Dragon Seekers

Chapter 4

Jamie felt hot.

Not feverish like one would if one was ill.

It was the type of hot that you would feel after being stuck inside a room on a hot day without opening your windows. Feeling lethargic, Jamie pushed the covers off of him, breathing in the fresh air. He looked at his window, seeing the clear blue sky and the few clouds that drifted by. He could hear the melodies of the birds. What he couldn't hear was the ramblings of Carl while he was suffering from a hangover. Maybe Carl was still passed out on the sofa after last night. Jamie stretched out, groaning in discomfort at how stiff his body was after sleeping in an odd position for so long. He slowly got dressed into some jeans, a black shirt with a red dragon stretching from his left hip to his right shoulder and a pair of socks that had holes in them. He paid no mind to that, knowing that Carl wouldn't allow him to get any new socks as he saw fit for a long time.

Trembling a little, Jamie crept out of his room. He peeked in his mother's room. Jasmine was still where he left her, dead to the world. Jamie smiled a little, glad that she could have some peace. He continued creeping downstairs until he reached the kitchen. Nothing seemed to be out of place, it was tidy. Jamie continued until he went to the front room. Again, he expected Carl to be on the sofa, but he wasn't. Where was he?

Jamie glanced upstairs and went back to the kitchen. Since Carl wasn't here, he won't be punishing the boy for making breakfast. He popped a couple of slices of bread in the toaster and turned on the kettle after filling it with fresh water. After scoping out the fridge, he was able to find some jam and milk.

After waiting for a few minutes, the kettle boiled and the toast popped out. Jamie poured out a cup of tea and put the toast on a plate. He spread the jam on the two slices. He grabbed a lap tray and put the contents on it. With steady hands, he carried the tray upstairs. He rarely did this and took the full opportunity to do it. He approached Jasmine's room. Carefully balancing the tray in one hand, he knocked gently on the door. Jasmine opened her tired eyes. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes to help her wake up.

"Would Madame like sugar with her tea?" Jamie smiled, putting on a posh accent, pretending that he was a butler. Jasmine tiredly laughed as her son approached the bed. She gratefully took the tray from him, but frowned a little.

"How much food do we have left?" She asked, looking worried.

"Mum, don't worry about that right now. Carl isn't here, so we won't get into any trouble. Now please eat, you didn't have much last night," Jamie smiled, waving off her worry. This didn't sit well with Jasmine it seemed as she didn't look like she wanted to take a bite. "It's okay, Mum. There's enough food for me to have. Just focus on yourself and everything will be okay." Jamie put on a more confident smile, doing his best to ease his mother's mind. Hesitating, Jasmine started to eat, the toast emitting a crunching sound as she took a satisfying bite. Jamie internally sighed in relief as he went back downstairs. He scooped out the kitchen again, putting a couple of slices of bread in the toaster as he did so. He wrote down what the household was low on in a small notebook. He felt like it would be easier to know what they need, more than what Carl wants.

Once the list was completed, the toast had already been done. Jamie didn't waste a second as he devoured every last inch of it. Jasmine had come downstairs, tray with the dirty dishes and cup in hand. She was dressed in fresh clothes and hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail. She seemed to be less worried, but it still shined in her eyes. Jamie hated it. He wanted Jasmine to worry more about herself than the safety of her only child. He was worried that she'll end up in hospital because of the worry clouding over everything else, including her own health. Jasmine started to clean the dishes. Jamie was about to help her out, but she waved him off.

"No, Jamie. This I can do. Why don't you go and have fun in the woods?" She smiled, stroking Jamie's hair. Jamie bit his lip. He didn't want to leave Jasmine on her own. What if Carl came home suddenly and something bad happened? He didn't want that to happen.

"I can't leave you here alone," Jamie protested, trying to stand up tall.

"I'll be fine, Jamie. You go have fun, like you used to in the woods," Jasmine smiled. Jamie wasn't sure about that smile. He only saw it when Jasmine pretended to be happy. Jamie would've said something, but he knew that she wouldn't change her mind.

"Okay. But call me if something - anything- happens," Jamie sighed, giving in. Jasmine nodded and went back to her task.

Jamie packed all he could into his small backpack: phone; a deck of cards; a book and a small bottle of water. Wearing an old pair of trainers, he took off to his old childhood playground. He used to love playing here. He would play hide and seek here constantly, not caring about how much time had gone by. In the early hours of the morning, he would watch deer dart between the trees and hear the melodies of the birds. In the hot days of the summer, he would lie under a large tree, the forest providing the satisfying, cool shade. That was all before Carl decided to limit where Jamie went he goes outside. The furthest that he had ever gone was school.

Jamie shook off those thoughts of getting into trouble. He focused on the tall trees ahead of him. They stood like lingering shadows, they're branches extending as far as they could grow. Their lush green leaves bathed in the sunlight. They flowed as the sun's rays streamed through them, lighting them up in various shades of green. The ground was blanketed completely, aside from the dirt path, with dead leaves, plants and fallen twigs. The plants on the ground were just as green as the leaves apart from the many wild snowdrops, bluebells and tiny blue and purple flowers. They creeped along the ground, clawing their way towards the dirt path. The sounds of nature such as the buzzing of a bee or the song of a bird or the wind rustling the leaves high above, intruded Jamie's ears. Just seeing the dense woods that greeted him like an old friend and hearing nature adding to the welcoming, filled the boy with an overwhelming calmness. It made him forget about his previous worries and he marched on.

Strolling off of the dirt path, the boy carried on, deeper into the woods. He didn't care about how far he went, just caring about the feeling of being alone. And safe. His feet kept moving on their own, not giving his brain a chance to process his surroundings. It felt natural for him to be here, since he knew the woods well enough to make his own way back. He had a clear destination in mind. The old oak tree that he loved to read under or practice his magic. It felt like he was protected there, at his own sacred place. He had to see it again after so long.

However, as Jamie stepped towards his safe space, his heart shattered.