The Dragon in Our Midst

Chapter 3: Harnessing the Power

The rest of my shift was uneventful and when I finally got back home, I was exhausted. It was only about 5:00pm so I got my dinner and settled down to watch TV. but no matter what I was watching my thoughts always drifted to the necklace. Why me? I'm not complaining. I'm just curious. I'm a lowly zoo cleaner. I'm not special. I decided to embrace the fact that I have this new gift and that it would be a waste to not use it. I turn off the TV and make my up to the roof of my house. I touch the necklace and immediately the smoke swirls around me and I'm a dragon. I try to stretch my wings. it obeys but I narrowly miss my neighbours TV antennae. I am very large and the roof is starting to fold under my weight. I flap my wings once, twice, three times until I'm hovering. the moonlight making my scales look like diamonds. I launch myself into the sky and it was euphoric. it was nothing I ever felt before. it was nothing like I could have imagined. it felt like a part if me was dormant and just awoke. I try to land softly on a field of grass but I ended up falling down instead. note to self- Practice your landings. the necklace was still around my neck, and it had grown with me. I am amazed by how its so magical.

I fly back home, careful to not land on the roof, and return back to human. my clothes shredded when I unleashed the dragon. I run inside and immediately put on PJ's and go to bed. my dream consisted of a man, barely my age, a necklace of his own, his soft brown eyes gazing into mine. he tries to talk but I can't hear him.

I jolt awake to the sound of my alarm. stupid thing. I reach to turn it off but I must have overreached because I touched the curtain. I opened my eyes and everything looked smaller. I look at my hand still touching the curtain and tried not to scream when I saw a claw. or my ripped curtains. my alarm clock broken from When I overreached I tried to reach for the necklace to turn me human again. it was there, but something felt different, off somehow. I still went back to being 5" 2 but it was like a part of the chain has fused to my skin. I shook my head and got ready for work. same thing I do everyday.

in less than half an hour, I get to work, surprised that my work boots and gloves aren't there. maybe someone else borrowed them or something. I used the only pair left, the spare pair nobody uses and went to the snakes den. "Hey Ashley. how's Our special little dragon today?" said Sophia. I gave her a look of "be quiet" and she blushed. "oh that reminds me, you've been fired." she said. I look at her shocked. "what do you mean I'm fired? I've been a loyal worker here for 5 years?!" I explained, shock evident in my face and tone. "it wasn't up to me. it was up to the boss. you know how he is." she said dismissively. I do know how he is, I've been working here since I was 17! I storm off to his office and knock on the door calmly. "come in." he said. I waltz in and he drops his coffee in shock. "I fired you? why are you here?" he said. "noone looped me in. why did you fire me?" I ask. he rings his tie, a thing he does when he gets ready to lie. "well, you see, umm" he stammers. I patiently wait for him to come up with the lie. "I've received reports that you stole one of the snakes. Marybelle." I look at him, one eyebrow raised. "You're lying. you ring your tie when you lie. tell me the truth" I demand.

he sighs. "Something came to light about you from another worker and I felt it was in best interest of the zoo to let you go." I tap my foot impatiently to get more information. it worked. "a coworker of yours, Vicky, saw you apparently steal a valuable necklace. I have to take stealing very seriously." he said. "this necklace" I pointed to the one around my neck "was found in a pile of hippo dung. I didn't steal it." I defended myself. "unfortunately unless you can prove that, you are still fired" he said as he picked up a pen and began signing paperwork. I go home now thinking I've lost everything. Without money, I'll lose my house, without my house I'll be homeless, and I have a necklace that turns me into a dragon. What am I going to do?