Mom, I miss you. When I transformed, I didn't have a
chance to say goodbye or let you know I was alright. As I
finished changing, I felt awash with new emotions. Many of them
felt like that time I was coming home after serving in
Afghanistan. It was these feelings that caused me to fly to the
Rockies
However while I enjoy my life as it is now, I deeply miss
you. I don't want to forget you or the rest of the family. Nor
do I want to leave my old life behind me. While I may never
become the next great guitarist, I will always dream of what my
life could have been.
Most of my days are spent hunting for food, playing Dragon
Ball, and conversing with friends. When this small outpost was
created with computers and such, I quickly flew here so I could
write this email to you. I just had to get in touch with you.
While I can't fly home as I'm bound to the area, I would
still like to see you. Some of my friends have been able to see
their families, including one friend whose mother helped set up
this very computer system. So I was thinking if it would be
possible for you to come here?
Either way, I look forward to your reply. I'll come back
every couple days to check my mail. Please pass this on to the
others in the family. Let them know how I am and that they can
contact me as well.
Love,
Your Son Jake
P.S. A friend told me that there are some guitars here! Maybe
I'll be able to play something again!
The gold and red dragon's human torso sent his email and
searched for the latest baseball scores. Before he transformed,
Jake had been a Yankees fan. Despite never being able to visit
a ballpark again, he still yearned to watch a game.
Seeing the Yankees so-so season, Jake decided to move away
from the computer so another dragon could use it. Pulling out
of the tent, the dragon paused to figure out what he wanted to
do? Did he want to hunt, bask in the sun, or try and gossip
with some of the humans hanging around the camp? He noticed how
there was always someone who wanted to gossip and learn more
about dragons. That normally gave him something to do most
days. Yet he decided just to wander around a bit.
Standing up on his six legs, Jake pulled his torso back
into his mouth. Briefly he felt the familiar sensation of his
consciousness shifting from his torso back to his dragon head.
Instead of jumping up into the air, Jake chose to slowly wander
around the outside of the camp.
Stretching his six legs felt good. While he enjoyed flying
and all that it entailed, just simply walking felt as liberating
to him. While he walked he peered at all sorts of things with
his three eyed gaze. He came across a few dragons who looked
like they were huddling with their own families. Each was
hugging a human with their torsos. Finally, he came across what
looked like an unofficial parking lot.
Jake peered at the off road trucks, he noticed a new one he
hadn't seen before. Coming close to the truck, he peered at it
with his dragon gaze. As crisp as his vision was, he still
needed to get closer to see the inside. Thus he extended his
human torso back out of his mouth. Now with his human sized
head and arms, he was able to get a good look at the machine.
He marveled at its interior and thick off road tires. Though he
did try to wipe off some of his saliva that got on the vehicle
from his wet torso.
Jake wasn't able to peer at the truck unnoticed. A man saw
his huge golden red body and walked over.
"Nice isn't it," the man pleasantly called out.
"Oh, sorry but I've not seen this model before," apologized
Jake pulling his torso away from the vehicle.
"It just came out. It's got the latest automatic four
wheel drive and a superior traction control then the last
model."
"So this is your truck? Oh and I'm Jake."
"I'm Bill, nice to meet you." Bill casually shook the
dragon's extended hand. "I just bought it recently."
Jake gestured to the truck's back seat, "that must be quite
handy!"
"It has been!"
Just as Jake and Bill were gossiping, the dragon felt a
strange feeling. It felt like a small flame being lit near him.
Yet, it was completely mentally. It seemed like a small fire
waiting to erupt.
Briefly, Jake looked around with his human head trying to
figure out where that feeling was coming from. He was about to
excuse himself and find it. Yet he noticed it was coming
towards him.
Walking in their direction was Regan. Bill related how
Jake was interested in his truck. She appreciated that, but she
mentioned she had really come to let Bill know that a few people
were ready to leave.
Jake noticed that strange feeling emanated from Regan.
Just as he was about to say something, Regan let out a loud
sneeze. Peering closer to her face, he realized she was coming
down with a cold.
"Are you ok," Jake asked worriedly. He chose not to
mention what he felt.
"I've just got a summer cold," Regan muttered around some
snuffles.
"Oh I hate those," Bill responded sympathetically. "I'll
help them move their stuff."
"Thanks Bill," Regan responded before heading towards the
film crew.
"Um, Regan can I ask you something," Jake hesitantly asked.
"Sure?"
"How long have you had that cold?"
"Um, it came on just recently. Why?"
Jake didn't know how to say what he was feeling, "well um,
I felt something when you came near me just now. Something I've
never felt before? It seems like a weak flame. One that is
growing larger. I guess, um, I feel it coming from you?"
"Have you ever felt this before?" Regan had never heard
this before from any other dragon.
"No?"
Regan thought it over for a moment. She had caught a cold
and now she heard the dragon say he felt some sort of strange
feeling from her. Then a connection came to her mind. She
grasped that no other dragon had been around someone who was
transforming into a dragon. Could Jake be detecting a
transformation? That the person who was going to change, was
her?
"Um could my having a cold and you feeling that flame, mean
I might be transforming into a dragon?"
Jake pondered that for a moment, "could be. I mean this is
a first for me. We could go and see a few other dragons. See
if they feel it too?"
"Sure," Regan vaguely replied. The thought that she may be
transforming caused her to feel a bit detached. That it hadn't
sunk in that she wasn't going to be human anymore. Then she
realized she was going to be just like them. Regan had been
researching these dragons from the point of view of a human.
But transforming would make it even more real for her. To allow
her to continue her research from the other side. To be able do
things she hadn't been able to go before.
The thought of the possibility of being on the other side
seemed to perk her up a bit. It didn't help that she felt even
more rotten. Her joints were aching and she had a rather
massive headache.
As they passed the other dragons each paused to look up.
They felt the same thing Jake did. Finally they approached a
golden dragon who looked the same as Jake, but with different
scale colors. Regan knew her as Oni.
Like Jake, Oni felt the small flame approaching and turned
to see what it was. When she saw that Regan had a cold, Oni
dropped what she had been doing and hurried over to her small
friend.
A worried look crossed Oni's human Asian face, "Regan are
you alright?"
"I think I might be transforming," Regan uttered around her
sniffles. She was getting sicker by the minute.
"You can feel it," Jake whispered to Oni.
"Yea," Oni quietly uttered to Jake.
"Want to stay and help?"
"I think so, at least so we can keep her from killing
anyone," Oni agreed. Then a little louder to Regan, "I think
you should go to bed. Where's your bed?"
Regan pointed to a tent set up on the opposite side of the
camp away from the make shift parking lot. The two dragons made
sure she had gone to bed.
Afterward Oni pulled her torso out of Regan's tent, "Jake I
think it'll be a while before she begins to transform. It's
best we alert the others."
"Like who?".
"Well I know that Edward and Julie need to know." Edward
was the other major researcher alongside Regan. Julie was part
of the team running the technical side of the camp.
"What about Bill?"
"Him too, but he's out driving that group home."
"Should we tell the other dragons?"
"I think they felt the same thing we did."
"How so, this is the first person I've been next to who was
going to transform," Jake replied a little unsure.
"Same here, but I think they're curious enough to come and
investigate." Oni spoke gesturing to a few other dragons
carefully wandering over. As soon as the two informed them of
Regan's status, they became excited. To see someone else
transforming had been what many wanted to see.
Oni asked those newcomers to keep an eye on Regan while she
slept. Afterword, Oni and Jake went through the camp looking
for Edward or Julie. Once the two people had been located, they
hurried over to Regan's tent.
Inside the two found Regan tossing and turning in her
feverish state. "Do you think the dragons are right," Edward
quietly asked.
"Yea."
"Think what this could mean, one of us will be able to
experience what it is like to be a dragon. Someone with the
type of training she has."
"True, but shouldn't we notify her family?"
"She's never mentioned anyone else. Besides, with what
you've done to the camp, if she wants to reach out afterword she
can." Edward spoke as he led Julie out of Regan's tent. Once
outside he met a gaggle of dragons crowding around. He held his
hands up for them to be quiet, "yes, we think she's going to
transform, but she's sleeping at the moment. So let's let her
get as much sleep as she can. I think you all can appreciate
that."
A thought hit Julie, "do you want to get her transformation
on video?"
"That's a good idea. Also why not get a few other sensors
too. I think we've got an electromagnetic field sensor and a
Geiger counter back in the research tent." Edward added as the
two hurried off to grab as much gear as they could.
A short time later, they came back to see that even more
dragons were huddling near the tent. Most had to wait out in a
open field trying to get any word of what was going on. Some
were discussing how they could feel her transform. Others were
guessing which subspecies she might transform into. Finally, a
bet began to circulate between all the dragons over what Regan
might turn into.
A fair amount guessed that she was going to become a six
legged subspecies. Though Edward had to shake his head as he
saw most who guessed that were of the six legged subspecies
themselves. Even he wondered what she would turn into.
