Relief

Dragons.

Dragons everywhere.

Anywhere I looked, anywhere I see.

There were dragons everywhere.

They surrounded me, flying all around. 

They filled my vision and the sky. They filled the air and the ground beneath me. They filled the space before my very eyes. 

There were so many circling me and they were so numerous too. So numerous that even though I was standing on a cliff watching them soar with plenty of space to freely move and turn, I felt choked. Overwhelmed. At their utter presences, they almost took my breath away. 

I remained rooted, standing in the spot where I had stood to see them.

Awestruck, I watched them. There were dragons taking flights, dragons moving, and dragons exchanging places with a simple glance or nod. The silent communication between the dragons is a result of considerable amount of time spent in each other’ company. Their trust gained over mutual respect and understanding. They simply expressed their messages across and took action once they had been received.

I wasn’t expecting to see this sight today.

Nothing could truly explain what I saw.

No words could describe what I seen. 

Nor could they describe the way I felt.

It was truly breath-taking.  

And despite their sheer numbers, there was no clash, no destructive conflict or chaos.

Just calm, relaxing freedom. A natural, chaotic chaos with an order of ease. 

Everything was peaceful.

Suddenly, things changed.

There was sudden movement.

The flock was moving.

I ran to the cliff’s edge, scouring the area anxiously. Trying to discover the reason they were moving and where they were going. 

They were moving fast.

A warm, scaly touch probed my arm, just below the elbow. I turned to look and saw my dragon. The dragon whom I shared a strong connection with, a bond where silent communication can be made with a single glance, just like the other dragons.  

My dragon huffed at me, sending slightly warm air in my direction before nodding to the large valley expanse in front of us. 

My dragon wants me to jump off the cliff and fly. 

She wants me to join them.

By flying. 

…

That’s insane!

Shaking my head frantically, I stepped back, terrified.

My dragon huffed at me again. She nudged me forward, continuing to nod at the wide expanse. 

I looked at her, wide-eyed. She was still encouraging me! 

I looked into her eyes. I see the overwhelming amount of trust and faith she had in me. She believes that I could do it. I, on the other hand, did not. I did not trust myself at all, and by all means necessary, this logically should not work.

But, I trusted her.

I trusted my dragon. 

I stepped forward, closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and opened them.

Filled with determination and fear, I jumped.

I began falling. I started to free-fall at the half-way point of my fall. 

I did not stop.

I kept falling and falling.

Then, by some miracle, I was caught. 

By some wind or gravity, I do not know.

But, I was caught.

And I was flying.

I was flying without wings and I began swooping with joy.

I was flying.

Then, a colourful flush brushed past me. 

It was my dragon.

With a single exchanged nod, we began flying faster, joining the other dragons in their new flock movement. Eager to see where we were heading, I moved forward and-

Oh crap.

I started walking again!

How embarrassing.

Lucky no one saw…I think.

I looked around, checking. I was back at my worksite where I stood amongst the tables and chairs, cluttered with laptops, computer mice and chargers. Typical traits of a school computer laboratory or “lab”.  

I swear I always do this. The moment I get lost in my imagination, I get carried away by the magnificence and energy of the events transpiring before me in front of my mind’s eye, that I just start moving.

I can’t help it though. It’s exciting. 

From adventure to simple teatimes, from epic, ferocious battles to calm, friendly banter, from exploring new lands to enjoying the simple comforts of home. The energy from my imagination always transpires from within me and out. 

Anything can exist in my world and I would always eagerly go back each time for countless new adventures. At times, they seemed like they would never end. 

Last time, I had witnessed a highly tensed conversation between two skeptical, yet cooperative people in a grand room where the negotiations were taking place. While wary of each other and their intentions, they were still keen on their mutual benefits gained from their mutual partnership. Underlined with a natural compatibility and a mutual growing friendship, it was a highly intense encounter that was thrilling to watch. 

This time, it was the dragons.

Despite my unfortunate habits, I did not regret sinking into my imagination every now and then. 

Especially when it came to coping with my frustrations about my current job.

When I first came to this job, it had been an enlightening experience. Teaching the students all day was illuminating. It had been challenging my limit, pushing it further and further, and rapidly accelerating my growth.

However, now it was a monotonous cycle of set routines, repeating nearly the same thing every week with little changes. It was grueling to get through. 

I was ready to move on and try something new.

But, I signed a contract. I made an agreement. I knew what I was getting into and I knew that I would have an obligation to fulfill, a commitment.

I needed to uphold my end of the bargain until the end. 

Then I could move. 

Till then, I would get my excitement, my breaks from life, and my escapes from the monotonous cycle of my work by slipping into the stories of my imagination. 

My adventures. 

Besides, it was not that bad.

As monotonous as the job may be, I was still learning plenty from my experiences here. Interacting with the kids and fellow teaching coworkers often gave new ideas for me to explore and expand upon in my adventures. 

Plus, having an outlet to get some relief which also acted as an aid to help myself cope with the rest of work hours was a positive in my books.  

As long as I do not get too carried away and embarrass myself, of course.