104 Mistakes (1/2)

”Let me know when you want to go back to your pit,” I said while walking away.

The fire sprite screamed wordlessly. Then suddenly she rushed through the mushroom wasteland, swinging her fist back to hit me. Turning to face her, I raised my arm to block. I was startled by the strength of her fist. It was much stronger than any of the humans I had ever fought. I had to take several steps back to avoid falling over from the force. I pushed back, HARD, and sent her flying a few feet away. Searing pain radiated along my arm from where her blow landed. While she struggled to recover her balance, I looked at my arm and saw a blackened circle where she struck me.

I was not given any time to think about what just happened. She was back on her feet. My block did nothing to stop her rush and she continued to chase after me. She was much faster than I was. The only thing I could do was continue to backpedal trying to avoid her. But no matter how hard I tried, I was not able to get any distance from her again.

The heat from her punches was searing my arm, carbonizing my skin. I had never felt this pain before. I wanted to lash out with my spirit. A voice inside me was telling me to rip her soul to shreds. That voice was so appealing. I wanted to listen to it. She was attacking me and destroying my home. She seemed to feel patronized when I didn't use this ability earlier. She probably WANTED me to end her, here and now. She knew I could.

The captivation this voice wrought on my heart was scary. A small part of me fought back, knowing that even using this power in such a way once would enthral me. But the voice of power was louder. She was not supposed to be here. She could just be erased and things would go back to normal. I could make everything right. Not just in my woods, but the whole world.

The fire spirit punched, kicked, and seared me with flaming limbs. I could not keep up with her for speed. Every time I moved my scorched limbs, the pain screamed through my mind. But the voice telling me to give in grew louder with the pain. The more tricks she threw at me, the closer I was to losing myself. My conviction wavered.

She was hurting me as badly as she could.

She didn't WANT me to hold back.

She didn't WANT to be here.

And I didn't want her here!!

For the second time in a day, I opened my spiritual sight. Her inner pathways were blazing with hot energy, swirling with dizzying speed at her core. I reached toward her spiritual circuits, full of anger. I was ready to dash her to pieces. I grabbed hold of the part of her spirit that brought in the spiritual energy from the flames around her, ready to crush it. As I started to squeeze the fire spirits eyes shot open wide as she railed on me even harder.

Suddenly something echoed in my being. Freezing, I realized it was Ivy. It was a comforting feeling. Mist had made it back to the pond and was doing fine. The faces of Mist, Ivy, Faun, even Leafy and the others flashed through my mind. What would they think if they saw the monster I was about to become? It shook me. I was so weak.

Ivy's message was about to leave me as the fire spirit continued to hammer on me. I did not want to lose myself. I didn't want to be a monster that scared everyone. I closed my eyes and focused on what I could not lose. I did not need to use my power over spirits to win this.