"Dragon Valley"
Danielle Myre 02/27/2013
Chapter 1
I watch everyone as they run about trying to get everything ready and organized before the long hike to Dragon Village. We had to take classes for three months to prepare us for this trip so I thought everyone would be ready. I expected some glitches but not this soon.
A girl a few years older than me sees me standing in the corner and bounces over to me with a smile on her face. Like me, she is the only one that seems fully prepared. “I’m Kelly Murken,” she holds out her hand. I grasp her chilled palm and nod. "I’m Adalynn Drakon. Call me Lynn.”
“Drakon? Doesn’t that mean dragon or something? Is that your real last name?” I nod again. I’ve gotten that question a lot since I started the special classes. Dragon Valley, Dragon Village, Drakon; I’m used to the weird stares.
“All right brave explorers,” the lead guide, Jim, shouts, “Let’s get moving. If you aren’t ready now you will never be ready. Those of you that aren’t ready please leave the building and get on the green shuttle and leave the premises. This is not a cookies and cream kind of hike; you are putting you’re lives on the line to reach Dragon Village.” He stops and looks at the 20 people in the room. Half of them leave. “Anyone else?” The last ten people stay firmly in place. “Follow me then.”
We get on a black shuttle bus that heads towards Zone One, the Needle Forest. Everyone is deadly silent as the needle trees and porcupine trees shrouded in fog so thick it looks like smoke start to tower over us . A massive security gate opens for us as we approach the zone and allows us to pass before immediately closing again. The bus comes to a dead stop 50 feet later and makes me jolt in my seat. “Time to get off,” the Jim tells us. “Wait in front of the bus and I will introduce you to the rest of the guides that are attempting to get you through the zones.”
I get off the bus and stare into the Needle Forest. Goosebumps prickle my arms and a shiver passes over my skin. This feeling is perfectly described in the journal my ancestor wrote. Maybe the other things she wrote in there are true as well. I smile at myself and shake my head, unsure of what I really think or believe.
“Mind if we partner up?” Miss Kelly Murken comes up to me. “Since I came here alone I don’t have anyone to partner up with.” I look at her funny and she glances to the others around us. Everyone has a partner. “Sure,” I say, “That is fine.”
She smiles at me just as a nerdy and strong looking man with orange hair and wire glasses comes up to us. “My name is Kyle, Kyle Snow. I will be your personal travel guide and companion. I will be with you two at all times since there are times when we will be separated from the whole of the group.” I nod in agreement and look back at the forest. Did the fog get thicker?
Jim whistles and draws our attention to him. “Alright, once again, if you are scared you can leave.” Some people fidget but no one moves. “Okay then. First off, this hike will take about 14 hours to complete. We will have breaks to eat and rest our feet for a few minutes but that is all. You cannot sleep unless you want to wind up dead.” Everyone, except for the personal guides standing next to each group, whisper words of nervousness to each other. “Zone One will take about five hours to complete, maybe longer since the fog has been increasing over the weeks. Our path is as safe as possible but there are still dangers. Do not stray. Do not leave your guides. Do not rush. Don’t eat alone. Don’t do anything but walk until we tell you it is okay. Got it?” Everyone says yes.
“Alright,” Kyle tells me and Kelly, “We have 15 minutes before we leave. I suggest peeing and eating some chocolate or an energy bar before those 15 minutes are up. Port-a-potty’s are over there.” He motions to the left. “Also, say a prayer that you make it through this. I will do what I can to keep you safe but these zones are unpredictable and several people have died.”
I take his advice and use the bathroom and eat some energizing food. After I’m done eating I open up my hiking pack and pull out the photocopied pages of my ancestor’s journal I made and glace over them. She writes about the porcupine trees being poisonous and that one touch will send a human into shock in seconds. She was pricked by accident when she helped her companion but nothing happened to her. She writes that she must be immune because of her dragon slayer lineage. I sigh out loud. Dragon slayer lineage?
“What’s that?” I gasp shove my photocopies back into my bag and look at Miss Kelly Murken.
“Nothing,” I say to her, “Just a journal that I like to look at.” She looks at me with suspicious eyes but shrugs it off.
“It’s time to go. Kyle asked me to get you since you would answer his calling.” I give her a simple nod and grab my bag and jog over to the group of ten plus six guides.
Kyle looks at me with intense eyes. “I can’t have you falling into daydream land. Make sure you pay attention.”
“Okay,” I say.
"Let's go," Kyle turns his back on us and leads us into the zone, the place I've been thinking about since I was seven years old.
