Chapter one:
Six years later;
“Happy birthday Ava,” Johnny’s voice lingered through my room. I rolled around in my bed, a groan escaping my lips. “To start off your sixteenth birthday, we gotta go clean the barn,” He laughed.
“I’ll clean the horses, you clean the barn,” I said sitting up, my hair was all in my face, and I pulled it back into a rubber band. “Where are Gorgi and pa?” I asked.
And Johnny was gone. Johnny is eighteen, and Gorgi is twelve, both my brothers. I got out of bed, and pulled on my work boots, slipped on a jacket, and walked over to my dresser. I stopped looking down at a picture of ma. Her deep brown eyes, gorgeous. I felt tears swelling up in my eyes.
“Love you mama,” I said touching the picture. I heard a huge boom, and I jumped looking out my window, smoke was coming from the barn, and I ran out of the house towards the barn. “Johnny!” I called out. “What are you doing boy!” I opened the barn, and smoke filled my lungs, I started coughing, chocking on the air. My eyes watered, and I started waving my hands in front of my face. “Johnny?” I called out again. The air started to clear, and I felt my breath catch and I stood there looking at the beautiful carved silver dragon, that hung from a necklace.
“Happy birthday,” Johnny smiled. I looked at him in shock shaking my head.
“Oh Johnny,” I whispered walked next to him, taking the silver dragon necklace. The dragon was about the size of my palm, actually very big. “Where did you get the money for this…?” I muttered looking at the necklace.
“I’ve been saving up,” He laughed. I let out a laugh, and tears came down my eyes. I’ve been asking for something dragon likes for every birthday I have had, but never did, one because the things are very expensive, and two my father is full of hatred of mysticals, especially after mama’s death. I wrapped my arms around Johnny.
“Thank you Johnny, thank you! I love it,” I smiled. We pulled apart, and he grabbed the necklace, putting it around my neck. I looked down at it, and smiled, than tucked it under my shirt.
“Make sure Pa doesn’t see it, you know what he is like about the mysticals,” Johnny muttered.
“Johnny, don’t you hate mysticals too?” I said creasing my forehead. He shrugged his shoulders.
“I do, but you don’t, and it’s your sixteenth birthday. You deserve it.” I looked at him smiling, and gave hum another hug. “Anyways, mama always wanted to give you a dragon sort of present. Right before your tenth birthday, she told me she was going to get you one of those dragon books you have been asking about,” he smiled. I smiled, and remembered the last night I had spent with her.
“I truly do love it Johnny,” I said. He smiled nodding his head, and then patted my back.
“Get cleaning the horse’s kiddo,” he laughed. I nodded my head rolling my eyes. I walked over to the horse stables.
“Hey Bibbie,” I said opening her gate. She started to move around, and I grabbed her. “Whoa, girl,” I laughed. I started to brush her coat, and looked over at the sattle biting my lip. “Wanna go for a ride?” I asked looking at her. She started to move around again, and I laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes,” I said taking the sattle and started putting it on Bibbie. Bibbie is about five, and she is my horse. I’m the only one she’ll really listen to. I started walking her out of the barn, before Johnny nagged that I had to wash the horses. I got up on her, and she started running forwards. Our farm was surrounded by the woods, whenever someone left the house, someone had to go with them, after mama left that one night alone, she never did come back. Bibbie was running fast, she and I both know these woods. We weave ourselves through them; I close my eyes, and feel the wind hitting my face. I don’t need to lead Bibbie; she knows what she is doing. The sound of her hooves crunching the leaves, the birds in the air. All the sudden Bibbie stops, my eyes open quickly, and I try to take hold of something before I fly off of her, but the only thing in my reach is air. I fly forward, head first into the ground; I tuck my neck in, and feel the impact of the ground. I grunt laying there. I look up and Bibbie is running off.
