The smoke was a heavy, black-gray fog slowly easing its way around Cherry Creek, entangling the doorways and entwining with the rushing, screaming gaggle of students trying to find the exit.
Dr. Clancy, who was sputtering from the intoxicating smoke, opened up the door of the infirmary just a crack. Darla didn’t even have to peer over her shoulder to know that this would be her last moments. The pure and unfiltered grief and sorrow painted on Dr. Clancy’s prune-wrinkled face was enough of a sign than any.
“Oh dear god, why,” Dr. Clancy whispered.
Not even glancing at Darla, she ran to the frosted windows and slammed on them, to no prevail. Darla considered telling her that all the windows were impenetrable, but decided against it. The woman had already become hysterical.
“I’m sure there is another way out. We can just crawl under the smoke,” Darla said, not quite sure why she was trying to console her doctor.
She headed to the doorway and opened the door just a smidgen. The sight left her breathless. What was supposed to be the hallway was a charred black pile of heap, filled with ashes, broken ceiling fans, and sizzling with orange bursts of flames. She glanced up at the broken ceiling to see a gaping black hole. It was as if someone had dropped a fireball. Darla could still smell thick, pungent, raging-hot fire, so where was it coming from?
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted it-a ball of searing red and orange fire, rolling towards her. No, this couldn’t be real. This defied all laws of physics and gravity. Darla let out a scream, paralyzed like a statue as the huge fireball spiraled towards her, leaving behind a trail of black char and smoke.
Just then, a figure leaped into the room behind Darla and slammed the door shut, locking it into place. Darla quickly took in the pale blonde ringlets and innocent blue doe eyes. Nurse Julie.
“Are you insane, Julie?” Dr. Clancy roared. “Did you see that giant ball of fire heading straight towards us? We need to get out of here!”
Nurse Julie slowly shook her head, making Darla feel odd inside. There was something almost paranormal going on. She could sense it
“I’m afraid the fireball has destroyed the majority of Cherry Creek. Some of the kids have fled to the basements and the lucky ones managed to get into the courtyard, but it doesn’t matter. If the fireball doesn’t kill them, well-something else will,” Nurse Julie whispered, her expression dripping with hurt.
“What do you mean, something else? What the hell is going on? Did someone drop a bomb or something?” Darla demanded, the terrifying image of the speeding fiery bullet charging toward her still seared into her mind.
“Something evil has arrived at Cherry Creek. The fireball is its ammo. The soldiers are still here, ready to kill until they find who they’re looking for. The Dragon Mage,” Julie proclaimed, her voice still high-pitched and syrupy sweet.
Darla froze, staring at Julie. Dragon…mage?
“Julie, I think you’re delirious from the smoke. Look, we need to find a way out of here before the ceiling crashes!” Dr. Clancy urged, yanking Julie’s arm.
But Julie wasn’t Julie anymore.
Darla watched in horror as Nurse Julie’s pale skin clothed in a white nurse’s dress crumbled to the floor. She was shedding, shedding like a snake. The skin collapsed in a flimsy white pile at her…claws.
Nurse Julie wasn’t a nurse anymore. She was a gigantic beast, carved completely of fire. Red and orange flames licked the air, sending waves of heat that made Darla’s head spin. In the middle of her fiery face were two gaping black holes like eyes. Long, razor-sharp black fangs protruded from what Darla assumed were a mouth. Out of one claw-like hand crafted of sizzling flames was a silver spear with a black vine coiled around it. Thorns like needles clung to the vine.
“What are you?” Darla whispered, not pulling her eyes away from the horrendous creature in front of her.
The creature’s black eyes glowered at her. “I am Julessa, Firemonger. I am here to take you, the Dragon Mage, to His Darkness in our home. There, well-let’s just say, wouldn’t want to be you right now.”
Darla’s eyes widened. “I’m not…not a Dragon Mage, whatever that is! You’ve got the wrong girl!”
She knew pleading wouldn’t work. Besides, Darla already had a hinting suspicion that she was this Dragon Mage. I mean, she was the crazy girl who saw dragons. She was not going to get out of this alive.
“Darla Rose Hawthorne, who would have known your delusions were real. Oh, the master will be so pleased,” the creature hissed.
Dr. Clancy jumped up. “Let go of her, whatever you are! What did you do to Julie?”
The beast flashed a ghastly grin, revealing her horrid, decaying black mouth, crumbling with ashes. Darla felt bile arise in her throat, not sure if it was from the smoke still thick in the air or the disgusting sight in front of her.
“Julie was never here,” the creature barked, plunging her spear through Dr. Clancy’s stomach.
Darla watched in horror as the thorns disappeared into Dr. Clancy’s sweater, a pool of blood trickling out. The doctor dropped to the floor with a whimper before her eyes closed, most likely forever.
“Now where were we. Ah, yes, Dragon Mage. You’re coming with me,” the beast growled. She summoned a large ball of fire, which hovered above her hand. It slithered through midair until it lingered over Darla’s hands.
“This might hurt,” the creature murmured.
Darla braced herself for the fire.
“Damn right it will,” a voice yelled, knocking down the door.
The creature whirled around to face Dr. Hannigan, who held a ball of heavenly blue fire in his hand.
At the speed of light, he whipped the fireball at the beast’s head.
“Nooooooo! I shall destroy you Dragonkind, you monsters of Pharix. My revenge…” she shrieked, as the fire disintegrated her body into a pile of ash.
Darla stared at the old, African-American man, who had seemed so limp and weak before. He couldn’t have been the same warrior who just slayed the beast.
“C’mon, Darla, the fire is spreading. We don’t have time,” Dr. Hannigan yelled, grabbing Darla’s wrist.
A million thoughts raced through Darla’s head as they dashed through the black charred hallway. It looked like a disaster zone. Darla could still hear screams of pain and terror. She wondered if there were more beasts like Nurse Julie still lurking around.
“Good, she’s here!”
Charles. And a girl who also looked like Charles, with long, dark hair and sparkling green eyes.
“Darla, we are running out of time. We must fight the other Firemongers before they destroy everyone in Cherry Creek,” the girl murmured, pulling the golden dragon necklace out of her pocket. “I know this sounds insane, but you must put this on and awaken your powers.”
Darla could only stare at this mysterious girl as she slipped the necklace around her neck. The dragon charm felt cool against her skin, like a light autumn wind.
“Do you feel the magic inside you? You have more than anyone,” the girl whispered. “Feel it. Embrace it. Let it come out.”
Darla closed her eyes-the girl’s words were hypnotic. She could feel something bubbling within her, a ball of energy-full of radiance and light, shining like a million suns.
“You can feel it. Now…let it out!” the girl shouted, her voice ricocheting off the crumbling walls.
Darla let out an inhuman howl as she felt the energy engulf her body, making her feel cold and tingly as if she had been dropped into a basin of ice.
When Darla opened her eyes, she didn’t even need to look at herself to know what had happened. She knew this feeling-from the dream. She knew what she was.
She had become the dragon, and nothing would ever be the same.