"Steemit Challenge s28wk1 : Zany and the tiny colored dragon.

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The little creature warmth seeped into Zany’s fingers, surprising her. She had expected it to feel like cold light or mist, like something imaginable. But instead it pulsed—faintly, like a heartbeat, becoming like that of her own fearful one.

For the first time that day, she didn't show signs of hiding anything or showing fear.

The tiny creature chirped;a soft, bell-like sound;and tugged gently at the drawstring of her hoodie before taking a quick move,off toward the direction of a narrow alley. It kept glancing back, as if checking whether she was following.

Zany hesitated.

People usually warned about following manifested emotions, especially the rare ones. You never knew what part of yourself they belonged to;what memory,or the ones that hurt, what hope they might lead you toward. But she was already soaked, already tired, already too numb from weeks;months;of feeling like her chest was filled with wet cement;like having a burden.

And something in that dragon’s glow felt familiar as if it was part of a memory.

So she followed.

They walked between lanes of buildings where neon signs flickered and rainwater dripped like that of tapping fingers. The tiny dragon flew low, over puddles that tiny ripples on the water glowed with marks of color. It seemed to colour the world back into existence so beautiful as it was, blue outlines along a drainpipe, a soft pink shimmer brushing the edge of a trash bin, gold catching on the raindrops suspended in the alley.

And the more colors it let out into the darkness that covered the alley, the lighter, the happier and more secured Zany felt.

At the end of the alley, the little creature towards a stack of crates and curled its body into a small coil, looking up at her expectantly as if waiting for to speak up. She took a careful step closer, wrapped her arms to herself.

“Why me?” she whispered.

The dragon blinked, slow and patient. Then revealed a small projection from its chest. Zany’s breath breathes faster as she saw a younger version of herself sitting on the rooftop of her old apartment building, legs swinging over the edge, smiling at nothing in particular. Smiling simply because she could.

And suddenly Zany understood.

“You’re mine,” she said softly. “A part of me I forgot.”

The dragon chirped again, hopping closer until it could nestled the back of her hand. The contact was warm enough to bring back to life something that was dead inside her.

For a moment, the rain softened. Or maybe it just didn’t feel as heavy as it was because had a feeling of what was long forgotten.

They sat there together—Zany on an overturned crate, the dragon settled near her knee. She didn’t talk much; she didn’t know how to put loneliness into words without showing her petty emotions. But the dragon didn’t ask her to. It simply kept glowing, its colors changing in quiet waves, becoming one with her breaths as if teaching her how to breathe again revealing worth to her.

After a while, as the city lights brightened the little creature wandered around and circled her head. It left faint trails of color that changed into tiny shapes; flowers, stars, etc.

Zany found herself laughing really hard.
The dragon brightened in response, folding the moment into its glow.

They moved back toward the street together,as the side by side—Zany still drenched, still unsure of everything waiting for her at home, still scared of being alone again. But there was warmth now, too. Warmth perched on her shoulder, warmth weaving color through the night air, warmth reminding her that maybe she hadn’t lost herself completely.

Maybe she just needed help finding the pieces.

Maybe she could start tonight.

I invite @blissful001,@us-andrew and @sampson01 to participate in this wonder contest in which Cc;@dove11 have brought to the platform

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Week-1 : Zany and the tiny colored dragon

 
Hello @, thank you so much for taking part in Steemit Challenge Season 28 Week-1. We truly appreciate the time and creativity you put into your entry. Your assessment, including feedback and scores based on our evaluation criteria provided below.

CriteriaMarksRemarks
Story start to finish4.5/5Okay
Originality & Uniqueness2.5/3-
Presentation0.8/1-
My observation0.8/1-
Total8.6/10
FeedbackThe emotional, quiet moments between Zany and the dragon in your Story are those that showcase the deep emotional bond between a human and a dragon. I missed a natural flow for soothing the protagonist. It sounded more like a first date. Thank you!
Moderated By
@dove11

I love how you strictured your English in this story, it's quite impressive and interesting

Hi, I invite you to explore the publications of others in the community, utilize your voting power to support high-quality posts, and don't forget to share your valuable comments.

I would also advise you to try and keep your voting CSI <5 and always create high-quality publications.



Curated by: @mvchacin