Praea

She remembers a soft spring day. Prea looped through the sky. Her feathers and scales glinted in the sunlight with each frenetic flap of her wings. She flew as far and as fast as she could but now her strength was starting to waiver as more and more tears streamed down her face. Prea came crashing down onto the forest floor in a multicolored heap, sending a number of forest creatures skittering away in surprise.

“I can’t take it anymore!” She let out a wail that sent away any remaining critters. “I swear I’ll never speak another word! I-I,” she sobbed, “I’ll paint all my scales and dye all my feathers! If only they’ll stop pestering me!” She rolled over onto her back and wiped at her tears with gentle claws.

She saw the sky, the world, in colors no one even knew. She could see the dreams of others flowing behind their eyes like secret rivers. The gifts she had were marvelous and her variegated appearance gave them away. She wanted nothing more than to share her unique talents with others, but with one look of the peculiar dragon they turned their snouts to a sneer. She closed her eyes and recalled all the times they poked fun at her for her looks and her revelations. There were far too many to count. Prea expelled the thoughts from her mind with a deep exhale through her mouth.

It was only a fraction of a second’s time after she exhaled that she had heard the rustle of leaves from above. She barely had time to furrow her brow and open her eyes before- PLOP!

She let out a small yelp and grabbed at her face where the thing had landed. It squirmed at her grasp as she pulled it away to examine it. In her hands she held a small, sapphire blue buttersnake. It had wrapped itself tightly around her hand in an attempt to hold on while she turned it in the light for a better look. Prea noticed the pitiful buttersnake panting with fear and held it still in her hands; it immediatly coiled itself into a tight ball with its small, brillant, wings poking out the top. She tenderly stroked its side to calm the frightened creature.

“Oh you poor thing. You must have fallen from the tree when I…” Prea blinked. She gasped. The buttersnake she was holding, it had changed? In the blink of an eye! Prea was used to seeing strange and fantastic things but not like this, she blinked several more times to make sure it was true. Each time the buttersnake gleamed in bright and changing colors. She had already been weeping today but her glistening eyes managed to shed one more tear, one of happiness.

“You’re like me…” She spoke softly to the buttersnake, who’s head popped out from within the shining orange coil. It seemed like a smile came over its small purple face when it heard her words. Its tongue flickered happily. Prea chuckled and held it to her shoulder, allowing it to climb up into the feathers of her wing. The buttersnake cuddled against its newest friend.

Prea looked back up into the sky, the colors of the world seeming brighter than ever. “I think we were meant for each other, Little One.” The two alighted from the ground and headed towards home, both excited to have finally found someone who understands what it’s like to be so colorful
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