Flames of Destiny

Chapter 1

Thick smoke blots out the sun, casting a shadow upon everything. Searing flames burn the dry grass to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes. The sound of the crackling flames is the only noise in this deserted wasteland.

I walk by the crooked trees, with their bark turned to embers by the inferno. Mountains taller than the clouds loom in front of me. Ashes float through the air past my face, as I look at all the destruction. All signs of life are gone, chased away by the tendrils of flame.

The temperature is unimaginably high, making me break a sweat almost instantly. As a slight breeze blows past me, I close my eyes and sigh as the cool, refreshing air gives me a break from the unrelenting heat. But the breeze brings something else as well. A whisper on the wind catches my attention.

"Come Ruby... come to me..."

A light, soft voice murmurs to me. For some reason, I feel as though I can trust that sweet, soothing voice. Somehow, it sounds familiar. I turn around, looking for the source of the voice, wanting to follow it.

"Come... come..."

I hear the voice again, but it seems as though the voice is coming from the wind itself. As far as I can see, there's no life to be seen. Desperately, I look around, still searching for the voice.

I wake up, drenched in a cold sweat. My t-shirt sticks to my back from the moisture. I peel the blond strands of hair off my face and push them behind my ears. I look around at the mess that is my room.

I've kicked the heavy, maroon bedsheets off, and my fuzzy pillow somehow ended up on the carpeted floor. My bright red nightstand sits right next to my white rimed bed. The closet is half open, clothes spilling out the opening. The white desk is sandwiched between two tall, dark grey bookshelves, filled with stories about dragons. An oddly shaped shadow is cast on my floor from the plushy bean bag next to my door and the pile of pillows next to it. Moonlight is streaming through the window above my bed and over my desk. The crimson curtains are doing a good job of blocking out the majority of the light, though.

I look over at the small, red digital clock I keep on my nightstand. It reads 3:28. Great. This is the third time this week I've had that dream. And the weird part is, I always wake up at the exact same part. I'm searching for the source of the voice and then I suddenly wake up.

I sigh and flop back down onto my cushiony bed. Knowing that I won't get back to sleep, I pull out my phone from the drawer in my nightstand.

"Ahhh!" I yell quietly as the light from the screen blinds me momentarily. Cursing myself silently for not turning down the brightness before I went to bed, I unlock my phone. Pulling up one of my games, I readjust the pillow, so I can sit more comfortably.

About thirty minutes later, I get bored and head downstairs. All the lights are off, and I keep them switched off. That way, I won't wake my roommate. It's deadly quiet, and the sound of my footsteps echoes loudly on the wooden stairs and sends noises throughout the apartment.

I open the fridge and pull out a piece of bread. I spread some butter on it and start eating, while opening my apple computer. I pull up my program and launch it. I designed the program to search google maps for any caves or hideouts that a dragon could possibly fit in. Basically, the cave has to be at least 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide. Then, it checks the web for any new or strange information about that area. Both of these help find the most possible place for a dragon to be.

All my friends and family say that I'm wasting my life, searching for mythical creatures. But they're wrong. Someday, I will find proof of a living dragon and I'll be famous. And probably filthy rich, too. The laptop dings quietly as it pulls up another possible location. Before I can look at it closer, I hear something strange.

"Yes."

I jump in my chair as someone says the word. Turning around, I expect to see Emily, my roommate, at the base of the stairs, her dark red hair sticking out every which way from just getting out of bed. Her bright green eyes somewhat dull, still half asleep. But instead,  I don't see anything.

Confused, I turn back to the computer and look closer at the location. A cave up in the Rocky Mountains, filled with beautiful luminescent crystals. The Internet says that scientists have found a strange element in the gemstones that is unidentified and dangerously radioactive.

"Go there."

Again, I hear the soft, sweet voice. It sounds familiar. Very familiar. I can't seem to put my finger on it though. I know it's hovering at the very edges of my mind, just out of reach.

"Ah ha!" I shout to no one in particular, as I figure out who it is. As soon as I say it, I cover my mouth, not wanting to wake up Emily. I hear her stir upstairs, but then it's quiet again.

I realize that it's the mysterious voice from my dreams. The same voice that tells me to, and I quote, "Come... Come to me." I can't decide if I trust that voice or not. In my dream it always feels trustable, but when I wake up, it seems sketchy and suspicious.

While I'm trying to decide whether to go or not, Emily comes trudging down the stairs.

"What time is it, Ruby?" She mumbles while rubbing her emerald colored eyes. Her fuzzy, blue polka-dotted pj pants drag on the ground as she shuffles towards the fridge. "And what are you doing up at this time?"

"I'm so sorry if I woke you. And it's around four thirty in the morning," I tell her as she flicks on the lights and opens the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. The pale glow of the fridge makes her wild, red, bedhead hair look almost white, "I had another one of my dreams."

"Again!? That's three-no four, wait no it's three, times this week!" Emily attempts to do math, and fails miserably. She's not very good at doing anything in the mornings. I laugh on the inside, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"Yeah, I know," I look back at my computer, trying to hide the shameful look on my face. Finally I make up my mind. "I'm gonna go to the mountains, k?"

"Yeah, yeah," Emily shrugs me off, too preoccupied with finding food. She always focuses on food. I swear, she has bigger stomach than my 19 year old brother, "Just be back to make dinner."

"Alright, I will!" I yell over my shoulder, as I'm already halfway out of the room. I grab my coat and car keys from the shelf and dash out the door, eager to see the crystal filled cave.

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1225 words

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