The Dragon in the Mountain

Chapter One

It starts in M7 of a building that looks similar to the Middle School building at my school. It has the same classes and all that, four classes on the top level (M5 to M8), M1 to M4 on the floor level, a large area of open space out the front surrounded by glass, but the stairs are inside the building, not outside as they usually are. There is a mysterious cave leading off on the left side of the building.

We exit the class, everyone holding two chicken eggs for a project involving hatching baby chickens. I am supposed to go home, but I walk down the left stairs and enter the cave, something I have never done before.

I walk along through the tunnel in complete darkness. I know I am an idiot for doing this, but I continue walking for about 500 meters before I see a golden glimmer at the end of the tunnel. I stop, wondering what I am about to do. No one who has traveled this far has ever lived to tell the tale. I take a deep breath and continue walking.

The glimmer intensifies, and I am eventually almost blinded by it. I wonder if this cave goes to the other side of the mountain, nothing would shine like that in a cave like this.

I reach the source of the glimmer and look down at my feet. They are surrounded by gold coins and other precious items. I wonder if I should take some home, it would help to pay the taxes. I look up, and almost faint.

I have found myself in a gigantic cavern, filled with millions, maybe billions or trillions, of dollars worth of gold and gems. I barely have time to take it all in before a sound, almost like a growl, rumbles through the cavern, so loudly that the roof crumbles and the ground shakes. I wish I wasn't there. I wish I had never decided to come this way. I wish I was home. I wish I was anywhere but here.

A huge, dark shadow rises over the gold. I can't see what it is, I'm not even sure I want to know. A sudden, intense heat washes over me. I stumble backwards and scream as the hot air suffocates me. I can hear something grinding behind me, like stone against stone.

The source of the heat pauses, giving me enough time to look back the way I came. A door. A door made of stone...how? How can something that heavy move on its own? It closes on the other side of the cave with a boom, blocking any way to get back home. I stumble to my feet and run towards the door. I scream and bang my fists on it but nothing happens, it's like the door was there all along, never moving.

I sigh loudly and turn around, knowing that the door won't open. That no one will save me. I stop short. A massive amber eye is staring at me through the entrance to the cavern. I can't breathe, I'm paralysed with fear.

The creature growls and turns its head so I'm staring straight at its mouth. It opens, and a blast of flame hits me and sends me flying into the door. I feel like I am being roasted alive. The heat is enough to take my mind off the pain in my back from hitting the door. I black out.