Time Flying

Faye hobbled down the busy highway, brushing stray strands of light blonde hair out of her blue eyes. To her chest she clutched an old, leatherbound book that she had just bought from the local book store. The clerk had frowned when she brought it to the counter and told her he didn't know the price because he didn't remember stocking it. In a moment of generosity he had only charged her one dollar. If he had known anything at all about the book he would have burned it.

The book itself was unremarkable despite being clearly very old and almost illegible. But to Faye, it was a treasure. A key to distant lands that nobody in this lifetime had ever dared to dream of seeing. Embossed on the cover was the raised design of a dragon in flight. Her thumb traced its shape as she approached the apartment complex she called home.

Once inside, she immediately settled into the armchair closest to the door and flipped to a picture of a silver dragon looming over a pitchfork wielding farmer. The spell she needed was written in fading ink on the page opposite the picture.

There were no components needed. Just the right words said with the right gestures and the right time. She studied until her eyes burned and her head was pounding. The light had faded from the windows and she realized she hadn't eaten at all that day. She had been far too excited at the the idea of going back in time to see the great beasts depicted in the tome. Translating the language to a modern tongue was slow going, and she thought that maybe this was why nobody had ever managed to cast this particular spell.

Faye looked at one of the cabinet doors and made a "come hither" gesture with one finger. An apple zipped across the room and landed on the armrest next to her hand. No need to stop her endeavors. She took a bite and turned a page. The sun had risen by the time she felt confident enough to try.

Years of searching had finally come to this moment. The elder witch took a moment to study her features in the mirror and pack a small backpack with essentials before she began to sing. The melody she chose was yearning and hopeful. A song of someone yearning to be reunited with a lost love. Calling to them from across the universe and time itself. She held the last note until she felt dizzy.

Nothing happened. The room was still and silent except for the ticking of the wall clock. She sighed and flipped through the pages of the book in resignation. Clearly, the spell was yet another dud. The words on the pages were beginning to blur. Her eyes were stinging and she began to smell smoke. In the distance, sirens were sounding. A continuous wail announcing a sudden crisis. Anxiously, she glanced at the stove to see if she had left it on. She hadn't even used it for days. A movement outside of the window caught her eye.

Something flew by and hovered just out of sight. It had the shimmer of a hummingbird but was much larger. Faye launched herself across the room and threw open the window. A scaled claw clenched her bird feeder. Feathers were drifting to the ground as the structure sagged under the weight of a large, flying lizard. Faye gasped. They weren't supposed to come here!

The reptile's head jolted and she was met with an iridescent eye. Blood from its prey dribbled from its mouth and onto the ground as it screeched. Faye ducked just in time. A spray of flame shot across her kitchen and quickly spread. Acting urgently, she tucked the book into her backpack and fled out the front door.

It was then she realized the one outside the window had clearly been a baby. Before her stood a dragon that towered over the entire building. It took no noticed of her at all as she ran as fast as she could from the burning apartment. The sirens were growing louder, and as she reached the nearest street she could see that other building had been ignited. Smaller dragons perched on street lights, trees and bushes. Larger dragons found purchase on the skyscrapers and bent in the ceilings of trucks.

The sky was black with smoke. Embers from one building caught another complex on fire. The whole neighborhood was rapidly being engulfed. There was no where to run to. Emergency services had no hope of fighting the giant beasts. As soon as they put out one fire another was set.

Despair churned Faye's stomach as she reached into her bag and removed the book. She had been so confident in her spellcasting. Where had she gone wrong? The despair faded into fury. These dragons were destroying everything, and there was no way she could allow it to happen!

Both of her hands shot into the air and she made eye contact with the nearest, smallest dragon. Making the same, 'come hither,' gesture that summoned the apple from earlier, she brought it close and whispered in its ear,

"Bad dragon! No burning. No. Fires!" it flinched and whined, but staunched its fiery flow, "Good. Now, tell the others," she sent it flying with a flip of her hand. The little dragon chirped and flew to the closest dragon. It promptly ducked its head and turned to face Faye.

"Go on," the pair flew to the next dragon, and the message to stop burning the world was quickly spread. She watched as they flew into the distance with mixed feelings. The creatures would be lost in this time. The world wasn't ready for them. But maybe, she hoped, just maybe they would come to live with humanity instead of destroying it. Grimacing, she made a vow to herself. She had made this mess and would fix it. One way or another.