~Cole~

T H E    S U N   W A S setting now. The sky was painted blue, purple, and orange. The bright light shone through the trees, brightening the forest. The golden leaves on the ground basked in the last few minutes of sunlight as the sun slowly started to disappear behind the trees.

Cole and Diana wandered through the forest in search of shelter. They didn't have much time before the sun disappeared completely, and darkness took over the forest. And so they kept their eyes open as they weaved through the maze of trees and plants.

Cole stopped abruptly. "Do you hear that?" he asked, looking around.

"Hear what?" Diana replied.

"That noise. It sounds like a...a river. Yeah. A swift moving river." Cole replied. It sounded distant, far away, but definitely there. From what he could tell, it was about a mile away.

"I don't hear anything." Diana commented. Cole ignored her. There was definitely something there. He could feel it.

"There's a body of water somewhere over there. We're in desperate need of water, anyway." Cole told her. "It sounds about a mile away. I can sense it. Let's go."

"How do you even know this?" Diana asked skeptically.

"I...I don't know, okay? I can just feel it." Cole sighed, realizing what a lame excuse that was.

"Fine." Diana said, much to his surprise. "We can go there, only because we really need some water. If you're just messing with me, though, you will regret it. Understand?"

Cole nodded, leading the way. His senses tingled with anticipation. Something was going to happen.

He stared out at the dark path ahead, and took a step forward. He was going the right way. He led Diana deeper and deeper into the forest. The path was barely lit by the sliver of the moon that stood in the sky. A cold blast of air hit them both, and Diana shivered. "Cole...maybe we should go back. I don't think there's any water around here."

"No!" Cole exclaimed. "We can't give up! We're so close now...so close...I can feel it..."

And there it was. As Cole pushed back a large tree branch, almost whacking Diana in the face, he saw it. A river, the current moving as fast as he had anticipated. The moonlight reflected off the water, lighting up the river. Diana stared at the scene in awe.

"We're a mile away from where we were before, Cole." She said, gazing out into the distance. "How did you know the river was going to be here?"

Cole didn't answer. He didn't have an answer to give. He was in just as much awe as Diana was. He was just on the verge of giving up when they found it.

"Why don't we stay here for the night and get some rest?" Diana suggested, proceeding towards the grass near the river. "We can create a makeshift tent."

"Yeah." Cole agreed. It seemed like a good idea. He advanced towards the water, intrigued by it. The water was shining from the moonlight. He stared at it.

"Cole?" Diana snapped him back to reality. "I'm going to get some materials for the tent. I'll be back soon."

"Yeah...okay.."Cole said dazedly, not taking his eyes off the water.  There was something about the water...something he couldn't quite place his finger on. But he was going to find out.

***

The trees swayed gently and an owl hooted somewhere in the distance. A breeze blew through the air, causing Cole to shiver as he looked out at the water. He was supposed to be sleeping, yes. Diana was sleeping inside her makeshift tent. But Cole didn't want to sleep. He felt exhilarated, alive.

And so, there he was. Sitting at the edge of the water, staring past the depths of the river. He didn't know exactly what he was doing out here, but he let his senses take control. Slowly, Cole reached out over the river. 

What am I doing?

Cole yanked his hand back. What was he doing? He probably looked like a sleep-deprived idiot.

But something told him to put his hand back. His hand, suddenly having acquired a brain of its own, reached out over the water, shaking. Cole looked down at the water. What was happening?

The water underneath his hand started swirling. Awaiting his command.

A cold blast of air hit Cole in the face. He shivered. I wish it was a bit warmer, he thought. Suddenly, the water sprang up and drenched Cole.

Cole sprang back, staring at the water with wide eyes as it poured down on him. He braced himself for the bitter cold he was expecting, but it never came. A warmth entered his body, and Cole opened his eyes. Warm water was dripping down his body, providing some heat in the freezing weather.

Dry, Cole thought, and the water evaporated into mist. Cole took a step back, thinking about what he just witnessed.

It was as if he could control the water. The water warmed him up when he was feeling cold, and obeyed his command to leave him when he wanted to dry off. It was as if he held a certain power over the water. How could it be possible? It wasn't as if Cole believed in magic. Magic, of course, didn't exist.

So how was he able to control the water like that?

Hesitantly, Cole reached his hand out again. Cold, he thought, and dipped his foot into the water. Freezing cold water met the bare skin, and Cole jerked his foot back out. Slowly, the water began to freeze over. It wasn't winter, but as he watched, hand still in place, ice formed over the water.

Whoa, Cole thought, amazed and scared at the same time. He looked at his palms, then back out at the water again.

Slow down, he ordered, and the water obeyed. The roaring current slowed to a gentle, lazy one. Cole slowly stood up, keeping his hand above the water. Some of the water left the river and was lifted up into the air by an invisible force. Slowly, he moved his hands around, and the water rearranged itself, shaping itself into something else. Cole moved his hands around a bit more, shaping the water into a replica of a dolphin.

Freeze, Cole instructed, and the tiny dolphin made of water slowly turned to ice. That, is awesome. Cole wondered as he tried to think of something else. Boil, he commanded as tiny bubbles appeared underneath the surface of the dolphin. Suddenly, the tiny ice dolphin statue exploded, and the water fell back into the lake.

Cole removed his other shoe and rolled up his pants. He waded into the water, spotting a few fish. The fish circled around him a few times in respect before swimming away.

He let his fingers move through the water. How was this possible? He wasn't ready to believe it was magic. There had to be some sort of explanation.

Cole thought back to a few hours ago, when he and Diana were walking through the forest at sunset.

"How do you even know this?"

"I...I don't know, okay? I can just feel it."

It would explain how his senses tingled with anticipation as they neared the river. It would explain how he was able to sense a river from a mile away. It would explain the feelings he experienced every single time he went near a lake, or the beach, or even as he drank a small glass of water.

Magic?

Maybe.

Cole had to pull back in order to avoid getting sucked in by the current. He waded back to the shore, pulling himself onto the bed of grass. The water seemed to get a bit colder as he left. He past a turtle gradually making its way into the river. More fish seemed to circle him as he left.

For the first time in a while, Cole felt safe.

***

Hey guys! I'm back :)

Sorry for the long wait. It was the last week of school, and I kind of forgot about updating. Then I remembered, but couldn't think of a way to start this chapter.

Also, I know that this chapter was really bad. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please tell me! It means a lot to me. Oh yeah, and don't forget to cote! (comment + vote) Because vomment sounds too much like vomit.

A week or so ago, someone told me this book hit #951 in action. Obviously I'm not there anymore because I haven't updated for so long, but I was like whoa. I mean, yeah, 951 isn't all that great, but I was surprised I even made it there. So yeah, thank you guys so much for that!!! :)

Comment your summer plans! Mine is probably just to read Wattpad books all day, watch Netflix, eat, and sleep. Unless my mom makes me do stuff. 

This chapter's dedicated to willxherondale because she's literally SO funny and awesome. I'm not even kidding. She's such a great friend and she's really supportive. If you guys could go follow her, that would be awesome.

Next update: this time next week? I mean, that's probably not going to be true cuz I'm so lazyy but I guess it'll be around then.