The wind was howling, the trees banged so violently against my window that I couldn’t sleep. Bang, crash, boom, was all I heard. The rain, thunder and lightning coming together to create a massive storm. I sat on my bed, looking out my window, listening to the noise, but it wasn’t just noise it was music. It was strange, beautiful music and I loved it. This is the real reason I didn’t sleep that night.

I’ve never understood why I loved lightning, or why I had such an affinity to it. I just always have. “There’s something more to this, but what?” I said to myself, rather than try to figure it out though, I just sat there, listening to my music.

It’s almost hypnotic isn’t it,” I heard my mom say.

“Yeah, the sound of the rain, the crack of the thunder. It’s beautiful,” I replied.

“Well now it’s time to try and sleep.”

“Okay, mom. Good night.” I laid down, closed my eyes and listened to storm.

The next day at school, I met up with James, my best friend. “Hey sis,” he called out. “Hi bro, what’s going on?” I answered back. We’re not brother and sister, but we’re close enough that we could be.

“Did you see that storm last night?” James asked,
“Yeah, it was crazy,” I answered.

“You were up watching it all night, huh?”

“You know it.” Aside from my mom, James is the only one who knows just how much I love lightning storms.

He doesn’t understand it as much as mom, but he accepts it.

“Want to hang out after school?” I asked James.

“Sure, your place or mine?” he replied.

“How about mine, it’s quieter. We could get homework done then watch movie.” I suggested

“Good idea Amber, It’s real hectic at my house right now with my little brother and sister.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later.”  With that, James and I went off to our separate classes and the day went as usual.
Finally, last period came to end. James and I met up again in the hallway, left the school and started walking home. Most of the conversation home consisted of ranting on why we don’t like homework, what we were going to watch and talking about that girl who did that thing last week and blah, blah, blah. Neither of us were paying attention to the man walking in the opposite direction. Suddenly, the other man, bumped into me. I saw a piece of paper fall and bent down to pick it up.

“Excuse me, sir, you dropped…” I started.

“Oh, no miss, that is for you. These papers are only seen by chasers. Having seen it, you must be one,” the man interrupted.

“A chaser…What do you mean? I have never-” he cut me off.

“The paper will tell you all you need to know. What type of chaser you are, you’re abilities, everything.”
I looked down at the page my hand,

“I don’t understand,” I looked up to tell him…he was gone.

We resumed walking home unsure of what exactly had occurred. A chaser? Me? What does that mean? Who was he? James just looked at me. I didn’t know if it was because what just happened was weird, or if he knew something I didn’t.

When we got to my house, I said hi to my mom and ran upstairs to room. All I could think about was that piece of paper.  I sat down at my desk, threw my bag on the floor, and opened the piece of paper. It was blank, so I crumpled it.

“Why did you throw the paper out!?” exclaimed James.

“There was nothing on it,” I answered. Now I knew something was up. Why would James freak out over me tossing a blank sheet of paper?

   Suddenly, the floor started getting wet.  I stood up to close my window, as thunder and lightning started. I sat back down and suddenly, the paper was soaked, but it hadn’t touched a drop of water. Looking at it I saw it was now covered with writing.  Proceeding to open the paper carefully, I read the note that was written.
Hello Amber, you are now part of an elite group chosen to be connected to the elements, yours is the sky. Use your gift wisely.

“How did that guy know my name!?” I screamed.

“Why, what are you holding?” James asked. He came over, took the sheet of paper and got a very serious look on her face. “We need to talk.” He then went downstairs, called for my mom and we sat on the couch.
My mom and I sat down, she read the letter and explained everything. “You are a lightning chaser,” she told me. “A what?” I asked.  A lightning chaser, from the Empire of Elements. It is hidden, taken over by the Craven family. They’re cruel and evil, that’s why your mother sent you here.” “But you’re my mom.” “No honey, I’m not.” This is when I started freaking out. “What do you mean you’re not my mom? Are we even related? I don’t understand any of what you’re saying! Who are you? Who am I?”

Eventually Winter, as I came to learn that was her real name, calmed me down. I had always though it was Cathrina. She explained that my mom, in efforts to protect me, had given me to Winter and in one of the major battles, my mom had been killed. It was all too much to take in, but James seemed relaxed. “How are you so calm hearing all this about me!” I shouted at him. I wanted it to make him as uncomfortable as it made me. To be honest, it scared me that it didn’t “Because I always knew,” James replied. “You knew?” I was shocked “Yes, I’ve always known. I never told you because I knew you wouldn’t believe it,” he replied. To be honest, he was right.

Just as we finished talking, there was a crack of lightning and it caught my eye. I stood up and started walking towards the window. As I got closer I heard James and Winter yelling for me, but it was muffled, like how sometimes in movies the main character as they’re walking into action or danger the other sound will-
“Oh crap,” I shouted. I realized too late why they were yelling for me. The lightning struck me in the chest, I flipped backwards and surprisingly landed on my feet. Okay, not supposed to happen. In through the window, came a huge, I don’t know what it is. “Craven soldier,” I heard James shout. He jumped in front to protect me just as the Craven soldier lifted his bow and arrow to me. What happened next was weird. There was a loud rumbling but you couldn’t feel it, you could only hear it. Suddenly, water come rushing out from everywhere, but surprisingly only surrounded the Craven soldier. “The heck!” I shouted. “Water chaser,” James replied. The soldier still tried to shoot the bow and arrow but with water surrounding him, he couldn’t get a good shot.
Getting increasingly frustrated, the solider stepped through the water into the living room. We all ran for the door and bows and arrows went flying. As he continued to shot I noticed, “Why do the arrow disappear once they hit something?” I asked. “There made by air and water chasers. They dissolve on contact, makes it very hard to trace them,” Winter answered.

It soon became clear we weren’t making it to the door. I became increasingly scared when out of nowhere, a lightning bolt hit the Craven soldier. He recoiled in pain, glared and growled at us, then left. “What just happened?” I asked

“A Craven soldier attacked us. We need to go, now.”  Winter stated firmly.

“I mean the lightning bolt.”

“Oh, well, I am a lightning chaser myself. It’s part of our abilities, we can control thunder, lightning and storms, and much more.”

“Well, that’s cool, I guess, but it doesn’t seem special. Why try to attack us?”

“Amber, it is remarkably special. Think about it! There various types of chasers, lightning, water, fire, earth, air, each controlling a different element or part of the universe. If you can take one of each types abilities and harness the power, you could control the world, bend it to your will.”

“Oh, yeah, not good.”

Winter then began to share stories of chasers who have been found out and then disappeared. This one boy had his air chaser powers taken and after just wasn’t himself. He was like an empty shell. No one knows what really happened, but we all know it was nothing good. 

“I think it is best for you to begin training. You must learn to how to use abilities.” Winter told me.

“Will you teach me Winter?” I asked, pleadingly.

“Amber, why do you think your mother left you with me?”

I have always loved adventures, and I’m about to embark on a new one. It’s frightening the idea that anything could happen, but that makes this wonderful.