Runaway Dragon

Best and worst day of my life

Once I wheeled him out in a wheelchair that was probably intented for me, cursing under my breath words I barely even knew, I opened the door to my cherry red Honda Sudan, I laughed when I saw the little cat carrier nestled in the newspapers on the floor. Laughed and laughed. Laughed until I was basically crying.

Ari tilted his head as if he could sense my raging emotions. He whined and his blue-tinted elf ears lowered, slouching down on his little chair like a puppy who had made a mess on the floor and got caught.

“See this?” I pulled out the cat carrier and pointed at it with a slightly maniacal look on my face. “This is for you! Get in, little hatchling!” I just about shoved it in his face. “Oh wait- you’re too small!” I laughed and threw the crate over my shoulder, not even caring at the moment.

CRACK!

I whirled around just as car alarms whirred to life.

“Get in the car get in the car get in the car!” I yelped and just about grabbed him and pushed him in. He looked bewildered and shuffled around like he wasn’t sure what to do with his limbs. “Get in!” I hissed, giving one last push and his butt plopped onto the seat and I quickly buckled him in, trying desperately to avoid those mismatched puppy eyes. The blanket draped around him like a toga, barely covering up some of his long pale legs.

When I had finally managed to find the seatbelt buckle and buckle him in, I slammed the door shut and raced to the driver’s seat, starting it up as the horrible screeching of the car next door made Ari whimper.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be long gone.” I said, suddenly pressing the gas before my heart lurched when I realized I was going the wrong way!

I unleashed a pterodactyl screech as the Honda bumped over the concrete before starting to roll downhill at an insane speed. Ari unleashed an inhuman growl, his feet on the dashboard and his hands clenching the car seat. I quickly put the car on reverse and put the pedal on the metal, trying to pull back up, but the frequent rain we’ve been having for the last three weeks created a muddy pit for my tires to treadmill on, going nowhere. I could feel them going deeper and deeper into the soil as the engine thrummed. Ari looked at me with huge eyes.

I stayed here much longer and then I would be stuck, then the guy with the broken windshield would be after me, then they would take away my Ari. It all depended on this! “Come on HELEN!” I yelled like an Aztec warrior (who was Helen? Yes I named my car Helen) and put the car in drive before lurching out of my self-made pit. Through a maze of trees, I could dimly see the highway. I had to make it down this wicked slope first though.

As soon as I started driving down the slope, the slippery leaves and mud caused my hind wheels to start to sway to the side and I screamed as I saw my rear end almost crash onto a tree. I slammed the brakes and my butt swerved to the other side, mowing over a baby tree with a horrible scratching sound as I continued to slide.

Ari started bouncing in his seat, breathing heavy.

“Ari stop moving I can’t see!” I snapped a bit more than I wanted to as I carefully slid between two trees.

“MISS DEMORY!” I heard a voice scream.

That was a familiar voice, tinged with a British accent. MY TEACHER MISS PHELPS! I HAD CRACKED HER WINDSHIELD! I was just so screwed I laughed and gave a burst of speed, my Honda jumping off a small incline and staying in the air for a full thirty seconds it seemed, mud spraying, wheels spinning, Ari screaming, me laughing. Welcome to the crazy bus.

We touched down on the hard gravel and the car’s spinning wheels pushed me onwards and I went quiet as I drove next to a Jeep who’s driver was looking at me like I was crazy. I inhaled and exhaled slowly. I had never cracked like I just had. Never broke the law or killed anyone’s wind shield. And I just got my license last week. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to have a little hatchling peeping softly in my fire-proof cat crate. I was supposed to become a Rothai. I was supposed to be met with applause, and placed in special Rothai housing. But now… I was headed back home. A failure. And instead of a dragon, a mute man. It was like I didn’t even care anymore. Everything I had worked for, sweat and tears I had spilled, it was all gone.