The Nymph (part 1) - by Daniela S

TheNymph
By Daniela

Flames roared all around me, but I knew what was about to happen and dove under a small table and covered my ears, just as a loud inhuman screech filled the air and the ceiling started to crumble down on me…

First things first, I’m Willow and I’m a nature spirit, a nymph.
At birth, nymphs have coal-black eyes as dark as night. They eventually turn into a different colour that predicts our destiny. If your eyes were swamp green, you’ll come back to life as a tree, plant or animal after death. Others, however, came back as pebbles, rocks, or rare stones if their eyes were emerald green. Mine were different from nearly all of the rest of my people, the last like me born 75 years before me, a startling SILVER with emerald green specks. That meant me, and the ones before me, were immortal.

I spent two weeks with my family, my mom and me, in our tree (we live in trees instead of houses, we live in harmony with nature unlike SOMEBODY!) before I was moved to The King’s Castle to train. Five years later I was moved to somewhere entirely different…
CHAPTER 1- Elementals

“Magdella! Magdella! Wait up!” I shouted after my tutor, he’s taking me somewhere today, he says it will change my life forever, but he could at least wait for me to catch up! “Hurry up, Willow! There’s no point going if you can’t keep up, you’re the only reason we’re going!” Magdella snapped back over his shoulder, not even slowing as we walked through the forest towards a large, silver, metal gate.

The whole building was surrounded in barbed wire, guard gnomes and exotic plants. Beautiful in a terrifying sort of way…

As Magdella got us past all the security, a guard gnome flung open the silver gates to show a majestic, circular building surrounded in greenery. We stepped inside and Magdella directed me to a large golden door, as if he had done this many times before.

“WOW!” That’s the only word I could think of to describe this room displayed front of me, the room was filled with fun thing for the people here to enjoy, beanbags, TVs, board games, books, computers! Cool.

“This is The Hall of the Immortals; you will stay here for the rest of your training.” He chuckled at the look of bewilderment and delight on my face, and then pointed to a balcony near the ceiling, “The others are probably up there. Off you go! I have to go have… a word… with the director.” And as suddenly as that, he turned his back on me and closed the door behind him.
Soon after, I found myself looking up at the long rope ladder which was the only way to get up to the balcony, which was surprisingly high up. “Oh, well.” I thought and started to pull myself onto the first rung, making a little bell tied to the top of the ladder ring, “An alarm!” I realized, just as a smiling, dread-locked head looked over the edge of the balcony. “Finally! A newbie! Well come on up then! Here, I’ll help...” He shouted down to me and started to pull up the ladder, me just managing to hang on.

At the top, he opened one of the two doors at the top, revealing the sounds of go-carts and cheering “GO! GO! SWIFT!” “GO! GO! ROBIN!” Two girls sat in the middle of the small crowd, consumed in an epic go-cart race!
“GUYS!” The dread-locked teen shouted over the cheers.
“Wait for a sec, Ray! I gotta pause this game!” Replied one of the go-carting girls and soon there was silence, everyone was looking at me!

“Umm… Hi, I- I’m Willow…” I stuttered to the crowd, there was an awkward silence, then a blue-eyed, blonde-haired girl put down the controls for the go-cart race and introduced herself to me,
“Hi! I’m Swift, Element of Air!” Then the dread-locked guy exclaimed loudly, Whoops! I haven’t introduced myself yet! I’m Ray, Element of water.” I looked at both of them confusedly “E-elements?” what were they talking about?
Ray looked at me, his face a mask of shock and surprise, “YOU HAVEN’T HEARD OF THE ELEMENTS?! Story time everybody!” Everyone started making themselves comfy on beanbags and armchairs, “Ray! What if they haven’t told her for a reason?” Swift accused him, but by this time; I was dying to know what they were talking about so I was very relieved when Ray ignored Swift and started to tell the story anyway…

“Ahem… Can everyone hear me? Good. Let me begin…