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Scratch that.
It’s been the craziest hours of my very existence. The idea that dragons ever roamed the earth is ridiculous. We’ve seen dinosaur fossils enough to rule that possibility out. Still, it doesn’t mean that a dragon walked out of a fairytale and strolled around on New Zealand soil for a bunch of American paleontologists to discover it centuries later and deem it immortal and—
“Wooh! Slow down there, Yazie,” I tell myself as I turn left into the parking garage. Slowing my car down is an easy feat. But having to slow my mind down seems impossible right now.
As soon as I grab my things and make my way upstairs, my mind momentarily shuts off when I enter my apartment. I’m about to bask in the familial sanctity of my gray walls when the sole of my shoe catches something that almost has me tripping.
“Woah!What the—” My eyes land on a crisp white envelope on the floor just behind the front door. Frowning, I lift the envelope to inspect the golden seal behind it. I don’t recognize the seal with a flame embossed into it.
Truthfully, I couldn't care less what the envelope contains. The comfort of being home permits me to yawn loudly, shoving the envelope into my bag.
If it was important, they could have dropped me an email. Right now, nothing is more important than washing away the day's stresses and climbing into bed.
***
Darkness surrounds me like an ominous cloak of uncertainty. Blinking my eyes doesn’t help either. And logic tells me that I’m somewhere I’m not meant to be.
Perhaps it’s the owls hooting in the distance like a song of threat they sing. Or maybe it’s the blistering heat I feel radiating from behind me. It forces me to glance over my shoulder, coming face to face with a pair of eyes so frightening I gasp.
I’m usually not afraid of anything, but the pair of reptilian eyes are as menacing as the shade of red gleaming in them. The jetted slits running vertically glint like sharp blades that seek to cut through my soul. Like trickling blood in those red eyes, I’m forced to maintain eye contact despite the fear coursing down my spine. Turning ever-so-slowly, I can barely feel my own bones as my nerves turn numb.
The rest of the monster is hidden by the darkness; its scaly face is the only thing visible. It moves back, disappearing momentarily before a thunderous roar shakes the ground beneath my feet. Shuddering, I shut my eyelids and kept them pressed tightly. Refusing to see what comes next because I sense only death.
I’m forced to open my eyes when it doesn't come because patience is a virtue I know nothing of. Then I see the source of the heat I felt behind me earlier when giant lips part, flashing a set of beast-like sharp teeth before respiring a gust of fire.
The heat consumes me like the dreaded Hell-fire, snapping me awake in a cold sweat.
“Jesus!” I exclaim, reaching for the lampshade on the nightstand and sighing when it sheds light in my bedroom. The only times I’ve enjoyed jump-scares were in tasteful horror movies.
Not in the manifestations of my overworking mind that refuses to believe that dragons exist. Rolling my head from side to side, I reel from the nightmare.
I’m just grateful that it was, in fact, a nightmare.
That’s the only explanation I have for what I saw. A dragon, breathing fire through an intimidating set of feral teeth. It’s an image I’ll never be able to get out of my mind—and one that reminds me about the evidence lying on a metal tray back in the lab.
“Nope…” I say to myself, shaking my head to mentally shove away the suspicions in my head. “It’s impossible…” I assure myself when all roads seem to point in the same direction.
Dragons don’t exist. They never have and never will.
There must be a reasonable explanation for the fossil in the lab—the one that doesn’t react to the strongest mix of carbon and potassium. The bone that’s bigger than any dinosaur recording in history.
Gnawing on my bottom lip, I glance at the time on the alarm clock on the nightstand. Four a.m is too early to start work. That is if my overacting mind could be still for long enough. I wouldn’t be able to rest if my crazy ideas brought on another nightmare.
It is just a theory, after all. A hypothesis that can be proven wrong. Kicking my legs over the side of the bed, I quickly dress and grab my bag and car keys. If I ever wish to get a good night’s sleep, I’ll have to prove the hypothesis wrong. Prove my crazy idea wrong, so I know I’m not losing my mind.
Chapter 3 - Aragon
“Congratulations, Felix!” My sister, Kairo, cheers as she enters the dining room.
Adding to my disappointment, she heads over and folds him into a hug. The whole scene is one of excitement, with Felix grinning from ear to ear. But when his eyes land on me, the smile slips off his face before he releases Kairo and returns to his seat.
I’ve spent the better part of the day putting up with everyone in my family congratulating my older brother for Draco’s decision. As the beta of the clan, he seemed quite pleased, his chest swelling with pride.
While all I can do is internally wallow in self-pity.
It should have been me.
“Would you like dessert now?” Mother’s hand rests on my shoulder as she gazes down at me with the sweetest smile.
