Page 107 of Something Borrowed

I don’t want to die like this.

I don’t want to die at all.

How can I help the beast? He is in pain and I want to help him somehow. But when I try to move but my body isn’t working. My legs are too heavy, weighed down like iron, my arms are limp and useless. I can’t even reach up to grip against the beast’s shoulder.

My heart aches for him.

This monster carrying me.

This terrifying creature that would strike fear into the heart of any person who looked upon him. But my heart is with him. He owns me. He has me. I belong to him and no one else.

Nothing can pull us apart. Not even the dragon lurking close on our heels.

A loud crash vibrates into my dream and snaps me awake.

I cry out fear.“The dragon.”

Behind me the roof caves in and a dark flames spike through the air.

The smoke has turned black and I can’t see in front of us.

“Hold on, my love.” He screams over the roar of fire and the sounds of the building caving in around us. “I can see the exit. It’s blocked but I’ll find a way. Just hold on.”

I dig my fingers into his back. Attempting to hold on to him, my hands fail me, and my mind falters once more.

The dragon is snapping at my feet. His massive reptilian jaws and opening and closing with a force that sends a shockwave pushing past me. I scream and the sound vibrates against the beast’s back.

He speaks to me. Reassurance. Soothing calm.

I still can’t understand him.

He runs and jumps, and I am pushed and shaken and jolted and in so much pain I don’t know if I can last much longer.

But in front of us I see a wall of ice.

Crystal clear. Bright.

I know that if we reach that wall we will be ok.

The dragon’s fire can’t break through the ice.

“Run.” I scream. As the dragon leaps towards us and his teeth cut across my leg. “Run. Please, run.” I beg.

The beast pushes with everything he has inside him. His fingers grip me it feels like his hands will tear my skin away.

He runs.

He runs like the rushing water of a tidal wave, shoving things out of his path and leaping over long rips in the earth’s surface. He jumps over rocks and fallen trees. He runs to save us.

Straight towards the wall of ice.

Bright and blue and safe.

As we get closer, I look up and see that it isn’t ice as all but a shimmering silver liquid. It glitters and pulses like water.

He doesn’t slow down, and I squeeze my eyes shut, not knowing what will happen when he crashes into it. Not knowing if I’m right. If that is what will save us. Or if it’s just a trick. A trap. Another way to die.

As the glittering liquid wall slams into us an icy coldness coats my skin and the contrast of it, compared to the dragons flames, is so painful that again I find I can’t breathe.

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