Alfie

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Anyway, not the evil kind that have metal skin camouflaged against the blue sky. There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Not the evil kind that torches trees exposing caretakers of valleys, also known as enemies of the government. There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Not the evil kind that used chemical weapons to nearly wipe out the good dragons and their babies, poisoning them with chemicals as punishment for protecting the caretakers of valleys. The evil dragons weren’t dragons at all, they were drones created by the government to control a populace.

There were many valleys that were lush with life and happiness until the global Climrats declared war on humanity. The global Climrats justified a nuclear reset to solve their fabricated narrative that Earth was dying because of humans. The real problem was the Climrat leader’s pocketbooks and powers were eroding. They couldn’t stand for that.

The Climrat’s greed created weapons of disease, famine, energy and the latest was water. The power grab for water resulted in the development of a hornet’s nest of drones throughout Mother Earth.

The Climrats were mummies ruling the Earth while eating the brains of their following. The lush valleys throughout turned into barbeque pits for the soulless. A cancerous spirit spread. The Dark Ages were a picnic compared to life on Earth in 2036.

A group the Climrats called Deplos prayed to the good dragons for help. With angel wings, the dragons answered the call leading them to a secret valley located in the recesses of a canyon where existed a cave of many miles. The cave was protected from the Drones by crystal trees with reflective leaves that confused their radar.

In this sacred place, spirits and knowledge healed the sick. Plants and knowledge provided for the hungry. The cave had waterfalls for dry throats and writings on the rock walls for those who thirst knowledge. The Deplos called the valley, Tahleque, the last jewel of Earth.

The Deplos professed their gratitude every sunrise and promised the dragons they would become guardians and caretakers of Tahleque, protecting her with their lives.

Gran, the leader of the dragons, questioned Connor, the leader of Deplos. “Why did you not care for the valleys you had before?”

“Too many took for granted the beauty, forgot the lessons and succumbed to free candy to eliminate their pain,” replied Connor. “And, above all, many sold their soul to the Climrats.”

“And the Mummies ate the brains of humanity,” interjected Shane, a friend to Connor.

The dragons were satisfied. They went to their jeweled roots of the Crystal trees deep in the Earth that cradled them as the waterfalls lolled them to sleep. The dragons were safe and content for thirty years and life was good.

One day in the year 2066, a young mother was collecting geodes for the annual event, Crystal Dreams. Everyone in the community looked forward to that event more than any especially this year because Dane, the son of Connor, and his wife, Reesa invited the dragons.

The young mother had also brought her son to help gather the geodes. He was only three-years old, but everybody noticed that he was different. His mother never worried about him helping her for nature loved him. For someone so young, he understood the language of the wild, and he was great at finding geodes. The energy from the crystals seemed to beckon him. Unfortunately, something else was beckoning him that day. It was a sound that he wasn’t familiar with. The sound was a drone.

When the mother called to her young son, there was no reply. She called again and again. Her voice turned into a panic pitch. She looked at the opening of the cave to the outside world and the nightmare began.

She dropped the healing geodes and ran through the opening of the cave. It was also her first time hearing a drone and seeing one. The strange metal creature was hovering over her child. A bright burst of light flew out of the drone almost hitting the young boy. The young mother bolted for her son fetching him up and ran back through the cave opening. The drone quickly followed but was stalled briefly by the sparkly leaves of the crystal trees. The metal demon seemed confused until reinforcements gathered around it. They tried to ignore the reflections to continue the chase.

There were five drones flying around the crystal trees. There was no wind and yet the leaves were falling onto the drones making dent marks with their sharp crystal points. The drones weren’t stopping. It was the first Deplo spotted since the nuclear blast. The Climrats would get extra bonus points from their leader for eliminating this human and her child. And if they discover the Deplos’ hideout, the Climrats would receive medals and maybe some extra days off.

The young mother could hear the drone getting closer, but the sound was different. It was louder and stronger. It sounded like a swarm of hornets chasing her. She looked back over her shoulder and saw there were more than one drone. The mother stumbled over a dead branch but caught herself as she held tight to her child. She knew the river was ahead. Hopefully, it would be a sanctuary from the drones trying to kill her. The mother increased her pace.

The ground shook, this time causing the mother to fall her child dropped from her arms. She was near the edge of the cliff. She retrieved the boy and crawled to the edge and dove into the waves.

The ground shook again knocking the crystal leaves from the trees with such force they cascaded onto the drones. Three of the drones crashed into the tree trunks, the other two slammed into the river, the waves sucking them into oblivion.

The mother struggled to keep her child above the water. She searched the banks for something to grab onto and noticed a dock up ahead. A woman was on the dock gathering some water. The mother yelled at the woman. “Please help! HELP!! Take my boy!” Just as the mother reached the dock, a tree root grabbed the child and wrapped its tendrils around him. The mother held on but was losing strength. The woman on the dock ran to get the child and put him to shore. She went back for the mother who was hanging onto the dock.

The woman held out her hand for the mother to grab. The ground shook again, so fiercely that the river roared a response causing the dock to shake and almost knocking the woman into the water. The weakened mother lost her grasp. The woman watched in horror as the young mother was being swept toward the falls.

“Why did you have to take her?” the woman whispered to the spirits.

“We did not take her,” was their answer. “We saved the child.”

The woman took the child into her arms. “My guess is that your mother was running from something, probably the Climrats. She wanted you safe and you will be with my husband and me.”

The woman looked at the child’s brown eyes and funny smile. “My name is Reesa. I don’t suppose you could tell me yours?”

The child giggled.

“Well, no matter. There is time enough for introductions.”

She caressed the child’s head. “I’m very sorry about your mother.”

The woman searched the landscape realizing that whatever danger was chasing the mother and child had to be close. She hurriedly gathered up the baby and ran home.

Home was an underground dwelling that her and her husband had built on land that was allocated to all who lived in Tahleque. It was nestled among a forest of oak trees and scrub brush. Ferns, moss, dandelions plus other plants did a great job of camouflaging the house.

Dane, her husband, was afraid that someday their beautiful world would be in danger. That their life would be in danger. He based his design of their living space on the premise to always be prepared.

Inside the house was small but doable. Visitors would have to watch that they didn’t bump their heads on the low ceilings and door frames. They had a root cellar that had enough food and supplies to last for at least five years.

Dane kept his weapons of guns and ammunition in a bunker he dug below the root cellar. Geodes were used as the building material for the walls of all their buildings, the house, the root cellar and the barn. Dane was very fond of ducks and raised them for their eggs. Wild pigs, deer and fish from the river were other food sources. The couple created a very cozy, yet humble home.

Reesa went inside with the protected bundle. Dane was working at the table sharpening some knives. He noticed Reesa out of breath, saw the panic in her face and the young boy she cradled in her arms. He jumped from his chair and grabbed a rifle from the top of the door frame.

“Reesa, what is wrong?” he asked as he looked outside to see if any danger was there.

“I’m okay,” she sat the child on the table.

Dane came back into the room and locked the door.

He looked at the bundle.

“What do we have here?”

The little boy started to cry.

“Looks like a sack of potatoes but I’ve never heard potatoes cry before,” Dane teased trying to inspire a smile from the young child.

Reesa sat down and tried to catch her breath. Her husband could see tears swelling from her eyes.

“His mother is gone,” she announced caressing the young boy’s curly blond hair.

“What are you talking about?”

“Something was chasing them. She somehow ended up in the river. Tree roots saved the boy but couldn’t save her. I was on the dock and tried to save her but the earth shook and she lost hold..” Reesa began to cry.

Dane reached out to comfort her.

“The child is so lucky that you were on the dock.”

Dane turned Reesa to face him. “Did you see what it was chasing her?”

“No, though I didn’t take too much time to look. I knew whatever it was had to be close so I ran as fast as I could to get here.”

The little boy started to cry. “He must be hungry. Give him some goat milk and I will go out to see if danger is still around.”

“Dane, call a search party, please don’t do it alone,” begged Reesa as he walked out the door. “Be careful.”

“Don’t worry.” Dane looked at the child. “Looks like this little guy is going to be staying a long while with us!” Dane smiled at the boy and then at Reesa. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “The guys and I will place some rocks near the dock in memory of his mom.”

“Wait!” Reesa searched the cupboard for a jar of lavender seeds. “Spread this around the rocks. Hopefully they will grow.”

Dane took the jar of lavender, gave Reesa a hug and left.

Reesa looked at the child, “Well, looks like I’m going to have to make you some clothes and find a basket for you, but first let’s get you something to drink.”

She started making him some warm goat’s milk with slices of cheese and mushed apples.

The little boy kept nodding off as he was eating.

“You must be very tired from such an adventure.”

After putting him into a fresh shirt, Reesa gathered the boy up and put him in a laundry basket she had emptied. She looked at the clothes he was wearing hoping his name was written somewhere, but it wasn’t.

One of Dane’s baby ducks jumped into the basket and decided to nap with the child. Reesa smiled at the sight.

“Maybe the dragons can give you a name,” she said. A windchime outside the kitchen window started to sing.

“Alfie?” She thought for a moment. “That is a great name for a young spirit!” Reesa looked at the sleeping boy and the little duck. She whispered, “We shall call you Alfie.”