The Air Out Of [Wattys2018 shortlist]

10

[A/N]

A bit of a longer chapter ahead. I tried to expand Covia as best as I could but it could get real confusing real quick. If you're confused, please comment that down below, and I'll try to elaborate on it as much as possible (and hopefully make it more concise) for you. 

This chapter borderlines on two thousand words so definitely tell me if it isn't explained properly.

JESS IS SCARED. Actually, beyond scared. Terrified, maybe. Frightened had barely scratched the surface with it's the exaggeration, and worried simply didn't cut it. So, after a few minutes of deliberation, she stuck with scared.

"Controlling the water." Aspyn had said only moments ago after the five split had been split into their two groups. Jess watched as Aspyn put a rock slightly north of her feet, which had positioned itself onto the ground. "I'll teach you how to control the water to carry you on later, for now, I want you to channel your mind to lift the rock high enough for your hand to hold. You cannot move any limbs but your arms. Which means, no bending, or dropping to the ground."

Jess is momentarily unsure of what to do. She feels the water enclosing her as it masks her shivering figure. It speaks to her, and she decides to answer.

Lift

Her mind is shaky, unfocused. Nothing happens.

LIFT, It's a demand now, forcibly ordering the rock to move. Still, nothing happens. The frustration begins to sink in, especially after a couple hundred attempts, but after a good half hour, she thinks she's finally getting the hang of it.

Beads of sweat begin to form on her forehead as Jess equips her muscles to harden at any given moment. Slowly, she squints her eyes, driving the force of water in an upward motion, her muscles tighten, and she lifts her arms as if to flex. Her body gives in, and she feels nothing but the tight air being squeezed out of her.

And it works. The rock starts to lift.

Her smile widens, and she screams for joy, loosening her concentration. The mental connection releasing, and as if possessed, the rock drops back down.

Aspyn looks at her approvingly, "Good job, Jess."

Scar looks at her incredulously as he attempts to even move the rock. "Move goddamn rock." He yells.

She tries again, starting by focusing her mind solely on the object, blocking all the distractions, specifically Scar's yelling filling the background. She notices how Aspyn makes no effort to stop him, explaining how there is no chance that a fight would be peacefully quiet, and how they must learn to cope with their surroundings. Her eyes shut instinctively, repeating everything she did in the last trial.

It lifts and continues moving upwards. Rest on my hand, she instructs. It reaches the level of her hand and patiently rests against her opened palm. "I did it!" She yells happily.

Scar's rock is beginning to move, but sidewards. She snaps out of her gaze, "Jess, throw your rock, but use your controlling skills so that it doesn't hit the ground," Aspyn says, resting her fingers on Scar's temples. "Focusing can take a long time. You must learn to control it in the flick of a finger."

She does as told, losing her mind's grip on the rock as quickly as she threw it. Slowly, she brings the rock to her hand and makes a second attempt.

She doesn't catch it.

She thinks of the rock as herself, if she were running towards a cliff, she could tell her feet to stop running towards the edge. "The rock is me, the rock is me, the rock is me," She continues to repeat.