Firebolt

Chapter 6

HOW HAD THE dragon found me? Matt said they were all dead. I should've run but my feet were rooted to the ground. My heart pounded painfully as the warmth of the dragon's fishy breath blew over my skin. Goose bumps rippled across my flesh. Pulling on my frozen legs with my last ounce of strength they finally gave way and my feet were now able to move. I lurched forward in retreat, stumbled, and landed flat on my ass.

As much as I wanted to look away, I couldn't. My eyes were locked in terror on the scaly blue beast standing before me. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. My voice was gone. The dragon roared while stomping its feet. The ground rumbled, shaking me violently in the quake.

A tear rolled down my cheek as my gaze locked with its beady eyes. They were dark, like rippling pools of onyx. As I stared deeper and deeper into their murky depths, I could feel myself drowning.

"Dammit, George, this isn't funny!" Becky screamed right next to me, bringing me sharply back to reality. Everything began to move again slowly, as if in that moment time had stood still. Someone whistled loudly in the distance, and the blue dragon looming in front of me turned around and lumbered away in the opposite direction. Laughter echoed off the walls and I couldn't tell if it had just started or was just dying out. Regardless, I could feel my face blush a harsh crimson in my embarrassment.

I coughed again as the strong antiseptic smell so commonly found in hospitals burned my nose. Humid air clung to my face, making my flushed skin feel hot and sticky. Beads of sweat rolled lazily down my spine making me shiver.

"I'm so sorry, Elena," Becky said, sounding terrified as she crouched beside me.

"What happened?" Lucian had reached us and helped Becky get me back onto my feet, shaky as they were.

"Elena, are you okay?" Becky asked, concern filling her voice.

"What happened?" Lucian demanded this time and shook Becky.

"It was George!"

He grunted with agitation. "Which way, Becky?" he asked, determination punctuating every syllable.

She pointed in the direction George had run. I watched Lucian disappear through the mass of people gawking in the hall, until I could no longer see the broad lines of his back.

"Elena, please snap out of it," she begged, while a couple of students stood there staring and chattering to each other as if I had lost my marbles. "There's nothing to see, go to your classes!" she yelled, trying to disperse the crowd.

"Why did George do that?" I managed to say, my voice breaking.

She grabbed my neck and pulled me into a tight hug, stemming the tears threatening to expose my fear to the entire hallway.

"It was a stupid prank, Elena. I told you those guys are jerks!" She led me back toward the cafeteria, slowing her stride to match my hesitant steps.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To Master Longwei."

"No, please, Becky. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" she asked with reservation in her voice.

"Yes, can we just go to our room please?" My eyes pleaded with her to listen.

The second we crossed the threshold, bile rose in my throat and I made a run for the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before I hurled. My body was wracked with painful dry heaves as it tried to expel the adrenaline that had been pumping through my veins. This was so stupid. I wiped my mouth gently with the back of my hand. Rising, not very gracefully, from the porcelain bowl, I got up, walked over to the basin, and turned on the tap full blast. The girl looking back at me in the mirror looked terrified. Strands of blonde hair shielded her face from the harsh glare of the lights. Hints of fear still remained in her light green eyes, and she trembled slightly. I closed my eyes and the horrified expression on the face in the mirror disappeared, replacing it with the image of the blue dragon.