A Letter To My Mother
There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Once, long ago this land wasn’t so desolate. The fire that spreads through the fields. The shepherds who have been burned and their flock eaten from the wild beasts. The lush rivers are now dried up and the water is scarce in the valley. Now, scavenging for what is left, mere rodents and birds, I take from the skies and the ground. I feed like a wild animal that longs for a bite to eat. All the trees are gone now, leaving me nowhere to hide. The only place I can not be seen now is a cave. When I do go out, I create a concoction of mud and roots to shield myself from their sense of smell. It is pungent enough to hide the smell of my tasty flesh. It seems to work for most of the dragons, but I have found that their line of sight is very precise. If they catch a glimpse of you, you are easily as good as dead. I miss you terribly and I hope that one day I will see you again. I hope eternity allows me entry into your arms. For now, I will give you the weekly update for how my life is going. I grasp my ink and paper as the summer winds blow through the cave. Every night I will write to you and keep you in the burrow of my soul. I write to you, my mother, to keep you in memory. It is long past my sixteenth birthday. To celebrate in honor of you, I built a tower to signal the others who may have survived. I light a fire of deadwood at the top every night in hopes that someone will see it and come find me but thus far, I have not seen a soul in quite some time. It will now be four years since I was separated from you and all who breathe my air. I wish for only one thing. I wish you were here. My tears fall upon this paper every night from the agony of never seeing you again. You would be proud to know that I am not giving up and will not give up my hope to survive. If you were here, I know you would do the same. Your heart and what you have taught me sticks with me in these lonely nights. From the fire filled sunrise to the deathly sunset, I hold onto the hope of my pursuit for anyone that might be out there. The wind is at its highest now, and it is hard to keep my ink forward and constant. For now, I will say goodnight and see you soon. I love you mother. Your son Thomas. The sun has set and the wind blows through the cradled cave. Moss covers the top of the cave with water droplets that fall upon the ground. The waterfall just overhead is to blame for the crisp cool air. It is the only source of water that is near the valley. The water is only constant when it rains during this current dry season. It is more of a cliff that has water trickling than an actual waterfall but some time ago it was flowing with quantity. The lively plants that keep me company are a source of life and vegetation. I cook them down to allow myself a careful meal. But with the constant work, I need meat. So I go off to hunt for rodents. If lucky, I may have a hearty meal of a rabbit or two but most baby dragons feed where they nest. Leaving me with a small, and not particularly tasty, menu. Off for the hunt tonight, I must be stealthy and focused. One wrong move with my knife and one dragon is full speed charging after me. It is the trampling of escaped rodents and calls of baby dragons that gather other’s (the big ones) attention. I take a look outside of the cave for any immediate sign of food. Peering through the cave as the water falls upon my face, I look out to see a dragon taking flight. The large beast pulls its wings towards the ground and a thunder-like sound runs through my ears. I watch the dark scaly beast pull his legs from underneath him and glides with gusts created by the wind. I clenched my fists against my louzy dagger. The hatred I have for these creatures grows with the days and nights that I am continually alone. I thought to myself, ”What if I could just pierce the heart of this creature?” If my dull dagger was powerful enough, I could throw the dagger straight towards each and every dragon's heart. Killing them one by one. My fantasy is interrupted by the sound of rustling in the bushes. I quickly rush down the side of the waterfall and make my way towards the bushes. All the while I try to collect leaves and twigs to make a version of camouflage. Long branches, bush like items that could help fill in the empty spaces. Suddenly a sound of the leaves from the bushes reveals itself once more. “What on earth could it be, I ask myself? Carefully I grab my dagger and walk slowly over to where the sound was coming from. I walked carefully with one foot in front of the other. Step by step I grip the dagger to await what may come out of the bush. Very carefully I glanced into the bush and saw a rabbit eating some leaves. With little to no hesitation I grabbed the dagger. Aiming the point at the rabbit and throwing the dagger like an ax. A small wince from the rabbit and the animal collapses to the ground. I try to make haste as I grab the dead rabbit and its poor lifeless body. I wish I didn’t have to hunt for such creatures but if I don’t keep myself strengthened. I will be unfit to make the journey from here one day. I find myself in deep thought as I make the cautious walk back to the cave. Just before returning to the cave, I notice the dried up blood on my dagger. It must be removed in order to keep the dragons from smelling animal blood. If the dragons smell even a hint of the blood. I will be nothing short of a quick meal. Just before the three mile hike back to my home, I stumble upon a small river that runs through the bush. I was pleasantly surprised to find another source of water. Making every carefully placed step I can, I looked up towards the sky and around the hills for any sign of a dragon. The coast was clear. I made a quick jog to the river. I pulled out my dagger and began cleaning the blade, while taking a sip of this newly found water. Taking my fingers and carefully rubbing off the blood from it. Slowly the river's color changes from its misty clear color to a faint red color. I watch as the blood cloud fades from me and carries on down the river. Knowing that it may attract the beast I pack my dagger away inside my pocket and jog back onto the path home. With my dinner hanging off my back, and my blade clean from the multiple dinners before, I am confident that it will be an easy night. I look all around and glance briefly at the skies. Suddenly I see a shadow emerge in the night sky. It is too far to make out with my naked eye. I try squinting to get a glimpse of the image. Then I heard the thundering gust-like sound that I fear. My heart begins to race as the large beast dives toward my direction. I feel my breathing pick up and I am standing frozen, as my mind clamors. Louder and louder the thundering grows. Just before the dragon reaches the ground he dives for a large eagle just in front of me. I make a run for the cave as I see the dragon is occupied with its prey. For a moment I turn back to look at the large black scaly beast I saw earlier this evening. Gnawing on the bones of the eagle. And swallowing it whole. Blood pours out from the carcass onto the dragon's face. The fear of such a sight stops me in my track of curiosity. The large yellow and blood stained teeth, the gigantic reptile-like head and the stench from its breath. The smell was so strong that the putrid smell made me vomit in my mouth. Oh no. I said to myself. I think it is about time I leave to go back home. While the dragon appears to be occupied with its dinner. I see my home just in my sights. I look back to see the dragon still unaware of my presence and with that. I take it as an invitation to leave. I quickly darted back onto the path. My tired and cracked feet thud against the ground one by one. I push off with my toe and quickly pick up speed. When I reached the entrance of the cave. I stopped for a brief moment to let my head hang low and relax before I stepped into the cave. My breath is heavy and my body weak. I stumbled inside with one step forward into the cave and he noticed something. The stench that was just in the presence of. I can smell inside the cave. The small fragments of animal carcass in line as he presses forward. I knew now that I had a visitor.
