Over the next few days, Raziel spent most of his time enjoying the freedom of his new existence. He quickly became bored with the novelty of eating; it still was not necessary to his survival. He did, however continue his great love of coffee.
In a caffeine-induced fit of restlessness, Raziel decided to go digging through Jennifer's closet. He wasn't looking for anything specific, he just was acting on his normal curiosity.
"Hello there," a voice said.
Raziel suddenly noticed a stuffed dragon lying on the floor of the closet. It was made of metallic turquoise cloth, and it's vinyl claws were sewn in exactly the same way as Raziel's. It regarded him with bright orange eyes, but it did not move.
"Who are you?" Raziel asked in surprise.
"Brightflame," the dragon remarked, chuckling halfheartedly.
Raziel brushed some dust from the dragon's back and moved to pick it up.
"Leave me be, I am weary," she said.
"How did you get here?" Raziel asked, lifting the dragon despite its protests. He wrapped his arms around Brightflame's body; she was much larger than Raziel was in his plushy form. He let her head rest on his shoulder. One of her back claws lay against his hip, and her tail snaked down to his knees. Her wings flopped open, thin nylon supported on flexible plastic 'bones'.
"I have always been here," Brightflame sighed, relenting to Raziel's embrace.
Raziel sat down on the bed, but was reluctant to release his hold on the small dragon. "Don't you remember where you came from?"
"I came directly from Jennifer's imagination. Unlike you, I have no spirit, except for what I am given." With a massive effort, Brightflame drew her head back so she could look Raziel in the eyes. "I cannot live, and so I sleep." She lowered her head to Raziel's chest, too exhausted to hold it up any longer.
Raziel held the sleeping dragon, lightly stroking its back. He wondered why this creature tolerated being abandoned for so long. Raziel wondered if someday he would be abandoned as well.
Jennifer arrived home from work. She noticed Brightflame in Raziel's arms, but said nothing.
"Why was she in the closet?" Raziel asked, laying the dragon on the bed in a comfortable position.
Jennifer sighed sadly. "Brightflame was upset because she thought that she had to be something that she's not. She considers herself a failure."
"Is she?" Raziel asked.
"No," Jennifer said, stroking the dragon's head. "She is still my most trusted confidant."
"What about the dust?" Raziel questioned. "How long have you kept her there?"
"I am there when she needs me," Brightflame said, her tones smug. "Time means nothing to me when I am sleeping."
"She lives in the closet so that she can rest comfortably until I need her," Jennifer said. "It's better this way."
"You are not like me," Brightflame murmured before drifting back into sleep.
"Are you afraid that I'll get tired of you, Raziel?" Jennifer asked. "Because I won't. You are a person, with feelings. I would never do that to you."
Raziel gazed with uncertainty at Jennifer. He did not feel any bitterness from the stuffed dragon. Perhaps Jennifer was telling him the truth. Raziel decided that he would believe her for now, but he would also shield his heart in case she did not keep her word.
In a caffeine-induced fit of restlessness, Raziel decided to go digging through Jennifer's closet. He wasn't looking for anything specific, he just was acting on his normal curiosity.
"Hello there," a voice said.
Raziel suddenly noticed a stuffed dragon lying on the floor of the closet. It was made of metallic turquoise cloth, and it's vinyl claws were sewn in exactly the same way as Raziel's. It regarded him with bright orange eyes, but it did not move.
"Who are you?" Raziel asked in surprise.
"Brightflame," the dragon remarked, chuckling halfheartedly.
Raziel brushed some dust from the dragon's back and moved to pick it up.
"Leave me be, I am weary," she said.
"How did you get here?" Raziel asked, lifting the dragon despite its protests. He wrapped his arms around Brightflame's body; she was much larger than Raziel was in his plushy form. He let her head rest on his shoulder. One of her back claws lay against his hip, and her tail snaked down to his knees. Her wings flopped open, thin nylon supported on flexible plastic 'bones'.
"I have always been here," Brightflame sighed, relenting to Raziel's embrace.
Raziel sat down on the bed, but was reluctant to release his hold on the small dragon. "Don't you remember where you came from?"
"I came directly from Jennifer's imagination. Unlike you, I have no spirit, except for what I am given." With a massive effort, Brightflame drew her head back so she could look Raziel in the eyes. "I cannot live, and so I sleep." She lowered her head to Raziel's chest, too exhausted to hold it up any longer.
Raziel held the sleeping dragon, lightly stroking its back. He wondered why this creature tolerated being abandoned for so long. Raziel wondered if someday he would be abandoned as well.
Jennifer arrived home from work. She noticed Brightflame in Raziel's arms, but said nothing.
"Why was she in the closet?" Raziel asked, laying the dragon on the bed in a comfortable position.
Jennifer sighed sadly. "Brightflame was upset because she thought that she had to be something that she's not. She considers herself a failure."
"Is she?" Raziel asked.
"No," Jennifer said, stroking the dragon's head. "She is still my most trusted confidant."
"What about the dust?" Raziel questioned. "How long have you kept her there?"
"I am there when she needs me," Brightflame said, her tones smug. "Time means nothing to me when I am sleeping."
"She lives in the closet so that she can rest comfortably until I need her," Jennifer said. "It's better this way."
"You are not like me," Brightflame murmured before drifting back into sleep.
"Are you afraid that I'll get tired of you, Raziel?" Jennifer asked. "Because I won't. You are a person, with feelings. I would never do that to you."
Raziel gazed with uncertainty at Jennifer. He did not feel any bitterness from the stuffed dragon. Perhaps Jennifer was telling him the truth. Raziel decided that he would believe her for now, but he would also shield his heart in case she did not keep her word.