Birthday Sale on all of my novels

Hello, Time for my yearly birthday sale. Monday June 22 is a special birthday for I have reached a milestone. 

Everyone of my E-books is a $1.11 off (No I am not a 111 years old. It isn't that milestone yet :) ) 

And all of my paper novels are two dollars off-except for one which they only allowed me to reduce 1.44 . They will be on sale until June 27.

Whatever the price they are fun reads with adventure, mysteries, suspense and action. Western short stories, Urban Fantasy, steampunk, Science Fiction adventure. 

Here is my Amazon author's page https://www.amazon.com/L-E-Doggett/e/B01C58R1II…

and https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22L.%20E.%20Doggett%22…

To Celebrate my retirement E-book sale

It has been a while since I have posted anything. That last set of stories had more looks than I thought it night-thanks all. Now though:

Yo: to all readers. As some of you will know I am retiring from work, after 40 years on the same job. To help celebrate it I have placed everyone of my E-books on sale. Half price off. That includes the story sets. You can now get my books from .99, 2.99 and 3.99 for the longer novels. Each one is a very good adventure read and an enjoyable plot.
Sale from today to Nov 12 

My Amazon page minus one novel.
https://www.amazon.com/L-E-Doggett/e/B01C58R1II…

That missing book-
https://www.amazon.com/Courier-Kara-wants-s…/…/ref=sr_1_154…

My Barnes and Nobel page.
https://www.amazon.com/Courier-Kara-wants-s…/…/ref=sr_1_154…

They are also on Kobo and many other e-book sites. 

As I said, great gift that gives to two people. Good reviews even though the novels could use more of them.

#books #urbanfantasy #femaleleads #steampunk #adventure#booksforsale #indienovels

Used Books for sell

We just moved and along the way of packing and unpacking I decided to see about selling a few of the many books I have. A few because I have more than one copy.

Here are a few of them pictured. All are regular sized paperbacks and their price is $3 each plus shipping. Which isn't much for the media category, even though it takes a little time to get there. 

All are Science Fiction or Fantasy. "The Sweet Scent of Blood: is the first of a Urban Fantasy series with vampires and Fae mixing it up. The one with the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is the first of a Steampunk series-lots of action, twists and fun for the reader. There is one SF and two fantasies.

I take paypal and first come first serve. LO1DOG@comcast.net

d.

Yay! Birthday sale on my E-books

Friday is my birthday so I am having a Birthday sale on all of my E-books. These are good reads, so they make good gifts even for yourself. $3.99, $2.99 and a set of Fantasy stories for $.99.
Sorry only e-books even though Amazon, on their own, has placed the anthology I have a story in for less than half price. Great stories in there and worthy reads, mine is the fourth best story in the Strange New Worlds Ten.
They are at Barnes and noble online, Amazon, kobo and other places. Here is the link to my Amazon page since most of you seem to like Amazon best. I must say though that due to a glitch I am not sure what price Above My Pay Grade X2 will be selling for on Barnes and Noble online. But the rest of the E- books should be on sale there.
https://www.amazon.com/L.-E.-Doggett/e/B01C58R1II/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1The sale goes on for until July 7th, when it ends.
Happy reading and help my to celebrate my birthday with a good price on great reading.

Four SaturdayScenes tales-one for Mother's Day May 13

May 13 Happy Mother’s Day for those who are mothers, even to those from countries that celebrate it on other dates, or who don’t celebrate it at all. You are all needed and appreciated. I found one story that deals with motherhood. It is a mini Urban Fantasy story with an older mage.



Three of these stories are the general fiction tales I promised I would do and one is the motherhood story I just referenced.


I start with that one. The second story is one I have posted before. I think the next two are new to here. The third one is from my “My Stories Inspired by Pictures” collection. Many people liked it but even if you don’t check out that collection. Currently 16 stories of adventure, fun, weird Western, fantasy and science fiction. The last story here was suppose to be kinda of humorous. 3,549 words total



Snow Duchess

Boy, it was cold. As I get older the more cold it became. Even walking among a forest of large trees didn’t help much with the wind. At least the sky looked blue instead of gray.
I needed to meet with her though. She had called, said she wanted help. The Snow Duchess had helped me with the local yeti and layer when I was trapped in a very bad snow storm.
For those two reasons, and because I’m a nice guy, I found myself traipsing through the snow, ice and wind of the back country of Canada. Did I say it was cold? My eyebrows’ color changed to white when my sweat froze.
I wore thermals, thick pants and a shirt along with a fur parka made for this weather but still-cold. I could have tricked some warmth around me, but I didn’t know what she wanted. I might need all of my strength.
The only sounds were my snowshoes crunching the surface of the snow. That would mean I might be able to hear a bear or a family of wolves run through it toward me.
After a short rest I still breathed hard. As I said, I am old. The air smelled cold and I tasted it when I sucked in a large lungful of air.
I figured she was in trouble but I hoped she didn’t want to get pregnant again. Last time Tony did the honors but it didn’t work out well. First of all he evidently had problems because of how cold she is-physically that is. Second and third were reasons he didn’t want to talk about. And neither did she. And finally I just don’t have sex with any woman who bats their eyelashes at me. That goes especially with producing a child I would not know, nor be able to have, at least, some influence on their raising.
I came out of a line of trees and saw a large snow covered clearing. It could be a meadow in summer. I could make out the trees on the other side. There at midpoint stood three figures. A young woman, a large husky and a smaller dog I couldn’t be sure of.
The woman was too young to be the Snow Duchess. In fact she looked to be significantly under twenty. I blinked for she looked about the same number of years from when I left Tony here. So he had gotten her pregnant after all.
Even though modestly covered all the way she wore less than I did, which meant that the snow and wind did not bother her. She was pretty even from this distance-more so than her mother who was on the lower end of pretty. I wondered if something had happened to her mother and that it had been this woman who called me.
I sent out a probe of energy. Yeah, she had the same reading as her mother, almost that is. But wait that husky. I blinked again, no wonder it was so big. I already knew she could become any snow creature she wanted to, which is how she gotten me out of that storm.
The dog looked at me, eye to eye. Ohhh, she wanted my help to pass on the power and authority to her daughter. I nodded, I could do that. It meant that I would have to go out there though. She chuckled.
With a sigh, I walked out to where they stood and officiated the correct ceremony which consisted of mostly the saying of certain vows and laying a hand on both at the same time to transfer the power. Even though a different type of power than I had and more of it, I knew how to do it safely. Safely to me that is. I touched them both, the Snow Duchess produced enough cold to go through my glove on that hand. I had problems concentrating and when I allowed the power in nothing happened. Her head spun my way and I think she growled. I glared back at her. One failing did not mean a total failure, but I realized that this had to be done now. She was sacrificing her position and most of her power for her daughter, not only for her retirement
I managed to get it right the second time and the ceremony worked. Afterwards I realized that some of it had stayed with me. I wasn’t sure how it would effect me. Make me stronger? Make me younger again, more able to handle the cold-I would appreciate that last more than anything.
The young woman smiled, said thanks and promised to help me when I needed it. I knew she meant couple of large things.
I smiled and left to get back to someplace warm.

end


Mind Blob


I sat in the small chair they allowed me, next to my bed. No padding under my rear, or on the arms or back, so no occupant could chew on it. I wouldn’t do that, just the thought dry stuffing filled with sweat and grim made his mouth go dry. However soon after I was placed her I had heard that some in here have done. I was dressed even though a bit warm in here. Voices and steps outside in the hallway drew my attention, but it wasn’t time yet. Then I will out of this room with its light blue and pink wallpaper.
That dream came again last night. I wish I knew where my subconscious came up with the idea: a dark blob, with uneven sides, with thicker sections here and there, and some missing spaces. Almost like a solid fog at night. It’s taller than I am and wider than my bed is long. It’s not a nightmare because I’m not afraid since it just sits there double my reach away. I have had that dream almost every night for the last three months. At first I was scared; woke up sweating, even though the air is cool, with a half yell, but it doesn’t do anything. I just watch it. Its shape changes a bit in every dream, but as I can figure out that’s just my subconscious adding a dimension to it. I think I know what the blacker areas are but not the empty spots. Areas of my life not effected by it? That would be good. I had to fight my reaction to it for eight months but it looks like I have it at bay. If it touches me, I get confused and usually freeze without knowing what to do next, sometimes I set out to do something that doesn’t need doing.
A glance at the clock showed that I better get ready; my wife is coming, with our two kids, to pick me up and take me home. It will be nice to get away from the odors in here. They try to keep them down but vomit, piss and cleaning fluids are always in the background.
It’s been a rough eight months, especially on Tammy. I’m glad she is still there. My recovery would be rougher without her.
I hear other patients walking up and down the hallway outside. I never did that, but I can see why some would. I had breakfast already, which I won’t miss. I hope we can go out to dinner tonight to celebrate, but Judy probably will want to stay home and get used to us being together again. That would be fine, maybe I can talk her into ordering pizza delivery. The food here is enough and eatable, but it’s not all that good.
After a few minutes I again make sure my few things are really packed and ready. Finally Doctor Jim comes to the door and tells me my wife is here. I shake his hand, thank him for his help. He tells me I helped myself and that he just directed me.
He takes me out to the lounge. There they are. I couldn’t help myself, I rush to Judy and hug her. Her body feels so good in my arms, her hands on my back are even better because of what they mean. I saw her only last week, but this is different. I hug my two kids. My eight year old daughter isn’t too sure about me.
I say, “I’m sorry for scaring you, I didn’t mean to. It didn’t have anything to do with you: I have a problem.”
She said, “I know mommy explained that you have a black blob in your head that makes you see things differently and confuses your thinking. It’s not your fault that it decided to hurt you.”
I blink at that, first in surprise, second because of tears. I look up at Judy, mouth “Thank you.”
But at the same time I realize that was my dream. Maybe she had mentioned her explanation to me and I had forgotten it, but my subconscious hadn’t. Or maybe I had spoken of it at one point.
I stood, grabbed my small suitcase and we walk out to the car. Judy tensed, said, “You didn’t harm any of us, but you scared us. If you had harmed one of us, I wouldn’t be here.”
I nodded, “I understand and agree, if my blob ever made me hurt one of you, you should stay away. But now we know the signs of it moving my way and can deal with it before it touches me.”
She relaxed as if she hadn’t been sure of my response yet she still had to say it. She nodded, took my hand and, said, “Lets have pizza for dinner tonight at home.”
I smiled.
The end


Jimmy, shoulder length brown hair flowing, ran along the cobblestone street. His feet slipped in-between the cracks but he ignored that for his friend might be hurt bad. At least though he didn’t have to run all the way to the old stone wall that surrounded the village. And its Inns, houses, churches that had been built around the castle. Sweat ran down his underarms, and matted his hair on his forehead even though it had turned night.
He looked backwards, saw the full moon just behind the castle where he had been playing in with John a few seconds ago. The castle sat on a small hill and looked tall and narrow, and ripe for playing in, for a couple of fourteen year old boys.
It had come up while the searched and played in that castle. It had cooled more now. He and John had been glad they both wore light jackets over their long sleeved flannel shirts and denim pants. Now though bile came up when he thought about how badly hurt John could be. He never did respond to Jimmy’s calls.
The few electric lights someone had installed helped him find his way in the low light. Once at the right building, an Inn he thought, he tried to skid to a stop but instead stumbled. Somehow, with gritted teeth, he managed to keep himself from falling. He turned to the door, and opened it. This building smelled of rotten wood, while the castle had an odor of old rocks, decay and a used outhouse chamber.
His uncle sat at a table they had brought with them. The floor was smooth at least made from rough wood worn smooth through years of usage. Multiple stains colored the floor in places. Some would be blood, he and John had thought earlier.
A lamp shone on the papers his uncle was studying, even though there were two other lights that let people see where they were going and to make sure no one hid in the shadows, he thought.
He hurried to his uncle, who looked up at him.
Jimmy said, “Uncle Harry, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but it’s John. He was playing and he fell.”
His uncle looked surprised and concerned. “Where did he fall and how far?”
“I don’t know how far but it was in that small chamber in the castle. You know the one they used as a bathroom. He leaned over to look down through the toilet hole, with his flashlight. I don’t know he was so curious but he climbed down a larger hole. He slipped and dropped inside that chamber under it. I heard him land and cry out. He didn’t say anything when I shouted at him. So I ran here.”
Jimmy paused to catch his breath and his uncle said, “I know of another way in, but if he is hurt badly I am not sure what we can do here. Our infirmary isn’t designed for bad injuries. We would have to take him to the next larger village.”
“Maybe he won’t be hurt badly.”
“We will see.”
His uncle stood, grabbed two flashlights and rushed out, Jimmy followed.
They rushed down the street. They stooped at a portion of the hill under the castle. Jimmy could smell old wood, plant decay and the ancient stones. Harry handed a light to Jimmy and then shown his own bright LED light on the stone foundation. He finally nodded and said something Jimmy didn’t catch, it might have been a bad word. He moved over a bit and again shone the light around. Jimmy felt clammy as the cooling night made the sweat cold. His heart still beat hard but not as bad as it had. He helped his uncle brush dirt away from a weird crack. After Harry put his hand up to say enough, he brushed his mouth-coughed. Oops, there had been dirt and tiny bits of the stone on his hand and was now in his mouth.
Uncle Harry managed to reach into a crack and pull back. A door squeaked loudly and the stone the door was made from made a gritty sound as it rolled across the dirt still there.
His uncle said, “Those that lived here liked to have this chamber cleaned out every now and then so they made a door here where slaves could get in and haul out what this was filled with.”
Jimmy wondered for a second what that could be but then it hit him and he said, “Ohhh.”
Yikes, by the smell of the inside this place had been used as its original purpose for a decade.
Uncle Harry aimed his light inside and motion for Jimmy. He thought for a second then realized what his uncle wanted. Jimmy turned on his light and made sure it shone inside.
Jimmy heard a groan. He stepped into the doorway and moved his light back and forth.
“Not so fast Jimmy. Move the beam slowly.”
He did and saw a shadow off to one side toward the back. Jimmy almost rushed in, but his uncle stopped him.
“Watch where you step, and call him to see if he is okay.”
Jimmy flicked the light downward and made sure he stepped only on stone. He called for John. He thought he saw his friend on a small raised platform. Maybe to help with the cleaning or to make the foundation stronger for they were in part of the foundation for the castle.
John said, “I’m okay, I think, but my arm hurts and I bruised my other side.”
Jimmy said, “Come on out. Uncle Harry found a door-but watch your step. Some of this stuff is fresh.”
“What stuff? Oh! Yecch.”
A moment later Jimmy saw someone move, drop to the floor, then carefully walk over to the door. Even before he got there though Jimmy could smell him.
“Yecch, you have some of that on you. You must have landed in a pile of it. We need to clean you off.”
John said, “But my arm and side hurt and I am getting a headache.”
Jimmy’s uncle waved his hand in front of his face and said, “You’re right, that is portent. I know of a place come on.”
He led the way to another part of the castle. This time to a small hole in the foundation stone. It held water and had an old bucket next to it.
“Here we can use this to soak him and to clean him. John you are going to get cold but maybe that will teach you not to play in places like this. Yecch. But it could have been worse. The chamber next to it is filled with very old water. We don’t know how deep it is but it smells like it has old dead fish in it. A garbage dump that got filled with rain water maybe. You could have drowned in smelly old water if you had fallen into that one.”
Jimmy said, “I know, we smelled that water. We wanted no part of it.”
“Good!”
The spent the next ten minutes filling the bucket and splashing John with until they were sure he was clean. The stink stayed though, either it had caught in their sinuses or John badly needed to change cloths and leave these outside, of the walls, Jimmy thought. Then Uncle Harry took led John to an old house that was used as the infirmity. The Professor there had some medical experience since he had been an EMT for a short time. He examined John thought no bones were broken but that the next day a trip to a hospital was in order to make sure and to see about fixing that sprained arm. He gave John some pain relievers he thought would last through the night but it would still hurt.
Jimmy wanted to cheer because his friend was okay, but also determined that he would never do anything as stupid as John had done.

End



Hinglefingle’s Lesson


Tommy Hinglefingle sat on a large rock, today he became single. His seat felt hard and rough but he didn’t care. A tear formed in one eye.
He didn’t notice Jeff Kerkerfell rush up to him from behind. The newcomer slipped around the rock seat, Tommy saw him just as Kergerfell rang his bell.
Tommy hit the ground, stayed there long enough to realize he tasted blood and that one hand rested on a thorny weed.
Once back up, he raised his fists and said, “What was that for?”
“You messed around with my girlfriend.”“Me? You stole her from me...I should punch you twice.”
Jeff waved his hand as if to dismiss what Tommy said.
“Don’t change the subject, you messed with Emily.”
“Not recently...of course I messed with her when we were together...what are you going to do punch all her old boyfriends?”
Kerkerfell said, “You were more than a boyfriend, she married you...and she still thinks of you.”
“What? We haven’t spoken in months.”
Kerkerfell shook his head hard, “Don’t try to sell me. She has been distant the last few days and she changes the subject when I talk of us.”
Hinglefingle said, “Maybe she just wants to be single.”
Kerkerfell said, “She has mentioned your name you in our discussions of late, she wore a ring last night on her left hand when she gave me a quick good night kiss. I knew then that you had to be messing with her behind my back.
Hinglefingle paced, put his hands in his pocket, jingled his keys, stopped himself. He turned back to Kerkerfell.
“Are you playing a game here? She let you take her from me and filed for divorce...and no matter what you believe I haven’t even seen her in ages much less messed with her.”
Kerkerfell said, “Listen to me, you can tell I’m not playing a game! She really has talked about you and is wearing a ring.”
“Maybe Hizzorlone gave her one. She seems to like him.”
“No, she talks about you not him.”
“But...”
Kerkerfell interrupted, “She still wears that small bell you gave her too. And it was a wedding ring not an engagement ring. Call her and see for yourself. You will see I was right to sock you.”
Hinglefingle pulled out his cell phone said, “She would have called me today of all days if this was true,” and punched in a number.
A moment later he said, “Damn, the battery is dead.”
Kerkerfell said, “Maybe that is why she hasn’t called you, she can’t get through...She’s probably at Dell’s party, you should go talk to her.”
Hinglefingle paced again, rolled his eyes and said, “Okay, I’ll go see her mingle at the party...I’ll get this straightened out one way or another.”
Kerkerfell said, “If you haven’t messed with her I’ll apologize for punching you...but go find out.”
Hinglefingle started off, stopped turned back and said, “I’ll give you a dingle afterwards.”
He thought, and if this is a game, I won’t call, I’ll give him two punches.
After he got in his car he added, maybe it is true, I didn’t tell Kerkerfell that she tried to call me four times last night, if she really is wearing that ring she must have changed her mind which would mean today the divorce would be off instead of final...maybe something good can happen to me after all.”

The End

A Late Christmas sale on all of my E-books

 All three of my E-books are on sale. And two sets of short stories at the usual inexpensive price. 

Each one makes a good gift

Each novel has suspense, action, adventure and is a fun read.

Two Urban Fantasy 

One Steampunk-special Ops

one set of seven fantasy stories

one set of five Science Fiction tales. 

One tale in Strange New Worlds Ten but I have no control on that price. Excellent stories though. 

Even for yourself after the Christmas rush.

E-books also at  iTunes and Kobo 

My author's page at Amazon 

Third and final part of my Dragon tale

If you have not seen them, parts one and two are just done the scrolling bar.

At one time I thought about doing a series of stories about these three, mostly with Star and Penny. But I have only one done, with just Star. A zombie story where zombies appear on a collage campus when someone reads a very ancient curse in its original language. That is the reason for the way I ended it like I did. The ending could use some help but it's easy to get the gist of it. And it does have a bit of horror and Romance in it.

Because of various real life events I hurried through the revising but it is still more readable than the original version.

I stared, as I saw through the corner of my eye, so did Penny and Billy. I knew we all believed.
A real dragon wearing Jerry’s iron dragon sculpture. We gaped at each other. I looked at Penny and saw a look that said she had figured it out already. I nodded at her indicating I knew she had known all along.
She said, “We need to call the Guard out.”
“And what are we goin’ to say that a honest to Betsy dragon is wearing a dang flak jacket?”
Penny looked at me for help, but I just shrugged my shoulders for he was right. I didn’t know what we could do about a dragon wearing “a dang flak jacket” but I knew if we reported it the authorities they would measured us for jackets of our own. Straight jackets in our case.
Penny’s eyes lit up suddenly.
She said, ”I know what to do. We can sic an iron horse on the iron dragon.”
I started to ask where we would get a train engineer when she continued. “I know how to operate a train engine and I know where we can get one.”
I managed to get out “How did you...?” before she continued, “A guy liked me a while back. He was training to be a train engineer and he taught me how to operate an engine. He thought it would be a good bonding experience for us.”
I wanted to ask if it worked, but she said, “I liked him but I think he felt like it took me too long to come around to his way of thinking. He ended up graduating and moving away for a good paying job. He writes now and then but...” she ended with a shrug of her shoulders.
Billy added, “He wanted her to go with him so they could live together while their relationship grew, then maybe get married.”
She looked surprised that he knew, then shook her head as if to say she didn’t want that. I felt relieved that she didn’t have a boyfriend after all.
I think she saw the relief on my face but she didn’t say anything.
She said, “As I was saying I know where to get an engine. It may be hooked up to only one to three cars but that will be enough. We need some bait on the train tracks at the bottom of a small hill I know of. It’s just outside of where the Roger ranch is. I can get the engine going and as it curves around the top of the hill I can shut done the engine and let the momentum carry the train down the hill. If the dragon is at the bottom I will hit with more iron than is around the dragon.”
Billy said, “I don’t know it sounds tricky and the dragon has to cooperate.”
“If we use the right type of bait it probably will. The dragon where ever he came from probably doesn’t know about trains and we will have your high powered rifle as back up. Its either that or let him attack and kill enough people--your friends--to get the authorities moving,” I said.
“You’re right but I don’t like it.”
“I don’t either but it’s this or sit back and watch it start eating or flaming people. If it hasn’t already.”
“Ok, you sure know how to git to a guy.”
We split up at that point. I gave Penny her helmet along with my jacket and two other pieces of equipment I found in the SUV. She rode off on my motorcycle to find her engine. Before leaving she described the place where we should place the bait. Billy knew the hill’s location so he could find it easily. I watched her go hoping that she would come back alive.
I joined Billy in the SUV and we went on a hunt for cows. The tracks ran by a ranch near the place Penny had chosen, which made it fairly easy to find a few cows close to where Penny wanted them. It wasn’t, however, easy leading them but we managed to get four cows to the bottom of the incline and to tie them down. We used ropes we found in the back of the SUV. The cows fur felt rougher than I knew. Billy took it all in stride, probably because he know both things about cows. I also found out how their fur tasted when one jerked to a stop as I pushed at it. My right hand slipped and I ended up with my face too close to the one I pushed.
They mooed and jerked at the ropes-I had to redo one-but settled down and started chewing on the grass that grew around the tracks. Up close I found that cows stunk more than I expected. Maybe that was why Penny figured the dragon would show up for these cows.
One company had cell phone towers out here which allowed us to keep track of each other. Penny found an older engine ready to go with three cars. She figured the engineers had gone for a bathroom break or ran when the dragon flew overhead.
She later told me that she managed to get through the gate and to get on it for the guards stood happy and ignorant lulled into a slack routine because nothing ever happened out here. One listened to what she assumed was music. No one came to check it out when she started it for they had expected it.
I asked Billy to get a cutting torch ready to go just in case we could cut some of the iron bars off the dragon. I had no idea how we would do that but I wanted to be ready.
With that in mind I readied two items I thought might help. I also kept the grenade even though I doubted the phosphorous would hurt a dragon. Distract it maybe which would be good.
Penny thought the dragon might be flying a pattern, perhaps looking for something or just getting used to the land. If she was right the dragon should be flying over head about the same time we got things set up.
Sure enough five minutes after we had the cows tired up and the cutting touch ready we heard the noise the dragon made while flying. A kind of rumble I had heard twice now. I didn’t know if that meant it was hungry or if it talked to itself. We parked the SUV out of sight and scrambled to separate hiding places near the cows.
The dragon circled the area while the cows went crazy with fear. It dropped down landing on the tracks. So far so good but we needed to keep it there for another minute. Penny was on the way, I could hear it. The cows madly pulled at the ropes trying to escape. They pooped in fear. And sweated. I felt sorry for them. Sweat ran down my back and from under my arms and my hair became matted with it.
At that moment something unexpected happened. The dragon turned in my direction and spoke.
“I can smell you, human. I know this is a trap, but your puny weapons can not harm me especially with this metal armor on. I’m protected just like one of your paltry knights.”
Maybe he did know about guns after all. In either case I could see that the sculpture didn’t cover everything which meant that Billy’s rifle would still work.
When I felt the earth move under me I knew the train was approaching. A second later I wondered why he couldn’t smell Billy. Maybe my after shave attracted him or I sweated more than Billy.
“What weapon do you think would be able to do me harm, oh
puny human.”
Deciding to take a chance I shouted, “Oh great dragon you are right all we have is a horse to fight you with.”
I could hear the train so I knew it even closer.
“A horse! You mean one of those unicorn like animals that you like to ride? How could one of those hurt me?
I knew the dragon still could escape but I didn’t know how to keep it there. Two heartbeats later I realized it sounded egotistical, that gave me an idea.
“Hey, snake face. What happened you make you lucky to come here?”
It reared back lifting its head as high as it could go. I thought oh oh I over did it.
It finally spoke, “It took me years to gather the knowledge to change worlds. You humans don’t know of the other worlds but we dragons do. It has been eons since one of my kind was here but we still talk of your world. I had to use almost all of my strength to come, here I made it, as your eyesight can testify.
“I had looked into this world and spotted this armor. I knew instintly that I would become even more invincible with it on. I almost made it on my first attempt so I knew I could do it. I can do anything I want to even fly with this extra weight.”
So Penny had been right, it needed to eat. That thought of her reminded me that I couldn’t hear the train anymore. It must be curving around the hill and ready to ran down that decline.
I hoped Penny would be all right. She wore my riding jacket as well my extra motorcycle helmet. The padded jacket could protect a rider from a fall so it might protect her. The knee and elbow pads, Jerry used in making his art, would help also I thought. All of that may not be much but at least the padding would protect her if the dragon knocked the engine off the track. It helped that the engine weighed tons, probably even more than the dragon and the sculpture combined. Of course if the dragon used its fire nothing we could do would protect her.
A glance showed me that Billy readied the rifle just in case it looked like the dragon was going to breath fire at her. From his angle he could hit it where no iron protected it. How much harm a bullet from that rifle would do probably depended on where it hit, I thought.
I shouted, “We are going to bring you down with a horse you foolish dragon.”
It reared its head up looking for me. I was right even though it could smell me it didn’t know where I hid. At that moment the engine came whistling down the decline. I heard a gun shot and saw a spark as a bullet hit and ricocheted from one of the iron bars. I heard a second shot followed by a second spark. I knew Billy was just trying to distract the beast.
The dragon said, “Your puny weapon can’t hurt me and neither can your horse.”
I shouted, “Its an iron horse.” as it flapped its wings possibly to take off.
My heart stilled for it looked like the train would just miss when the beast shifted its weight as if it would leap upward. A frozen second later though and the engine hit. I saw and heard the smack as iron hit flesh-even the thick dragon’s skin was still flesh. The horrible noise almost made me sick and I tasted bile for a second. The next heartbeat I heard metal tear as iron bars split. The engine continued on after while the dragon fell to one side and tumbled down the slight rise of the tracks.
I moved as quick as I could and grabbed the two devices I hoped would work on the dragon. One consisted of a huge tube almost as big around as a quarter drum. I could barely lift it as I picked up the second tube, a narrow, long cylinder. Both were colored a faded red and both could be operated by pressing a spray nozzle. I ran up to where the dragon lay. I could see one side was torn and bleeding. I almost gagged from the very strong smell of blood. A second odor I couldn’t identify. I thought it might be burnt skin or dragon musk.
I avoided the blood as I started spraying its chest with fire retardant. I have been told that fire retardant felt cold and it did seem to lower the temperature around its chest. When the larger fire extinguisher run out I grabbed the smaller one and sprayed it around the beast’s head. I don’t know if the form helped or not but the dragon looked more unconscious then just stunned for which I was grateful.
I shouted for Billy. He came running up from his hiding place carrying a small cutting touch. He lit the flame and started cutting the sculpture off. I called Penny. She sounded Ok and the engine was still in one piece.
Billy cut two bars all the way through and had started on a third when the beast shook its head. He dropped the torch and took off stumbling down the incline to a ditch. I backed off as fast as I my legs would move.
The dragon shook its body and tried to lunch itself into the air. It didn’t get very far.
It started raining finally with close lightening bolts.
The beast roared, it then looked at me as I continued to back off.
“You think that is all it would take to stop me. I will heal and I will be back.”
Penny voice came over the phone. I thought I heard her say she would back the train up. I told her not to, it looked too dangerous now. I saw the beast flinch as I heard a gunshot which indicated he hit it this time.
I heard the train in-between the thunder and knew that Penny was backing up for another try. The dragon saw the train backing up and readied itself for what I thought would be a shot of flame. I didn’t have anything except the grenade so I pulled the pin and threw at the dragon.
I thought it would at least distract the dragon. I aimed for the partially cut iron bar hoping the explosion would break it the rest of the way through. The grenade exploded against the beast sending a cloud of burning phosphorus over the dragon and iron. It roared in a way I thought sounded humorous.
“Puny human you thought that would harm me. That burns delightfully.”
Shouting I said “No, I thought it might distract you.”
I heard two gun shots, one right after the other and I saw the beast’s skin ripple where the bullets hit. Its head jerked just before it looked down trying to spot where the bullets came from.
A second later looking straight at the train it tried to take off again. It only managed to gain a few yards of height when the train hit it again along one side. It hadn’t been able to build up much speed or kenitic force but it weighed tons. The dragon flapped a wing but dropped from the sky. It hit the ground some ten yards away. I heard a bar break.
The second it came to a stop the beast stood and roared its defiance. I opened my mouth to tell Billy to try another shot when it launched itself into the air. I wondered how it could fly with one side torn apart, it leaked blood from more than one spot, and other injuries. I stared and saw that neither wing had been injured. Maybe that was how it could still fly and just plain determination.
Just as Billy came running up to get a good shot at it lightning hit it. The beast screamed joined with the thunder and blast as the bolt’s power went through it. I thought its roars earlier sounded loud but this one was so loud I covered my ears. I stumbled backward while Billy slipped further down a hillock. I hoped Penny was safe in the cab of the engine.
I smelled burnt meat and burnt metal, making me hungry and nauseous at the same time. The dragon tried to keep flying but failed as another bolt hit one of the iron bars. It screamed again, or it looked like it did. I couldn’t hear after that last thunder clap.
The dragon fell to the ground and after one attempt to raise its head it lay still. I moved closer before backing off again as it moved. A few seconds later it relaxed just before the body started to disappear. Slowly a section at a time it vanished. What was left of the sculpture collapsed to the ground. I stood there staring at it with rain running down my face. From what I could see no part of the dragon remained, hopefully it went back to where ever it came from. Later after a thorough search we decided all of its blood and the torn pieces of flesh had gone back with it.
Penny came along at that moment and I smiled when I saw she was Ok. She looked at me and smiled too.
I think she mouthed the words. “I’m Ok Star. Everyone is Ok. We did it!”
Billy came back up holding the rifle like he wanted to make sure the great beast really was gone.
We walked back to the SUV. Neither of us talked mainly because we still couldn’t hear anything. After a short search we found and collected all the equipment lying around. After we loaded it, we piled in the SUV and drove off. Billy took me home.
The next day when I woke, I could hear a little. I explained to my family that I felt fine, I just stood a little too close to a lightning strike. After they made sure I really was all right I went outside wondering how to get back to Jerry’ place.
Penny rode up on my motorcycle and after getting off she said, “We need to get over to Jerry’s.”
Or I think that is what she said, for as I said my hearing
wasn’t completely normal yet. We got on the bike and rode to Jerry’s.
Once there we met with Billy and decided we couldn’t say anything about the dragon. No one would believe us.
“But what do we tell Jerry about what happened to his dragon sculpture?”
Billy said, “We tell him the truth. It got hit by a train. Some egotistical loon-probably from the city-managed to move it and placed it on the track. Then he or someone else stole the engine, and ran into it. Lightning hit it next,” he shrugged, “who knows how some of those big city people think”.
We agreed to that.
At that point Penny said, “I’m glad we all survived.”
I’m sure that she looked at me when she said it too.
She added, “And thanks for the use of your stuff, Star and for throwing that grenade. I’m glad you did.”
I decided to take another chance and I hugged her. I knew she didn’t mind when she hugged me a tight hug back.
I also shook Billy’s hand and she thanked him for coming along and for shooting like he did.
Billy smiled and said, “I couldn’t have done it without each of you.”
After a moment he explained that besides the bar and tack building, an old unused barn and a trailer had been destroyed by fire. A family lived in the trailer but they were all out for the evening so no one had gotten hurt. Most of the townspeople believed lightning strikes, or the same dang fool who took the train for a joy ride started the fires. The only damage to the engine consisted of easily fixed scratches, even though two ran deep. Four cows came up missing from one ranch while three cows and two horses were missing from another. The authorities thought some outsider with a mobile butcher shop might be responsible for the disappearance of the animals.
At the end of the summer break I went home and back to school. I believe that adventure became a turning point for me. Probably because of the chances I took without thinking, but I no longer felt fear when I wanted to take a chance. I took new classes and reached out to other students making more friends then ever before.
The three of us kept in touch with letters and E-mail. I managed to make it back to visit Penny and Billy a few times in the next years. Billy stayed in town, working with Jerry, where he underwent three similar adventures over the next few years.
Penny and I kept in touch regularly with letters and E-mail with an occasional phone call for the next few years. In the next few months we saw each other as much as possible despite a very busy year of studying for me and working for her. We had another adventure and later I ran into other paranormal events alone and even later with her again. Those were the ones I remember more fondly.

The end