Doc Terminus could not believe his usually perfect attempts at persuading others had failed him moments ago. He had retreated with Hoagy back to his tent where he was met with the scowling faces of the two Gogans.
Lena Gogan had removed the bandage from her face to reveal her puffed and oozing skin seared from the fire of the dragon. Terminus cringed at the sight and retrieved a bottle of ointment from one of his cabinets.
"Put some of this on," he said handing it to the woman. "This happens to be from the finest tropical plants of South American origin—guaranteed to treat your burns in no time."
"Where's the boy?" Merle pressed. "I thought you was bringin' him here."
"Slight change of plans," said the Doc. "It appears that Pete is incarcerated and will not be joining us at the present time."
"Well, go get him out!" said Merle.
"Hmm. Well, you see, I don't have the authority to do that," the Doc explained.
"I don't care what you don't have the authority to do!" Merle shouted. "Break in for all I care. That boy is worth fifty dollars plus legal."
"Look on the bright side," said the Doc glancing at his harpoon gun. "At least he's in a safe place."
Lena Gogan sputtered something unintelligible.
"I think my wife agrees that you should go bust him out," said Merle.
The group was suddenly startled by a distant scream. Hoagy looked at the Doc wide-eyed and peered outside the tent.
"Looks like someone beat us to it," replied Hoagy.
The Doc watched across the way to see Nora, Lampie, Pete and the mayor hobbling through the rain, away from another scene of destruction.
"We've got him, Hoagy."
…………………….
Nora, Lampie and Pete laid the mayor on the sofa in the lighthouse. There was a large splinter of wood protruding from his leg.
"He's bleeding bad," Lampie said. "Pete, get me a towel."
Pete nodded and ran to fetch one. When he returned, the mayor was starting to regain consciousness. Pete handed the towel to Lampie, who placed it under the mayor's bloody leg. Nora brought over a bowl of hot water and some bandages while Lampie cut open the mayor's pant leg to expose the splinter. He cleaned around the wound and prepared to extract it.
"This will hurt," Lampie warned.
The mayor, in his weakened state, braced himself. Lampie grasped the piece of wood and pulled it straight out, blood oozing onto the towel. The mayor winced as Nora applied pressure with the towel.
"Do you know what you're doing?"
Nora said nothing and pressed harder. She appeared to be trying to hide the obvious amount of shock that registered in her face.
"Just be glad you're alive," Lampie said. "Pete, some water."
Pete filled a glass and handed it to the mayor who drank it quickly. Pete joined Nora at a nearby table.
"I'm sorry I doubted you, Pete," she said.
"You believe me then?"
She nodded. "How could I not? The dragon was really real."
The mayor set down his water glass and heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry about all this," he said hoarsely.
"It wasn't my fault," Pete said to him.
"I know. I've known it for quite some time now."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Nora asked.
The mayor sighed heavily and avoided Nora's scrutinizing gaze.
"Well?" she pressed. "You're not leaving this place until you explain yourself."
He propped himself up on the sofa and began, slowly and carefully.
"There was an incident about a month ago off the shore of Mirador Beach…not too far from where I live. It was the night of one of the bad summer storms. So much damage, boats run aground, people injured…cargo missing." He paused a moment after saying this and then continued. "A person came to my door that night—a fisherman of sorts—in the most terrible shape. Blood was streaming down his head, he could barely walk.
'What happened to you?' I asked him.
'We couldn't see anything through the storm. Our boat's crashed on the reef.'
'Where's the rest of your crew?' I asked. He looked shaken and pale.
'Oh God. I don't know. I don't know! The dragon. It was the dragon. We brought it back for everyone to see!' he wailed.
I thought The Dragon was the name of his ship. I lit a lantern and asked him to take me to the scene of the accident. We rushed down to the beach. There were broken crates, pieces of wood and fruit strewn everywhere. The tide was pushing in more debris as we looked for survivors.
'I see something!' the man said. I raised my lantern to see another man lying in the sand and not moving. 'Paul!' my companion shouted."
Nora's eyes widened at this. She reached for a nearby chair and sat down.
The mayor continued. "'Paul, are you alright?' the man said rushing towards him, attempting to revive him. The man who was Paul sat up weakly and squinted through the pouring rain.
'Where is it?' he asked, his tone turning anxious. 'Where is it?!" He stood up and searched around frantically. His eyes fell upon a large crate that was smashed to pieces on the shore. 'Oh God. It's gone. It's gone!' Paul cried. 'We have to get out of here now!'
There was a flash of lightning and through the illumination I saw it emerge from the cave. I watched in horror as it stood up to its full height, its eyes glowing, fire erupting from its mouth. I couldn't believe the horrible sight that I was seeing: a real live dragon!
'Get out of the way!' Paul yelled. He grabbed me and we ducked behind a large rock on the beach. The light from my lantern extinguished and I couldn't see where I was going. I had no idea where the other fisherman was, but I then heard an incredible roar nearby and I looked up to see the torso of the man being ripped in two by the creature, picked apart like a piece of meat. The dragon wasted no time in swallowing the man until nothing remained.
'Damn!' Paul said through gritted teeth.
'Where in God's name did that come from?!' I cried.
'We captured it off an island near South America,' Paul explained. 'Thought we could show it here; put Passamaquoddy on the map with such an amazing find.'
'But it's dangerous!' I said.
'Don't I know it,' Paul replied. 'Look.' He lifted up his cap to reveal a missing ear. 'Nearly took my head off when we captured it.'
'What are we going to do about it now?!' I asked peering over the rock. Through the flashes of lightning, I saw that the dragon was gone!
I suddenly felt something warm on the back of my neck. I didn't move, but I heard Paul whisper: 'Run!'
I tried to scramble away, but it leap towards me, its claws lashing at my legs. It tightened its grip around my ankles and pinned me to the ground, standing over me, its teeth bared. I tried to get to my feet, but the creature kept pushing me into the sand.
Then I heard Paul's voice. 'Hey, dragon! Over here! Over here!'
The dragon released me from its grip and ran over to Paul who was brandishing a sharp piece of wood. 'Get out of here!' he yelled to me as he took a swing at the furious dragon.
'What about you?' I called.
'Just go! Don't worry about me!' he yelled reaching for a discarded rope lying in the sand. He managed to cut the dragon on its arm, leaving a few splinters, but that enraged it even more. It shot flames at Paul and he avoided them by jumping out of the way. Paul threw the rope over the dragon's neck, but it wasn't tight enough. The dragon bucked violently, hurtling Paul in the air. He landed in the sand, barely conscious. I raced over to him and pulled him to his feet, but the dragon was too quick. It knocked me to the side.
Paul pulled out a small knife and drove it into the dragon's side. It let out a horrifying roar and writhed in pain. But it wasn't enough to do any damage. I saw Paul remove it and brandish it once again, but the dragon—"
The mayor stopped and looked up at Nora whose eyes were glassing over. "Go on," she managed to choke out. The mayor reluctantly continued.
"The dragon bared its claws and…jammed them straight into Paul's stomach. I saw the look of shock in his face right before the dragon's mouth clamped down on Paul's head. He was devoured there on the beach and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I took cover by the rocks of the cliff, hoping the dragon would spare me. After a moment I looked back and saw that Paul's body was gone. All that was left was a pool of blood that the tide washed away. I saw the dragon shuffle through the washed-up debris and sniff the air. Its wings extended and it flew up in the sky, over the cliffs and out of sight. I had no idea where it went…but now I know."
"I saw it in the woods," said Pete. "Not too far from here. I think it followed me. It must've been nesting there."
There was a silence. Nora finally spoke to the mayor, unable to look at him. "And you knew about this all along? About Paul, about the dragon! You covered it all up. Why didn't you tell us?"
"A dragon lose in the town? Do you think anyone would believe me?"
Nora sighed in frustration. "Paul is gone. That I can't believe." She rose to her feet. "You know what I think? I think we should've left you back there—let the dragon finish you off the way he did Paul."
"Nora—" Lampie began, but was cut short by a knock at the door. He stood to answer it and found Doc Terminus standing there, Hoagy in tow.
"Hello. I couldn't help but notice you have a hurt man in your midst," said the Doc.
"I don't believe that's any of your business," said Lampie.
"Actually it is. I am in the medical business, as it were, and I specialize in bites, burns, blue abrasions and all sorts of lacerations. Perhaps you'd allow me to take a gander at the man's leg before he bleeds to death."
Lampie and Nora hesitated before letting him in. Terminus and Hoagy stepped through, but Hoagy stayed by the doorway drenched in rain water.
Terminus knelt down by the mayor and examined his leg. "Oh my, it's worse than I thought," he said with exaggerated concern. "He'll need to come back to my tent."
"You mean you didn't bring anything with you?" said Lampie. "I thought you were a doctor."
"I may need to operate," said Terminus. The mayor stared at him aghast. Terminus looked at Nora and Lampie. "I will need some assistance in transporting the patient."
"You're not suggesting we go back out there? You do know there's a dragon at large," Nora protested.
"We'll simply have to take our chances," said the Doc directing his comments to the mayor. "I'm afraid your life hangs in the balance."
The mayor looked beseechingly at his rescuers.
"Fine," Nora said with an angry scowl. "But Pete stays here with my dad."
Pete jumped up. "No!" he cried. "I want to help."
"It's too dangerous for you out there," she said. "I need you here in case the lamp goes out."
"But—"
"No buts."
Nora assisted Lampie in hoisting the mayor up and positioned his arms over each of their shoulders. They followed the Doc back into town. The rain was coming down hard. Hoagy held a large umbrella over Terminus, who was clearly dry.
The mayor groaned in pain as they approached the tent.
"Put him in there," said Terminus pointing to something that resembled a dentist's chair.
They placed him in it as he clutched at his injured leg. The Doc rummaged through his medical bag until he pulled out a large syringe. The mayor panicked at the sight of the needle as the Doc filled it with a clear solution.
"What is that?" the mayor asked.
"Morphine. It'll numb the pain," said Terminus with a grin. He cleaned the mayor's wound and jabbed his leg with the needle. The mayor muttered something indistinct as his head drooped to the side like a rag doll.
"Should you have given him that much?" Lampie asked.
"He'll be alright," said Terminus. "I just need him out for what I'm about to do to you."
Nora and Lampie looked puzzled as the Doc gave a slight nod in their direction. All of a sudden their vision became enveloped in blackness. Someone had shoved black cloths over their heads. They struggled to escaped, but were jabbed in their stomachs by strong fists. A coil of rope was pulled tightly around their middles, trapping their arms. They tried in vain to yell for help, but a sharp blow to their heads knocked them out cold.
…………………………………..
After changing into dry clothes, Pete climbed the stairs to inspect the lamp of the lighthouse, still feeling dejected from not being able to help. He watched the light revolve around, illuminating the dark horizon. The rain seemed to be letting up.
Why did everything have to turn out this way? He thought. Never in a million ears did he think of ending up in a small town, crossing paths with a fire breathing dragon. It was like something out of a fairytale—only worse.
A knock from below shook Pete from his thoughts. He rushed down the stairs to see who it was. As he opened the door, he stood face to face with an alarmed Hoagy.
"Is something wrong?" Pete asked.
"No time to explain. It's Nora and Lampie!" Hoagy said out of breath. "Something's happened. You better come quickly!"
Pete grabbed his coat and hat and followed Hoagy out the door.
"What's going on?" Pete asked as they raced towards the tent. "Was it the dragon?"
"Just come this way," Hoagy said, pushing Pete into the tent.
But it wasn't Nora and Lampie inside. He was pushed straight into the arms of Merle and Lena Gogan!
"Thought you could hide from us, did ya!" Merle snarled. "Thought you could leave us for dead?!"
Lena twisted Pete's arms as best she could, while Merle stifled Pete's cries for help by tying a gag around Pete's mouth.
Pete jolted his head around trying to find Nora and Lampie, but all he saw was the unconscious mayor slumped over in the dental chair.
"You're coming back with us," said Merle as he bared his rotten teeth at Pete. "But first the Doc needs you."
Pete tried to shake free, but Merle only tightened his grip around Pete's arm, leading him to the back of the tent.
The rain had stopped and through the darkness, Pete saw Doc Terminus standing next to a scary looking harpoon gun.
"Ah! Pete! It's wonderful to finally meet you!"
Pete tried to respond, but the gag blocked his voice.
"Where are my manners?" said the Doc. "Let me get that for you."
He removed the gag and Pete coughed. "Where are Nora and Lampie?
"Don't you worry about them, my boy," chuckled the Doc. "They're safe. I just need them out of the way for what I have to do."
"What are you talking about?"
There was a chuckle from the Gogans and Terminus. "Don't you know? I imagined you did…you being the dragon's friend and all."
Pete stared at him in shock. "What makes you think that?"
"Pete, you and the dragon seem to be inseparable. You also have a taste for destruction."
"I had nothing to do with it," Pete said. "Let me go!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Pete. You see, wherever there's smoke there's fire and wherever you go, the dragon follows. I need that dragon…and you're going to be the bait."
"You can't do this!" Pete cried, struggling to break free from the Gogan's' grasp.
"Oh yes I can," said Terminus as he steadied the harpoon gun. "I'm sure it won't be long before it shows up. And, don't worry…I'll try not to hit you."
Pete let out a cry but Merle clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him over to a flag pole hear the edge of the harbor. Hoagy emerged from the tent with a coil of rope and helped Merle tie Pete to the pole.
"Help!" Pete yelled.
"Want me to shut him up?" Merle asked, raising a clenched fist.
"No," said Terminus. "The dragon needs to hear his cries. The louder the better. Hoagy, go ready the gun."
Hoagy bounded over to the harpoon and turned it in Pete's direction. When the Gogans finished securing Pete, they ducked behind their horse drawn cart, while Terminus joined Hoagy by the harpoon.
"Remember, Doc," Merle warned. "If anything happens to that boy…" He flashed a knife in front of him and Terminus swallowed hard.
"Not to worry, my good man. I'm as steady as ever." He handed Hoagy a box of matches. "Here. Be ready to light the fuse on my command."
Pete continued to unsuccessfully break in confines, but it only made matters worse. From the harbor waters, he could hear a bubbling sound behind him that he was all too familiar with. A glance over his shoulder confirmed his fears to be true—the dragon had been hiding in the water. Pete watched as Terminus steadied the harpoon and Hoagy lit a match.
"Hurry, you fool!"
But in a single leap, the dragon shot up into the air and a million droplets of seawater rained down on them. The match Hoagy held was quickly extinguished and he scrambled to light another.
The dragon came down with a crash and rose to its full height in front of Terminus, staring down the harpoon. The terrified doctor stood there frozen. The dragon looked much different up close, much more frightening and real.
"Light it! Light it!" Terminus yelled as the dragon let out a guttural roar. Hoagy tried to strike a match with shaky hands, but he only fumbled the box. "Oh, I'll do it myself," said Terminus picking up the matchbox. The dragon lumbered towards them. Terminus lit a match but the dragon swung its tail forcefully, sending the two men tumbling to the ground.
The Gogans, still hidden by their cart, managed to scurry over to Pete and cut the rope that bound him. Pete tried to jolt away, but he wasn't fast enough. Merle clamped a hand on his shoulder and shoved him in the direction of their cart.
"We're gettin' outta here," he cried. "He's got his dragon and we got the boy. Our deal is done!"
Lena, as best as she could, steadied the horses as Merle thrust a burlap sack over Pete and tossed him in the back of the cart. Pete let out a muffled yell for help, and the dragon seemed to hear. It turned its attention from Hoagy and the Doc, and tromped over to the Gogans. Merle ducked as the dragon's arm swung in to hit him. It smashed into the side of the cart, just shy of taking off Merle's own head. He took cover under the cart, but the dragon was quicker. It lunged beneath and fastened its teeth around Merle's leg. The man let out a terrible scream and the dragon pulled him out and threw him into a stack of nearby kerosene barrels, breaking them apart, the oil oozing all around. Lena jumped off the cart and hobbled over to him, but slipped on the leaking kerosene, landing into a barrel herself. They were both covered from head to toe.
Pete managed to wriggle out of the burlap sack and run for cover in the Doc's tent.
The dragon caught the scent of blood and oil on the Gogans. It stomped towards them and inhaled deeply. Lena and Merle shielded themselves as they tried to stand up in the kerosene, but the dragon puffed a mouthful of black smoke at them and they fell backward. Merle still held a knife in his hand and, though covered in the sticky oil, slashed at the dragon's stomach. A faint line of blood began to trickle slowly out, and the dragon's eyes started to glow a fierce yellow. Its cheeks puffed and a long stream of fire shot towards the Gogans. The kerosene was set ablaze, engulfing Merle and Lena in the process.
Pete watched from the tent as they were burned alive. It was too much for him to witness, and he looked away and covered his ears from their horrifying screams. Soon enough, they were no more.
Pete didn't know what to do. After a moment, he heard a thumping sound coming from a large trunk in the corner of the tent. He rushed over to it and pushed up the lid. Inside were Nora and Lampie, their mouths gagged, their hands and feet tied. Pete breathed a sigh of relief for their safety and removed them from their confines.
"Pete, you're alright!" Nora said, wrapping her arms around him.
"Are you alright?" he asked Nora and Lampie.
"Just a bump on the head and a punch to the stomach, but I've had worse," Lampie answered as he hauled himself out of the trunk.
"The Gogans are dead," Pete said. "The dragon just killed them."
They gave each other concerned looks and peered out of the tent. Orange flames from the burning kerosene flickered brightly against the dragon's green skin. They ducked back in so it wouldn't spot them. Pete noticed the mayor in the dental chair. His eyes blinked open, and he managed to sit up.
"Are you alright?" Pete asked.
The mayor nodded. "I feel a bit dizzy."
Meanwhile, Terminus had recovered from his fall. He pulled himself up so he was level with the harpoon. Hoagy was still sprawled on the ground. Terminus picked up what was left of the crushed box of matches. He struck a match and the flame blazed. The dragon turned its head sharply at the sound of the match against the box. It bared its teeth and stomped towards the Doc, who held the match to the fuse, but it would not catch. Hoagy looked up just as the dragon smashed itself against the side of the harpoon gun, sending Terminus flying back into his tent with a crash.
Pete and Nora helped Terminus to his feet, but he only brushed them aside. "Let me go! I have to get it!" he cried. Terminus ran out of the tent, and picked up the harpoon gun.
"We have to stop him before he does something worse," said Nora.
"It's not just him we have to stop," said Pete. "We have to stop the dragon itself!"
"He's right," the mayor said. "If we could find something around here to bring the creature down…I don't know how long the Doc's going to fare with that harpoon."
They all searched the tent for anything they could rig up as weapons.
"Look here!" said Lampie. He opened one of the Doc's medicine cabinets and found several large bottles of alcohol. "Cocktail, anyone?"
They all looked at him as though he was crazy.
"What?"
"If you think that's going to work…" Nora said skeptically.
"It's better than nothing. All we need are some matches and rags."
"I'm on it!" said Pete tearing off portions of the tent while Lampie uncorked the bottles and gave one to each of them.
"If I may help," the mayor said, tossing a matchbox to Lampie, as he puffed on a cigar he just lit.
Lampie caught the matches and looked outside the tent. Terminus had rolled the harpoon gun to another location as the dragon encircled him.
"We can attack it from behind," said Lampie, setting the rags of their bottles on fire. "Get ready to throw."
To their advantage, the Doc was easily distracting the dragon with the harpoon. They managed to slip behind the creature and ready their bottles.
"Now!" yelled Lampie. They all hurtled their bottles at the dragon, a billowing ball of flames igniting its back. The dragon writhed, let out an angry roar and spun around to face its attackers. Nora, Pete and the mayor retreated back to the tent, but Lampie remained standing his ground. He held a second bottle of alcohol in his hand, and hurried to light the makeshift wick. His hands were trembling and sweating. The dragon snorted a puff of smoke out of its nostrils and charged towards the old man like a bull.
"Dad, look out!" Nora cried, but Lampie couldn't hear over the dragon's roar.
The mayor saw the impending danger and acted fast. He ran to Lampie and with all the force he could muster, pushed him out of the way. He watched the old man fall, but felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He glanced down and saw that the dragon had clamped its jaw around his middle. With one last glance at Pete and Nora, he choked out, "I'm sorry," just as the dragon ripped his body in two, bones snapping, blood pouring down the dragon's mouth like a red waterfall.
Pete's breath caught in his throat and Nora shielded their eyes from the ghastly sight. Lampie crawled to safety, but there was a searing pain in his arm. He must have broken it when he hit the ground.
Terminus, meanwhile, had relocated himself to a better vantage point for shooting the dragon. He lined up his shot and successfully lit the fuse. It burned down and sent the harpoon whizzing straight into the dragon's leg. Terminus let out a cry of joy and loaded another harpoon into the gun. The dragon raced around, swatting at the harpoon lodged in its leg, blood trailing down. Terminus fired the second harpoon, successfully ramming the weapon into the creature's stomach. The dragon let out the most blood-curdling roar he had ever heard and flapped its wings to lift itself off the ground.
There was a rope attached to the second harpoon, and as Terminus looked down at the pile of rope beneath his feet, which was rapidly trailing away. He suddenly realized he had forgotten to tie it down. The rope wrapped around his ankle and he was lifted off the ground, still attached to the dragon.
"Hoagyyyy!!" Terminus yelled. Hoagy fearfully peered over the barrels he was hiding behind and watched as the dragon dove into the water sending a tidal wave of seawater crashing down on the Doc's tent.
Luckily, Pete and Nora had taken cover near Lampie and quickly assisted him with his arm.
"The dragon went under water," Pete said. "What should we do?"
"I have one of these left," said Lampie holding up the bottle of alcohol and matches. He handed them to Pete for safekeeping.
"I doubt that will do us any good," Nora replied as she created a makeshift sling for Lampie out of their tent rags.
"Like I said, it's better than nothing."
They barely had time to think before the dragon shot out of the water, the Doc still attached to the harpoon rope. The dragon crashed to the ground and plowed erratically into the barrels Hoagy was crouched behind.
"Look!" said Lampie as the barrels smashed apart. "More kerosene. We can fill this bottle with some of that. It will be a lot more effective."
The waterlogged Terminus was trying desperately to undo the rope around his ankle, but kept getting tossed around by the dragon. He clawed at the ground, his nails digging into the mud.
"Don't just stand there! Help me, Hoagy!" he yelled. His assistant stood there shaking, unsure of what to do. "Hoagyyyy!!"
Hoagy finally snapped out of it and ran over to the Doc, but he was tripped by the dragon's tail. He landed on Terminus, and the doctor managed to grab onto the lapels of Hoagy's jacket as they were dragged along the edge of the harbor. The dragon turned sharply and sent the trailing men tumbling into a rotting jetty. The wood was soft and it broke beneath them. Hoagy's leg lodged into one of the gaps of the jetty and he felt it dislocate as the dragon jerked forward. Terminus still held on to Hoagy's jacket for dear life.
"Let go!" Hoagy screamed, but he could still see the terror in the Doc's eyes and he knew that they were doomed. The dragon wrenched forward and Hoagy was lifted out of the crack, out of the Doc's grasp, and sent flying through the air. With a crack of his skull, he landed headfirst on the ground, his neck snapping as easily as a twig.
With a great amount of force, the dragon had begun to twist and flail about, spinning the helpless Terminus along with it, until soon enough he was wrapped and pinned against the dragon with his own harpoon rope. The creature teetered near the edge of the harbor as it tried to claw at the Doc. It snarled and slashed a long gash across his face, but lost its balance and slipped off the edge.
"Help!!" the Doc called out. But it was too late, as he and the dragon were swallowed up by the water.
Pete, Nora and Lampie rushed to the harbor's edge. They waited for any sign of Terminus to reemerge, but nothing came. All hope was lost.
They turned around and looked at the damage behind them. So much destruction and so many lives had been lost since the dragon escaped, and they realized how powerless they were to stop it.
Nora put her arm around Pete's shoulder, but didn't say a word. Pete didn't even know what to say after the awful scenes that just played out. He felt lucky to be alive. Still he wondered why, after so much devastation, the dragon never laid a claw on him. He couldn't help but think of the dragon as a protector of sorts. The creature did come to his aid a number of times, but with unfavorable results. It saved him from the Gogans.
Pete walked over to the smoldering flames where the Gogan carcasses still burned. The stench was foul and Pete covered his nose. Somewhere in the back of his mind he felt responsible for their deaths. If he hadn't run away, none of this would have ever happened. Would it?
He still held the last bottle of alcohol in his hand and was about to toss it into the fire when he heard the rush of water. He looked back to see the dragon emerge from the harbor with Terminus's limp body still strapped to its back. It jumped up and landed on the ground it front of Nora and Lampie. They scrambled away and tried to take cover as the dragon stood over them roaring furiously. Lampie ducked behind a pile of lobster crates, but Nora wasn't fast enough. The dragon's tail tripped her and she hit the ground hard. The harpoon wound on the dragon still gushed blood and appeared to be weakening it, but the damage wasn't great enough. Pete, acting fast, wetted the rag on the bottle with kerosene and quickly lit a match. The rag wick ignited in a blaze and he ran at the dragon with it. Nora had hit her knee hard on the ground and she tried to crawl away.
The dragon sensed Pete and stopped in its tracks at the sight of the boy. Its body teetered from the pain of the wound, but it didn't advance and it didn't attack. Pete raised the bottle. The dragon's eyes met Pete's. There was no rage. Pete almost felt as though all its animalistic fury had dissipated to give way to a kindly misunderstood creature. But then he saw the dragon's lip curl, its eyes narrow, and its mouth open, letting out the loudest roar Pete ever heard. He drew back the bottle and launched it straight into the dragon's open mouth and down its throat before a stream of flames burst forward. The dragon swallowed the bottle and its stomach rumbled violently. Pete backed away. The dragon pitched to the side, clutching at its middle as another rumbling sound moved upward. A giant fountain of fire and smoke burst out of the dragon's mouth.
Pete rushed over to where Nora was, and helped her to her feet. The dragon was still coughing out fire as they took cover. Pete looked at the creature and heard it let out a loud screech. Suddenly there was a muffled "bang!" and the dragon's eyes widened as it puffed out its final breath of smoke before falling into the burning barrels of kerosene. Its body caught fire quickly and started to burn away.
Pete and Nora slowly rose. Lampie joined them and they held each other close. "It's over, Pete," Nora said with exhaustion. "It's over."