head, pulling me to my feet. His eyes were lined with tears.

“I…I love you too” I blinked.

“The past is done with Elowyn. You can’t change it”

“But…what am I supposed to do?” My eyes stung.

“Change the future” he said, squeezing my hands.

We both looked behind me. The guard was still on the ground, eyes wide and mouth gaping.

I opened the scroll and looked at the painting of me and my family. My fingers traced the lines of our faces.

“You must leave now” his hand caressed my cheek.

“But I don’t want to leave you” I choked out. “I don’t want to go anywhere else. My family, my friends, they’re all here.”

He put his hand over mine, still on the painting.

“Elowyn” he said, with a bittersweet smile. “We’ll always be with you. In here…and in here” he pointed to my heart. “You are never alone”. “Find peace, Elowyn. Only then will you be able to control your powers”

I squinted. I was able to stop my powers from overtaking me once I heard my father’s voice, once I saw his face. I studied the painting for another minute, then looked up and around us. Everyone was gone.

I could do this, but not here. I could channel my powers, by being at peace with my emotions...but, I needed a fresh start. My heart sank, and I knew what I had to do. I took a deep breath and looked up into my father’s hazel eyes. Tears lined them, but understanding was there too. We both knew what I had to do. I rolled up the scroll and warmly embraced him.

“I love you, father.”

He gave me one last bittersweet smile, before I walked past him. I hadn’t realized, but I was just a few feet from the town’s gates. They loomed over me, but I gripped the soft scroll in my hand and smiled. I stopped at the threshold and turned around. My father was facing me, smiling, with tears still coating his cheeks. Behind him, the people of this town - my friends, the only people I’d ever known - all peered at me behind windows, doors, trees. One day they’ll see - I’m still me. My cherished blonde friend stared at me from behind a few other townspeople. Her eyes still lined with tears and her features hard. I hoped she would one day forgive me for what I’d done, what grief I’d caused her. I would make it up to her - one day.

I gave her a bittersweet smile and turned toward the world beyond. The sun was setting. Setting on my past. Setting on my mistakes. Setting on my heartache. And soon - soon, it would be rising on a new future. My future. I could do this. I smiled again, and walked over the threshold of the gate, loosing a breath. I gripped the scroll in my hands and set out toward the sun. My hands were cool in the night breeze, and my heart was alight with the excitement for what the future would bring.