If There Be Dragons

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Or were there? Who knows? Maybe we just couldn’t see them. We humans like to think we’ve got it all figured out. We make our declarations, saying things like; there is no intelligent life on other planets, Megalodons no longer exist, or there’s no such thing as Big Foot. But how do we know? How do we really know? Are we so absolutely sure of ourselves that we can make such claims?

Oh the arrogance! Human arrogance! Pushing us to assumption. And to assume, as the old saying goes, is to make an ass out of you and me. I’ve often wondered how one can look at the night sky in all it vastness, or stare into the dark waters of the abyss and assume themselves to be the expert on what lies beneath or beyond it. Now that the veil between the world we believed we knew so well, and the worlds that only existed in our imaginations has been obliterated, we no longer have the luxury of assumptions.

I’m no scientist. In fact, I never had much interest in what the scientific community rambled on about. Maybe I would have if they could ever get on the same page so to speak. Forgive me if I find it hard to believe that two experts on the same subject could have so many disagreements and yet still be right.

Right or wrong, good or bad, it was science that pried open the doors between the physical realm we’re all so familiar with, and the spiritual. You know, the one they convinced us doesn’t exist. Couple of hydran colliders, and a few overzealous risk takers and bam! Here we are…

In laymen’s terms, a portal opened. Things came in, things went out. The world got a little spooky. People started seeing ghosts, mermaids, UFOs, unicorns, you name it! And not just crazy people either. Normal everyday life was quickly replaced by chaos as the world plummeted into a new dark age.

I always fancied myself as an open-minded person. There was this part of me lurking around way in the back of my mind that somehow knew there were things that existed beyond our reach. A vague memory if that makes any sense. Look at me, still trying to make sense… Funny hun? Anyway, I was always considered to be a bit of a weirdo amongst my peers. An outcast if you will. Not the right size, shape, or color that fits best in societal molds.

The pandemic of 2020 was a god send for me. Instead of going to school where learning was made impossible by the relentless bullying and constant verbal abuse via teachers and students alike, I could stay home and do everything over the computer. Which I did with hours to spare. Hours I used to learn what I wanted to learn. And to think, my mother actually believed all my research into the paranormal, cryptozoology, and anything else everyone thought was weird was a waste of time! Guess Dungeons and Dragons isn’t so stupid after all. In her defense though, no one could have ever seen this coming.

I don my black, velvet cloak. The one my mother helped me sew for the 2020 cosplay event in San Fernando (you know, the one that got cancelled because of COVID) then gather my quartz and amethyst before sneaking out my bedroom window to convene with the other would-be wizards, and warriors.

My hands search my neck somewhat frantically before finally finding the large, rugged, piece of tourmaline hanging from the ruddy, braided, hemp necklace I’d made to secure it to my body. I run my thumb over the jagged yet smooth edges, finding a strange comfort in the plain, black, stone. Let me just say this, never leave the house without tourmaline!

I take one last look around my darkened bedroom before sliding the plywood meant to keep the ghouls out, and me in aside, creating a space just big enough to squeeze myself through. I crouch down, wrapping the cloak around me, and wedge myself into the corner of the small deck above the fire escape and assess my surroundings before venturing any further.

The starless night assists in making me invisible. I slow my breathing and pique my ears, searching for any sound whatsoever. Only hearing the unsettling, stentorian, blare of complete and utter silence. Not even the wind dares to make a sound. And just as quietly, I make my way carefully down the old, rusty, rungs of the fire escape’s ladder, holding my breath until I finally feel earth under my feet.

Clutching my tourmaline in my left hand, I use my right to fish out my quartz from the back pocket of my jeans. I hold it securely out in front of me. Oh, by the way, the right hand is for sending or giving energy, the left for receiving. My crash course in crystals is how I came about that little tid bid of essential knowledge.

So, if you hold the tourmaline in your left hand and the quartz in you right, then extend it out in front of you, you both receive and send out the protective frequency imbued in the tourmaline. Oh, and quartz is an amplifier. Now you got yourself a frequency kind of force field pulsating around you like a sonic shield. Which is exactly what you need in this smorgasbord of all things that aren’t supposed to exist.

I walk slowly, purposefully. Using the shadows of trees and buildings, or what’s left of them for cover. I stop abruptly, and lean back against the cold stones of a downed bridge. Doing my best to become one with it.

Off to my left, out of the corner of my eye I see what can only be described as a werewolf climbing up the side of the once luxury apartment building now boarded up and lifeless. The creature pauses, sniffing the night air before continuing his ascent. To see a werewolf actively hunting is a strange sight now. Most creatures of this nature have run off into the woods. More food in the woods. Hopefully whoever he’s looking for knows he’s looking for them.

By my account, there’s not many bonafide humans left in the valley. A whole lot of look alikes for sure. You got to watch close, real close. And be careful, real careful. Because what you think is a fellow human being may be a shapeshifter just waiting for your loneliness to get the best of you. If you’re wrong, they’ll drink you like a soda, then wear you like a suit. Yep, being hasty could get you in a world of trouble.

Where are all the other humans? What happened to them, you ask? Well, anything could have happened to them. They may have been abducted by aliens, eaten by zombies, pulled into the underworld by demons. Who knows anymore? All I know is they’re not here. Why am I still here? Oh, I’ve got my reasons! Besides, where else am I going to go? Plus, I have to find my mom before I can get out of this place. Or should I say rescue my mom.

You see, there’s this small group of us. Survivors? That’s not really what we are. We are, more or less, just a few people who found ourselves here when everyone else ran away. Maybe we were too scared to move. Or maybe we were waiting to wake up from what had to be a nightmare. For whatever reason, we missed the exodus. Now, since we’re stuck here, well, we may as well try and do something about all this.

Some in the group believe they chose to be here for this specific time, long before they were even born. Others were kind of just thrown into it. I mean what else were they gonna do? And some have taken the whole thing on as a personal mission to free humanity. You know, the would-be wizards and warriors I mentioned before. Me? I am not leaving without my mom.

My plan is to catch, train, and fly one of those dragons on down to Santa Monica, and scan the ocean blue for the Vodianoi. Then my dragon and me will scoop a few of them up and offer a trade. Them for my mom.

The Vodianoi are a nasty bunch. Little green pricks just waiting in the shallows for some unfortunate soul to get too close to the water. Legends and folklore speak of how these angry little beasts would destroy dams, drown children, and abduct unfortunate humans. Mainly women, dragging them to the depths of their watery realm. Captives would live out the rest of their days in servitude to the foul creatures.

How do I know they have my mom? I’ll tell you how I know. I saw them. I watched as they pulled her away into the depths of the Los Angeles River. At first I thought she’d lost her footing there at the bank. One minute she was standing there, just a few feet from me, the next she was gone. A bit more than bewildered, I waited. Expecting her to reemerge from the water. When it became apparent that she wasn’t gonna, I dove in.

The filthy water burned my open eyes, making it impossible to see through its murk. I kept them open anyway, straining to regain sight. That’s when one of those bastards swam right up to me, gave me a once over, then dashed away. Taking with him my mother. I can still see her arms flailing as she tried freeing herself from his slimy grip. All I could do is watch helplessly. Needless to say, that ended mom and I’s big escape plan.

It's taken me a bit to pull myself together. I spent a lot of time devising the perfect plan to save my mom. Not to mention all the research I risked my life for down at the library trying to first identify, then understand the vodianoi.

So, in the wee hours of the morning before the sun gets a chance to rise, I’m gonna catch one of those dragons while they sleep nestled in the valley waiting for night to come. I have thoroughly read, studied, and even practiced spells of enchantment. Specifically the ability to enchant animals.

Thus far I have a cat that brings me dead rats for dinner every night, then stares at me with adoring eyes as he waits for me to consume his gift of love, a raven who leaves shiny trinkets on the fire escape for my viewing pleasure, and a pigeon who is happy to deliver messages far and wide whenever need be. I figure if I can make one of those dragons fall in love with me, I can get him to do anything.

I make my way to the edge of suburbia before finally arriving at the tree line of Stoney Point Park. Methodically, I navigate my way through tightly woven trees and shrubs. Doing my best not to rustle any branches. The greenery gives way to a narrow, dirt path. I follow it, staying as low to the ground as I can get without literally crawling. Scurrying my way to the base of Stoney Point herself. Rounding several large boulders, I slide along her rugged face until my fingers make out the small entrance to the sizeable cavern I’d discovered while on a sixth-grade field trip long before all this happened, and squeeze myself through.

“Nice of you to finally show! This was your idea remember? You think you could at least be on time for your own meeting!”

The scolding whispers found their way through the darkness to my readied ears.

“Sorry, Patrick. I went as quickly as I could. Saw a werewolf! Had to be extra careful.”

“I find that hard to believe. Werewolves no longer prowl the city, Anna. If you’re going to make excuses, make believable ones!”

“It’s not an excuse, Patrick! Besides, how can you find anything hard to believe these days? Who’s all here?”

“Just you and me so far. If you ask me, I think we’re probably the only ones who are gonna show.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because no one is ever later than you to these suicidal meetings!”

Patrick whisper yells aggressively at me.

“Shhhh! Be quiet, Patrick. You trying to get us killed?”

“I think you’re the one trying to get us killed, Anna! I’m still not sure we should even try this harebrained idea of yours.”

“Thank you again for your vote of confidence, Patrick. I can always count on you to make me feel better…”

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Anna. Tell me again how you plan on accomplishing this. Maybe try and make me believe it’s even possible.”

“I told you, Patrick. I won’t go over the whole thing again. All I need you to do is guide me through these rocky corridors until we get to the valley. I’ll take it from there. You don’t have to worry. You won’t be in any danger.”

“You think I’m just going to stand there while you walk amongst sleeping dragons? “

“That’s exactly what I think. I don’t need your protection. Besides, the beasts aren’t stupid. They’ll know we’re up to something if we go in together. And furthermore, you have no spell casting skills whatsoever! You’re a medium. You talk to dead things. How’s that going to help in this situation?”

“Maybe it will be helpful after. You know, when those dragons kill you.”

“Don’t worry, Patrick. They won’t kill me. All I need is to gently awaken one and get him to look me in the eyes. I know I can do this, Patrick. I know I can…”

“A dragon isn’t a cat or a bird, Anna.”

“Thank you for your awesome observation skills there, Sherlock. If it’s all the same to you, I prefer we walk and not talk. Besides, I think you’re right, it looks like it’s just you and me. Now if you please, lead the way.”

Patrick turned his back to me over dramatically as if I’d slapped him in the face. He fumbled with his flashlights a bit. Obviously procrastinating. Probably hoping to allot more time for the others to show up. Patrick can play it up all he wants. Mister fearless, king responsible… In all actuality, he’s just as scared as the rest of us. Speaking of which, I hope the others are okay.

“We can’t wait any longer, Patrick. It will be daylight soon. We have to get going now. Besides, it was always going to be just me out there. Everyone else was basically for moral support.”

He turned to face me, giving me a stern brow beating, then began his descent deep within the tunnels of the mountain. I followed quietly behind, trying to remain confident in my newfound abilities. I’d be lying if I said that Patrick was the only one with doubts. Of course I had doubts too. Damn him for reminding me of all of them. I try not to think on them, rehearsing my spells quietly in my head instead.

We walk in silence for what seems to be hours when suddenly the small, tube-like corridor opens up to the immensity of the valley, and the prodigious creatures all lying about in their slumbering state.

“Thank you, Patrick. Now to find a male.”

I whisper softly.

“Wait, Anna! You don’t have to do this!”

Patrick whispered back pleadingly.

“No, Patrick. I do…”