Dragons Rising ✔️

Ch 6: Escape

I threw my shoe at the door again, leaving yet another scuff mark. The shoe joined a mounting pile of refuse I'd tried—glow orbs, a food tray, schoolbooks—but it was no use. I'd tried pounding it, kicking it, throwing furniture at it, but it didn't make a difference. Father's plant-based magic allowed him to make one ridiculously strong wooden door. The window shutters were just as impenetrable. Mother was at work, and she wouldn't come home to let me out for a bathroom break until lunch, so I was well and truly stuck.

I glanced at the alarm orb on my bedside table and let out a frustrated shriek. The choosing part of the Choosing Ceremony would start any minute, and I was stuck in my room. I couldn't even transform to get out because Mother had taken my alabri.

Groaning, I dragged myself out of bed. I'd been putting this off for the sake of my shoulder, but it wasn't like I had any time left to procrastinate. Either I got out now and actually had a chance to leave this town for good, or I moped around my room all day and regretted not seriously trying to escape for the rest of my life. I backed as far away from the door as I could. This was going to hurt, but with any luck, it just might work.

Gritting my teeth against the inevitable impact, I shook out my arms and angled my shoulder toward the door. I was aiming for the lock, hoping it was a cheap interior lock and not a legitimate deadbolt. If it was, I didn't have much chance of breaking anything but my bones. Ugh, now I felt all feverish, and my arms were tingling like they knew they were probably about to break. This was really going to hurt. It likely wouldn't even work. I mean, I was pretty fit, but I wasn't some bodybuilder or anything.

I glanced at the clock again. Time was almost out for me to line up at the ceremony. If I didn't get out now, I wouldn't be able to run to the ceremony in time.

I charged. The few feet between me and the door passed in the blink of an eye. One moment I was running, and the next moment pain split my shoulder as I rebounded off the door and fell on my backside. Clutching my shoulder, I blinked away tears. I was so sick and tired of trying my best and failing miserably. Why was it so crazy to want something other than being babied in this stupid little town for the rest of my life?

Oh, and to make things even better, now my room smelled like smoke. I must've stepped on one of the glow orbs and broken it. Weird, they were supposed to be pretty indestructible. I sat up to make sure it hadn't caught anything on fire.

There was a smoking basketball-sized hole in the door where I'd hit it with my shoulder. In a daze, I stood and stuck my hand through the hole to unlock the door. It swung open.