Chapter 5 Idiot in a suit

The policeman literally jumped around to face me- or at least my head. "Wow," He muttered, "This thing is really realistic." I growled under my breath. People can be so single minded! "That's because I AM real", I rumbled, "Here, want me to prove it?"

I turned around, saw an empty field, and lofted myself over the people's heads, ignoring their screams, and the shouts of the policemen behind me.

I turned to face the crowd. "Watch this!" I reared back on my hind legs, and roared. Shock waves rippled across the grass. The entire crowd stepped back a few paces, trying to keep their balance against the barrage of sound.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash, and at the same instant, I heard a loud pop. I waited for the bullet to come tearing through me, but I only heard a PING, as if someone had bounced a quarter off a rock. When I looked down, I saw a small chip in one of my scales. Elation filled me. I'm invincible! My scales are impervious to bullets!

I thudded back down to all fours, glaring at the policeman who shot at me. "Anybody else want to try something like that?" I growled.

There was silence for a moment. Then one of the reporters from the back of the crowd yelled, "Hey! What exactly ARE you anyway? Are you some sort of space alien?"

"No, I--" I started to reply, but was drowned out by all the other reporters, who all began talking and arguing and shouting questions at me, until I couldn't get a word in edgewise, even if I could understand a single query out of the babble of noise. The situation was getting out of control. I reared my head up as far as it would go, towering over the small mob that seemed to be getting bigger every moment. Then I let loose with a jet of flame so long that it almost torched a tree across the street.

Instantly, all eyes turned to me, and that strange silence again descended on the crowd. I rubbed my forehead, trying to massage away a headache, but only managed to scratch a scale off of my face.

I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye, and looked down just in time to see a person scurry back into the crowd, my scale in her hand. "Hey! Come back here with that!" I yelled. "That's mine!" But she had already disappeared into the crowd.

Suddenly, another person stepped out of the throng. He was dressed in an expensive gray suit. His hair was almost the same color, slicked back into a professional-looking style. I could smell his expensive cologne. I snorted. He cleared his throat, looking slightly nervous. "Excuse me," he called, "But I need you to come with me, if you would be so... umm... kind."

"And just where do you think you are going to be taking me, if you would be so...kind?" I mimicked, rather annoyed that he seemed to think I was incapable of emotion.

He looked somewhat startled at my sarcasm, then answered," I am... not at liberty to tell you that in public." He seemed genuinely uncomfortable.

"You will tell me where we are going," I rumbled menacingly, "or we are not going at all!" The man did not look the least bit disturbed by my aggressiveness."You MUST come," He returned, "or I regret that we must use force."

"Oh? And just what are you thinking of doing to me?" sarcastically, "And who is we?" I added.

Instead of answering, the man raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly about twenty or thirty Air Force troops jumped out, seemingly from nowhere, and surrounded me, weapons pointed directly at my head.

I decided that the casual act might be the best way to avoid a conflict. I glanced around. "Hmmm. Impressive." I remarked in a bored tone.

The man looked rather taken aback, but instantly recovered his composure and glared abstractly at a point somewhere in the vicinity of my chest. "You MUST come!" he repeated, frowning. He motioned with his hand, and the soldiers stepped forward, tightening the ring of glinting weapons around me.

I raised my head, eyes flashing, all pretense gone. "You want a fight, buddy?!" I roared, nearly toppling him over with the force of the sound. The guards all took a step back, fighting to raise their weapons against the onslaught. I spread my wings, raised my crest and bared my teeth. The crowd had scattered. All that remained were a few pieces of camera equipment and one or two faces poking out from behind a nearby shed.

The man's eyes narrowed. He stepped back a few paces. "Just where do you think you're going?" I hissed. Suddenly, he jumped back and made a chopping motion with his arm. Instantly, all the soldiers dropped to one knee and began shooting. BAMBAMBAMBAMBAM!

I decided to show off a little. I lowered my crest, folded my wings and sat down. The bullets whizzed harmlessly around me, some pinging off my scales. I just sat there, still staring at the man. He looked somewhat pale. Finally, he made a slicing motion with his hand, and the men ceased firing. I yawned, showing off my teeth. "You were saying?"

He took a hesitant step forward. "I ask you one more time," he pleaded, "Please come with me! It is urgent!"

I looked around, seemingly considering. "This is all very convincing," I purred, "But I really have somewhere to go..."

And I did, too. I had to go home...wherever home was. I didn't even know where I was! "Just one question, sir," I continued, "What town is this?"

He looked somewhat surprised. "Ummm... this is Chicago." He said, looking at me warily.

I stared at him, shocked. Chicago! I lived in Rib Lake Wisconsin, more than a hundred miles away! Luckily, I had always had somewhat of a fascination for maps. I knew the general direction I had to go.

"Well," I chirped, "It has been a pleasure talking to you, but I really must be going." With that, I took to the skies.