The Dragon’s Danger (Excerpt)

Ella, Grade 4
Seven Oaks Elementary

It was a windy day, the worst day to go boating, but here we are in the middle of the lake in a boat. We were alone today, and it was just my dad, my dog Sadie, and myself, Ava. My mom disappeared, though I still think she’ll come back someday. We weren’t talking, and Sadie wasn’t barking, until now. She was barking wildly, as if to tell us something. Before we knew it, we crashed.

I wound up on shore, but I wasn’t wet, cold, or hurt. I looked around, and didn’t see anything, but I just heard Sadie barking. Then I realized that the worst had happened. I lost my dad! I decided to follow Sadie’s barking. I ran like I never had before, and like nothing else mattered. I came to a gate, but it wasn’t a normal gate, but one overgrown with flowers and plants. The flowers were purple, and the gate was made of wood. There were steppingstones leading up to the gate. As I came closer, Sadie’s barking got louder. I opened the gate, followed Sadie’s barking into the gate, and started running again. Sadie came towards me with something in her mouth. It was a key!

The key was gold with flowers twisted around it. I ran to her and grabbed the key. Even though I knew she couldn’t talk, I asked her,” I thought I was dreaming, Sadie kept barking. This was the most bizarre moment, especially because I didn’t notice that the trees were purple and had swirls on them until now. It was a beautiful forest and looked enchanted.

“My name is Amber,” admitted a dragon.

“I- I’m Ava,” I blurted.”

“I know… you look just like your mother,” laughed Amber.

“H-how did you know?” I said wondering.

The dragon laughed again and answered, “It would be very hard to find someone that doesn’t know your mother.”

I asked, “How?”

“The trees. Look closer.”

I decided not to argue, especially because it was a dragon, and I looked closely at the trees. I thought this was a joke, until I saw something incredible. It was the most amazing thing ever. I saw the past. It was my mother. I watched her run through the trees. They were these trees, with the purple leaves and swirled bark. Then she ran past us, then disappeared.

Amber said, “Follow her.”

So that’s what I did. I went tree to tree, watching and following her. She stopped running, and so did I. Pixies were surrounding her. They were beautiful. They were wearing different color dresses, The colors of the rainbow. Their wings were clear. They were attacking her! She was fighting then back, from the gold key I had. Then she threw it up in the air, where amber swooped up and caught it.

My mother yelled, “Go free Sapphire, then give the key to Ava! Don’t worry about me.” Amber left, and my mom got taken by the pixies.