Fury

The afternoon sun had begun to fall from the sky, leaving long shadows to reach across the sandy beach.  Mist rose gently off the warm waters of the lake, which cooled rapidly in the approaching night air, and a brisk breeze played about, throwing sand up in devilish whirls around my feet.

The dragon came out of nowhere.  One minute, I was gazing across the lake, trying to determine how I was going to get to the other side, and the next minute, the wind nearly toppled me to the ground as I felt its large body pass over me.  The dragon shot out over the lake, lifting it head to the dusky sky.  A heavy challenge issued forth from deep within the beast’s throat, sending shivers down my spine. 

The sun’s rays reflected briefly off the dragon’s golden scales, blinding my sight, and not until the last moment did I see the beast streaking towards me.  I twisted to the left, and the dragon’s sharp claws barely missed lifting me off the ground.

A fiery pain ripped through my shoulder, and I cried out, falling to my knees.  For one terrifying moment I could not move other than to grasp my bleeding shoulder.  The coarse stones of the rocky shore bit deep into my knees, but I didn’t notice.  It was all I could do to hold back the darkness that threatened to engulf me.

The dragon flipped over, high in the air, and fell from the sky, diving straight for me, screaming its rage.  I knew I had to move, but to where?  I was on a barren shore, too far to make it to the ragged copse of trees that could provide shelter.  And I could only see sharp stones and grass on either side of me.  There was no rocky outcropping here to protect me.  The only answer lay in the water.   

As the beast dove rapidly downward, its wings tucked in and its claws outstretched, I picked myself up from the ground and raced for the lake.  Into the water I ran, lifting my knees high so I could move faster.  My shoulder stung fiercely when I raised my arms overhead to dive head first into the murky water.  My body sliced through the water, down below the surface.  The water, in an attempt to keep me out, slowed my decent, so I began to pull myself deeper, and deeper, kicking hard toward the bottom of the lake.  I knew that the farther down I could swim the harder it would be for the dragon to find me.  I just prayed that my air would hold out until the beast gave up.