• ‘Dragons. Deadly Creatures. Monsters that spit fire and crave the flesh of men.’ That’s true, mostly. Now tall dragons are like that. But when some fools found dragon eggs thought once to be dead, the human race became deaf to any cries of unjust.

    “Don’t do this! Leave those things alone!” I begged one of my guy friends. His car was parked outside of our small school, trunk open.

    “Come on, Sam. They’re eggs. Giant eggs, what can they do?” In the open trunk were three large eggs, their shells were forest green, with a hard and bumpy texture.

    “Landon, what if they hatch? Have you not seen the news lately? Or what if the thing that laid them comes back? This is not a smart move on your part.”

    “Calm down, you worry way to much.” He laughed, he was so sure of himself.

    “Whatever, just don’t come crying to me when mama dragon comes back for her babies.” I sighed, Anyway, are you still coming to the party tonight?”

    “Yeah, I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll see you later, bye.” Landon shut the trunk of his car, got in the drivers seat, started it up and took off.

    “I’ve got a bad feeling.” I shook my head, then left myself. I had to get ready for the party.

    Later that night after the food and drinks were put out, and my parents were banished to their bedroom, the guests started to arrive. Landon showed up later, looking frightened.

    “Are you okay?”

    “Y-yeah I’m fine.” He nodded quickly.

    “Something’s wrong. Does this have anything to do with the eggs?” I asked. The loud music pounded in our ears. I guessed the beat of the song was how fast his heart was beating.

    “They hatched. They guys and I lit them on fire, just to be funny, but the heat made them hatch. They grew pretty damn quick too.” He was shaking, his eyes wide with fear.

    “Damn it Landon!” I hit his shoulder, “What did I say? So we have three dragons on the loose, what else?”

    “My house was burned down. They flew off and I ran away. I don’t know what to do.” He looked as if he were about to cry.

    “Okay. I have an idea.” I went over to the stereo and turned it off, all eyes were on me now.

    “The party is over, all of you need to go home now. There’s something going on, if I tell you what it is you’ll think I’m crazy, so just go home.” There were a few protests here and there, but once I got my parents out the kids began to leave.

    “Hun, what’s going on?” My mother asked.

    Before I could answer some stragglers outside screamed. With hurried steps to the window we all peered out into the night, looking for what caused the screams.

    “Oh no.” Landon shrunk back, “It’s them.”

    I pressed my face against the window. I loved dragons. Some paintings people made of them, drawings, pictures, myths, I was amazed by it all. Though I was always sad at the end of most stories when the dragons were slain. So when dragons and dragon eggs started to show up again I was filled with excitement.

    Three winged beasts flew in circles around my house, my heart raced as I watched them dive down, trying to pick people off the ground. My fellow high school students dove under cars, looking for any place to escape the sharp claws of the dragons.

    “Quickly, in the house!” My father held the door open so people could run in, screaming as they did. He shut the door when he was sure the last one was in.

    Horror filled me as I watched Landon head for the back door. I went to stop him but a pair of strong arms held me back. My eyes were shut tight as I heard his yell, cut off short.

    “No.” I said under my breath.

    If he had just listened to me, if he had left those eggs be, he wouldn’t be dragon food right now.

    “Look, there’s only two of them now!” Someone said.

    I didn’t dare look, afraid I might see some torn of piece of my friend. My father worked on boarding up the windows, my mom went to the phone to call the other parents and let them know where their children were. But if my parents were doing that, who was holding me?

    I turned and looked up at the tall man, my mouth hung open. His complexion was cream colored, with shaggy mocha brown hair and light umber eyes. His eyes, the pupils were slits, like a reptile, like a dragon.

    I’d never seen this person before, he wasn’t at the party, so who was he? Pain began to shoot through my body, I leaned into the man, it hurt to stand.

    “Sam, what’s wrong?” My mother noticed the pained look on my face, she too looked up at the man awe, then she noticed his eyes.

    “Let her go, you monster.” Her voice was strong as her gaze turned into a glare. The mans face was stoic, and remained so.

    “Mom-” Another wave of pain.

    “He’s one of them!” Her voice was loud, everyone turned to look. “He’s a dragon! He’s taken on a human form!” People began to back away, fear in their eyes.

    I was lifted up by the dragon man, held bridal style as he pushed through the crow to my room. I couldn’t fight him, the pain was too much, but I also didn’t want to. While others were scared of this so called monster, I felt no fear of him or the other dragons.

    No one went to stop him, not even my father. We entered my room, the man shut the door with his foot as he held me. I was set gently down on the bed and he said on the side. His hands were warm as he pressed his fingers to my temples. Normally I would flinch away if someone tried to touch me, but I felt so at east, even despite the pain.

    In my mind were visions. Images of me and this man, only they couldn’t be. The girl looked like me, but it couldn’t be me. She was dressed in royal clothing, her hair was long and hung almost to the ground. Then man had not changed, but the scene we were in was once of fantasy. Others were around us, some in their human form, some in their dragon form.

    They were memories, my memories, memories from a past life. The pain was gone, I looked up at the now smiling man, I knew his face, I knew his name. I felt my hair, sure enough it was no longer shoulder length. I had changed.

    I was a dragon, reborn as a human, turned dragon again.