The Lonely Dragon
Ari Virk Nicholl
Joel heard a strange snuffling sound coming from behind some trees. He went to investigate and was astonished to find a small orange dragon with tears streaming down its face.
“Why are you crying?” asked Joel.
“Because I can’t… can’t… can’t make any friends,” it said sobbingly, whilst snorting out a hot blast of flames, which melted down a tree or two.
“Where do you live? I can see if I can help?” Joel answered, stepping away from the flames.
“Up there!” Dragon pointed to the clouds above the mountain range, then it blew another blaze of fire onto a few nooks and crannies around a box of papers.
“U…uh I’ve never even touched the ceiling before, even of my bunkbed, so that’s not a quest for me!” But then Joel saw a burnt birthday invite. It said ‘Tim, the dragon’s birthday’.
“Is it your birthday? Have you run away?” Joel asked comfortingly.
“Er… Yes, because I think no one will turn up.”
“But, you can’t miss your own party! I’ll come!” Joel gave him a big human hug. Tim suddenly grinned like a Cheshire cat.
“Oh, but my friends don’t like me anymore as once, at my best friend’s birthday party I sneezed. But I can’t control my emotions, when I blow flames, I accidentally burnt the bunting that led to a huge pile of his birthday presents.” Tim started crying.
“I used to get upset too, so my mum helped me by telling me to take deep breaths.” Joel said.
Then Joel sprang up and helped Tim control his emotions by showing him how to take deep breaths, and Tim practised controlling his flame blowing.
They were ready for Tim’s party. Joel soared through the sky on Tim’s back, landing on the easing slope of the towering and deafening mountain of the dragons. Joel’s jaw dropped as he looked up.
Up the mountain they heard a thunderous sound and saw an erupting avalanche heading their way.
Trying to fly above it, Tim’s wing got caught in a rock from the blistering blizzard. They managed to escape and find shelter in a cave. Joel panicked, in fear for his newfound friend. He peered out.
In the blink of an eye, he saw 15 crowding dragons, Tim’s friends, heading for the summit of the mountain. He screamed for help. One of the dragons soared down and others followed.
They gathered around Tim and his best friend gave him a very thin bit of orange wing “This is yours. We’ll bandage it back on and help you get to your birthday party”.
Tim realised the friendship from his best friend never went and learnt that he can make new friends like Joel as well.
As they carried Tim up the glittery stairs to the top, his yummy, scrummy chocolate concrete cake was brightly lit and he blew the candles out but this time without any flames!