I opened the door quietly and snuck in.
It was now well past six.
I was in trouble.
However, I avoided my family by quietly yet quickly putting my stuff in the laundry room and running upstairs to my room.
I closed the door with a sigh and shook my head.
"I'm sick." I muttered to my reflection over the pile of clean clothes on my dresser.
"I've got to be.
Dragons don't-"
Smack!
"What the?" I cried, running to the window and opening the blinds.
A feathered Jesioth was perched on the roof next door.
He had a chain around his neck and was peering at me.
In the light from the streetlight, I could see that his feathers had been glued on.
Still, it gave him a molting pigeon look.
I glared at him and closed the blinds again.
I turned to my computer and turned it on.
I spent the next two hours cruising the Internet and chatting to my friends.
None of them seemed to have encountered odd 'real-life' versions of Falas' search-riders.
This was far from encouraging and I turned off my computer at eight.
Unable to stay awake much longer as I felt sick, I went to bed.
***
I woke up the next day with a clear head and a happy spirit.
Jesioth and M'len had simply been a dream.
When I opened the blinds, there would be no pigeon-dragon watching me.
I opened my eyes and nearly screamed, clapping my hands over my mouth at the last moment and swallowing my exclamation.
"I'm still dreaming!" I gasped, staring at the non-feathered Jesioth sitting on my bed.
He grinned slightly at me and nudged a letter towards me.
I gingerly picked it up, noting that it was no stationary from Earth.
It was Pernese parchment.
Dear Shailey Dumont, it began,
I am well aware that you have nothing to do today and would greatly appreciate a visit from you.
Come to Place D'Orleans at noon sharp.
Sincerely, Jessy
I glared at the letter like one would a disgusting insect.
I looked at the blue dragon.
"I'm not going." I told the miniature.
"I don't know a Jessy."
Jesioth gave me an annoyed look and - lightning quick - wrapped his tail around my arm.
He clung to me and nibbled on my hand.
I gave him an annoyed look but got up anyways.
I had not changed last night, which was good, since Jesioth was not going to let me.
I got my coat and other winter gear and my bus pass.
I yelled to my family that I was going to the mall to meet Sarah and left.
The bus passed about five minutes after I reached the bus stop.
Jesioth had probably woken me up to make sure I did not miss it.
We got to the mall, the shrunk dragon hidden in my coat sleeve, on time.
M'len met us at the bus terminal.
"Jesioth?" He inquired instantly and the blue popped his head out of my sleeve.
"Good, we're all here.
Jesioth is going to take us flying.
Maybe then you'll change your mind."
I forced the lizard-thing from my coat.
"Here, take him and leave me alone." I growled.
"I have my own life, I don't want a fantasy of one."
However, he did not leave me alone.
Instead, he decided to take me home.
I knew he was planning something but could see no way out of it.
We got on the next one-thirty-five going the way I had come.
However, we did not get off at my stop.
Instead, we got off at the Tim Hortons three stops later and he and Jesioth 'accompanied' me down the hill to a large stretch of empty land.
There, he insisted I wait.
Jesioth flew out some distance and slowly grew inside.
When he was done, he was twenty-eight meters long.
That was big.
That was huge.
I gaped wordlessly and M'len ran forward, dragging me behind.
He vaulted onto his dragon's neck and the three of us rocketed skyward to plane-level.
I clutched to the blue's neck instinctively as we flew up.
I was not afraid.
Just angry.
When we landed fifteen minutes later and Jesioth shrank back to his 'carry' size, I was smoldering.
"Who do you think you are?" I demanded, striding back and forth in front of the search-rider.
"You come along, out of nowhere, and plot to make me miserable until I go with you!
I'm not one of your dreamy-eyed Pernese!
I like my life.
So leave me alone!"
I later noticed that I had screamed at them, but I did not care.
I stalked back home, looking over my shoulder repeatedly to see if they followed.
They did not.
If they had...
I smoldered some more.
By the time I got home a good half hour later, I was annoyed and confused as well as angry.
M'len and Jesioth came out of nowhere and asked me to abandon my life - my perfectly good life! - to bond a telepathic, telekinetic and teleporting dragon.
Worst of all was that I wanted to go!
I loved my life, it was grand with all its ups and downs.
However, I also wanted dearly to have a dragon of my own.
And since Jesioth could shrink, maybe I could get my bond to shrink too?
But how soon?
Would that take three whole years of my life away?
People said high school was the golden years.
I did not want to simply throw that all away.
Throw away all my future on Earth.
But...
What was there really for me on Earth?
A career helping people's animals as a veterinarian?
A drab life compared to that of a dragonrider.
And, if M'len was real... did that mean my characters were real too?
Did that mean Enzan Shi really existed?
If it did...
I sighed and looked out my window.
There was Jesioth, watching me.
I motioned for him to come and he teleported in.
I closed the door to my room and looked down at him.
"Are you two Searching for the eleventh Pass Falas?" I asked.
He nodded and flexed his wings.
How I wished I had a dragon who could carry me on those wings...
Or wings like them.
"Have you heard of Shayniie, who Impressed bronze Akyoth in the tenth Pass from Zenith and Niayith's clutch?" I carried on.
At his nod, I sighed.
"And has Shayniie gone and founded the Deragonray on Enzan Shi?" I inquired, somewhat hoping he would deny it.
However, Jesioth nodded.
I sat down on my bed glumly.
"This clutch is at the F.G.P.C., I suppose?" I asked, not even bothering to see if he nodded - which he did.
"It will have rares?" He shook his head.
"Open to all?" Again, he shook his head.
"Only Earthlings?" He nodded.
I sighed and stood up.
"I hate good-byes, so I'll just pack and leave now.
Tell M'len I agree to come, if we leave within the hour."
He vanished as soon as he was in the air and returned quickly with an affirmative nod.
However, he did not leave again.
Instead, he helped me pack.
Despite all my outward self-confidence, inside I was crying.
I felt bad for leaving my family and my friends.
However, I had to be truthful to myself:
Who would not want to Impress a dragon?
I did, even though I adored my life.
I felt tears trickle down my cheeks at the prospect of never seeing them again.
I took a sheet of paper from the pile I had and carefully wrote a letter to my family and friends, explaining that I was gone and was never coming back.
When I reached the end it was blotched with my salty tears.
Miserably, I packed up all my clothes, my CDs, my notebooks, my books - including those of Pern - my binders, my drawings, my slippers, my pajamas, my blanket and my stuffed animals.
I may be leaving the people behind, but I could still bring along the things that reminded me of them.
I wiped the tears from my face with a Kleenex before hoisting my many bags onto my shoulders.
I remembered to pack my braces elastics - it wouldn't do to forget those, as my orthodontist would not be happy - and my other dental supplies.
I also took a box of crackers along for the ride.
And I brought my precious lap top with me, on which I had the possibility of hacking onto the Terran internet someday.
Fat chance, but I could dream.
Besides, it had all my conversations and pictures with my friends.
