Joel rose
silently from his bed and dressed quickly. The birds were already awake and
singing their morning songs even though the sun hadn’t fully risen yet.
The clock
on the dresser said 6:34. Thinking of how hard it had been to get up early
during the school year, Joel smiled. If this had been a normal summer’s day, he
would still be asleep and wouldn’t stir until at least ten o’clock. But today
was different. Unable to stop thinking about what had happened yesterday, he
couldn’t wait another second for the day to get started. Tiptoeing downstairs,
he slipped on his shoes and was out the door and into the backyard.
Heart
thumping with anticipation, he darted to his hiding place behind the shed. The
sight of the makeshift box he had constructed yesterday filled him with relief.
It was still here and completely closed. “Hey, I’m back,” he whispered as he
gently took the lid off. Peering inside, he was happy to see that his new pet
was awake, alert, and waiting for him.
The fiery
golden eyes looked intelligently up at him as he reached inside and brought out
the small creature, whose head leaned affectionately into his hand. “I’ve been
thinking about you all night. I didn’t tell anyone about you, because who would
have believed that I had found a real dragon?”
The small
green dragon cocked its head as though it were listening and could understand what
Joel was saying. He settled down on the grass and set the dragon on the ground.
Feeling
like he was talking to a friend, he continued. “Where did you come from anyway?
I’m sure dragons don’t just appear in people’s backyards.” He watched as the
little dragon stretched out his tiny wings and got comfortable in Joel’s lap.
He thought about the day before
when he had come out to mow the lawn. This little guy had been sitting in front
of the shed, almost like he was waiting for him. Joel had stopped in his tracks
and watched as the small dragon walked toward him and sniffed his shoes.
Slowly, not wanting to scare him, he reached down to touch it and was surprised
when it hopped right into his outstretched hand. It immediately climbed onto
his shoulder and stayed there. He stayed while Joel mowed the lawn, and Joel
started to wonder what he was going to do with it.
It was getting late and he enjoyed
having the little dragon with him. His parents weren’t pet people, and he
wasn’t sure how they would feel about a dragon. So, he had hastily made a small
box out of some wood scraps and set the dragon inside, explaining that he would
return in the morning.
Looking at the dragon now, he still
couldn’t believe it was real. Dragons were only found in fairy tales and old
legends, right? The morning grew brighter as he sat with the little green
dragon. The creature didn’t seem afraid of Joel at all as he continued to talk
to it.
When he heard the sounds of his
family stirring inside the house, Joel knew he would have to go back inside
soon. Sighing, he picked up the dragon to put him back inside the box. As he
did so, he was shocked when the creature spoke. “Well Joel, aren’t you going to
give me a name?”
For a moment, all Joel could do was
stare. When he found his voice, he said, “You can talk?”
The little head nodded. “Why not?
I’m a dragon, aren’t I?” He stared into Joel’s eyes. “Of all the people I’ve
ever seen, you are the only one who’s ever been able to see me.”
“No one else can see you?”
“I’ve been around a long time, and
no one else has ever noticed me before. I’ve searched around the world for
someone who could see magic.”
“Magic?!” Joel couldn’t believe
this was happening.
“I’ve been waiting for you to give
me a name, but I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. Once you name me, I’ll be able
to show you so much more.”
Joel’s disbelief was changing and
grew into excitement. A slow smile was spreading across his face. “Okay, I’ll
give you a name.” It wasn’t hard to choose and he’d been thinking about it
anyway. The dragon’s gleaming green scales made it easier. “How about Jadyn?”
As soon as he said the dragon’s
name, the air shimmered around him and Jadyn grew until he was taller than the
shed. Joel’s eyes widened as Jadyn shook himself and spread out his now massive
wings. “Ah, that’s much better. Thank you, Joel.”
Joel nodded, feeling a little
nervous. The dragon that used to fit inside his hand was now too big to go
inside his house.
Seemingly unconcerned, Jadyn went
on. “You and I are now connected. I will teach you everything, and together,
we’ll be able to do great things.”
When Joel went inside later, he
tried to act normal, but he couldn’t help looking outside the window every
minute to see Jadyn sitting regally on the back lawn. He’d always wanted to do
something exciting, and this went beyond his wildest dreams. He couldn’t wait
to go back outside and continue the adventure of a lifetime.
