I Wish I Were a Dragon
A sort-of short story
I wish I could be a dragon.
That way, I could stay holed up in my cave with all my treasures, far away from the outside world.
I would spend every day doting on my most precious treasure, my baby dragon.
Together we would find priceless gems and crystals to add to our collection.
My baby dragon and I would play hide-and-seek among the heaps and mounds.
I would almost certainly lose every time because he is tiny and a very clever hider.
We would bathe in our mountains of gold and make glittering snow angels in the piles of silver.
And when the day is done, I would share my hoard of knowledge with my baby dragon from any of the stories stacked to the cavern ceiling.
But eventually, my baby dragon would get curious…
“What’s outside our cave, Mama?” He would ask.
It’s a difficult question to answer.
I could tell him that outside is where our treasures and adventure stories come from.
That there is a vast, beautiful world outside full of even more incredible prizes and exciting characters.
But how do I tell him that the world is full of equally dark and dangerous things?
How can I tell him that the beings outside are not always kind?
I see why dragons stay in their caves.
Caves are safe and full of collected comforts.
But eventually, my baby will grow curious and learn to use his wings.
So what is a mama dragon to do?
All I can do is try to lead the way and create a safe path.
So, I’ll bat my wings at any arrows that fly our way.
Swish my tail in warning at any creatures in the dark.
And breathe fire to burn down any obstacle or enemy.
Until he can do all of these things for himself.
I wish we could stay safe in our cave together forever.
We are not really dragons, though.
And things are rarely that simple.
Dragons never have it that easy in the stories anyway, do they?
But I can still snuggle his scales, boop his snout, and teach him to spit fire.
At least, until his wings grow in.
