The Phoenix

Dragon 14
Word count 1, 379

The Phoenix

"It is time for the awakening of the biggest, oldest, and most powerful dragon. He rises every one thousand years. He is also your great-great-great-great-grandfather. There may be more greats in there because he has lived for a long, long time."

Gina looks at Clayton with a look of confusion and asks, "Really...I didn't even know I had a grandfather. Why did no one tell me?"

"We did not want to worry you, unless it was necessary. The time has come to take precautions. I am talking about your safety. Every one thousand years your grandfather rises and finds a young girl in the family. He takes her back to the one who holds him prisoner; the most powerful evil dragon named Morton," Nervously, Clayton takes his handkerchief out of his pocket and wipes the sweat off his brow.

"Why does he do this? What happens to the girls?"

Looking away from Gina for a moment, Clayton gets his thoughts together and puts his handkerchief back in his pocket. He explains, "Your grandfather was captured in battle by this dragon Morton. The only way he could survive is if he promised to bring Morton a girl he could be with when he is able to change into his human form. In order to keep your grandfather close to him, he turned him into a dragon. This began the family curse. Morton did this, so he would not have a chance of escape."

Gina looked at Clayton with a sad look on her face and said, "How awful for grandfather."

"Yes that is awful for grandfather except, what he does is worse. There is not a human being that I know on the planet that would do, as he does. He made a pact with Morton to bring him a woman of child bearing age to him for the rest of his life. Another reason Morton turned your grandfather into a dragon. Otherwise he would be long gone, years ago. As a dragon, he can live thousands and thousands of years. The reason why I tell you this now is because you are next. Your grandfather will be coming for you."

Gina sat there looking at the man who has taken care of her, all her life. Feeling the emptiness so far deep in her soul, it overwhelms her senses. Sighing, she asks, "So what happens now? Is what I was told about my parents true? Did they really die in a car accident or are they hiding in a safe house somewhere?"

"Your family has a complicated history. It starts with your grandfather when he was taken and made this pact. He has no idea the ripple effect he caused throughout the generations by that one choice; it was a very unloving choice. You deserve to know the truth now. Your parents did not die in a crash. It was, a very difficult time for everyone. You were so young, and it would have been difficult at the time for you to understand. I am not sure when this started, exactly. I was told shortly after your grandfather took the first girl, there was an outrage in the family. There was a division between those who wanted to protect the girls and those who wanted to kill the girls. Some of the family decided killing the girls was a solution. They saw the situation in that way because their reasoning told them, if you get rid of the girls, you get rid of the dragon. There was a division in the family. From that moment on all the women born into your family were watched and protected. Your parents befell a great tragedy. They were visiting family in the United States when your uncle Boris decided to pay a visit. He recognized your parents immediately and questioned them about where you were and why you were not there. Of course, your parents would not reveal anything. Boris killed your parents in front of the other family members, then he disappeared. The only reason we even know what happened is because there were witnesses, the other family members were left alive."

Gina stood up from her chair she was sitting on and started pacing back and forth in front of Clayton. She stopped, crossed her arms, and looked at him straight in the eye with a defiant look on her face, "I always knew they did not die in a car accident. I always wanted to know the truth about what happened to them. What happened to Boris? Why haven't the police taken him away to jail?"

"The police are not as powerful as you are led to believe. They will not help your family. Also your family is notorious for disappearing."

Gina goes back to her chair and sits down. She says, "Why are you here? You are not part of this family."

"My family are the Guardians of your family. Even though we are not related by blood, we have adopted each other as loyal comrades. There is not much time to prepare for the coming of your grandfather. They have named him, the Phoenix. He is a glorious looking fire dragon. Most are awed by his physical beauty. They do not see the true essence of his soul, which has been lost long, long ago."

A crash sounded an alarm in the house and I asked, "Is that him? Is he here now?"

Clayton stands up and says, "Sounds like him. Stay here and do not go anywhere; it is my job to protect you."

He walks towards the door and Gina runs after him, grabbing his arm and pleads, "I can't let you go alone, you will die because of me."

"This is my job. Death lingers in my family at a young age. We have vowed to keep your family safe, at all costs."

Before any of us could move a fiery shadow crashed through the wall. Filling up most of the room, the continuous flow of flames raging across the dragon body took up most of the room. The flow of fire looked like molten lava pouring out of a volcano in a continuous movement. He moved his large head towards mine and with his blood red ruby eyes glaring at me, face to face. Swallowing nervously, facing her grandfather. Her body shook with fear, like a leaf moving in the wind. In the bravest voice Gina could muster, she looked her grandfather in the eye and said, "Grandfather, what you are doing is wrong. You must stop this. I am your granddaughter, and I just found out today that I have a grandfather. I want you to know, I forgive you for all the bad things you have done. I can feel a small part of you still in there. Please find it in your soul, it is there waiting; it has been waiting for a long time. Do not be afraid; I will be here with you because I love you."

Gina couldn't take her eyes off of the magnificent, fiery beast in front of her. She takes a step closer and trails her index finger down the side of his face. The most amazing thing happened; the dragon form melted into an old decrepit man. He walked forward and took Gina into the biggest heart felt hug and said, "Thank you granddaughter. You have been the first one to show me an ounce of love and forgiveness. The only way to break this curse is love and forgiveness from a woman. If the woman didn't love me, I had to take her to Morton the vilest creature I have ever met. I believe you thought I would die if I did not do this, especially your protector here. The truth is, if I did not do as he asked, he threatened to kill my whole family and every generation after that. I thought, I was doing the right thing. I realize now I chose wrong. There would have been another way to save the family if I didn't take the coward's way out. You are the first, to show any sign of love and forgiveness through this family. I thank you whole heartedly."