#AtoZChallenge Visitors from Beyond – Headless Horseman

On April 9, 2016April 8, 2016 By Stephanie IngramIn Blogging A-Z Challenge32 Comments

Branches raked her arms and shins and hair flew around her face in disheveled strands, a far contrast to the neatly pulled back ponytail she’d started with. Hayley gasped for breath, pausing a moment to get a sense of where she was. She’d run much deeper into the woods than she’d ever gone before and around her skeleton trees pierced the dark, cloudy sky. The soft crunch of leaves reminded her that her pursuer was not far behind. She searched frantically but there were no obvious hiding places. How much more could she run before ultimately she succumbed to fate?

The horse snorted. An owl screeched, searching for prey. Hayley fought to get her breathing under control as she watched the full moon appear from behind its shield of thick clouds to momentarily illuminate the path before it was again swallowed into darkness. Fearing she’d already hesitated too long, she began running again.

She tripped and stumbled but managed to put out her hands to catch herself just before she hit the ground. The earth shook with the gallop of the horse which, no doubt, knew exactly where to find her. No matter how far or how fast she fled, she couldn’t escape it. The rain began to fall in thick sheets, soaking through her clothes almost immediately.

There was nowhere left to turn. Hayley covered her head with her arms as she braced for the impact as her body shook and her teeth chattered. When she dared to look up from the ground to gauge the horseman’s distance, he had vanished.

Trembling, she managed to stand on legs exhausted by running. She wrapped her arms around herself as much for comfort as warmth as she began walking as she sobbed with the rain. How could she have been so stupid?

As a child, she’d heard about the Legend of Sleepy Hollow but she’d never thought of it as much more than a children’s story meant to entertain or scare. Nathan had warned her not to go out that night but he’d also pulled her hair and hid behind drapes to jump out and scare her, too. Even though she’d looked in his eyes and saw fear, she’d brushed it off as little more than foolish play. It was simply another trick to scare her which had only made her want to prove even more that she couldn’t be scared.

Eventually someone would notice she had been gone too long and they would come looking for her but would it be too late? She glanced nervously over her shoulder, thinking she had heard the breaking of a branch over the deafening sound of the pouring rain. The horseman had vanished for now but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t return. Thunder punctuated her fear.

Hayley picked up her pace as panic filled her. In a flash of lightning, over her shoulder she’d glimpsed the horse in the distance as it rose up on hind legs while its rider held a sword pointed toward the sky.

She started running again but the path had turned to mud which slowed her steps even more. She didn’t have to look behind her again to know she’d been spotted. The sound of horse hooves hitting the ground filled her ears as her legs threatened to give out.

It isn’t possible.

A headless horseman is just a story.

She kept repeating the words in her head but believing them didn’t make the larger than life image fade away. He was on her in an instant. She screamed in defeat.

“Hayley!”

The voice cut through the rain and the pounding of the blood in her ears and at first she thought it only her imagination. Then she cleared the water from her eyes, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

“Nathan?” she said sinking down to her knees and gasping for air.

Thank you for reading and please feel free to share your thoughts. Each day I am posting a ‘snippet’ based on a paranormal creature that begins with the corresponding letter of the alphabet. I am using this as a fun writing exercise which I am hoping will also be enjoyable to read, but keep in mind that due to the fact that I must post a new snippet each day in April except Sundays, the posts may be a bit rough. I’ll do my best, however, in the limited time I have available to me. 🙂 Let me know your favorites or the posts you find most intriguing because I plan to develop those into a full story later in the year!

Check out the other participants in the A to Z Challenge.

#AtoZChallenge Visitors from Beyond – Guidance from the Gamayan

On April 8, 2016April 5, 2016 By Stephanie IngramIn Blogging A-Z Challenge15 Comments

According to Wikipedia, the gamayan is a prophetic bird of Russian folklore. It is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge and is usually depicted as a bird with a woman’s head. And according to Epika, it is a talking bird who foretells the future and reads fortunes.

Interesting… Although, I couldn’t get a grasp on how or why this bird may appear, I’ve used my own imagination to come up with the following little story.

Gillian kicked off her shoes and stretched out in the chaise lawn chair. Sunglasses in place, she sipped the fresh lemonade and yawned as a light breeze caressed her body and dried away the late afternoon sweat. It had been a long day and she was more than happy to close her eyes and put it behind her.

The cell phone next to her chair started to buzz but she snatched it from the table and turned it off without even looking at the caller ID. Whoever it was could leave a message and she’d deal with it later but as far as she was concerned, it was five o’clock on a Friday afternoon and the problems at the office no longer concerned her.

Of course, it could have been Darren. She picked up the phone again and considered the possibility. It felt cool in her palm despite the day’s heat. Finally, she tossed the phone back on the table and leaned back in her chair. She hadn’t been dating Darren for very long and although he was very good looking and knew all the right things to say, there was still something about him that put her a little on edge. Her friends encouraged the match, insisting that he was one of the better guys Gillian had gone out with, and maybe that was true, but there was still something about him that made her uneasy. She’d blamed it on the stress from work affecting her personal life for far too long.

She sighed and adjusted the straps on her tank top which had fallen down off one shoulder. This moment of peace was exactly what she needed. Her job had started to consume her life and shadow everything else she cared about.

She watched a group of birds gathering in a nearby tree as they chirped and played before stretching wings and taking off into the sky. She wondered what it would feel like to have that much freedom.

Before she could get too deep in her thoughts, a rustling from behind her chair caught her attention. At first she paid no attention. There was a fair bit of wildlife around her home but as the noise persisted, she became wary. She pulled off her glasses as she sat upright and swiveled around to get some idea of what was going on behind her, grabbing the phone, just in case. A strange sensation came over her, like she was being watched.

“Is someone there?” she called out as she powered on her phone. She waited for a response that didn’t come. Finally, she shook her head and sat back down, realizing that she was so unaccustomed to spending time alone that she let imagination get the better of her.

Glancing down at the screen, she noticed the missed call had been from Darren. He also sent a text message asking if she was available to get together for a drink later this evening. Although she’d made a promise to herself to spend the evening alone until she finally made the decision she’d been putting off too long, she hit reply and let him know she could be at the bar in an hour.

Maybe she was going about it all wrong.

As she opened the sliding glass door to go inside to shower, the rustling sound behind her caught her attention again. She turned around, dropped her glass and shrieked. The glass shattered and lemonade soaked her clothes but she barely registered it. Her focus was on the over sized bird perched on the deck railing. Not only was it unlike any bird she’d seen before but it had the head of a woman. She blinked a few times to try to clear her eyes but it was still there.

“Gillian, don’t be afraid.”

Gillian grasped the door handle behind her and gave it a tug but it wouldn’t open. She reached into her pocket for the cell phone she’d just put there. The bird creature stretched out her wings.

“You seek a glimpse into the future,” she said as she settled back down, “And I am here to offer you that.”

“Wh… wh… what are you talking about?”

“Come, sit, enjoy the warmth of the dying sun on your face with me as we have a little chat.”

Gillian didn’t move.

“Come on, don’t be silly. I won’t hurt you.”

Skirting the mess of broken glass on the deck, Gillian’s feet advanced toward the lawn chair where only moments ago she’d been absorbed in her own silent awe. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought human-birds were a part of that though.

“What are you?” she managed to say as she attempted to get comfortable, finding this would be an impossible task under the circumstances.

“I’m a gamayan,” she said as she perched on the table next to the chair. She was almost too big for it. The little table threatened to topple as she fought to get her balance. Eventually, she managed to settle and Gillian found it difficult to take her eyes off this strange creature. Beautiful and majestic, but how could she be real?

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Gillian said, as though this asserted that the creature couldn’t possibly exist, despite the fact that she sat right beside her.

“Few meet us.”

“Why are you here now?”

“Because you are caught at impasse, unable to choose the road that will lead to your true happiness in life. Even worse, you are likely to make a mistake that will take away your future entirely.”

“How?” Gillian said. Her mind was racing in a million different directions and she struggled to form coherent thoughts in the presence of this unusual creature.

“That man,” the gamayan said indicating the phone that Gillian hadn’t realized she’d been clutching in her right hand, “is not who you think he is.”

“Darren? I’ve only gone out with him a couple of times.”

“You are planning to meet him tonight. If you go, your life will end.”

“That’s a bit melodramatic,” Gillian said feeling her blood turn cold. She’d always thought there was something a little off about Darren, despite her friends insistence that he was perfect. Maybe she’d been right all along?

“You sense it, too,” the bird observed.

Gillian nodded slightly but her body had gone numb. She’d felt it from the first moment she met him. It was part of the reason she’d been so reluctant to answer his call.

“And tomorrow you shall receive an important notice about your career, one that may be easy to overlook. I suggest you keep your eyes, ears, and heart open, however, because your life is about to change.”

Gillian blinked out the sun that seemed to sink low enough in the sky that it was coming straight at her face. She reached up to her head for her sunglasses but they weren’t there. When she turned back to the bird to ask for more details, it was gone.

She sank into the chair and closed her eyes. Why did it seem late afternoon always made her feel so sleepy?

When she opened her eyes again, darkness had fallen and the cell phone sat on the table next to her buzzing for her attention. She reached over to grab it, noticing that it was Darren calling.

“Damn it!” she said before answering. She’d completely forgotten that she’d agreed to meet him for drinks. Judging by the time on her phone, she was thirty minutes late and he was probably wondering what happened to her. “Darren, I’m so sorry. I – uh – must have fallen asleep.”

She looked around, suddenly remembering the visitor she had had and the warnings not to go out with Darren.

“I was worried something maybe happened. I could come over to your place if you like?”

“Oh, actually, I just remembered something I needed to finish. Can I take a rain check on that?”

“Of course,” Darren said, but she didn’t miss the disappointment in his voice.

“Great, I will call you tomorrow and Darren, I’m so sorry again to leave you waiting.”

She disconnected the call and sat staring at the glass of lemonade on the table next to her chair, the same one she’d shattered earlier. She sniffed at her clothes which had the slightly sticky feel of spilled drink and lemon scent.

Had her conversation with the gamayan been only a dream?

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#AtoZChallenge Visitors from Beyond – Finding a Fairy

On April 7, 2016April 4, 2016 By Stephanie IngramIn Blogging A-Z Challenge24 Comments

“You’re never going to catch one like that, Frankie.”

Sylvia snatched the bird cage out of her sister’s hands and started tying a rope to the top loop. She pulled it snug and sat back on her heels as she considered her work.

“I don’t know, Sylvia. Are you sure you want to do that?”

“How else are we going to prove they exist, huh? We need to actually catch one. That’s the whole point. Geez, Frankie.”

Frankie sighed and rested her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands as she watched Sylvia put the final touches on the trap, which included a trail of M&M candies along the ground. She didn’t think Sylvia believed they were really going to catch a fairy. She doubted Sylvia even believed they existed so why were they putting so much time into it, and wasting good candy too?

“I’m hungry. Let’s go see if dinner is ready.”

“The sun is setting, Frankie.”

“So?”

“So, we don’t have much longer to get this thing perfect.”

“Right,” Frankie said with a sigh. She kicked at the grass that was tickling her feet. She’d abandoned her shoes earlier that afternoon in favor of wading in the stream and hadn’t bothered putting them back on since. She preferred the feel of earth below her feet.

“The fairies come out at sunset,” Sylvia said, as if she’d been the expert all along. She stood up and put her hands on her hips as she surveyed the woods around them. Frankie followed her gaze, wondering what they would do if they ever did catch a fairy? She suspected Sylvia’s intentions were not so friendly and the idea of it left an uneasiness in the pit of her stomach.

“I’m the one who saw one before,” Frankie said.

“Yeah, well, maybe you didn’t.”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“We’re going to catch one and prove it to Jenny,” Sylvia said ignoring her comment.

“Who cares what Jenny thinks?”

“No one. That’s not the point.”

“After we catch one and prove they exist,” Frankie said carefully, “We’ll let it go, right?”

Sylvia gave her sister a hard stare and even though she didn’t say the words, Frankie knew the truth. If they did manage to catch one, the fairy was going to end up worse off than that frog Melanie kept talking about dissecting in Biology class.

When Sylvia turned her back, Frankie whispered under her breath a silent plea to any that might be listening to stay away. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement in the branches of a nearby tree. Slowly, she turned her head, careful not to make any sudden movements, and she took in the sight of an unmistakable bright sparkle of a fairy sliding playfully down a leaf. Frankie opened her mouth to call out to Sylvia but remembered the frog and thought better of it. The fairy slid all the way down to the bottom branch and then hit the ground with a silent plop.

Mesmerized, Frankie sank down to her hands and knees as she crawled toward her. She was certain it was the same one she’d seen the other night splashing in the bird bath, the same night she’d made the mistake of running into Sylvia’s room to drag her big sister to the window to watch. She should have known better. By the time she’d convinced Sylvia to pull away from her phone, the fairy had vanished.

The fairy looked up and smiled, not the least bit startled by being discovered.

She wants me to see her.

“What are you doing?”

Frankie bolted upright and turned to face Sylvia.

“Nothing. Honest.”

“Nothing, huh? You’re acting mighty suspicious over nothing. What are you hiding behind your back? Cough it up, Frankie.”

Sylvia attempted to push past but Frankie held her ground, determined not to let the fairy fall to whatever fate Sylvia had in store for it. Unfortunately, Sylvia had size and strength on her side and eventually, she managed to shove Frankie aside. Frankie scrambled to her feet and made a flying leap at Sylvia’s back, but she realized too late that the fairy had gone.

“What has gotten into you?” Sylvia said, spinning until Frankie detached and hit the ground.

“Come on, we’re going to be late for dinner,” Sylvia said.

Frankie glanced back at the tree and saw the fairy peek around the trunk to wave goodbye. She smiled. Fairies were smarter creatures than she’d given them credit for. She waved back and then jumped to her feet to follow Sylvia down the narrow path that led out of the woods and back to their house.

She knew as she washed her hands and took her seat at the table that she would need a plan to sneak out of the house later when everyone else was asleep.

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#AtoZChallenge Visitors from Beyond – Escaping the Eddimu

On April 6, 2016April 4, 2016 By Stephanie IngramIn Blogging A-Z Challenge26 Comments

According to Wikipedia, the eddimu were a type of utukku in Sumerian religion. They were envisioned as the ghosts of those who were not buried properly and were considered vengeful toward the living.

White shapes gathered under the moonlight. They floated effortlessly between the trees, reflecting the light as they moved. Arms outstretched, they hovered closer. They had no eyes but yet they seemed to see.

Maggie drew back from the window and yanked the heavy drapes closed. As usual, the old, drafty house was cold. No matter how much she turned up the heat or how many logs she added to the fireplace, she knew she would never feel warm here. It had been that way since Ethan died, only lately, it had been getting worse.

The ringing of the phone caught her off guard and made her stumble into an end table. With a stifled moan, she grabbed the receiver and brought it up to her mouth, breathless, she managed to hold back the string of curse words she’d wished to say.

“You’re never going to believe what he did this time.”

“What’s going on?” Maggie said, sinking into a rocking chair and eyeing the closed drapes warily. She listened to her friend, Kate, ramble about something completely unimportant while she contemplated how long those things would be out there tonight.

“Did you hear a word I said?” Kate asked, bringing Maggie out of her head and back to the conversation.

“Oh, of course I did.”

Kate made a sound that Maggie knew most likely meant she didn’t believe her but regardless, she continued to drone on. The latest boyfriend took up a lot of Kate’s time and energy and like or not, Maggie was going to get dragged into the saga.

“I’m sure he’ll come around,” Maggie said trying to offer support even though truly, she wasn’t sure of anything, least of all whether Kate’s recent romantic interest would finally see her friend for the brilliant person she clearly thought she was.

“Forget him,” Kate said suddenly, “What we need is a girl’s night out.”

Maggie sat straighter in her chair, “No! – I mean – it’s just that I’ve not been feeling very well lately and I’ve been so busy at work that -”

“Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, enough with the excuses already. Every time I suggest we get you out of that big, dreary house you have a dozen of them. I’m sorry but it’s time.”

“I’m not ready.”

“You’ll never be ready.”

“Some people don’t move on as quickly as you do, Kate.”

“That isn’t fair and you know it.”

“I’m sorry,” Maggie said resting her head back and letting the chair lull her gently back and forth, “You’re right.”

“I miss him, too.”

“Yeah, I know you do. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“But Maggie, you can’t sit around waiting for some magic moment when life finally feels normal again because I hate to break it to you but it’s never going to feel normal. You have to keep moving forward anyway. Ethan would have hated for you to sit around moping and feeling sorry for yourself all the time.”

“I don’t feel sorry for myself. Work really has been very busy. And things have been – weird lately.”

“Weird? How?”

Maggie sighed and wished she hadn’t said anything. Now that the hint of it was out there, it would be unlikely for Kate to simply drop it without more of an explanation and Maggie had never been a very good liar.

“I don’t want to talk about it on the phone.”

“Good, then you have absolutely no excuse why you can’t join me for a girl’s night out tomorrow. I’ll meet you for drinks after work at the usual spot.”

“I haven’t been back there since -”

“Don’t worry, it hasn’t changed,” Kate said cutting her off, “Six thirty sound good?”

“I can’t.”

Kate gave her an exaggerated sigh over the phone and Maggie cringed at the thoughts that must be running through her friend’s head.

“Give me one good reason.”

Maggie took a deep breath and decided there was no reason not to just come out with the blunt truth. Kate needed to know.

“Because Ethan is back.”

There was silence on the other end of the receiver and Maggie started to think she’d lost the call. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees listening intently to confirm the faint sound of Kate’s breathing on the other end.

“Our Ethan?”

“Yes.”

“That isn’t funny.”

“It isn’t a joke.”

“Maggie, he isn’t coming back,” Kate said softly, patronizing, almost as though she were talking to a child.

Maggie gritted her teeth and tried to calm the racing of her heart. Of all the people who might believe such a crazy idea, it should have been Kate. Maggie wanted to scream at her for playing ignorant. She glanced toward the window again and for a split second, she was certain that the heavy material swayed as though someone had been watching her and dropped the drapes just in time to conceal his identity.

“You don’t have to believe me, Kate, but it’s true and I’m not going anywhere until I figure out what he is trying to tell me.”

“Goodness, Maggie, I had no idea how much all this affected you. I shouldn’t have left you alone so long.”

“I’m not crazy, Kate. You know that better than most.”

“If you’re referring to -”

“You know exactly what I’m referring to. Stop pretending like you didn’t see it too.”

“I don’t know what we saw, Maggie. Honest.”

“Never mind that,” Maggie said with a sigh, “Let’s have lunch on Saturday. Here, at my house. I have something I want you to see.”

Maggie could feel the hesitation. She knew that Kate hated the house and was probably debating suggesting an alternative location at the risk of making Maggie change her mind about getting together at all. Finally, she conceded.

“Fine. Saturday but I expect you to tell me everything.”

“Of course,” Maggie agreed.

“And I want you to promise me that after you do, you will get help.”

“I’m not crazy.”

“Promise me.”

“Fine. I promise. You will see for yourself though. I’m not crazy.”

After she hung up the phone, Maggie continued to sit in the rocking chair staring at the drapes, willing them to move. She didn’t dare get up and look out the window again. The chime of the clock in the hall alerted her to the fact that it was already eleven o’clock.

Only an hour until she faced him. She silently said a prayer that he’d be in a better mood than last night…

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#AtoZChallenge Visitors from Beyond – Destined to the Dragon

On April 5, 2016April 4, 2016 By Stephanie IngramIn Blogging A-Z Challenge21 Comments

Layla struggled against the binds as the enormous beast loomed over her. She’d nearly managed to free her left hand. If only she had a little more time she might be able to escape, but she feared that it was already too late. The large, red dragon circled overhead once more. There was no doubt that it was aware of her presence. She’d stifled a shriek as a third pass brought it’s long, sharp talons down to snag the blue gown she’d been forced to dress in during the preparation ceremony. The talons had come dangerously close to ripping into her skin and left a gaping hole in her dress for the cold rush of night air to brush up against her pale skin, prickling her skin with the impending storm.

Fruitlessly, she pulled and struggled against the rope holding her in place. The men who had brought her here had been thorough in their attempts to keep her in place. At one time in her life, she might have called them neighbors or even friends, but as they’d prepared her for her death, not one had been willing to meet her eye or hear her plea, not even Kyrad.

Hot air washed over her with the putrid stink of the dragon’s breath as it settled just a few feet from where she lay on the platform of the high mountain. She could scream but no one would help her. They had purposely left her here to die, a sacrifice to the hungry dragon in return for peace amongst the village, a scheme which all seemed entirely too convenient in her opinion. She’d seen the way the others looked at her.

“Die gracefully,” they had told her when the calling had been made. “It is, after all, a great honor to be the chosen one.”

Layla sucked in her breath as she watched wide eyed as the dragon paced along the edge of its high perch. Just a few more wriggles and her left hand would be free.

The dragon let out a loud, bellowing roar that shook the mountain and echoed far into the distance. Layla wondered how many people down below in the village looked up, cowering in fear, as they held fast onto each other for comfort. They were waiting for the dragon to claim his meal so that the sacrifice would be complete. Layla closed her eyes and held back the hot tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. No, she wouldn’t face death as a coward. There had to be another way. She continued to strain against the binds as determination filled her. In the name of her parents, she would prove them all wrong.

In the distance, thunder cracked in response to the dragon’s roar, a deep sound that shook their world. Dark clouds swirled above, moving closer at a rapid speed. The first fat drops of rain began to spill down on them as the dragon turned to focus back on Layla. He sniffed tentatively and his arrow tipped tongue tasted the air as he approached her. Even though she had nowhere to go, she sank back into the rock as though she wished the mountain would split wide and swallow her into its depths. The dragon spread his wings wide as he arched his back and shot a plume of smoke and fire into the night almost as if he were thanking the gods in triumph. Rising on his hind legs, he was easily four times the height of a grown man. Nevertheless, Layla held steadfast onto the only thing she had left – hope.

Red bead eyes regarded her with curiosity. She’d managed to free her left hand finally but she didn’t dare to move while she was under such close scrutiny. She held her breath, biding her time, waiting for the dragon to make a move.

The dragon ambled forward until its snout was pressed against her nose. Layla squeezed her eyes shut and said a silent prayer to the gods and then as the dragon lifted its head and opened its jaws wide to snap down over her, she quickly flung her weight to the right where she still dangled helplessly by the hand still tightly bound. She watched in horror as the dragon’s razor sharp teeth clamped down over the brush and rock. It recovered, snorting steam from its nostrils as it took two steps back, preparing for the next attack.

By some miracle, Layla managed to free her right hand. She scrambled into the bushes before the dragon’s teeth could catch her. The dragon roared as flames shot from its jaws and ignited the bushes where Layla sought protection. She squealed and ran, barely escaping the snapping jaws. The two went back and forth this way for a while, the dragon insistent on catching its prey and Layla determined to escape. She needed to get to the other side of the platform where she knew there was a way over the mountain, to the safety of the village below.

But as the dragon nipped at her feet and tore at the bottom of her gown, she realized with a heavy heart, even if she managed to escape, where would she go? The village was no longer her home and her friends were no longer her friends. If she returned from the mountain, she would not be considered a hero, but rather a coward that sacrificed the village for the sake of her own life. This left her with only one option, she couldn’t simply escape from the dragon’s clutches, she needed a way to kill it.

Rather than make a break for the path when she had the opportunity, Layla grabbed a large rock and flung it as hard as she could, aiming for the dragon’s eyes. It hit with a satisfactory thunk right between the eyes. She hunched over, trying to catch her breath, while the dragon, stunned by the retaliation, took off to the sky and began circling overhead again. This gave Layla a moment to try to clear her head and think.

The rain fell faster around them and soaked the dress until it clung uncomfortably to her body. Layla scrambled, desperate to find anything that she could fashion into a weapon before the dragon returned to its perch. Her hand clutched the pendant that still dangled around her neck on a golden chain. It had been a gift from her parents on her eleventh birthday during a time when her life was still filled with so much promise for the future. Angry, she ripped it free allowing the chain to drop in a heap to the ground. She picked it up and used it to fasten a rock quickly to the end of the longest stick that she could find. She’d only just finished her makeshift weapon when the dragon’s talons touched down just a couple of feet from where she worked.

She squealed, sinking back into the shadows and nearly losing the stick in the meantime. The dragon roared, rearing its ugly head and shooting flames in every direction. This time, it meant to have its meal, the initial curiosity replaced with a ferocity that she didn’t believe she had the strength to match. Who was she to slay a dragon, after all? If it were such an easy feat then any of the large men from her village would have surely completed the task by now instead of cowering in fear anytime she proposed such an idea. Layla cowered, her heart hammering wildly in her chest, biding her time until the dragon’s next strike.

The dragon scratched the ground with its sharp talons much like a bull paws the ground before it charges. She watched as tendrils of smoke rose into the air from its nostrils, the heat turning to steam as the rain cooled the fire. Layla shivered as fear and dampness crept along her spine. Every moment stretched into an eternity before finally, the dragon made its move, running at top speed from one end of the landing to the space where Layla laid in wait. It was now or never, she knew, so once again she said a silent prayer to the gods who listened and raised her weapon just as the dragon towered over her. Its large body shook as the beast howled into the night. And then, much to her horror, its full weight sink down over her.

This isn’t how I want to die.

Burning filled her nostrils and made her head throb. Barely able to catch her breath, she heaved again attempting to lighten the burden of the beast that lay over her. Finally, she managed to drag her body out from under the heap of dragon. It’s breathing had ceased but still, Layla looked over it in awe. She had listened to a story once as a child that her father had told her about a knight that slay a dragon with a diamond to the heart but she had never regarded it as anything more than a fictional story, another of the many her father made up to amuse her. But by some grace, it had actually worked.

The rain poured down in a heavy stream but she didn’t notice the chill that soaked her to the core. She only stood and watched the dragon, weary that she had come so close to being its meal and instead, championed over it. Her hands shook by her sides, both proud and devastated to have brought the end of life to a fellow creature of her world, no matter how fierce it had been.

Tears of remorse poured down over her cheeks. Moving slowly to the edge of the mountain, she peered down through the dark to the few lights that burned in the village below. Always someone kept watch. Tonight, they could sleep peaceful, she thought. The dragon would no longer be a concern. Tonight she did not become the sacrifice that the village had hoped for. In her heart, she felt reborn, destined for something greater than she could comprehend. With much effort, she turned the dragon to his side so that she could pull the long stick from its chest and marvel at the blood-soaked pendant. She wiped it with her dress, took a deep breath, and then considered her return to the village.

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