Pandora (chapter 1)

• Michelle Tran, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2016

The Volcano’s hot lava bubbled furiously as the hot sun sizzled in the desert. Falcon the Tiger dragon had just woken up in the middle of nowhere.

“Where…. where am I?” he asked as his stripes glowed an iridescent blue in the scorching rays of sunlight. His gray body had been bruised with injuries as he limped weakly. His body was protesting, wanting to stay still, begging to stay in the same spot but he refused to submit and began to walk to the nearest village. As he limped toward the village he tried to remember what had happened.


The last thing he had remembered was that he saw a vision, a wooden chest lined with golden rope. It was filled with colourful spirits, they flew rapidly around the dark and cold atmosphere. The beautiful, warm glow shone even brighter as a mysterious figure approached; its grey, soft, acicular, furry ears flicked the imperceptible black roof as all the spirits gave a petrified look and faded into the small chest again.

“You are our Pandora guardian,” the creature said solemnly as it’s fur turned completely white. The creature flashed around swiftly revealing small red stains that seemed to have latched onto the creature’s face, it seemed to have no eyes, its face seemed just like an empty, black hole. Falcon then began feeling his heart rapidly beating, it rung in his ears as loud as thunder. His heart was hurting him and he began panicking, he couldn’t do anything to help but then he blacked out again.


A few hours later he woke up on some bedding, his baffled mind made him spin, he began feeling dizzy but he couldn’t think about it now.

“H-hey! Wake up!” The tone of another dragon startled him awake.

“Ghaa!” He screamed loudly and he turned to see an alluring sight, the blazing pink scales of a Jasmine dragon dazzled him as she stood staring at him, a ferocious look on her bright rose face.

“Hey I’m talking to you!” She growled as she cornered him.

“I’m not here for trouble!” He added briskly and she softened, padding up to him slowly. Her talons were unsheathed under her glossy scales as smirk arose on her face.

“Who are you and where am I?” Falcon questioned gamely as the Jasmine dragon filled his field of vision. She snickered mercilessly at his incompetence.

“You’re at the village, you Tiger dragon! And I’m Rosy” The Jasmine dragon said smiling calmly. She nudged him out of the straw bedding and into the clear desert again, Falcon used his black, slick wings to cover his eyes.

“Hey everyone! The Tiger Dragon has been awoken!” She howled into the overloaded crowd, the sun gleaming as every head pointed in Falcon’s direction.

“You’re the only Tiger dragon left, young one!” an elderly Ryujin dragon stepped forward and beamed at the youngster.

“You’re our Pandora.”