"I woke up to the sound of waves. Still disoriented, I stepped out of my bed and onto the sand. Surprised and now awake, I looked around and realized I was at the beach. Now this would usually be a good thing but no one was around, and I could only see the forest behind me and the ocean for miles........"

I could feel the panic rising from within me thinking of how I got here. I sat in the middle of my bed and tucked myself in, hoping this was just a dream. If I fall asleep hopefully I'll wake up in my bed just like normal.

Some time passed with no luck until I felt movement beside me. My teddy bear had gotten up and was now standing on my chest glaring at me.

"Are you seriously going to just lay here?" he said sounding bothered and putting his...paws on my hip.

Since teddy bears aren't supposed to talk, I did the most logical thing any person would do. I screamed lie a mad woman scrambling away from the speaking, moving, cuddly creature. After moving a few feet away I closed my eyes and took a few calming deep breaths before opening them again. When I looked up the bear was in front of me holding a dagger.

"It's not safe to have weaponry under your bed you know. Someone could get hurt," he said while examining te small knife with a cuved blade.

"Where did you get that? Why are you talking?' I asked frantically feeling very lightheaded.

In my opinion, this was too much to be going on first thing in the morning......or night.

"It was jus laying under your bed, nd I have never been able to talk. Wha would you do if you suddenly could talk? stay quiet?"

"Well.....no..but..."

"I can walk too! I am definitely not standing around! Goodbye!"

I stood there in the sand for a moment in utter shock and weighed my options. I could stay here and be alone or travel with my teddy bear that now talks and walks. I decided to choose the later and ran to catch up with Blue.

We walked towards the forest for a long time, while he talked and talked about all the adventures we had taken together and his new feelings. Suddenly he froze and looked up to the sky.

"I hear something in the air, it sounds huge!" he said beginning to tremor softly.

"What is it?" I asked feeling my body now shaking slightly.

I searched the surrounding area but only saw the large trees with blackened trunks and olive green leaves. Above the smell of ocean and earth, there was a faint burnt smell. Before I knew it a large dragon swooped down from the trees looking at me like I was a big juicy well-seasoned rib drenched in BBQ sauce.

The dragon flexed its scales and showed me its beautifully frightening teeth. I looked down to blue for help but he was long gone, leaving only the dagger in his wake. With trembling hands, I slowly bent down to retrieve the dagger I held it up as I have seen knights do before in a sword fight and tried to look as confident as possible.

The dragon must'ver knew what I was doing because he got into a fighting stance of his own. Oddly though his fighting stance matched mine but instead of using a dagger he held out his large claws. We began to fight, with each blow I felt my arms become weaker and weaker. He blew an exasperated breath burning ten tips of the trees around us. In an act of fright I duck, unknowingly stabbing the dagger into the dragon's heart.

there was a breathtaking scream as he fell to his death. When I pulled ou the dagger the heart of the dragon came out with it. I held the oozing heart in my hands as the forest stirred around me. My heart stopped, hoping to wonder if there is another dragon in his wake. When I raised my head a colony of a tree like people stepped out from the shadows. They had leaves and flowers for hair, roots for finger and a body made of various types of bark. They raised their hands in unison, singing a sweet calming song. I felt myself drifting to an unwelcomed sleep. The darkness welcomed me in and held me like a new born child.

I woke up in my bed again but this time where I should, at home. the only straying memory from my time at the magical beach was a bleeding heart amulet, that stayed safely on my chest for the rest of my days.

by Cheyanne Joseph

Thank you to The_hack_writer for the cover