One As Another
written after a painful betrayal,
some of my friends were stunned that i could write something like this
the dragon inside sometimes deceives the best of friends
(there is more but that is incomplete)
One as Another copyright © William Morris/Cyberhorn
This story is the result of to many things on a dragons mind not enough dreams and far to many fears
He could hear the laughter smell the smoke. Feel the heat as it started to sear his flesh, his head ached fiercely but the pain would have to wait.
Standing quickly, the blood ran away from his head dizzy inside an inferno, which once was his house. He could hear laughter, drunken laughter outside!
He shouted for help, an empty bottle whisked past his ear through the flames for his effort. It was so strange he felt little fear of the flames, but he damn well should.
Totally cut off from any escape, he watched the flames, which rolled along the ceiling looking all too much like a living thing.
They reached for him tried to burn his body with an embrace, but avoided them just in time.
Looking out through the flames through the bay window of the living room to see the woman he loved drinking laughing with her friends.
Pointing to him in the flames, which pushed him away, from the freedom of the cool world beyond.
Rage came, bile bubbled in his belly. He quickly sought an escape from this death trap.
The stairs up to what were once the bedrooms was a wall of flames; the entrance to the kitchen was dripping burning liquids.
The garage had explosions going off far too regularly for escape that way.
Pure despair claimed him when a voice nearly a whisper in the roar came through
"You must now embrace me"
He looked frantically for the source as the recliner nearest him flared into flames
"You search for what you have already"
"WHAT? W-WHO ARE Y-YOU?"
"An old friend, to escape this you must embrace me, YOU must reach to me, or you are lost"
Coughing from the smoke and heat he fell to his knees "but h-how? W-where?" Then from a spot, that was next to his left ear.
"Here my old friend inside you, lost you have been, avoided me you did, forgotten me you have. Tisk best try soon or crispy William"
That feeling was so familiar, like an old friends' embrace. But it was so lose, somehow he knew, if he could get the feeling like a tight warm loving hug he would be saved!
Cracking above him made him look as the ceiling and floor of the second story came down on him like rain
Pain can dull the senses, as it can also sharpen them.
He found both to be true, as he found a beam now pinning him to the floor, blood slid down his back slowly leaving a cooling path in it's wake causing a chill to make him quiver.
His life blood started to pool under him making his shirt sticky, He could feel no pain now as he could smell the sickly sweet smell of human flesh burning, he tried to pull out from under it, but the beam had him trapped.
"Now you see my old friend"
He looked up through the tears, which only now came fogging his vision. A form, a ghost of a figure, a faint face, and the flames slipped around and through it as its size was immense slipping through the very walls of the house.
As it came right up to him he gasped, the flames where the eyes should have been, became sapphire blue and they were immense, big as tables.
"I can help you, my child hood friend, but I can not reach for you. YOU must reach for me; reach inside yourself! I am there waiting for you! We can together escape this we can live! We can have sweet revenge".
"B-but" coughing now the pain came and the ripples in the face of flames he could have swore reflected his pain
"You must reach for me Bill! NOW or you'll die in this inferno and I will die with you! Reach, deeply damn you! I don't want to die! I want to live! And I know you do too! REACH! FOR ME!"
He reached out feeling the wood tear deeper into the meat of his back, the ghostly form smiled.
He could see the hand reach for his, but it only got so close. Crying out as the flames licked skin he could feel.
He stretched with all he had not only with his hand but mind. For that place inside, willing to give his very soul to reach the image the vision in the flames.
He felt his hand touch the near invisible one, the pathway in his mind ripped asunder to that which was inside that place there, all eyes flared like stars matching their brilliance finally becoming one.
"OHH GOD YES!"
She sneered he hadn't even cried out more than once.
The flames were a roaring inferno tearing through the roof, some of which had already collapsed.
Thinking to herself his insurance will cover the damages and rebuild the house I'm going to be a very happy lady
Looking over at her accomplices several of whom were men, they knew even if she was on the heavy side she was going to be quite rich.
'Lovesick idiot, I moved in with him to be tended like a queen, not to love him. He lost that great job and I! Had to get a job to help pay for this dump!
I had to say I was working over time just to get out a have some fun ' scratching an itch on her leg cursing the fire ants she'd stepped in.
As she looked up noticing the flames, there was something strange about them. She blinked and realized they weren't moving!
"What in the fucking hell?" she said in a whisper
They all looked still partying, which quickly went silent in that not even the wind made any sound. Car and truck radios strangely died off as well
No wood cracking or popping, the smoke had all drifted away; but the frozen flames persisted.
They all moved closer, nearly in unison looking to the others to see if they too were seeing this.
The flames gave off no heat, sound or movement but they were there, as light did come from them they were real.
A whisper came from beyond the wall of reds, yellows near whites in a few places some other hotter colors in the tinier ones.
"Came to see your handy work darlin? Take a good long look its gona cost you dearly you cant dance without paying for the song"
Something plopped to the grass near her, she turned and jerked back from the charred black item a bit of it smoldering a bubbling hiss came out.
One of the men pushed at it with his foot, exposing a bloody foot and a leg.
One of the others vomited then another did, one of the women stifled a scream and fell into the arms of the nearest man.
A deep hiss came from the house then a voice getting stronger louder deeper as it seemed to grow ever closer by the moment
"Oh what's wrong?" in cloy sweetness "Murder isn't such an easy thing to face in person is it now. No-o you burn your victim, you let him sear like a steak over the flames. Well now"
They all paled and stepped back from the bay window, as the two huge eyes of bright blue flame came from the background inside the house.
The eyes were so huge they filled the entire window! Then they tilted slowly to the side looking directly at her.
A dirt shaking rumble came from behind the flames some fell back on to their asses some stumbled over them still staring at the eyes.
"Must have been pure agony ehh darlin? My faithful devoted love...that was for only one person, you."
The sapphire blue flame eyes narrowed
"Was it hard to smash that board against the back of my head? To leave me on the living room floor, as you lit the gasoline?
To watch my life end! , To be burned alive, to end because I loved you with all my very soul."
The voice got louder still, even deeper now. Rattling their very bones for its power.
"Now you shall know why I told you, only the one who I love is safe from the DRAGONS RAGE!"
They all turned to run and were immediately tossed back as the trucks and cars exploded into fireballs.
Then flames spouted from the ground, encircling them all with only one way of escape, through the house.
Softer now, more menacing the voice rolled from the flames
"Did you even consider that they would find out it was murder! And you'd get nothing at all from insurance, apparently not; stupid fools so in the end my death would have amounted to nothing how lovely.
Now then murderers, would you like to try and fight me fairly. Tisk I'm sorry, but that offer just expired but we have a nice painful death for all of you instead"
A deep growl rolled through their bones as it shook the area
"You! The one who decided to enjoy my woman. My mate! yet he could not satisfy you as I could, did he darlin? Only his all to pretty face his only quality you get to be first!"
He looked to her his face filled with fear, she took a single step towards him then as quick as a blink; he was stripped of all his meat.
Only bloody bone, eyes and the heart still pumping dangling from the artery and major vein to the brain remained. The eyes still filled with life and fear fell to the grass with the bones.
She screamed, as did others, one man picked up a chunk of metal blown off the vehicles preparing to weld it like a club.
"Ahh good idea!" came the voice from the house filled with evil mirth
"Get closer to me and try to use it. See what a dragons claws can do to you, well come on big man! Come see the dragon"
The wind blew several down as he bellowed
"COME HIT ME AND I'LL EVEN LET YA GET THREE FOR ONE!"
He looked at the improvised weapon, and it fell from limp fingers
"A coward, as I thought BULLIES one and all! Not an ounce of courage among you unless it came from a bottle" growling deeply
Suddenly he was gone, screaming from behind the wall of flames the scream went muffled.
An audible sound of a deep belch and the screams were gone completely, but when no other sounds came they could hear him screaming from what sounded like behind a thick wall. A soft crunch and even that stopped.
"My god what are you? Y-YOU FUCKING ATE HIM?" she screamed at the house
"As a mater of fact yes, though he's still kicking in there trying to climb back out with broken legs"
Another crunch came from behind the flames. "Now broken arms as well" burping.
They all backed away far as possible from the house; one woman turned and ran for the wall of flames. Leaping through she screamed and kept screaming for a moment then only silence as her skin and clothes crackled and popped.
The sickly sweet smell of burning human flesh came drifting over them
"Mmm! Though when it was my flesh being cooked, it didn't smell half as good as that does". Came from the star like blue eyes inside the flames of the house
Several of them decided to make a mad rush through the house, which the flames flared as they did.
None got the chance to scream, the remaining could hear chewing.
"Hmm could use some salt I think," rumbled through the flames
Then the flames died, leaving darkness inside the gutted charred house save narrowed bands of blue light.
His eyes watching her
"So hard to decide what to do with the last of you. Oh darlin you're last to go by the way. I wanted you to enjoy all that you deserve so richly for your actions have you gotten the long look you desired so? No? Soon then...soon"
Suddenly one of the men started to walk towards the house they all called out to him
"I-I cant, I can't STOP! Help me!!"
"Come here to me little man come see the dragon, see what your murderous nature has fated to your end."
He walked on past her as she tried to hold him from going in, just dragging her feet on the walkway. She finally fell hard onto the sidewalk and could just see a giant clawed hand reach out to grip him from the deep shadows.
The eyes gleamed with their bright blue light she caught the white gleam of long teeth in that light. They screamed together, but hers went on for a moment longer.
Ripping with a crunch came in the silence and hollow thonk as something flew out onto the driveway.
They all screamed as his head rolled a few times then stopped the jaw still moving
"Yuck! Hair gel"
Gout of orange and yellow flame shot past and the head ignited sizzling softly, slurping and sucking sounds came from inside. Then the body flopped out on the lawn shriveled and gaunt.
"Yum nothing like fresh blood hmm? Darlin, still want all I have still want that long look into the murderous fires of hell!! Well now you will get IT ALL!" Snarling then roaring at her
The windows exploded out, killing one instantly the roofline collapsed and he walked out scales gleaming in the bluish light cast from the streetlight above the road
Smiling, as he looked down at her, crushing one of the wounded, grinding him slowly into the lawn, his screams stopped suddenly in the clenching of immense talons. Another was smashed into pulp by his tail a smear on the road
Turning slowly he smashed the last to the dirt with lightning speed, talons forming a cage, the tips slowly sinking into the grass he had so long worked on to get it looking nice
"You can save her darlin, give me what I need and she will live to see tomorrow" he said softly looking at his prisoner
Turning his head to fix her in the glow from his eyes, She froze like a bird looking at a cobra.
"She's dying darlin, do something" tilting his head slowly watching her
She screamed and looked to her friend who was frozen in the light.
"GINA for gods sake Do something!" Pushing on the palm of his huge hand.
He turned to the one under him and pressed a little more feeling her breasts pushing into his palm her very panting breath her fear hot on his flesh
"What do you want? Do you want me to say I'm sorry! "
He snapped around to fix her instantly in the gleam from his eyes she lurched back a step but didn't run
"No darlin because I know you, no apologies just worthless words a waste of air coming from you! "
He titled his head slowly again watching her feeling the other struggling for freedom
"I WANT WHAT YOU GOT FROM ME, SOMETHING A LOVER GIVES ONLY ONCE IN A LIFE. I want my virginity back from you because I gave it to someone who is colder than any monster at heart"
Her lip trembled, hands quivered as he came even closer finally his dripping wet nose touched hers.
The intense warmth shocked her into backing away a little, feeling like she had touched a hot frying pan; she blinked at the shock to her system.
He grinned bearing his teeth feeling the fear rolling off her like a sweet perfume of life
"So darlin you return that one thing and she will live in exchange. The last of your friends, your conspirators, murderers of a feather should flock together tell me your answer! So she can live another day!"
She lowered her head and murmured something
"Speak up darlin! Let her know her! Life is worth something to you! Where mine wasn't" he leered slowly raising up away from her averted face
"I cant, it's impossible you know that"
His face changed "then murderess you will never see tomorrow"
Crushing her without even looking away from the woman he once called love, sweetheart and finally his darlin. He slowly wiped the mess off his claws and palm on the lawn
She sobbed and turned away, now that the last was dead. He let the flames fall, The metal of the vehicles popped and pinged as it rapidly cooled the smell of cooked asphalt and burnt grass undertones came slowly.
Circling around her, laying his head on the top of the long tail, which twitched and swished wings held tight to his body.
"You are a monster!"
Turning to hit him, he let her smash her fists into his scales repeatedly. The blows he had always feared now were but taps, He gained strength from this
He knew now she couldn't hurt him anymore.
Finally she collapsed exhausted, unable to strike out even one more time he moved in close to her so his eye was looking into her soul.
"I never once long as you loved me looked at another woman, I never even thought of any other as anything more than a friend what did I get for my faithfulness? Well you have a choice, something I didn't give the others a chance to live"
He uncurled from her leaving so quickly she shivered from the loss of his body warmth
Sitting down he rose to his full size wings held up stretching them she looked and was wide-eyed
"You are my female darlin you have a choice embrace me become mine forever. Or run, run forever until I wish you to stop by killing you if you have any children by that time they too will die for your folly. I will tell the man who you took, that he was playing with a wandering piece of property and I reclaimed it"
He sighed and tilted his head "knowing you, you best get to running then before I change my mind" she just stood there stunned
He turned and started to walk away his tail sweeping past her nose the wind from its passing blowing her over
"YOU Y-you dam fucker!" instantly she regretted the out burst
He spun and she found his teeth pinching her ribs one had sunk into the palm of her hand he didn't move as she peed over herself he exhaled slowly his breath hot as an oven stunk of blood and bile
He slowly let go his fang slipping from her palm and just as suddenly clamped down on the hand she screamed pushing and shoving on his nose he let it go which as he did stood up.
"It's healed with a scar darlin seared shut so you remember me always, not that anyone could forget attending the birth of a dragon"
She looked at the round jagged scar then up at his receding rump tail swishing over a fence he disappeared into the trees with a hiss of their brushing across his scales
The sheriff and fire department finally showed up to find no one there the bloody rampage and evidence was by far kept very-very secret the media did get a picture of him and claimed he was a murderer on a rampage. Watching from his vantage point as they searched the area for him
The dogs came up to him and moved off wisely smarter than there handlers he saw her in a patrol car that drove up late in the afternoon clearly in shock he grinned and waved his fingers at her
She shrieked and pointed in terror, he just smiled and winked an eye
"Mine forever darlin. They don't see me because I do not wish it. Sleep well"