(fairy tale)

In one of the old and long abandoned towns lived the Hart family. The father was a priest – Louis Hart, the mother was a teacher – Liliana Hart and their young daughter – Meryl Hart. The girl’s parents were emotionless and rude, unlike their daughter. She had been smiling all the time, having fun since she was a little girl, who irritated her elders uncontrollably. Their family was poor, like all the families in this town. They didn’t stand out for anything, until the joyful Meryl appeared. Before her, there had never been the sound of children’s laughter and joy in this town. The older the girl got, the more she believed in miracles. Her biggest dream was to meet a dragon. For Meryl, they were the freest mythical animals; they could fly anywhere, unlike her.

“Mom, do dragons exist?” her daughter asked with interest.

Liliana took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes with her fingers.

“What a silly thing to say, Meryl. Of course, they don’t exist. Stop making things up.”

The woman didn’t understand how her daughter even knew about such creatures, she hadn’t gone to school yet, and books were an unacceptable luxury for them. She stood up, unscrewing the bulb from the lamp.

“Go to sleep and think less about stupid things.”

She walked out, slamming the wooden, already crumbling door.

Meryl couldn’t sleep, she kept imagining the huge red dragon she dreamed about every night, whom she would call Firelight. While she was dreaming about the size and the color of the Fancy Fire Draggie, there was a knock on the window. At first the girl was frightened, but afterward she thought it was the wind rattling the branches of a tree. Another knock clattered. And then the third one…

She got out of bed and quietly tiptoed to the window.

“Who’s there?” asked a trembling voice.

Suddenly, somewhere from the very bottom, a bulky red body covered with simmering scales started rising into view of the window.

“Fire???” Meryl asked in surprise.

The dragon straightened up in all its glory, looking at the scared girlie with a stern look.

“Surely, I am, Meryl,” he said with a friendly smile.

“You really exist, right? But how could it be? I thought I just made you up.”

He laughed, and smoke came out of his huge nostrils.

“I exist, and you thought who sends you such colorful and fairy tale dreams,” he paused, “I certainly do.”

Meryl couldn’t believe herself. Her biggest dream was standing in front of her; her eyes seemed to sparkle like fireworks, lighting up the dark empty room.

“Would you like me to take you, lassie, for a ride?” Firefly asked.

“Of course, Draggie, I would,” Meryl clapped her hands.

He helped the girl to get out of the window and put her on his back, covered in scintillating scales. They flew all night long over the sleepy and stodgy town, circling around the night streets and ponds, at last Meryl felt that long desired freedom. It was probably just another magical dream of hers, but she would remember it for her whole life…