I have a secret. So terrible that my mother hides me from the world, that my own brothers and sisters don’t know I exist, if even one person found out, I would be killed. The secret is horrible. Yet I want to unleash this secret. All I want to do is fly. But I would be killed for being half-dragon.

My cave is small. I sit on my bed, trying to sleep. I cannot sleep at night, no matter how hard I try. When it is night, the dragon inside me is at its strongest. If I let my guard down, I will turn into a dragon. That is too dangerous, but I know I will have to sleep at night soon.

When I lay down in my bed at night, I am too tired to fight the dragon inside me. Whatever happens tonight, I will be human again by morning. I fight for freedom and as I fall asleep, the dragon gets it. My skin turns to red scales. My face grows longer, my teeth turn to fangs and my nails to claws. I open my mouth and shoot fire. I am not happy with what has happened, but my dragon self is. I roar and fly off into the night.

I soar over the treetops, the wind whooshing past me. I make it all the way to the ocean, where I turn around and begin to travel toward the village where my family lives. I try to stop myself but the dragon is too strong. I’m taken and I circle low. I finally see a small child walking down the road. It is not right for a small child to be out this late at night. I know it must be a trap but I am overcome with hunger for human flesh. I dive low and the child screams. I feel people throw ropes around me, tying me to the ground. I am strong, but tired. I will be asleep soon. I will be human again.

I wake in the morning to see tens of people crowding around me. I look down at myself and see that I am human again. One man comes to the front and says something I do not hear. The crowd cheers and as they surge towards me, I see my mother in a window, crying.

They take me to the woodpile, where they tie me to a post. I struggle but it is no use. The ropes are too tight and I am too tired. They light a fire around me and I feel the flames burning my skin. But I smile. When in grave danger, I let my dragon come, so fierce that she kills whoever did this to me. She is like another person stuck inside me. She comes and kills the leader. The people scream as I fly back to me cave. I can see my mother smiling and waving as I fly away.