June 27, 2010 (11am)

                Everything was still. The forest was quiet. The sun was shining down on the woods. Amidst the green trees and plants, Chalano was sitting before the pond.

                Master spoke with his powerful voice, “You must remain calm. Shut the vexations out. It’s all about the power of the mind.”

                Chalano focused. Particles of water rose up from the pond. Chalano stared as they floated before him. He found them creepy, and he suddenly began to think of all of the scary movies that he’d watched. The particles fell back into the pond. Realizing his mistake, Chalano focused again. The particles rose up. The particles slowly became bigger as other particles floated from the pond to join them. Chalano thought very deeply about the water particles. The particles floated away from the pond, and went above a small plant. Fall. The water fell on the plant like rain.

                “Finally, I did it,” Chalano said with a smile.

                Chalano turned to Master, and asked, “If I’m the only person in this lifetime who has this ability, why me? And why do I have an ability to communicate to water; why not an ability to communicate to trees?”

                “In every generation, there are four people who have more abilities than usual human beings. They are intelligent, compassionate, and very perceptive. Different species cannot clearly communicate with each other, but these four people can communicate across species and elements. They know the environment, and the environment knows them. Each of these four has one element that he can completely communicate with. The elements are: Earth, water, air, and fire. You are water.”

                “Where are the other three?”

                “That is beyond my knowledge. They could be anyone, and they could be anywhere. The reason why they are given those abilities will always remain unknown in the mysterious workings of Nature. Many of them have never discovered their unique abilities. You might have lived all your life not knowing your connection with water, until I came to seek your help. Different beings just have to join forces when something ruins the balance of Nature.”

                “Is the person who can communicate to fire the arsonist?”

                “No.”

                “Then who is the arsonist?”

                “It is too evil, that it is more a monster than a human. Never try to get to know evil. It’s your enemy; that’s all that you need to know. Don’t try to find out who it is.”

                Chalano became a bit scared. “If water can fight him, why don’t you just give this job to firefighters? That would be easier.”

                “The arsonist cannot be burned. That’s its power. The only way to destroy its power is to throw water at it. By then, it could burn. Its left hand once accidentally got wet. Since then, the arsonist kept its left hand covered with a glove that contained metal. The firefighters are unable to catch it because it is too skilled at escaping. You are the only one who can find it, because it has been waiting for you.”

June 28, 2010 (6:45am)

                As the students walked into the classroom after the flag ceremony, John stood beside the door to check who was absent. It wasn’t his job, but he seemed to enjoy doing the other school officers’ jobs in the recent days.

                Chalano and Kim were next. John asked, “So how’s your morning?”

                “Fine,” Chalano calmly replied as he walked into the classroom. “I woke up earlier than usual. How about you?”

                “Great,” John sheepishly grinned, and looked at Kim, signaling something about Kim to Chalano.

                Chalano turned to Kim, and noticed that Kim had been watching them with a puzzled look on his face.

                “It’s okay, Kim. John had apologized to me,” Chalano explained. “He is now our friend.”

                After staring at John in surprise for a few seconds, Kim said, “I-I don’t understand …”

                Kim noticed that they had been blocking the line of students that was supposed to enter the classroom. Instead of moving ahead into the classroom, Kim left the line by walking to the back of the auditorium. Chalano followed him.

                “It’s me who should be saying ‘I don’t understand,’” Chalano complained as he tried to keep up with Kim. “What’s wrong with being friends with John? He’s a good person now. He has changed!”

                “Don’t trust him,” Kim said. He stopped, and turned to Chalano. “Not because he apologized means that we have forgiven him. We don’t automatically become friends with him just because he apologized. Doesn’t it occur to you that he would get back to his old self once everything is fine? When life was good, he bullied you, he beat you up, and he spread rumors about you. Rella was his friend, and look at her. She wouldn’t have died if he was such a good friend. What if her death makes him feel guilty and he’s befriending you only to seem friendly to everyone?”

                “You’re speculating, Kim! You have no basis for that! He’s grieving for Rella, and he’s scared.”

                “Does he appear to be grieving? He was smiling right there at the door of our classroom a while ago,” Kim retorted as he pointed at the classroom, where all of the students --- including John --- were already inside.

                “You always have something to retort. You like to argue. I wonder what the women in your family are like. Are they too noisy?”

                With surprising speed, Kim grabbed Chalano by the shirt, and pinned him against the wall. “Don’t you dare talk about the women in my family like that,” Kim angrily warned. “You and I have been close friends. I’ve always been there for you, so don’t talk about them like a jerk.”

                Kim let go of Chalano. He said as he went back to the classroom, “This conversation is over.”

                Chalano stared into space for a few minutes. And then he recovered. “Oh, yeah? I can say whatever I want to say,” Chalano yelled after Kim, and he didn’t care about who would hear him. “Who said that you’re the only one who can talk? I have my own thoughts, too.”

                Kim kept walking to the classroom as if he didn’t hear Chalano.

                Chalano yelled louder, “You have a very wild imagination, Kim. Your imagination is the most colorful one that I’ve ever known.”

                Kim kept walking.

                Frustrated, Chalano yelled, “Can’t you hear me?!”

                Kim walked into the classroom like nothing happened.

                “Can’t you hear me, Kim?!"