How To Be A Dragon Trapper

A Friendly Game of Catch

It was a normal autumn sundown at a secret orphanage for girls. Girls with dragon related abilities. Some children were playing outside. Along with these children, were two best friends, Penelope and Emily. Emily was half Nadder. She had a spike covered dragon tail, wings on her arms and Nadder scales on parts her face and arms. Little Penny however, had huge black dragon wings on her back and sharp dragon teeth.

The two six year old, were playing a friendly game of catch, one of their favorite games. Emily threw the ball to Penny and she threw it back. From time to one of them would miss the ball and would have to go chasing it down the hill.

The girls loved to play outside at night, but most of the other children were terrified to step one foot outside after the sun goes down. It might seem like there was nothing for them to be frightened of, but there was.

Dragon trappers. Once it gets dark, they come and search for any stray children out in the open. They would snatch them away from their home. Most of them were never to be seen again. And the worst part was there was nothing anyone them could do to stop it. The trappers were armed and outnumbered them. Who knows what the dragon trappers did with the stolen children. Some say that they kill them or lock them up. Some say that they are building an army with them. No one knows for sure. But Emily and Penny were lucky to still be at the orphanage...for now.

"Come on girls, time for bed." One of the women that took care of the children, said to the girls.

"Aww, just a few more minutes?" Emily begged.

The women looked to see if there were any trappers around. "Alright. Just ten more minutes though."

Emily and Penny continued their game. Everything was well for the first five minutes. That was until Penny missed the ball.

"I'll get it!" Penny exclaimed as she chased the ball down the hill.

She chased it down the creep and into a dark ally, where it finally came to a halt.

"Goch' ya!" Penny said as she took the ball.

Suddenly, she was grabbed and a hand covered her mouth. Penny tried to yank the hand of her face but it was no use. She thrashed and kicked and tried to get away, but nothing worked. She even tried to use her wings to fight and attempted to bite the hand. But little Penny stopped when something sharp and cold was plunged into her arm. She fell into an instant sleep and was taken away.

After a few minutes, Emily started to wonder what was taking Penelope so long.

"Penny! Where are you?!" Emily called.

She found herself in the ally where Penny was earlier.

"Penny! Where did you go?!"

Emily stepped on something. She lifted her foot up to see what it was and found a silver pin with an owl head on it. She gasped and picked it up.

Once she got a closer look at it, she knew exactly what it was and now knew why her friend had disappeared. It was a dragon trapper pin. All of them had one. Tears spilled out of Emily's eyes. She knew she would never get to see Penelope ever again.

Emily rushed inside to the adult and hugged her.

"She's gone! Penny is gone! She's dead!" Emily sobbed.

"What!" The woman said as she took the pin out of Emily's hand.

"Penny was taken by the bad guys! I'm never gonna see her again!"

The woman started to cry too. "It's ok, dear. We'll find her." But that was a lie. "Come on, dear. Get some rest."

The woman led Emily to her room and tucked her in. But how could Emily fall asleep? Whenever she turns over, she could see her best friend's empty bed next to her. As soon as she closes her eyes, images of Penny flash before her. It was impossible to get some rest.

Penelope was the only one that she cared about. Penny was all that Emily had.