Flame has closed his eyes to have a sleep in many places. Some have been wonderful but others not so good……..
I have lived in a few places in my short life. I used to live in a large, square, white room. There were a few windows, though no much sun got through. There were many dragons there. You were never alone. Even as you slept, other dragons could see right into your cage. You could see into theirs. No privacy. The men in the centre of the room were not nice men. Men in white coats, always writing notes in their books. About us. They only became excited when a dragon died. Not a nice place to live or sleep.
But my life was not always to be confined. Every dragon has his day and mine came. Freedom visited us all. I soon slept under a big blue sky and felt the sun’s warm rays on my back as I hid from sight within green foliage. The sun, the wonderful sun. Not little slats of sunlight…wonderful bucketloads waming my scales as I waited for the night. Freedom and no bars.
The sound of a running river. Have you ever heard such a beautiful sound in your life? So soothing and peaceful. Birds singing and the trees moving in the breeze. As a visitor it was like heaven and a lovely place to be, before once again things changed and I was back in a dark place.
I lived in a dark cool room. I could hear humans above me. A prisoner again. I ate, slept and waited for those precious moments when I could escape my isolation for hours, or just a moment. Not all humans were bad though. You humans should know how I felt then, with the current coronavirus isolation. Hah! A role reversal. The lack of freedom. How did it make you feel? I was alone, but things would take a turn for the better. Freedom.
I sometimes had visitors in that cool room called a cellar. A small brown dog, called Jeannie was alone like myself and kept me company. She was lost, like myself, but did belong to the strange world in which I found myself. We did not talk, but merely sat side by side. Two friends. So special.
Friends can sometimes make you feel good, but some can make you feel scared as well. One from my past, much bigger than me is like that. He has anger in him and during our earlier travels together, I would become silent so as not to anger him. In a strange way, it felt safe to be with one of my own kind hiding during the day, the dry desert sand under our talons. He taught me to fly strongly without fear and I knew he would protect me. Within him lurks danger, especially for those he cannot accept.
One human used to sleep in the hall above the cellar. To keep me company, he said. A man of few words, usually. He is a man of mystery, but will tell me when he is ready to do so. He was the only one to not fear me at first meeting. Why? I am still finding these things out. The wind that whipped around the hall at night suddenly became a mere noise. Nothing to fear. I used to watch him as he slept or had his breakfast. Humans are strange creatures, but I can trust this one.
I do not live alone at the moment. I sometimes visit my friend Anne and stay in her house. It’s a good thing I am not that tall, as the home is not that roomy. Humans like living in little boxes, all shut tight at night. Like a safe cage. I am not used to that any more. I sleep in thekitchen, the biggest room in the house. I was initially afraid of the weird noises made by a large white object near the door. She assured me that it was only the fridge (where the food was kept!) Food! Chicken, avocados! She needs good food for her work, as she is telling my story.
