Forewarned (BEING REWRITTEN)

I Turn into Bacon

"Dragon Rider School?" I echoed. My own words sounded like they were coming from another person, high pitched and squeaky. Caedmon's little body shivered and his razor sharp nails dug into my skin.

She looked at me, her brows lowered. "Didn't you hear the dragon? Gosh, didn't the General tell you anything?" She facepalmed, letting out a pained groan. "Why me?"

"Well, yeah, but.. but I didn't think... I don't even know what I thought but..." I stared over at the great golden beast chomping on the unfortunate chicken. Feathers flew around its muzzle, plastering over its nostrils and floating to the floor. It unleashed a massive belch.

"Then what? What's the big deal?" Avery asked, arms folded.

"I didn't think... I mean. It just.. it talked to me!" I protested. With every word my voice just got higher and higher as if I was getting repeatedly nailed in the crotch.

"I'm a she. Not an it," the dragon corrected, raising a metallic talon.

I squeaked and backed up, raising a hand instinctively as if that would help me against the inferno that was sure to follow. "I gotta.... uh... pee pee!" I managed before turning tail and ran for dear life.

My feet just kept going, carrying me farther and farther away from the talking dragon. I had no idea where I was going but I just needed to go. I needed to breathe. I could feel both golden stares glaring between my shoulder blades. Caedmon fell off my shoulder and plopped in my hoodie. I felt him struggle for a second before giving up and chilling there like it was his own personal hammock. His warm little body bumped against my back with every footfall.

I don't know how far I ran. The faster the landscape moved the more trees and shrubs appeared in its place. My fingers began to tingle with numbness, every breath chilling my raw throat. My muscles were beginning to shake by the time I staggered and plopped onto the stump of a rotting tree. The sharp smell of decomposing wood was too real. The birds trilling in their treetop homes even sounded real. I looked at the leaves under my feet, brown and pocked with insect holes. Real. But this couldn't be real. This couldn't be. Dragons, dragon academy... all that stuff was from like, TV shows and movies. I closed my eyes as hard as I could, hoping to wake up in my crummy mattress with the construction sheets, to hear Marietta screaming at me. Her annoying shrill would sound like a heavenly chorus right about now.

Instead I heard a timid "meep?" as a tiny head nudged my neck. A little warm tongue plunged onto my neck. I shrugged hard when tiny teeth nipped my earlobe. "Hey," I said, my voice low and sad. Caedmon stamped his little paw before rubbing his cheek against mine. His touch was smooth and dry, not slimy as I used to picture reptilian creatures to be and his scales were warm and waxy. "Meep?" He asked again, his voice plaintive like a kitten's. I scooped him off my shoulder and held him with my thumbs scooped around his front legs. "What?" I asked.

"Meep." he mumbled, resting his head on my thumbs. His huge purple eyes that took up most of his head were now looking watery like a sad cat meme. His little snout shivered as he snuffled, his tiny ears lowered and were sagging in utter despair.

"Oh Caedmon, why are you so sad?" I whispered. At this point I realized I'd rather step on legos the rest of my life than make him sad.

He hung there, his fat little belly heaving. He leaned back his head, mouth opening to reveal his neon blue mouth and shiny white teeth. "Meeeeeep!" He wailed.

"Aw buddy, don't be sad. Don't cry! It's okay!" I pulled him close to my chest, covering his back with a protective hand. "Can you... speak too? Can you tell me what's wrong?"

He just sniffled as his tiny claws latched onto the front of my sweatshirt like a little monkey. His scales shivered under my darkening fingers. "You're cold," I whispered, my breath fogging in front of me.