Derek Straat

The Dragons Awaken

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. But Kai Courage knew how it started. He’d been feeling like an adventure that day because things at 9 Locks Lane were pretty depressing. The blues began when Mom lost her working license and Dad started sending only texts for Kai’s birthdays. It had been two years and the-almost-teenage boy didn’t understand why his mom didn’t fight back. Or SAY something. Anything. Yet when the men came around to check on their weekly surveys – gathering happiness scores – his mom would always lie.