Wayne Batson - The Door Within

Aidan stopped running.

“There now, that’s better! Stay where you are!”

Aidan turned and saw the knight leap down from a cleft of rock. He wore a black masked helmet, so Aidan couldn’t see his face. But Aidan feared the soldier would either kill him on the spot or drag him like the others into the dark place in the mountain.

The knight was only a few feet away when a shadow passed over them both. There was another Swoosh! Swoosh! and the knight looked up into the sky. He raised his shield as if to ward off a blow.

Just as Aidan looked into the sky and drew in a breath to scream, a burst of wind slammed him and the soldier to the ground. The wind brought with it an overwhelming warm and beastly smell, with a tinge of smoke or ash. A dragon! Aidan’s imagination raced as he struggled between utter disbelief and paralyzing fear. Debris rotated in the violent winds. Aidan tried to cover his eyes, but the force of the turbulence was too powerful. He shrieked, turned on his stomach, and frantically clawed at the dirt trying to get away.

The creature’s enormous dark wings eclipsed the sun as the beast hovered ominously above. A thunderous roar rang out and echoed violently off the mountains, and Aidan could just make out the soldier running madly away.

The beast roared again and looked directly at Aidan. Covering his face with his hands, Aidan curled into a ball. The dragon’s talons closed around Aidan’s waist like gigantic pliers. Aidan pried at them with all his might, but it was hopeless. Another deafening roar blasted from the creature’s lungs, and being so near to the colossal beast, Aidan couldn’t bear the sound. He lost consciousness as the dragon gently lifted him from the ground and took to the air.

When Aidan awoke, it was dark. He lay on his back, his arm curled around his old down pillow and the covers pulled snugly up to his chin.

As the blurring effects of sleep wore off, his memory returned in a rush. It had me. I should be dead. The dra-dragon? Oh, man. What a crazy dream!

A dream-that’s all it had been. A door to another world, a unicorn, little creatures with glowing eyes, and a dragon!! Aidan sighed with relief. It was a good thing he had been dreaming. There would have been no escape from the dragon’s viselike clutches. And even if he had broken free of the dragon, one of those dark knights would’ve no doubt dragged him off to that terrible place in the mountain.

Aidan shuddered, took a deep breath, and sank deeper into his bed. Relieved as he was, some distant part of Aidan was disappointed. The dream had been the adventure he’d always wanted.

And, come to think of it, I was pretty brave to climb that mountain- even if it was just a dream. Aidan smiled lazily.

Feeling very safe, he hugged his pillow tightly and closed his eyes. Aidan relaxed and was at peace in the darkness… Then Aidan’s smile faded. Something isn’t quite right.

T he bed was comfortable, plush, and wide, with layers of blankets, but there was no light coming from the side of his room where the window was supposed to be. There was a strange scent in the air too. Aidan thought he had smelled it before, but he could not remember when. And Aidan’s favorite down pillow didn’t feel soft and fluffy like it was supposed to.

Aidan’s heart skipped a beat. Chills and gooseflesh raced all over his body, for Aidan suddenly didn’t know what his arm was curled around.

Aidan let his fingers slide over this thing that lay under his arm and across his shoulder. It certainly wasn’t fuzzy or furry. It felt leathery and ragged, like it was covered with shingles… or maybe, maybe… they were scales? SCALES?!!

“Ya-yaahhh!!!” The scream exploded from Aidan’s lips like a great bubble popping. He sat up from the covers to stare wide-eyed into the darkness.

Aidan felt something heavy slithering off the bed.

A blue flash lit the room, and Aidan could see the creature sitting like a great big cat in the middle of the stone floor. It had not been a dream after all! Aidan squirmed frantically backward, bashing his head into the enormous solid-wood headboard.

“Do not fear,” a musical female voice said. “You are safe here.”

Aidan could only stare at the monstrous, unearthly creature that had slid from the bed and now seemed to be speaking to him.

The beast raised its head slowly. Blue, fiery slanted eyes squinted at Aidan and blinked.

Aidan blinked back and then blinked again. But each time he opened his eyes it was still there: a real dragon!

The creature squatted on its thickly muscled hind legs and smaller ropey forelegs. Broad wings were folded like huge leather coats behind its body, and its neck and tail were as long as and as thick as anacondas. It had gray flesh on its underside and was armored with silvery scales that here and there reflected the flickering blue light. The dragon’s head was long like a horse’s and tapered to a very narrow snout, dappled with patches of those silver scales on its enormous high cheekbones.

Its lengthy jaws opened, baring dozens of needlelike teeth-and it swung its head forward toward Aidan. Aidan cringed.

But instead of the piercing pain of sharp teeth, he felt a huge, slimy, sticky tongue slap wetly across his face. The creature’s tongue almost knocked Aidan out of the bed.

“I told you… you are safe here,” the voice said again. “The dragon’s name is Gabby. She likes you.”

Aidan wiped some goo off of his face and stared at the beast. It ducked its head shyly, bared its teeth again, and began emitting a deep, rumbling purr.

“Welcome to the Castle of Alleble,” began the melodic voice again. “You are a guest of the King, so you have nothing to fear.”

It occurred to Aidan that the voice was not coming from the dragon.

Aidan turned to the voice and nearly jumped out of his skin a second time. There at the foot of the enormous bed was a being- a girl. Aidan thought she was about his age, but he wasn’t certain.

Her long gossamer dress of lavender was studded with brilliant multicolored jewels, and they sparkled, reflecting the flickering blue light of the candle in her left hand. But her skin, her skin was ghostly white, seemingly glowing in the shadowy room. Her eyes, like perfect blue gems, were ablaze and held Aidan still in spite of his fear.

“You are very fortunate to be here. Many who wander off the path become lost. We sent Gabby to go and find you. I’m sorry she gave you such a fright.”

Aidan could not speak, but his teeth ground audibly. The spectral girl guessed Aidan’s fear and spoke again. “You have never seen a being like me before. Do not fear. You could not be safer.”

“Are you… are you a ghost?” Aidan asked.

“Ghost?” she replied, considering the word. “No, I am not a spirit, shade, or apparition. I am a living Glimpse. I am very much like you, as a matter of fact.”

“But you’re glowing, and I can see through you, uh-well, sort of,” he said. As Aidan stared at her, he realized that she wasn’t actually transparent. But when she moved, she shimmered like a bright reflection rippling in a lake at night.

“No, your eyes just aren’t used to seeing Glimpse-kind.” She seemed to float around the bed closer to Aidan. “I have flesh and bone-here, touch my arm.”

Aidan’s eyes bulged, and he backed again into the headboard. She reached for Aidan’s arm, but he jerked away.

She had said he was safe, but Aidan was not yet convinced. Undaunted, she gently placed her hand on Aidan’s shoulder.

“Trust your heart, for I am a friend,” she assured him. Aidan had expected her hand to feel cold and dead, but instead, her touch brought warmth and a wonderful tingle. Aidan looked up at her and was enchanted once again by her eyes. His fear left.