It was almost time for a bedtime story. With her back rested against the wall, her legs crossed and her body to some degree sinking into the soft mattress, seven-year-old Ashley Morgan folded her little arms over Mr. Carrots—her blue cushy long-eared stuffed bunny— grasping him against her chest. The bed squeaked a little as Ashley's mom sat on it. Her mom was wearing a rich white night outfit that shone as the moon's light bounced off it. Ashley wore a blue silky sleeveless one and her lips naturally bent into an anxious grin as she waited in anticipation.

"So," her mother stated, sitting comfortably in front of Ashley. She also folded her legs and leaned closer. "What story do you want to hear tonight?"

A small smile crept its way onto Ashley's face. Even though she had asked that question, her mother already knew that there was only one story that Ashley loved to hear every Halloween night.

Her mother mirrored her smile and said, "The Legend of Ethan and Richard it is."

Ashley's fingers pressed into Mr. Carrots' flossy body as she nodded.

"Once upon a time, there were two friends, Richard and Ethan. They were both mermen and lived deep in the great underwater kingdom of Rathzoria. Richard was the son of King Magnus, the ruler of Rathzoria."

"That means he was the prince," Ashley added, tilting her chin up proudly. "And Ethan was a sorcerer right?"

Her mother raised her brows. "Yes sweetie. Now listen. Everyone in Rathzoria loved Richard. Ethan, however, was always alone, unloved, and despised because of what he was... or rather what he did not have. Even though, he could talk and breathe underwater like the rest of the merpeople Ethan never had—"

"A tail," Ashley interjected, bending her head down sadly. This was one of the sad parts of the story. "Merpeople could change into human or mer form whenever they wanted. Ethan couldn't so the merpeople hated him."

"Just like they hated humans," added her mother. "Even in those days, humans and merfolk were sworn, enemies. Humans hunted merpeople for their scales and some dark sorcerers even killed merpeople in order to obtain their blood."

Ashley gulped. Now came the scary part of the story.

"Merpeople would sink the ships of humans, killing anyone who survived. The merpeople thought that Ethan was half-human even though it was well-known that humans and merfolk couldn't have children together. The merpeople didn't go after Ethan was because king Magnus had said that anyone who harmed Ethan would immediately be executed. This decree wasn't because of the King's love for Ethan... Oh no... It was because of the power Ethan's sorcery gave Rathzoria."

"Richard was the only one in the kingdom who loved and accepted Ethan for who he was. But one day, even that love decayed into hatred."

An icy cold chill slithered up Ashley's back.

"To this day, none knows why Ethan did it. It is known as the darkest day in Rathzorian history. Ethan attacked Rathzoria. He had acquired a power that was feared not only here on earth but throughout the realms. The anger that he kept inside all his life was finally released on the kingdom. None could stop him— not even the King. When Richard heard that Ethan had attacked the palace, he grabbed his sword and swam to his parents as fast as he could. But he was too late. Richard found his parents lying dead on the ground, their skin pale and eyes empty. Ethan stood beside them. Richard demanded an explanation from Ethan but Ethan gave him none. With pain in his heart, Richard attacked Ethan— but he was powerless against what he had become."

"A Fire Demon," Ashley whispered, her lips trembling slightly as she spoke.

"Exactly," her mother confirmed.

Ashley continued speaking. "Ethan had turned into a Fire Demon; a merman who can control fire. In the ocean, they were special merfolk who could control air, water, or earth. Merpeople called them Element Masters. But, Fire Demons were feared, right?"

"Yes," her mother agreed. "Not because they were evil. Remember, Fire demons had no control over their abilities and their fire was so powerful that it could even incinerate things under water."

"In... ci... re... nate?" Ashley asked uncertainly.

"Incinerate," her mother said. "It means burn. After Ethan killed Richard's parents he cursed Richard to become a Fire Demon just like him. Richard swore that he would not rest until he had destroyed Ethan and since that day he hunted Ethan throughout the realms."

Suddenly, her mother widened her eyes and lit a touch under her face— casting creepy and menacing dark shadows over her features. Using one arm, she crawled her way towards Ashley, moving like her joints couldn't hold her body. Her long, dark straight hair covered her face like strands of silk and she made hissing sounds, giving Ashley the feeling of insects crawling on her skin.

"You know," her mother said silently. "It is said that Ethan and Richard walk the earth till this day, forever locked in a battle until one of them is destroyed. They are dark creatures and like all other dark creatures they feed only on one thing... blood!"

Ashley let go of Mr. Carrots and lifted the blanket over her body. Underneath the blanket, she held on to Mr. Carrots and buried her face into his furry tummy. She never liked that part and the way her mother said it was so scary that Ashley was shaking.

But it wasn't long before she felt her mother's gentle hand over her head.

"I'm sorry, dear," her mother apologized. "I guess I went overboard this time." Ashley still could hear her laughing shakily.

Slowly, Ashley came out of her blanket. Her mother had turned off the torch. Her beautiful round-shaped eyes appeared dark under the light of the moon. They were actually a deep brown, just like her long hair.

"But why did Ethan do what he did, Mom?" Ashley asked, wanting to hear more of the story.

"Well, some say that Ethan wanted to use dark magic to obtain what the rest of his people had— a tail. The dark magic eventually consumed him turning him into the monster he became."

"But he must have had a reason, right? Richard loved him even if he was half-human. So why did Ethan curse him?"

"I don't know sweetheart. All I can say is that the moral of the story is... Always be content with who you are and what you have."

"Mom, do you believe that Ethan and Richard are still alive?" Ashley asked, tossing her head towards the open window— staring at the little glittering polar-white stars scattered like moon dust across the endless arch of the void-black beyond.

"Hmm..." Her mother pressed a finger on her lips, looking thoughtful for a while. "I can't say for sure. But we can never know, right?" A joyful smile lit up her mother's face. It was a warm smile that always made Ashley feel safe and loved.

Ashley shivered when a cool and gentle breeze touched her exposed skin. Her mother's long hair shook around like the waves of the sea— whipping across her face as she went to close the window.

"Do you think Richard will defeat Ethan?" she asked as her mother pulled down the curtains.

She came down to her, snugly tucked Ashley into her blanket, and whispered, "You know what honey, evil never wins. Now, go to sleep, okay?"

"I would like to meet Richard, and I hope he wins in the end, but..."

"But Ethan has always been your favorite character," her mother finished, smiling knowingly. "You love him even if he is the villain of the story."

"Does that make me a bad person?" Ashley asked.

"Not at all honey." Her mother placed her cold palm against Ashley's cheek. "It just means you're like your father. Empathetic to the core."

"What does that word mean?"

"It means you try to feel how other's feel— putting yourself in their shoes. You try to understand the actions of others without judging them first."

"Empathetic. I have learned a new word tonight," Ashley stated, joyously throwing her arms in the air.

"Two words," her mother corrected, making a V-shape with her index and middle finger. "Incinerate was the first word remember?"

Lowering her hands Ashley said, "Yeah but I completely forgot that word so it doesn't count."

Ashley's mother tried to suppress a chuckle but ended up bursting into gales of laughter. Her laugh was so contagious that Ashley too felt her lips curve into a smile.

"You're also just as smart as your dad, sweetheart," her mother said as her laughter died down. She then looked at Ashley and run her fingers through her hair.

"You look just like him," she said, sorrow tainting her voice and her eyes beginning to shine with tears forming.

Ashley never had the opportunity of meeting her dad. Her mother didn't talk about him a lot. But from the little things she told her, he did sound like he was a good person; someone she would have loved to know. Before Ashley was born he went lost at sea after a terrible storm hit the boat he was on. The vessel he was in was found in pieces but his body was ever recovered.

Her mother stood up and walked to the door. She paused in the door frame to look back at her daughter. 

"Sweet dreams, darling," she said.

"You too, mom"

The door closed and a few seconds later Ashley realized that her mother had forgotten to kiss her good night. She will come back Ashley thought with a smile; she always does. 

Now that she was alone, Ashley felt the room become much darker. Her hands searched for her bunny, Mr. Carrots. She found him and pulled him into her arms. She positioned the side of her head on her soft pillow and closed her eyes.

Ashley kept tossing and turning around the bed and soon realized that her throat felt drier than baked beach sand on a hot summer day. She turned towards the wooden nightstand. Luckily, her mother always left a glass of water every night.

But that night wasn't going to be the other nights. When Ashley reached for the glass something amazing happened; the water inside moved, wobbling back and forth against the walls of the cup. She must have been imagining it, she thought, squinting her eyes and shaking her head.

Slowly, Ashley moved her hand towards the glass again. A soft laugh came out of her mouth when she saw the water sway inside the cup.

Ashley motioned her hand as if lifting some invisible object. The water rose, levitating into the air. Ashley pictured it changing into a shape of a round ball and the water folded into the very shapes she thought of. 

The moon's light shimmered off the puddle of water as it obeyed every gesture Ashley made. Ashley could even feel the waters' weight as if it was right in her hand. Her heart was pounding against her chest and her smile was so wide that her cheeks began to hurt.

Still smiling, Ashley tried guiding the water back into the glass.

The door suddenly flew open and the lights turned on. Startled, Ashley lost control of the water and the glass fell, shattering into tiny pieces when it hit the floor.

"Oh God, are you okay?!" Her mother asked, running to her. "What happened?"

"I was controlling the water! And then..."

Ashley explained everything but her mother just looked at her, lifted the corners of her mouth, and said, "Oh, darling, the stories are getting to you."

"But it's true. I'll prove it."

Ashley extended her hand as she had before, and tried focusing on the water.

Nothing happened.

"Come on, sweetie," Her mother said as she carried Ashley off the bed. "You're sleeping with me tonight, which means... I can give you a hundred goodnight kisses to make up for forgetting to give you one... again."

A defeated sigh came out of Ashley's mouth. She grabbed one of Mr. Carrots' ears as her mom lifted her. She looked at the broken glass and wet floor. She knew what she had seen— what she had felt. She was controlling the water.

The stories are real, she thought.

They left the room and as the door slowly closed, Ashley held Mr. Carrots up to her eye level and smiled as a thrilling thought whispered through her mind.

Maybe I'm a Water Element Master.