Short Story Swirl

The Lizard's Miracle (Fantasy)

There are secrets in this world that will forever remain unknown to most people, secrets that are impossible to dig up from the ground, or to find in some book. These secrets hold the key to magic, energy, and to life itself.

Eons ago, long before the first civilizations began to develop, there lived a small community deep in the mountains. This community wasn't human, exactly, but they weren't gods either. They were something in between, giant beings who could make miracles at the tips of their fingers. These beings wandered the Earth, performing miracles and leaving traces of magic behind them. They are the reason that birds can fly, and why spiders build such symmetrical webs. These magical beings are behind the wonders of nature, and continued their miracle work for thousands of years.

One day, while one of these beings was out in the forest, he came across a sparking lake that dazzled in the sunlight. In front of the lake, there was a small lizard crying on a rock. The being knelt beside the lizard and stared at it for a moment before speaking.

"Little lizard, why are you crying?" He asked. With a sniffle, the lizard looked at the giant being and, after taking a moment to compose himself, stuttered out an answer.

"I am so small, Mr. Giant," the lizard said in a quiet, squeaky voice. "No one takes me seriously, and they're constantly trying to eat me. I am not food!" The little lizard began wailing again, hiding his tiny head under his arm. The giant sighed and looked out across the lake in front of him. After a moment of thinking, he looked back at the lizard.

"I've got an idea," he said, beginning to stand up. The lizard picked his head up and looked at the giant curiously. "Do you trust me, little buddy?" The giant asked.

Cautiously, the lizard nodded. With a chuckle, the giant bent down and, as gently as he could, picked up the lizard.

"Ready?" The giant whispered. Before the lizard could respond, the giant placed a big, fat, wet kiss on the lizard's head, then threw him across the lake. The lizard screamed as he was thrown, twisting and flipping through the air. When the lizard was about halfway across the lake, the giant slammed his hands together with a resounding CLAP. The lizard froze midair. With wide, terrified eyes, he looked at the water several feet beneath his tiny, wiggling toes. Slowly, he turned his head to look at the giant, who was smiling broadly on the shore. The giant pulled his hands apart again and, with another chuckle, slammed them together.

CLAP

Suddenly, a light appeared around the lizard and began to circle him. The light grew brighter and brighter until there was nothing but a blinding, shimmery essence. The lizard looked around frantically trying to see through the light but to no avail. His body started to tingle, and he could feel what he thought was his limbs stretching. Desperately, he called out to the giant but received no response.

As suddenly as it began, the light faded away and the little lizard could see the giant standing on the shoreline, still smiling that cheerful smile.

"What did you -" the lizard began, but stopped himself at the sound of his voice. It was deep, and loud. Wide eyed, the lizard looked down at his hands, and then at his body. Where he expected to see small, tiny fingers were large talons instead. His normally green, scaly body was now toned and dark purple. He looked down at the lake before him, staring at his own reflection. He was no longer a tiny, cowering lizard. Now, he was a large, fearsome dragon.

He looked at the still smiling giant, who raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the dragon dropped, speeding toward the water. Before he knew what was happening, the dragons' wings spread out behind him and caught the wind. He was flying on his own now, without any help from the friendly giant. The dragon flew to the shoreline and hovered in front of the giant.

"Thank you, Mr. Giant," the dragon said, grateful tears springing to his eyes.

"Now, mighty dragon, you will be taken seriously," the giant being said. "And no one will try and eat you, either," he added with a chuckle. "Now go, fly and discover your new self".

With that, the dragon flew off across the lake, grateful to no longer be a weak, little lizard. Now the creatures of the forest will respect him, and listen to him when he speaks. The newborn dragon was happier than he ever was, all thanks to the giant being, who performed a enormous miracle for a tiny lizard.