Sleeping Dragon Forest

 

            Meg sighed contentedly as she stepped into the cool stream. What a perfect day! The sun shone brightly, but the coolness of the tree cover was perfect. She sat down on a rock that was jutting out of the water as the stream continued to flow over her feet. She had already hiked two miles, but she had one more mile to go before she reached the cave.

            She smiled as she thought about all the stories she’d heard. Sleeping Dragon Forest was supposed to be haunted, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the beautiful day. All those stories about a dragon living in the forest were utterly ridiculous. She might be new to the area, but how gullible did these people think she was?

            Feeling refreshed, Meg put her hiking shoes back on and continued on her way. She had no idea that a pair of eyes watched her from the water. When she got back on the trail, she was unaware that something was now following her every move.

            Dripping stream water, the thing rose and padded softly behind Meg. It stayed far enough behind that Meg had no idea that anything was stalking her. Razor-sharp teeth glinted in the sun and long spikes gleamed wickedly from the tail that swished back and forth. Giant feet with six-inch talons held the massive, serpentine body off the ground.

            As Meg neared the cave, the thing behind her crept closer. It waited until Meg stepped inside the cave before it boomed out, “Halt! Do not go any further!”

            Whirling around, Meg finally saw the creature that had been following her. With wide eyes, the only thing she could think of was that her new neighbors had been right. The forest was haunted by a dragon! She backed away until she felt rock behind her.

            The dragon slowly walked forward until its face was only a foot away from Meg’s. Its watery scales shimmered as it blew out a warm puff of smoke that soon surrounded Meg. “This place is forbidden!”

            With the dragon so close to her, its shout reverberated in her head as she closed her eyes and covered her ears. “I’m sorry!” she cried as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

            The dragon glared at Meg before backing away to the side of the trail. “Leave now and never return!”

            Meg felt the fiery gaze on her as she sidled carefully back the way she came, keeping an eye on the dragon’s scales. After nearly tripping on a rock, she finally turned around and started speeding back down to her car. She looked back only once when she heard a giant whoosh, and she saw that the dragon was now gliding above her, following her progress as she nearly tripped and fell down the mountain.

            When her car finally came in sight, she looked up to see that the dragon was nowhere to be found. Not wanting to wait around, she put the car into drive and sped toward the highway as fast as she could.

            She tried to calm her racing heart as she thought about the dragon that wasn’t just a made-up story. She had no desire to go back into the Sleeping Dragon Forest. Once was more than enough for a lifetime.