A tall tale |
A tale of a Dragon She was longer from snout to tail than any of her kind had ever been. That was a problem. It was NOT her worst problem. She was called “Hot Lips” for a reason. Every time she opened her mouth, a plume of heat billowed around it. A simple yawn once burned acres of forest, so she was forbidden to stay. She lived a lonely life on a solidified cloud that orbited the planet. Her tail continued to grow. After a millennium her cloud couldn’t shelter all of it and so it came to pass that her tail eventually reached the cold water of the ocean below her. Jack, the lad who once climbed a bean stock, just happened to notice it from his high perch. He climbed down, bought a sailboat and sailed the seas in search of the strange phenomenon. After a few years he came upon it. He adjusted a backpack of survival necessities and proceeded to climb the tail. A month later he reached the cloud. Hot Lips was pleased to have company. She warned Jack, telepathically, to stay on his back. Jack climbed to the top of the upper crust of the head and hooked a hammock to the horns. He secured it with ropes to scales in four directions. It was a very efficient chair. Days and nights passed in delightful conversations. Every now and then Hot Lips flipped her tail, and fish would rain down on them. She aways cooked a few for Jack. Rainwater was captured in fallen scales; rolled in cone shapes and bound with string. One time, Jack added a slice of dried fruit and let it ferment. “Hey, Hot Lips,” Jack slurred. “When was the last time you flew anywhere?’ “I really can’t remember. I don’t even know if I can.” “Come on give it a try.” He challenged, as he snapped himself securely into the chair. Hot Lips sucked in a deep breath then launched off the cloud. Water dripped from her tail, and she curled and twisted up away from the planet, passed the three moons, past the fourteen celestial bodies and into the cosmic never nevers, never to be seen again. Their new lives would include true loves, high hopes and a million years of adventures, in worlds far, far away. The End Written for "Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2024" |