Dragon Bound

It was a dark and stormy night... JK! Actually, it was an absolutely stunningly gorgeous day to be out bebopping around New Hope, PA. Sunny, about 76 degrees w minimal humidity and air so clear, smelling of flowers and hay and sunshine. Awesome! Honestly , if you haven’t been to New Hope, you NEED to go.

Who am I to tell YOU what to do? Well, my name is Kate Asher. I’m a nursing student at the Health & Technology Training Institute. I work during the day at Paneros Bread. It is what it is. I got an extra day off during the week and instead of doing my homework, decided I really needed a mental health break. It takes almost 2 years to get my LPN doing it this way, but at least I can keep a roof over my head and food in my tummy while doing it! I am about halfway through.

One of my favorite things to do is get out of Philly when I get the chance and check out surrounding areas. None of my friends got off, so today I am solo-ing. I have brown hair & eyes. Sort of the girl next door type of looks. Tallish & a little skinnier than most. Enough about me, I just saw an awesome looking store w knick-knacks, and gew-gaws and books! Oh boy! BRB!

WOWSA! I got some stick incense, along with this really cute dragon incense holder. It has red gemstone eyes! And it came with a little black book, with red gemstones to match! How absolutely cool! There’s a restaurant two doors down with outside dining, I am going to grab some lunch and investigate my finds!

Yawn and stretch after a wonderful meal of French onion soup, and prawns in a raspberry vinaigrette dressing over a bed of greens with thinly sliced french breakfast radishes. Yummy! Finished off with a piece of Tiramisu. Mmm.

I picked up the incense to investigate the package labelled only as “mixed”. Quite a shock to find actual Frankincense! And gold? Can’t be gold. I only paid $22 for all of it and that included tax! There are several incense sticks, but none are labelled. They each one smell wonderful, though. How odd.

So, the dragon with ruby red eyes. Gorgeous. His tail curls around at the base to hold incense. And his tail can be be arranged to hold stick or cone incense. Just for fun, I put in one of the stick incense and lit it (sure am glad the restaurant isn’t busy!). At any rate, the smoke started coming out of the dragon’s mouth! That ought to be impossible. How is this working?!?? I don’t do drugs! But I swear it sure looks like the smoke is coming out of his mouth? He just winked at me! It’s a carved piece of something, although I can’t imagine what?

Having decided maybe I didn’t get sufficient sleep last night and *perhaps* hallucinated the dragon‘s blowing smoke and winking at me, I reached for the little book. As I opened it, the wind picked up and I shivered. I changed my mind, decided to check it out at home as there were two more shops I wanted to go through while here. New Hope is an artist colony, full of both wondrous and different works. I needed more exposure to up my joy factor!

On the drive back to Philly, something appeared in my back seat. It looked like a rock. Or a chunk of concrete. I cannot figure out where it came from or how it came to be in my back seat. I grant you, I had my windows down, but still!

I live in a little garage apartment, which belongs to a wealthy older couple. I got the place for really low rent (well, low for Philadelphia) because I keep an eye on the owners and report to their son if anything is off.

Graham (their son) was outside as I pulled in and walked over to talk. As he walked up, he said “Where did that Dragon come from? It looks like it’s from the Zhou Dynasty, and if so- it’s worth a fortune! Do you mind if I get it looked apraised by someone I know?” I said “Sure!” (Because really?? I am not that lucky!) That chunk of whatever it is in the back seat appears to be a dragon.

Graham grabbed the dragon and headed out. I sucked it up and headed for the Eclassroom. Another long evening faced me. But, as I really want to be a nurse, I will keep working the program. I loved the chemistry and loathed the physiology in equal measure, but I WOULD win through!

Early, the next morning, right after Paneros opened, Graham came in, grabbed my arm and said “Did you come get the statue last night?” I rolled my eyes and told him, “no- I was in class. Did you lose it?“ Graham replied “We went out to eat after my friend completed his exam. It IS a Zhou Dynasty piece. He locked it in his safe before we left. When we got back it was gone.” From my viewpoint, it was an “easy come, easy go” kind of thing because I still had no clue where it came from!

When I got from work, I went straight to the shower because ONIONS! After I got out and dressed, headed to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat & there sat that stupid dragon on the counter. I picked it up and everything changed. I couldn’t see or smell. I could still hear. I couldn’t move. I panicked because I was aware, but couldn’t do anything. I must’ve passed out for a bit. I woke up, hearing a strange mans voice. “There you are”, he said. I thought I’d lost you. “What is this? Did you pick up another one? Let me see if I can free him or her.”

I felt a whomp, I was on the floor. A man I had never seen stood there, holding the dragon. “I’m sorry”, he said. “He got away from me, after a robber broke into my home and took his book. He’s bound to it. He is an old, old dragon and he continually tries to reform. While I try to prevent that. You see, he takes over people who touch his book. They become part of him. That’s how he grows back into himself. He did have you long. You look intact.”

I started to cry. “Can he ever get me again, now that he did it once? Am I safe.” “Please show me where the incense holder and book are. I will take them and him, and lock them away. In addition, I will pay you $250,000 dollars to say you lost the statue. The money will be in your possession tomorrow. So long as you do not touch his bindings again, you are safe.”

I showed the man where the incense, dragon and black book were, along with the bag they had been in. He put them back into the bag, closed it, and the dragon statue vanished from the table wher he had put it, as he loaded the items into the bag. Then, he turned and walked out the back door. I sat on the floor and just shivered and shook. It was over.

I got up, lockEd the doors and went to bed. I didn’t know what time it was. I didn’t care about school. I was just exhausted. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, I think, for I remember nothing more til I awoke the next day. I was sure I had just had the worlds most bizarro dream.

I stumbled into the kitchen, ready for some coffee. There was a check lying on the counter. It was fit $250,000! It was REAL. It wasn’t a dream, or a nightmare. Boy if that check cashed and deposited, I was going to be the happiest girl! I could go straight to school full time, get my RN on top of the LPN.b I will be set! No more dragon incense holders for this girlie though!