The Lottery

 

            Excitement flooded through Chris when he woke up. Today was Christmas! He threw off his covers and looked at his alarm clock. It said 3:17 AM. Reluctantly, he climbed back into bed. It was still too early to even go wake his brother, Jack.

            Chris tried to close his eyes and go back to sleep, but it was no use. Reaching for his notebook, he propped himself up in his bed and began to write. If he couldn’t sleep, he might as well work on his story about two friends on a treasure hunt in the jungle. After writing for a while, he paused, wondering what was going to come next.

            That’s when he noticed the red envelope sitting on his bed. Curious, Chris picked it up and pulled out the card from inside. All it said was: “You’ve won the lottery! Come and claim your prize at the bottom of the stairs at 3:58 AM.”

            Chris looked at the clock again: 3:56 AM. Was Jack playing a trick on him? Why did it need to be such a specific time? Usually, Chris was the one to wake up Jack on Christmas morning.

            Thinking that he should at least check it out, Chris tiptoed silently out of his bedroom toward the stairs. It was absolutely silent in the house. If Jack was really waiting for him, he was doing a good job of hiding. The staircase was pitch black as Chris walked carefully down it, using only his sense of touch. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he carefully whispered, “Jack? Where are you?”

            Suddenly, the area flooded with light, and Chris found himself in the middle of a vast, open stage. What had happened to his house? Standing in front of him was a man dressed in a business suit. With a smile, he shook Chris’s hand and said, “Congratulations! You’ve won the Christmas lottery!”

            “What?” Chris was totally bewildered.

            “You’ve been chosen to receive one Christmas wish. What will it be?”

            The man looked at Chris expectantly, but Chris had no idea what was happening. “I get a wish?”

            “Sure! Make a wish, and it will be granted.”

            Wow! What was he going to wish for? After thinking for several minutes, Chris finally answered, “I wish I could get a puppy for Christmas.”

            The man nodded. “Your wish will be granted. Thank you.” He turned around and walked away.

            Chris was left alone, wondering what he was supposed to do next. The light was fading fast and he was starting to panic. Shuffling away from the encroaching darkness, he felt his heels hit a carpeted step. He turned around, walked up the stairs, and down the hall to his own room. Climbing back into bed, he wondered, Did that really just happen? He’d always wanted a dog, but his mom was allergic. He would never be allowed to keep a pet.

            Feeling so much more tired now, he lay back in bed and promptly fell asleep. A few hours later, he was being shaken awake by Jack. “Come on, Chris, it’s Christmas!”

            Groggily, Chris shook his head to clear the sleep from his eyes. What a weird dream he just had. He followed Jack downstairs to the Christmas tree, where they promptly unwrapped the small mountain of presents beneath it. Their parents looked on sleepily.

            The rest of the day passed quickly. Chris had so many new toys to play with, but he couldn’t shake off the disappointment that the wish he’d made wouldn’t come true. When it was time for bed, he slowly went upstairs to his room and shut the door. There, on his bed, was a black and white puppy with a red ribbon tied around its neck.

            Surprised and ecstatic, Chris scooped up the puppy in his arms while it enthusiastically licked his face. A red envelope fell to the floor, and he picked it up, setting the puppy gently on the bed. Inside was a card much like the one he’d received earlier that morning. It said: “Here is your puppy. Because of your family’s special circumstances, this is a magical animal. He will be your companion as long as you like, but he can’t be seen by anyone else. He will never shed, and you don’t need to worry about feeding him. Enjoy!”

            After feeling slightly let down for most of the day, Chris suddenly felt the happiest he’d ever felt. Hugging his new puppy, he knew this was the best Christmas ever.

Inside the Pages

 

            “Happy Birthday, Damien!” Mom exclaimed proudly. “Fourteen years. I can’t believe it.” She handed Damien a present covered in shining gold wrapping paper.

            The package was so heavy that Damien nearly dropped it when Mom gave it to him. “Whoa, what’s in here? I could use this for weight lifting.” He immediately lay back on the couch and pretended to bench press the present.

            “This one’s from your dad.” Mom smiled sadly. “He wanted you to have it when you turned fourteen.”

            This was Dad’s? Damien barely remembered him. He had died when Damien was only three years old. He tore through the wrappings, and out fell – a book. He touched its soft covers and gently picked it up. The outside was plain green except for the title, which was printed on the spine – Gardening for All Ages. “Gardening for All Ages?” Damien raised an eyebrow. “Was Dad a gardener?”

            Mom’s eyes sparkled. “This was his favorite book. It’s actually a family heirloom. It’s yours now.”

            “Great,” Damien said softly. What was he supposed to do with this?

            Mom saw the disappointment in his eyes. “Just read it. You might like it.”

            Dubiously, Damien opened the book. He had zero interest in gardening, but this had been Dad’s. Maybe he should at least read some of it. He settled himself on the couch and started to read. Within minutes, his eyes were glazing over. He was about to give up and put it away when something in the text jumped out at him. Focusing now, he reread the last paragraph. Then he reread it again, just to make sure.

            Here’s what it said: Congratulations on reading this far, Damien. You have unlocked the true nature of this book. As my son, you have the right to use the information found in this book any way you see fit. You come from a long line of magicians and this book is a compilation of all our secrets and spells. Only those of our line will even be able to read it. I wish you good luck for the start of your magical journey. May you find as much joy in it as I did. I love you, son. Love, Dad.

            Damien leaned back as he tried to process this. Closing the book, he saw that it was no longer a plain, boring book about gardening. The ornate gold and dark blue cover was decorated with stars and the title said, “The Magician’s Guide to Magic.” He ran his fingers over the raised letters and felt a prickle of excitement. Was it really magic?

            Much more excited now than he’d been before, he dived back into the book. He was ready to learn everything his dad had to teach him.

Delicate Arch

 

            Shading her eyes from the sun, Carmen looked over at the massive arch. The Delicate Arch was much bigger than she had expected.

            “Pretty cool, right?” Dad asked. “I told you it would be worth it. It looks almost magical.”

            Carmen wasn’t sure about that. The hike had been pretty tough. A slight breeze blew into her face and she closed her eyes, welcoming its coolness. It was only April, but Moab, Utah, could get really hot – even in the spring. She never thought she would miss the cooler weather of northern Utah. When they’d left, there had just been a spring snowstorm. It was the kind of snow that melted right away, but it was still cold.

            Carmen shivered. She opened her eyes to the orange landscape in front of her. She had forgotten how sweaty and hot she was for a moment. Shivering again, she turned her face to the sun to get warmed up. But what was happening? She felt like she was getting colder instead of warmer. The breeze that had been softly blowing across her face now felt more like an icy wind.

            Dad was saying something, but Carmen’s ears weren’t working. His mouth was moving, but all she heard was the howling wind. Hugging her chest, she ran to stand next to him and was alarmed when she realized she couldn’t move. The wind was preventing her from going anywhere. She knelt down to keep herself from being blown over.

            The wind continued to swirl around her as it whistled and reached a fever pitch. She raised her hands to cover her ears and closed her eyes when suddenly the wind stopped.

            The loss of wind made it seem silent around her. She opened her eyes and immediately wanted to shut them again. Instead of the red rocks she expected to see, she was in a winter wonderland. She was kneeling in still, quiet snow. Icicles hung from bare tree branches all around her. She stood up with her legs freezing, and her T-shirt left her skin exposed to the icy cold air.

            Carmen stood staring at the scene around her until her eyes watered. How had this happened? She shook her head to clear it. As she did so, she felt a warm breeze blow across her face. She felt her skin start to thaw as she hugged herself tighter. The wind grew in strength as she felt warmer and warmer. She finally closed her eyes when the wind got too intense – and then it stopped.

            Opening her eyes, she was once again standing near the Delicate Arch. Dad looked concerned as he asked her, “Are you okay, Carmen? You look a little rattled. Maybe that hike was too intense.”

            Throwing her arms around her father, Carmen said, “I’m just so glad to be back here at the Arch. It feels so warm out here.”

            Dad pulled back from her hug and looked at her closely. “Let’s take a break before we head back down. I think you could use a little rest.”

            Panic gripped Carmen as she thought about staying there and being blown back again to winter. “No, no, I’m fine!” she said – maybe a little too cheerily. “You were right, Dad – this is a cool, magical place – but I’m ready to head back down now.” She started back to the trail with Dad following close behind. She didn’t want to risk being blown away again to who knew where.

            “Are you sure you’re okay, Carmen?” Dad asked worriedly.

            “It was just a little too windy for me, that’s all.” Carmen didn’t know what had happened, but she knew she wanted to get away from the wind.

Secret Life

 

            The red pen said 88% at the top of Trixie’s test. Letting out a sigh of relief, she put it into her folder to take home. Math was not her strong suit, but she had gotten an acceptable grade. She didn’t understand why she would need math in the real world, but she was expected to do well in all of her subjects.

            “What did you get?” Melody whispered from across the aisle.

            “Eighty-eight,” Trixie whispered back. She couldn’t stop a small smile from forming on her lips.

            “I got eighty-seven!” Melody’s face showed how pleased she was.

            Trixie didn’t know how she would get through school without Melody. Best friends since second grade, they had always been in the same class. Now, in eighth grade, they were each other’s lifeline in the whirling torrent that was junior high school.

            As they walked home from school later that day, Melody asked, “Do you want to hang out at my house this afternoon?”

            “Sorry, I can’t,” Trixie murmured. “It’s Thursday. I have my family thing tonight.”

            “Oh right, I always forget. What exactly do you guys do anyway?”

            Trixie couldn’t quite meet Melody’s eye as she said, “We do different things. My dad says we should always spend time together as a family.” She wasn’t lying, exactly, but her family had a secret that no one else knew about.

            Trixie said goodbye when she reached her house. As she walked inside, Mom met her, looking excited. “Are you ready?” Mom asked, taking Trixie’s arm.

            “Of course!” Trixie couldn’t wait.

            “Dad and Aaron have already left – let’s hurry!”

            They both ran up the stairs to the secret closet. “After you,” Mom said as she opened the door.

            Trixie carefully stepped over some boxes to the back of the closet. She held out her hand and stepped through the invisible portal. A slight breeze blew across her face and she felt her talons dig into the grass beneath her. With a joyful roar, she shot into the air, her great wings unfolding to carry her higher. She may have two different lives now, but this was the one she really craved. She couldn’t wait until she became an adult. Then she would be able to stay where she belonged – in the Land of the Wind as a fearsome dragon.

Unknown Planet

 

            “Captain, we’ve reached the unknown planet 2A461,” Data stated. “Our scans indicate intelligent life on the surface. This is the source of the power beam that we’ve been following.”

            “Good, thank you, Data,” Captain Picard said as he tugged down on his uniform. They had discovered a strange power source shining a beam of light deep into space. This planet appeared to be where it had originated from. Picard knew that they would need to investigate. “Lieutenant Worf, hail the planet.”

            There was a beep and Worf answered, “There is no answer, Captain.”

            “Number One, assemble an away team to investigate.” Picard nodded to Commander Riker.

            Immediately, Riker stood up and said, “Data, Worf – you’re with me.” Together, the three walked off the bridge toward the transporter room.

            When they beamed onto the planet’s surface, Riker’s first impression was of heat. It was stiflingly hot here. Tugging uncomfortably at the edge of his collar, he said, “Data, do you have a lock on that power source?”

            “Yes, sir. It is emanating from this direction.” Data immediately headed off into a thick jungle. There was a path of sorts, but it was overgrown with vines and weeds. The three officers followed this path for several meters until it ended at a seemingly solid rock wall. Data took readings with his tricorder. He appeared slightly perplexed.

            “What is it, Data?” Riker asked when Data didn’t say anything.

            “This wall appears to be made of hardened diamonds. The power source is definitely behind it, but there is no way in. The wall is several meters thick.”

            “Would our phasers be able to penetrate it?”

            “Yes, but that is not advisable. I suggest that we seek out the life forms of this planet and get some answers from them.”

            “Shouldn’t we have met some by now?” Worf asked in his deep voice.

            Data consulted his tricorder. “There are three life forms 124 meters away from us in a large clearing.”

            Riker nodded his head, saying, “Lead the way.”

            With the help of their phasers, the Enterprise officers cut a path through the thick jungle. Soon, they reached the clearing and were astounded by what they saw. Data rapidly took readings with his tricorder while Riker and Worf were left speechless.

            After several moments, Riker recovered his voice and asked, “Are those...dragons?” The massive creatures towered over the crew of the Enterprise. As the curious foreigners watched, the creatures breathed flames on the foliage around them. Instead of being burned, however, the flames seemed to make the plants grow bigger.

            Data analyzed several more readings in his tricorder before he answered Riker’s question. “They do appear to be similar to the creatures in fairy tales that are known as dragons, but these are not mythological. They are using their fire to generate the habitat around them. Interesting.”
            “Will we be able to communicate with them?” Riker asked with eyebrows raised.

            “I would advise against that, sir.” Worf was studying the dragons with their massive wings folded against their backs. The talons on each dragon were very impressive, even for Worf.

            Data opened his mouth to answer, but he was interrupted by one of the dragons themselves.

            “What are you doing in our jungle?” The voice came from the dragon nearest to them. Its red scales gleamed in the sunlight as it studied the three officers.

            Stepping forward, Riker answered, “We followed a beam of light from deep in space. We’ve come to investigate the source and wondered if you had any answers for us.” Outwardly, Riker appeared calm and in charge, but his hands were balled into fists as he addressed the dragon that was four times as tall as he was.

            The dragon stopped to think for a moment while the green and blue dragons looked on curiously. “Oh, you mean the diamond portal.” He nodded his head as he explained. “We have recently arrived at this planet for colonization, but it wasn’t exactly suited to our needs. We have put a lot of firepower into terraforming it to make it more comfortable for us. We had to create a conduit for the planet to shed the excess power from our flames. Without it, this planet would explode.

            “Interesting,” Data said again. “For the amount of power to flow through the conduit to attract our attention, your flames must be powerful, indeed.”

            The dragon nodded his great head. “We are sorry to attract your attention. As soon as we finish terraforming, the excess power will stop.” He focused his orange eyes on the crew members. “After that, we wish to be left alone in peace.”

            Riker nodded curtly and said, “That shouldn’t be a problem. We’re on our way and won’t be bothering you anymore.”

            They turned around and started back the way they’d come. When they gave their report to Captain Picard, he looked curious. “Dragons, you say? Well, this will be an interesting report to give to the Federation.” He took his seat on the bridge. “Ensign, set a course for our previously arranged assignment.”

            There was a moment when the ensign tapped on the console. “Course laid in, sir.”

            Picard held up his hand and said, “Engage!”

The Scream

 

            They had been in the museum for an hour, and Eddy was bored. Mom had lied when she said it would be a fun experience.

            Eddy rolled his eyes and flopped onto a bench as they entered yet another room full of paintings. His older sister, Janet, looked closer at one of them. She was really into art, oohing-and-aahing over everything. Eddy tilted his head back to rest on the hard marble bench. He was done with all this art.

            But Janet wouldn’t look at the paintings quietly. “Hey, Eddy, come look at this!”

            “No thanks.” All he really wanted to do was sleep, but the next thing he knew, Janet had grabbed his arm and was pulling him toward a painting. He groaned and asked, “What’s so special about this one?” It was called, “The Scream.”

            “This is only one of the most famous paintings ever,” Janet gushed. “You don’t know how lucky we are to see it.”

            Reluctantly, Eddy looked closer at the painting. At least it was in his favorite colors. Blue, orange, and yellow did look really good together. Then he noticed the two people behind the screamer. He was staring at them, when he suddenly felt himself being pulled off of his feet. He fell headfirst through the painting, landing next to the people he had been staring at.

            Eyes wide, he slowly looked around. The blues and oranges that he had admired from the outside of the painting were now swirling all around him. The Screamer had his back to Eddy, but the noise coming from him was so loud. Almost falling over from the noise, Eddy tried to cover his ears.

            The man standing next to him looked down in shock. “Where did you come from?” he shouted.

            Eddy barely heard him over the scream, but he answered, “I was just looking at this painting, and now I’m inside it. How did that happen?”

            The man looked flabbergasted and turned to ask his companion.

            Eddy couldn’t hear their conversation. The screamer was still screaming. It was just a never-ending, AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Didn’t that guy need to breathe?

            The man standing next to Eddy tapped him on the shoulder and said, “You’d better get out of here.” He nodded his head toward the screamer. “He never stops.”

            “How do I leave?”

            The man just shrugged, saying, “We’ve been here for more than a hundred years. We don’t know the way.”

            A hundred years! Eddy had to get out, now. His head was really aching from the noise. He pinched himself, hard, and woke up with a start. His heart pounding, he stood up from the hard marble bench and looked once again at “The Scream.”

            “Pretty cool, right?” Janet said excitedly.

            What had happened? How did he fall asleep? “Uh, yeah, sure.” Never had Eddy been more grateful for silence. He smiled and said, “Good thing we can’t hear that guy screaming.”

Bow vs. Rifle

 

            The morning was still as Cora drew back her bow. Breathing out, she let the arrow fly, hitting the rabbit precisely where she had planned. She smiled when she thought about the delicious rabbit stew Mom would be able to make for dinner.

            After dressing the rabbit and putting it in her pack with the other one that she had shot earlier, Cora headed home. She wondered if Sam had had any luck hunting this morning. She loved her brother, but she knew he was hopeless with a rifle. Because she was a girl, she wasn’t allowed to take the gun, so she had turned to the bow instead. Hours and hours spent practicing had paid off for her, and she could put an arrow right where she wanted to every single time. When Cora went hunting, she hit whatever she aimed at. Sam, on the other hand, rarely brought back anything from his hunts.

            As she neared home, Cora heard a shuffling sound off to her right. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw that it was a bear. It was far enough away that it hadn’t noticed her, so Cora stayed silent, watching as it passed.

            When it had gone, Cora took a few deep breaths and continued on her way. She would have to warn her family about the bear. Maybe Dad would set some traps…

            “Aaargh!” The shrill cry came from where the bear had disappeared.

            Cora felt the blood leave her face. Was that…?

            “Get away!”

            Yes, that was Sam’s voice! He must have blundered into the bear. Moving quickly, Cora made her way to the shouts and looked down a hill just in time to see Sam fire the rifle at the bear, which was less than twenty feet away. Even with a huge target, Sam missed.

            Throwing down her pack, Cora nocked an arrow. Instead of being scared off, the bear seemed to become enraged by the gunshot. “Get out of there, Sam!” she cried, noticing that he appeared to be frozen. Cora sighted down the arrow and let it fly into the charging bear.

            The bear stumbled and fell only feet away from Sam. Cora ran down the slope to get to him. Grabbing his hand, she heaved him to his feet and started shoving him back the way she had come. Grunts and snorts came from the bear as it slowly got back on its feet. It let out a roar at the retreating forms of Cora and Sam, but then turned away and slowly shuffled deeper into the trees.

            Cora watched it, and knew that it wouldn’t get far. She’d tell Dad where to come and look for it. Turning her attention back to Sam, she was a little alarmed at how white he looked.

            “Did you see the size of that thing?” he whispered in awe.

            Cora nodded and said, “You’re lucky to have escaped from a bear like that.”

            Sam looked seriously at Cora. “I wouldn’t have escaped if it hadn’t been for you.” He gave her a hug. “Thank you!”

            Together, they walked back to the house to tell their story. It had been a tense few minutes, and Cora could see that Sam was severely shaken. She decided not to tease him about missing such a large target when it was right in front of him.

            After that day, Dad said that Cora could hunt with the rifle if she wanted to. She was able to shoot with it just as accurately as with her bow, but she didn’t use it often. “My bow is enough for what I need,” she told anyone who asked. “If it’s good enough to take down a bear, it’s good enough for me.”

The Mango

 

            The sun beat down on the back of Calvin’s neck. Sweat poured off him as he gazed longingly at the fruit stand. A juicy mango would be so refreshing right about now. His stomach grumbled. When had he last eaten? Yesterday morning? He had to get one of those mangoes.

            The market was busy this afternoon. Everyone was preparing for their evening meal. Calvin strolled among the crowd with his hands in his oversized pockets. He tried to appear nonchalant when he glanced at the other stalls. His threadbare shirt stuck to his sweaty back as his heart pounded in his chest. He was nearing the fruit stall, and his mouth started to water.

            The large group that was crowded around the fruit vendor didn’t even notice when Calvin joined them. Everyone was jostling each other, trying to get the owner’s attention. Soon Calvin was standing right next to the tray of mangoes. He leaned over them, pretending to study the apples in the tray beside it. Quick as a flash, he grabbed a mango and stuffed it into his pocket. He stayed a few moments more, then slowly strolled away, his baggy pants hiding the contents of his pocket.

            Trying to keep his breathing even, Calvin waited until he was two streets away before he finally ducked into a darkened alley and took off running to his hiding place. Once there, he took a big juicy bite of the mango and delighted in the explosion of juice and flavor. It took a surprisingly short time before the mango was gone. He gnawed on the giant seed until there was nothing left to get out of it.

            Calvin felt refreshed after the mango, although he was still hungry. Maybe he could go back for a loaf of bread or perhaps even some rice. Determined to find something else to eat, he stepped out from his hiding place and was immediately met by a man holding a wicked-looking knife. Calvin recognized him as a royal guard and turned to flee.

            He didn’t get very far before another royal guard stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “Good evening, young man.” This guard held up a long sword as he towered over Calvin.

            Calvin’s heart raced as he thought of any way to escape. “Uh, good evening.” The other guard came up behind him, closing off any escape route.

            The guard with the sword sheathed his blade and smiled at Calvin. “You’re wanted at the palace, son.”

            Calvin’s mouth went dry. “It was only a mango!” he shouted hurriedly. “I never took anything else! I was starving!”

            “Don’t worry about that. We’ve taken care of it,” the knife man said behind him.

            The two men escorted a terrified Calvin as they walked through the city toward the palace. How was he ever going to get out of this? His eyes darted all around, looking for anything or anyone that might help him. No one paid attention to a poor boy in the company of royal guards. Soon they were standing outside the palace gates.

            The big guard called for the gates to open and the three of them stepped through. Gloom settled over Calvin as the gates closed behind them. He expected to be taken down to the dungeons, but he was surprised when they entered the palace proper. They passed through several hallways and doors until he felt hopelessly lost. The décor became more and more elegant until finally, they stood in front of an ornate door and the knife guard knocked.

            “Come in,” a girl’s voice said from within.

            The door opened and Calvin felt himself thrust inside. His breath caught as he recognized Princess Jade Ali standing before him. He fell into a clumsy bow and said, “Your highness.”

            The princess walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Are you Calvin?” she asked kindly.

            “Y-yes, your highness,” he answered nervously.

            The princess sighed in relief and said, “I’ve been looking for you for months!”

            Calvin raised his head just enough to see the smile covering Jade’s face. She had been looking for him? Why?

            Noticing his confusion, Princess Jade said, “I believe that you are my brother.”

            Dumbfounded, Calvin could only answer, “What?”

            “You’ve been living on the streets your whole life, right? Who were your parents?”

            Seeing only kindness in Jade’s eyes, Calvin answered truthfully. “I never knew my parents, but my Uncle Rafe raised me. We got along okay until Rafe disappeared last year.” He paused. “I don’t know what happened to him, but I’ve been on my own ever since.”

            Jade’s kind face flashed angrily when Calvin mentioned Rafe. “The man you knew as Uncle Rafe was actually Rafael, a healer who used to work here at the palace. You and I are twins. When we were born, Rafael stole you and completely disappeared. Our parents did everything they could to find you, but you were gone. I, myself, never knew of your existence until Rafael unexpectedly showed up here at the palace, trying to get his old job back.” She shook her head slowly. “Father saw through his lies of wanting a fresh start. He threw Rafael into prison. We still might not have known that you were alive if Rafael hadn’t bragged to the other prisoners about how he had stolen you from right under the king’s nose. Well, as soon as we learned that you were still alive, the royal guards began searching everywhere for you.” She smiled, and Calvin noticed a twinkle in her eye. “Your true name is Jasper Calvin Ali. Would you like to meet your parents?”

            Calvin felt as if he had just been run over by a herd of elephants. Was he really a prince? He thought back to how he had lived with Uncle Rafe. The man hadn’t been unkind to him as long as he stayed out of his way. A bubble of happiness started deep inside Calvin. Looking up at Princess Jade, the bubble grew until it burst from him, covering his face in a grin. “Yes, please!”

            Jade grabbed Calvin’s hand, and together they went to meet their parents. Calvin was nervous, but he realized that he would never have to go hungry again. The grin on his face got wider.   

Blue Velvet

 

“You got a package from Grandma today!” Mom exclaimed.

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “But my birthday is next month.”

“She’s been planning this for a while and couldn’t wait.” Mom’s eyes sparkled.

Her curiosity piqued, Ashley opened the box. Inside was a soft blue robe made of thick velvet. “What’s this for?” she wondered aloud.

Mom looked expectantly at Ashley. “Put it on.”

The heavy velvet smelled like a campfire when Ashley tried it on. It completely enclosed her. “I think it’s too big.”

“No, it’s fine. Put the hood on.” Mom tried to hide a smile.

Ashley, however, felt a little silly as she pulled the hood up. It was so big that it covered her face. “I can’t see anything!” she cried. She tried to pull the hood back, but it seemed to have completely merged with the front of the robe. Adrenaline kicked in as she started to panic. “Help! I’m stuck!”

The fabric drew tighter around her as she tried to pull it off. It was so hot inside. Beads of sweat were running down her face. “Mom, I can’t breathe!”

She stumbled forward with her hands outstretched, trying to find Mom or anything that would get her out of this suffocating fabric. She expected to run into the couch any second, but there was nothing there. Where was Mom?

Rage started to build up deep inside of Ashley. She desperately wanted out. Savage cries ripped from her throat as she went into an all-out frenzy. Heat built up inside her as she started rolling around on the floor, using her feet and hands to push against the hateful velvet. She used her claws and teeth to try to rip herself free.

Finally, the sound of ripping fabric rang out and a triumphant roar burst out of her, along with a stream of hot flames.

She breathed in the sweet, sweet smell of pine as she savored her freedom. But where was she? Instead of her living room, she was in the middle of a forest. Spinning around, she saw that someone was watching her.

“Grandma!” Ashley cried. She wanted to give her a hug, but something was wrong with her arms. Looking down, she saw that they were no longer her own. Dark blue scales ran up and down her arms and her hands belonged to a monster. Wicked-looking talons protruded from the ends of her fingers. And were those wings that she felt on her back?

“Relax, dear,” Grandma said calmly. “We’re dragons, and you have successfully completed your first transformation.” She held up a mirror in front of Ashley.

The same blue scales covered Ashley’s face and snout. Sharp teeth gleamed, and her orange eyes were full of fire. She was about to say something to Grandma when she discovered that she had disappeared.

Instead, a purple dragon stood in her place, and Ashley smiled.

Campsite

 

            The lake was peaceful, quiet, and surrounded by the vast forest. The perfect place to camp, Charlie thought. Byron picked a good spot.

            Of course I did, came Byron’s reply to Charlie’s mind. Go ahead and set up your tent. I’m starving and I’ll be back once I find a deer or something.

            Charlie smiled. Byron was always hungry. Working out the soreness from the day’s traveling, Charlie set up his small campsite. He started a fire and waited for Byron to come back with some food. The smell of the wood smoke made him realize how tired he was. He lay down in the soft grass and closed his eyes.

            The next thing he knew, Charlie was being kicked awake. “Hey, you!” a rough voice grumbled. “Tell us where your money is, and we’ll leave quietly.” Two dirty men watched Charlie as he shook himself awake. Both men had rusty pistols pointed right at Charlie’s heart.

            You might want to come back now, Charlie told Byron.

            Byron roared in reply.

            To the two men, Charlie said, “Okay, okay. Just give me a minute.” He started rummaging through his pack. “I don’t have much.” He pulled out a small coin purse and emptied it into one of the filthy men’s hands. Two silver coins fell out.

            The other man came up and shoved Charlie from the back. “That all you got? Where’s the rest?”

            Charlie looked at the two men calmly. “Yes, gentlemen, that’s all I have.”

            “Not good enough,” the same man said. He took Charlie’s pack from him and started dumping everything out. Charlie’s things were soon strewn all over the ground.

            The men were getting more and more angry as they kicked through all of Charlie’s belongings. Charlie just watched them patiently and said, “Byron’s coming.”

            The men ignored him. One of them found Charlie’s pocket watch and howled with glee as he showed it to his companion.

            “He’s almost here,” Charlie said, sounding a little bored.

            One of the men glanced at Charlie in disgust. “We can take care of both of you together. Don’t worry about that.”

            A roar announced the arrival of Byron. Now the men looked around nervously, trying to see where it had come from. Suddenly, Byron was there. Landing right in front of the two men, the great orange dragon roared in their faces, covering them with hot steam.

            The men screamed as they tried to escape. Before they got far, Byron was able to easily fly and land in front of them again. They turned to go back the way they came, but Charlie was there, his great sword held out in front of him.

            Realizing that they were trapped, the men immediately threw down their pistols and kneeled down to beg. “Please don’t hurt us!” they cried.

            Charlie locked his steely gaze onto their faces. “I’d like my things back, please.” He held out his hand and one of the men put his money and pocket watch into it. Looking up at Byron he thought, Now what should we do with them?

            Let me roast them. Steam came angrily out of Byron’s nose.

            That won’t be necessary. They’re scared enough.

            The two men cowered in front of Charlie, awaiting their fate.

            Aloud, Charlie said, “You’re lucky that we’re going to let you live.”

            Whimpering, one man said, “Oh thank you, kind sir.”

            Sneering, Charlie said, “Don’t thank me just yet. If I hear of any thieving from you two again, I won’t be so kind.” With a wave of his hand, his great sword vanished. “You can tell all your friends that Byron, the fire-breathing dragon, and Charles Coleman, head mage, will be patrolling this land.” Charlie’s plain travel clothes vanished, replaced with deep purple robes.

            The men, who had been whimpering before, now were crying out in terror. “We’ll spread your message, sir!” They cowered and shook in front of Charlie.

            “Now, get up and leave.” Charlie pointed to the woods, and the men tripped over one another as they took off into the trees.

Nice, Byron thought proudly.

            Thanks for your help, friend. Charlie patted Byron’s leg appreciatively. Did you bring anything to eat?

            Of course. He held up a hunk of deer meat and handed it to Charlie. This is yours. I’m going to get a few more. He launched himself into the air and flew off, looking for prey.

            Thanks. Charlie started to prepare the meat for cooking.

            If anyone else comes to bother you, you’ll have to wait until I’ve finished eating.

            Charlie smiled as he watched his friend disappear over a rise. He wasn’t worried. He and Byron would always look out for each other.