Rocky Morning

It was a sparkling rainbow morning after a dark and stormy night had thundered through the small town. Sunshine warmed the chilly houses, and people began to emerge into the new day.

Penny was tired of being cooped up inside, and couldn't wait to get out for a walk. She loved walking in the hills surrounding her little town; they rose quickly on all sides, ringing the tiny town with majestic cliffs and ridges, and one spectacular peak that rose above all. That peak was her goal today.

It was a rocky outcrop that towered over all, like a gigantic monster or a troll turned to stone. Or a dragon. For Penny, it was always a dragon. The peak had a name, but in her mind, it was always Dragon Crest. Anyone with an ounce of imagination could see that it looked just like a dragon, reclining along the ridges, its head raised as it looked down over the town at its feet. On cloudy days - which happened frequently here - it even breathed smoke and steam, which the sunset turned to fire.

Her feet knew the path so well she could climb it with her eyes closed, and she reached the top quickly. She paused to look down on the town, far below, just waking up.

A noise behind her suddenly made her spin around, her back to the precipitous drop, her face to the caves that formed the "eyes" of her imagined dragon. What was that noise?

She carefully scanned the mountaintop, searching for the indefinable difference she felt. Something had changed. What was it?

There. Over there behind that rock. Something moved

Slowly and cautiously, she made her way over to the rock. Sheltering behind it, she peeked around it to see what had caused that tiny disturbance.

There was nothing there. Just a jumble of small stones, roughly in the shape of a ring, with one large, round rock in the middle. A round rock? As she watched, she noticed the rock wiggled a little bit. A tiny rocking movement, then it went still.

Curious, she crept closer. The rock was round - unnaturally so - and mottled with shades of red and grey and cream, like fine marble. She reached out a hand to touch it. It was warm. Warmer than the sun could have made it. Very warm. Almost hot!

She hastily drew back her hand and examined the strange rock. It moved again, more violently this time, wobbling back and forth as if something within it was struggling to get out. Then, as she gazed, fascinated, cracks snaked their way all around the surface of the rock. Crack! It split wide open! A creature emerged from it, staggering uncertainly, shaking out damp red wings.

A dragon! Penny gazed on it, enchanted. She took a step toward it, reaching out a hand to caress it.

"I am very hungry!" it said, very clearly. The dragon's mouth gaped wide. Snap! In one massive gulp, it swallowed Penny whole.