Dragon

Prequel(ish) to Not a kitten.

“Look, Mommy, a dragon!”

“That’s nice, baby.”

“Look, look, up there in the sky, do you see it?”

“Quiet, Janessa, I’m trying to hear the GPS.”

“At the light, turn right on Burne Street.”

“Mommy, what’s a sike-a-tris?”

“A psychiatrist? It’s a special kind of doctor."

"Do I have to get shots?"

"No, don't worry, it's not that kind of doctor. This one will just talk to you.”

“Why do I need to go to the doctor? I’m not sick.”

“I know you’re not, sweetie.”

“So why do I need to go?”

“Just…in case.”

“Just in case what?”

“Listen, afterwards we’ll get ice cream, okay?”

“Yay!”

“Turn left on Sycamore Drive, then arrive at your destination.”

“Are we almost there?”

“Yep!”

“Can Kitty come with me?”

“Of course she can.”

“Arrived.”

“Mommy, I’m scared.”

“It’s okay, sweetie. There’s nothing scary about it, you’ll see. Hold my hand and let’s go.”

***

“Hello, we have an eleven o’clock appointment with Dr. Ellie Lansky.”

“Alright, what’s the last name?”

“Jacobs.”

“Let’s see here…Jacobs…alright, got you checked in. Just have a seat over there and she’ll be with you shortly.”

“Thanks.”

“Mommy, when is the doctor coming?”

“Soon, baby. We just have to wait here for a few minutes.”

“What’s the doctor going to do?”

“She’s just going to ask you some questions. It’ll be fun, you’ll see. Ooh, look! See that pretty birdie over there?”

“Where?”

“Right there, in the cage.”

“Mommy, that’s a dragon, not a bird!”

“Hush, sweetie.”

“But he looks sad. Because he’s stuck in there.”

“That’s enough.”

“Dragons don’t like to be in cages.”

“Janessa! It’s. A. Bird.”

…

“Sweetie, I’m sorry, I—”

“Jacobs?”

“Oh hi, yes, that’s us.”

“Right this way—Dr. Lansky’s ready for you.”

***

“Hi, are you Janessa? It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Dr. Ellie.”

“Hi.”

“I love your plushie! Does it have a name?”

“Kitty.”

“Ah, makes sense! What’s your favorite animal?”

“Dragons.”

“Wow, really? Want to tell me more about them?”

“Mommy says I shouldn’t talk about them.”

“It’s okay this time. Tell me anything you want about dragons.”

“Um…”

“How about we start with this: What do they look like? How big are they?”

“They’re not big; they’re little.”

“Okay, how little?”

“Like the one out there, where we were sitting down.”

“You saw a dragon in the waiting room?”

“Yeah, but Mommy said it was a bird. But it was a dragon. I saw it!”

“Got it. So dragons are bird-sized?”

“Not all of them. Some of them are kitty-sized.”

“Like the Kitty you’re holding?”

“No, like a real kitty.”

“Ah, I see. So dragons are cat-sized or bird-sized?”

“Yeah. Ms. Cramer has one.”

“Who is Ms. Cramer?”

“An old lady who lives across the street.”

“Got it. And you said she has a cat? Or a bird?”

“No, a dragon. But she calls her a cat. One time I asked her why she does that and she got mad and then Mommy got mad and said I shouldn’t call Ms. Cramer’s cat a dragon. But I was just telling the truth! And the dragon doesn’t even like Ms. Cramer. That’s why she burns the carpet all the time, even though Ms. Cramer calls it spitting up hairballs. Hairballs aren’t fire!”

“No, you’re right, they aren’t. What does this dragon look like? Can you draw it for me? Here’s some paper and a pen.”

...

“Like this.”

“I see! What about the dragon you saw here in the lobby? Could you draw that one?”

…

“See? It doesn’t even look like a bird.”

“No, it doesn’t, it’s a beautiful dragon.”

“I don’t know why everybody says dragons are not real. I see them all the time! Yesterday we watched a dragon movie in class and Lacey cried when I said they don’t look like that for real. Then I tried to say what they look like in real life and she cried even more and Ms. Jenny put me in time out. It wasn’t fair because I was just telling the truth.”

“I understand how frustrating it is when people don’t believe you. Can you do something for me? The next time you see a dragon, I want you to draw it in this notebook. That way you can remember each one you find, and if you want you can show them to me next time and tell me all about them. How does that sound?”

“Good!”

“Awesome! Alright, next activity. I’m going to show you some pictures I have, and I want you to tell me what animal you see. Ready? Here’s the first one.”

“A cat.”

“Good. And this?”

“Cat.”

“How about this one?”

“Why do you keep showing cats?”

“I just really love cats. What about this picture?”

“Cat. Are we almost done?”

“Just one more—but this one’s real.”

…

“Ca—dragon!”

“She absolutely is. She’s my dragon, in fact. Want to pet her?”

“Yeah!”

“Okay, hold out your hand like this—”

“I know how to do it. I did it lots of times.”

“Wow, you really do know how! She likes you. She knows you see her, too. When other people look at her, they see a cat.”

“Like Ms. Cramer?”

“Yep, just like that.”

“Why can’t they see she’s a dragon?”

“Because they weren’t made to. A long time ago, humans and dragons were friends. We used to fly on their backs, just like you see in movies. But somewhere along the way, we got into a fight with them, and then there was a war between us and them that went on for a really long time. To stop it, the dragons decided to hide from us, and some people who were still friends with them helped them hide by making them look like cats or birds. In return, the dragons gave those people a special kind of magic that allowed them to still see what dragons actually look like. That’s why some people are born to see them, like you and me. Most people can’t, so they don’t believe dragons are real.”

“I wish they did.”

“Me too. But this way, some humans and dragons can still be friends without it becoming another war.”

“I wish I had a dragon.”

“Maybe one day you will."

***

“How did it go?”

“Really well. Your daughter is quite unique, Mrs. Jacobs.”

“What are you saying?”

“Nothing. She’s fine. Just has a vivid imagination.”

“Really? Nothing concerning you found?”

“Not at all.”

“But what about the...”

“As I said, there is nothing to be concerned about. However, I would like her back here once a year to monitor her. May I also make a recommendation?”

“Of course.”

“The next time she says she sees a dragon, don’t discourage her.”