Have a Nice Day

Having Fun While on the Run

So, here I am, running away from Scorch, my demon-filled pet dragon, into the woods of whatever hiding place I could find.

"Run, Meep!" Feather yelled.

"Don't look back!" Crimson shouted too.

"Keep your head low!" Hona told me. I wanted to yell back that I already was, but the stupid curse didn't allow that.

The carrier's bag around my waist almost got burned off as I jumped to the right, dodging one of Scorch's fireballs. When I dove into the tree, I slammed my shoulder against the hollow shell. It hurt, but I was more concerned that I would break the fragile bark off, exposing me to the devil-dragon.

With shaking fingers, I dug into my carriers bag and fumbled for the secret compartment to get the spell book.

"What spell did I use? What spell did I use?" I whispered to myself as I flung through the pages. Just then, I felt Scorch land right behind my tree. I held my raging breath and froze, as if she couldn't detect me if I did. But I could tell that I was dead already. Dragons could literally smell fear, and it was coursing through my veins like a river.

With my back to the hollow tree, I turned myself so I could see around the jagged edge over to Scorch. She was sniffing around the ground, getting close to my location. I looked down at the book and realized what page I was on.

"Cast my fear, cast my breath, make them go their way to death. Two hours." I whispered to myself. Suddenly, the lump in my throat returned, and with it a flood of emotion. I opened my mouth, but I tried not to make a sound. When it was open, a yellow smoke came out of it and went into the book.

I could still breath, obviously. But the spell took away my sense of fear and my hard breathing for two hours, so I could get rid of whatever spell I set on Scorch. I felt stronger and more focused now that those things didn't distract me.

Scorch roared, and the fear almost jumped right back into me. But I didn't let that fog my mind. Now I knew what to do.

Dragons seem all mighty and powerful, but they have a weakness. They can't see directly behind them, so I need to get into a position to get onto Scorch's back.

That was the least of all my problems right now. 

Scorch opened her large mouth and breathed fire through all of the trees. I ducked down so the fire didn't catch me, but when she closed her lips, I stood up and charged.

I had stashed my carrier's bag in the tree, but I kept the book in my hand as I ran.

Scorch saw me and roared in my face, sending my hair flying backwards, but I kept running. I intended to jump up and climb up onto her head, but just as I did, she flipped her head up and I got shoved down on my back. I flipped my feet over my head and landed on them, getting to charge again. Scorch saw this, and grabbed me with her talons. I screamed as she cut my side and my forehead with the sharp claws.

Scorch took to the sky and flew off. I tried to wiggle my way out of her grasp, but every time I did, it cut me even further into my side. The book was still in my hand.

I looked down to see my long driveway, with a camo-green jeep driving along it. The top was open and I saw Jace.

"JACE!" I screamed. I saw him break on the jeep and look up.

"Meep? What are you doing?" He asked.

"HELP ME!" I yelled. Just at that moment, Scorch dropped me out of the air. I screamed again, but my eyes suddenly went white, then a scene appeared.

I was a kid again. Wesley had me in his arms, clear up into the sky.

"Let me go you snake!" I had yelled.

"Okay!" Wesley said. My body dropped from his stance. Then the scene shuttered and I was coming closer to the ground. 

The scene vanished. I knew what I needed to do. Putting out my hands, I shot smoke out like I was a smoke machine, and right before the ground, I was hovering safely over the dirt, standing up in mid-air. I looked to my right to see Jace right next to me.

"Nice trick." He said. I smiled and let go, dropping to the floor of the earth.

Scorch's roar rang out again, and I looked at the sky.

"Do you have something to fight it with?" Jace asked.

"Fight it with? I'm not going to fight it!" I yelled at him, picking up my book that dropped.

"Why?" Jace shouted.

"She's my pet!" I yelled back.

"What did you do to it?" Jace asked.

"That's what you're going to find out." I said.

"Me? Why me?"

"Come on!" I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the safety of the forest, seeing that Scorch was coming back for me. I ran into the woods, swatting tree branches and leaves out of my face. Jace was right behind me. We ran for a good five minutes before Jace stopped and put his hands on his knees.

"Why is it after us?" Jace asked through large heavy breaths.

"She's after me." I replied. "When you left, I accidentally cast the wrong spell and sent it to Scorch. She's possessed or something."

"Way to go, Hot Shot." Jace laughed.

"This isn't funny, and now's not the time to be cute and lovey-dovey." I said.

"Okay, well then what do you want me to do?" Jace asked, sitting on an odd tree stump. He started to take off his shoe to shake something out of it when I tossed him the book. "What's this? I've never seen this text book before."

"That's because it isn't a text book." I said. "It's my mom's spell book."

"But I thought Glinda the Good Witch only had a wand." Jace said, flipping through the pages.

"Do I have to explain everything?!" I yelled. "It's her spell book from when she was just starting out. Now, I need you to search through the spells to find a demon-spell."

"But why do I have to do it?" Jace asked.

A swoosh of the air and a wave of warm wind came as Scorch flew past us. I crossed my arms and pointed to the sky.

"That's why." I said. I turned around and started to run toward Scorch's location, when I heard Jace's voice.

"You're not going there, are you?"

"Someone's gotta stop this dragon! It might as well be it's owner!" I said, backwards running as I talked to Jace. I flipped back around and started to sprint.

-------------------

When I finally found where Scorch landed, it was deep in the trees with a wide-open area where she could rest. I slowed down when I saw her tail.

I bit my lip and did a few short, quick breaths.

"Okay, you got this, you can do this, you were born to do this, you got this...." I whispered to myself. A few more short-quick breaths later and I found myself carefully stepping toward the scaly tail.

Scorch was breathing hard in and out, like an animal should. But these breaths sounded angry and violent. I was two inches from climbing onto her tail, when these breaths stopped. I froze once again, and she seemed to as well.

Moments past like each were a drop of molasses coming from the bottle. 

Then, Scorch jerked her neck back and set her eyes onto me. Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself holding onto Scorch's tail for dear life.