#cooly

“As a hatchling I was always told not to stray too far in the woods, especially in the dark of night. Ma and Pa would always tell me the story of a strange beast that lurked hours after midnight; tempting me to stay away from the danger of the forest. That did little to stop me. I still remember the night crystal clear. After Ma and Pa were fast asleep, I snuck away and headed for the familiar trails of the snow covered forest. Although, now that night had fallen the paths I would normally take were distorted, and difficult for a young one like me to pick out.

My unwavering adventurous spirit held strong, as I pressed forward. Not knowing where I would end up, or what I would run into. The powdery snow deafened my surroundings; an eerie sort of quiet rang loudly around me.  For once the tales of the beast played tricks in my head. And I began to wonder if it was even real, or if I would be fortunate – or rather, unfortunate enough to run into such a thing. Ma described it as having a twisted, harsh jagged body; with remains of dead dragons being its preferred fashion; and its eyes … They always presented themselves in my mind as cold, heartless, monstrous beady eyes. Eyes that could really kill at a glance.

At some point I admitted silently to myself that I was lost. And I certainly had no idea how to get back. I remember whining for Ma or Pa to come and find me. And wishing I had not went adventuring in these lonely forbidden woods. I began to wonder if I would ever make it out of there, or if I would even survive until morning.

That’s when I heard a crack; from a branch no doubt. My hearing is not the best, but I instinctively shifted towards the source of the sound. It was unmistakable. A fierce looking creature much bigger than me was staring in my direction, towering over me. I felt meaningless, and powerless in its presence. Glowing blue claws and stones stuck out of its twisted tree of a body. Its head was the skull of a dragon. But its eyes … its eyes were nothing like what I imagined. They weren’t a deep, cold icy blue. They weren’t even monstrous; but a fiery, heartwarming orange. And somehow, the welcoming eyes of this creature made me feel less scared, although I was astray in the depths of this lonesome forest.

The creature stepped towards me, lowering its neck to me and acting as if it had never seen a baby Coatl in all its life. Its consistent sniffing was familiar, and reminded me of Ma. As the gears turned in my head, the thought of this creature just being some type of Tundra came to mind. Although I was too in shock to ask any questions.  The odd looking ‘Tundra’ continued to sniff around me. I wondered if it was planning whether I was good to eat or not. But if my hunch was right, this ‘Tundra’ would rather feast on a salad of leaves than me.

I recall the beast raising its head, and looking in different directions. Its tree-like body even creaked like old trees in the forest. After getting the scent of the area, it motioned for me. The orange kind eyes inviting me to follow. Being as young as I was, I obeyed, and followed along in the things massive footprints. I had no idea where it was leading me, but I had a feeling it would not be anywhere dangerous.

We reached an edge to the forest of trees. After stepping out into the open, I was on familiar ground. My home was even in sight. I turned to the beast, exclaiming an excited “Thank you!” to them. They responded by nuzzling my nose. I have to admit, it was freaky having a skull head affectionately nuzzle me. But I returned the nuzzle back out of courtesy.

I could not wait to get back home and tell my friends that the ‘scary’ monster in the forest was real. Who knew if they would ever believe me. Once I woke up from a goodnight sleep, I would be sure to tell everyone about my experience.

 It’s too bad dreams exist. They make a quick cover up for any out-of-the-ordinary story. But I promise you, I remember. And it was no dream” - Cooly’s Notes