My stomach grumbled and Jonah chuckled. “Guess we should park it for some food, huh,” I said as we neared some of the biggest roots I’d ever seen.

  “Yeah, I know how to hunt,” Jonah said as he tested the roots. They would make a good shelter for tonight. It was big enough for the two of us inside the space they made while crisscrossing each other. It was a small alcove of roots.

  Roy: You just want some alone time with him, babe

  Jessica: He is rather hot

  Maryanne: Both of you are new so you might not know that he tossed us to some sharks...literally.

  Jessica: Oh, we know that doesn’t take away his hotness

  Roy: Or the fact that Myra wants to jump him

  Strength: She ain’t like that!

  Mark: She isn’t

  Jessica: Then why did she give birth to Roy? He is lust you know?

  Jack: Uh, nope we didn’t know but now we do and he makes much more sense!

  Maryanne: And you?

  I’m Jessica and I’m anger personified heh. She held in her anger one too many times so I was born.

  Strength: Is that why ya look like Arriana?

  Jessica: I took the look of her worst enemy. I would have been male if she’d never met Arriana.

  Mark: A Jonah look alike is not what we need right now.

  I shuddered. I had two new voices. Two! And all my voices had abilities. That’s why I could do elemental abilities but why? I didn’t know. I understood Jessica and it made sense, especially to how I had been acting lately but Roy made no sense. I wasn’t lusting after anyone least of all Jonah! We were barely friends! Where did it come from and from where? I would have to have a big sit down with them later but right now Jonah had asked me something.

  “Sorry, what?” I asked.

  “I asked if you wanted me to hunt now,” he said, annoyed and I smirked.

  “By all means,” I said shooing him towards the forest. He smirked and walked into the underbrush. I began gathering timber for the meal and tried to remember any camping training from my time as a girl scout. On Earth, we had things like sleeping bags and matches although I remembered my fire ability. That would have to do and hopefully, I wouldn’t scorch the wood to cinders. I had no control over my abilities. They did. I would have to speak with Roy. He was fire.

  I sat down and closed my eyes. I was going to do something I learned in therapy. Starting a conversation with them was always emotionally draining. I pictured a male me wearing a shirt with a porno logo on the front and wearing jeans with a chain attached to them and boots. He had short neck-length curly hair and looked a lot like Juaquin except it was me. I could see my eyes and facial features. He had that stubborn cowlick and he scratched behind his right ear in embarrassment like me.

  You’re Roy? I asked.

  Yep!

  Ok, why are you here?

  You had a lot of lust built up and whala I’m here!

  But I’m not lusting after anything.

  You were lusting after being normal.

  Eww!

  It has nothing to do with sex! Geez!

  But…

  Anyway, I was born from your desire to be normal which is ironic. I’m far from normal, babe.

  How can I control the fire within me then?

  Practice and doing small things for me.

  No, I’ll practice

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  Suit yourself

  I opened my eyes and breathed out slowly. I said I would practice so I would. I got a stick and tried to light it. Fire laced up the stick and burned it to cinders. Ok! This was going to take time. I practiced for an hour. A lit bonfire was before me and I sighed.

  “That’s a bit much for these,” Jonah said as he came with two bunny roosters plucked and skinned. They were on the small side almost like squirrels. He skewered them on a stick and set them on the bonfire over the makeshift stand I had made over the fire. It was flimsy and made of the roots we would be staying in but it somehow held. In ten minutes the food was done. That was how hot my bonfire was. It cooked our food in ten minutes. Jonah pulled them out of the fire when he noticed the slightly charbroiled look on them. We ate crispy critters that tasted like chicken. I didn’t like chicken but I'd eat it to survive. Jonah stretched out while he ate.

  Touch him

  No

  You know you want to

  No! I don’t! These voices were gutsier than my other ones demanding things of me and bugging me with commands. I took my eyes off Jonah and bit into the squirrel thing.

  Moan out

  “Leave me alone,” I muttered, chomping on the squirrel.

  Jonah turned to me. “Was I bothering you,” he asked, perplexed.

  I blushed. “Oh, no. Not you. I...was talking to myself. I do that sometimes,” I said finishing my squirrel and wiping my hands on the grass.

  Touch yourself

  That I could do. I smacked my forehead. Shut it! I cried and got up to find Jonah staring. I smiled sheepishly and turned around a scowl on my face. What was I going to do with Jessica and Roy? They were stronger than the others. Would the other voices be stronger too? I didn’t know nor did I have answers. I used Mark’s power Earth to make some roots where I had torn some down and weakened the structure. All the while Jonah stared at me.

  “I get wind and fire and possibly water but now you have earth too?” he said.

  I turned around to find him giving me a suspicious look. “Hey! I don’t get it either but yes, earth too. I have every element.” I had yet to determine what Jack and Maryanne were. Jack had vanished and Maryanne wouldn’t say what her power was. Scratch that I had every element plus two undefined abilities. Yeah, go me. I wasn’t one to lust after power so why was I given so much and how? For what purpose? Cause there was always a purpose, great power came with great responsibility. I didn’t want that responsibility. Getting back to Earth was hard enough, thanks!

  “I don’t think we should keep this bonfire going,” Jonah said gazing at the raging fire.

  “Why not?” I asked, coming to sit upon a root close to him. The firelight reflected off the silk in his hair.

  Touch it!

  I found my hand outstretched before I thought of it. I pulled it back as Jonah turned to me and I grinned curling my fingers into my thighs.

  “Other than its a safety hazard? We’re broadcasting our position to anyone within distance of this bonfire,” he said.

  I nodded and outstretched my hand towards the fire. Water came at my calling. It came with no problem and I could control it. It also came from Strength who was free in what he gave. Roy was different. A different voice altogether. I had to deal with it differently. I had to be firm and unwavering. I had to be…

  “Woah! The fire Myra not me,” yelled Jonah who ducked under a stream of water. I smirked. Strength didn’t like Jonah very much.

  Damn straight I don’t! Make us shark chowder. Take this!

  The water headed straight for Jonah and he ran for a tree floating into the branches.

  “Myra, have I upset you somehow?” he asked, hiding within the branches.

  “I was just remembering my swim with the sharks,” I muttered. “You know, making things even. You dunked me so I dunk you...figuratively speaking.”

  He peered from behind a branch. “Ok, fair enough I guess,” he said, floating down from the tree.

  “It is?” I asked, smirking.

  “Yeah, even if I didn’t drop you...I did kind of hang you off the boat. The idea was all Katilia’s though. Did you ever tell her you were afraid of sharks?”

  “No, she must have guessed it from our history class when someone mentioned sharks in Columbus’s time and I kind of freaked imagining sixty-foot monsters,” I said. I didn’t think anyone was watching me then. I was wrong and it gave Katilia an inside look into my head. It was too close a call. I had to be more careful from now on. I knew Jonah could pick out weaknesses like a hound dog. I’d seen him do it before and we were now travelling together. If I wanted my secret to remain secret I had to do a better job of hiding it.

  Maryanne: We’ll help you

  Strength: Yep! We will

  Mark: We shall

  Jessica: Speak for yourself. I think Jonah knowing is a bonus.

  Roy: I’m with the others. The guy is pretty nasty news. If he knew of us I’d be chaos, Jess.

  Jack: I’m with either gotta run the sub is calling again!

  Maryanne: Jack! There he goes disappearing again. How is he doing it?

  Strength: I think the dude’s becoming a shadow

  Mark: He is.

  Jessica: Say what now?

  Mark: That’s his ability.

  Roy: Oh! Son of a Gun! That’s cool! How’d he get shadows?

  Maryanne: the subconscious?

  I’ll believe it when I use it. I turned to Jonah who was staring at me again.

  “You’re really out of it today,” he said, grinning.

  I sighed. “I’m just tired,” I said, slipping off the root and stretching.

  He nodded. “It has been a weird day. We escaped the fire lady by the skin of our teeth, found clothes, food, and shelter. I guess we had some luck then,” he muttered, walking to the root enclosure and bending down before crawling inside. I followed him in and immediately regretted it when our arms rubbed together.

  Couldn’t help yourself? Hahaha

  I ignored the jibe and separated from Jonah turning my back to him. The problem came when he wrapped his arm around me and the voices became louder in their jibes.

  Jessica: He wants to touch hahaha

  Roy: Touch him too. Run your hands through his hair

  Jessica: Better down his chest hahaha

  Both: Go on you know you want to. Touch him!

  “Jonah? Can you let me go?” I asked, blushing.

  He turned to face me. “Why? We slept closer than this before,” he said and I sighed trying to ignore the jibes. They were becoming intolerable. I bit my lip and twisted so that my back was barely touching Jonah. It was very uncomfortable though and I couldn’t keep this up. Jonah sighed and rolled over so his back was to me.

  “Better,” he asked and I relaxed slightly. The minute my skin touched his back they began again and I sighed stiffening again. It was going to be a long night. A really long night.