The Crest

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Am I weird? Everyone says I am. Even my sister says I have a "wild imagination". But I can't help it. I love to think about the fact that unicorns exist and that aliens walk among us. I call it being optimistic. But of course everyone else calls it crazy! That's why I have a therapist, and an inattentive family.

I open my journal to a clean page.

Dear Journal,

Dragons fly, so why can't I? I want to breath fire, and fight knights. But the difference is I would beat the knight. I would strike him across the chest with my razor sharp claws and rip his head off with my teeth. Then I would scorch his body with my fire breath!

I will crush anyone and everyone who crosses my path and will never be defeated!

I feel a light tap on my shoulder and look up to see my math teacher looking down at me expectantly. I've been caught...again. I slide my journal in my desk and study the new math packet I've been given. The teacher nods approvingly and walks away. I take a deep breath...math. I was good at math until the alphabet got involved.

If I was a dragon I could scorch this math packet and fly away from math class. But for now I guess I have to figure out the value of y if x is 7 times more and x=42.

"Hey." My friend Janyia approaches me once I'm outside of class.

"Hi."

"You sound sad, did the teacher finally take away your stupid journal?"

I grab Janyia's shoulder and force her to turn around. "I know you better be talking about that outfit you're wearing because my journal ain't stupid!" Everyone in the hall turns to look at me.

"Well the only the thing you do is write in that thing bout fake stuff." She snaps her fingers in my face. "Shay, don't you think it's time to wake up and join the real world?"

"You're lucky that I don't have my falchion sword with me."

She looks at me like I just spoke Chinese.

"Whatever, I have to get to class." I wave her off and head toward the direction of my next class. When I look back and she isn't in sight, I turn back around and sneak to the bathroom. I quickly open my backpack and take out my deep purple handbound leather journal. I put it together myself.

Prince Lukeington dared to climb up to my cave. He thinks he had an advantage of me, because the nearby villages rumor that I'm blind. Not only do I have the vision of a hawk, but I can smell him. Some big shot prince that wants to save Princess Tobetha, but little does he know, I threw her off the High Cliff earlier today. I'm a merciless beast.

When I smell that he is right outside of my cave, I can't help but flap my large, scaly wings in excitement. I hide myself in the dark shadows of my cave.

"Come out you foul beast to face your destiny of death!" I can smell the fear, it surrounds him like an aura. I count the amount of footsteps he takes toward me. He should be approaching me and finding my "hiding spot" soon.

"Where is my Princess?"

I have to refrain from opening my mouth and spitting out fire in glee.

"Where is she, beast?"

One step, two steps.

"I'm here now dear Tobetha. I will save you, and we will have a happily ever after."

In my journal, happily ever afters don't exist. three steps, two steps, any second now. I finally spot the prince. He wears a knight's suit of armor, with the king's symbol of a black lion roaring engraved on the breastplate. He finally spots me. If I could smile, I bet I would. The fear in his eyes delights me. He takes his first move--

The stall door flies open and in front of me lies a girl who looks like...well me, exactly like me. From the nose, to the chubby cheeks, to the deep brown eyes. I notice a gold dagger sticking out from her side.

She looks up at me expectantly. Me looking up at me?I must be imagining this, I'm crazy!

"Shay?" I ask her.

"No. M-my name is Mel...ani." She wheezes.

"Are you okay, what happened?"

"T-that is not im-port-ant."

"I'm going to go get help." I stand, but then I'm pulled back down.

"No! Just take...this." She opens her hand to reveal to me a crescent moon necklace. The crescent moon is engraved with a full moon, and swirls to make up a night sky appearance. The material looks like antique silver. I grab it and examine it a little closer.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"F-follow the p-path." She says, then her head falls to the ground. I put my hands over her eyes and close them.

I take a deep breath and step back. I have to tell someone...but I have a feeling the other Shay-Melani-whatever didn't want me to tell anyone. But why? I open my hand and look down at the neck. It feels smooth on the back so I flip it over. Carved on the back are the letters M.D. Those must be initials. I stuff it in my pocket and look back down, Melani's body is...gone. All that's left in her place is a sheathed dagger.

I painstakingly pick it up and examine it. Engraved in it is the symbol of a roaring lion...like the one from my journal. My journal...wait, what happened to my journal-I turn around and it inside the toilet.

"No!" When I step closer to the toilet I trip over my shoe and accidently flush it. "Oh my gosh!" I gasp and put my hand over my mouth.

I yank my journal out immediately, or at least what's left of it. The pages are soaked, torn, and crippled. The color of the leather had become dull and crumbled. The inside of the toilet was now filled with purple liquid. I can't believe this happened...my journal, my adventures, my magic! I storm out of the stall leaving behind that stupid necklace but taking the dagger. I take the dagger because it's the weapon that killed the person that is responsible for the death of my journal.