"Dani, what is going on with you!?"
Worried, Dani braced herself for the worst as her mother walked in with a terrified look on her face. "Dani, what happened this afternoon?! I head you were there when the dragon tried to eat that child!"
"Eat the...?! Oh mother..." Dani turned to hide her face to hide the exasperation she was feeling. All day she thought about seeing her friend in the town square.
Dani was grabbed by her mother and turned her around, looking over her daughter carefully. "Were you hurt Dani? Did it scare you?"
"No mother..." Dani raced her mind, trying to figure out what to say.
"They said it grabbed the fisherman's son right off the dock, and dropped it by you."
Dani shook her head. She couldn't believe her friend would take someone like that. Not unless there was a good reason.
"Oh Dani. If there are dragons around here, maybe you better not go out anymore? Such nasty creatures, I didn't believe the story until I see your reaction now. Remember that guy that was here in town last spring? He said he was attacked by a dragon. Now this has happened to you..."
Dani sat down on her bed. Unable to say anything.
The rain had stopped that night, but the clouds remained, along with the humidity in the air. Dani was only allowed to leave the house with her mother when she was going to the market. As they walked the streets, there was a quietness in the air.
The market was busy, with an unusual crowd around the fisherman's cart. The fisherman was clearly enjoying the spotlight as people were questioning the previous day's story.
"Ah, the rain was terrible, that's for sure!" the fisherman explained. "The little one usually comes out with me when I check my traps along the dock, but had told him to stay inside with his sisters! Oh the river was a mess! Branches, rocks and mud flowin' by faster and higher than I had seen before. I started to walk out on our dock, but could feel it moanin' and shaking from the river. I figured my traps were probably lost, and decided to walk along the bank to make sure the boats were secure. A moment later, I heard a terrible creaking. I turned to look at my dock, and first saw Timmeh, that's my little boy, running out on the dock. Out towards the water!"
The fisherman's face had terror in it as he relived the moment. "Then I saw a huge branch had been swept under the dock. Shaking it something fierce, I ran towards my boy, yellin' at the top of my voice, "Git off there! Git off the dock Timmeh!" but he didn't hear me."
Getting somber, the fisherman continued, "Then the creaking sound turned into a terrible crash, and that river swept the branch, then the dock, and my Timmeh. away with it!"
His audience, stoned face, waited breathlessly for the fisherman to continue.
"Oh it was terrible! Poor Timmeh was crying, grabbing onto the dock as tight as he could. It was only a few seconds, when the dock and branch smashed hard into the next dock. My dock started sinking, and I thought for sure I was going to lose Timmeh."
The fisherman held the moment, as he was telling the story for the umpteenth time, and sales were going real well today.
"Then, without a sound, the beast dropped out of the sky, and picked up my Timmeh like a crab apple. Yes sir, a dragon!" Several in the crowd gasped, hearing the story for the first time. "It grabbed my Timmeh, and flew away like I see them eagles grab fish out of the river sometimes. I watched helplessly as it flew away with my son..."
The fisherman's face had terror in it as he relived the moment. "Then I saw a huge branch had been swept under the dock. Shaking it something fierce, I ran towards my boy, yellin' at the top of my voice, "Git off there! Git off the dock Timmeh!" but he didn't hear me."
Getting somber, the fisherman continued, "Then the creaking sound turned into a terrible crash, and that river swept the branch, then the dock, and my Timmeh. away with it!"
His audience, stoned face, waited breathlessly for the fisherman to continue.
"Oh it was terrible! Poor Timmeh was crying, grabbing onto the dock as tight as he could. It was only a few seconds, when the dock and branch smashed hard into the next dock. My dock started sinking, and I thought for sure I was going to lose Timmeh."
The fisherman held the moment, as he was telling the story for the umpteenth time, and sales were going real well today.
"Then, without a sound, the beast dropped out of the sky, and picked up my Timmeh like a crab apple. Yes sir, a dragon!" Several in the crowd gasped, hearing the story for the first time. "It grabbed my Timmeh, and flew away like I see them eagles grab fish out of the river sometimes. I watched helplessly as it flew away with my son..."
