A Dragon's Crimson Cry

By: Tippi

Ch 50 Reaper Dragon

Jake had removed his costume. He was too tired to put on his PJs and fell asleep with just his t-shirt and boxers on.

Jake fell into the dream world were anything is possible.

Jake found him self in the kitchen of his old house, before the slaying, his father was leaning against the counter. He held up his right hand holding Jake's keys.

"You shouldn't drop these" Mr. Long said to his son.

"I didn't exactly drop them," Jake started to explain going up to his dad. "I tripped and they fell out of my pocket but thanks for retuning them."

"How do you know it was me, I'm not the only one here" his father stated.

"If it wasn't you why are you holding the keys" Jake asked.

"It's a dream…" his father said. "But yes it was me."

"Thanks also for the heart attack" Jake said.

"We were keeping a low profile, other than the key incident we didn't do anything else" his father was explaining. "Now as for the trio that came in after you we gave them a clear message to stay out."

"Trio… you mean Brad and his two friends" Jake concluded.

"If that's his name" his father simply put.

"So what are you doing running around in the house?" Jake asked. "I thought you were in me or something of the sort."

"You are misunderstanding what we've been telling you apparently" an old voice said from behind Jake.

He turned to see his aged great uncle Chow sitting at the table with a cup of warn tea. Jake knew right away there was going to be a conversation very much all spiritual, like it was some times with his grandfather. After all the two where brothers.

"You seem a bit confused," Chow said before taking a sip of tea then continued. "Our chi is in you, our spirits are with you, and our souls are having a little trouble leaving the house."

"Wait, a minute aren't spirits and souls the same thing" Jake asked.

"I they were would I be using them in two different contexts" his uncle stated.

"So when you say having trouble leaving is it like trapped" Jake went on with his questioning.

"For lack of better word yes" Chow answered.

"But who's keeping you here" Jake demanded to know.

"Not who more like what" Chow explain without detail.

"Well then what" Jake asked.

"You really don't need to know and try something dangerous to fix it" Chow informed his grandnephew.

You could see Jake was fuming a bit.

"Just stay out the house if you can" Mr. Long said. "He's always here watching and waiting."

"He saw you and senses a bit of us in you. The dead with the living is confusing who knows how he'll interpret it" Chow said.

"Who's he" Jake asked confused.

The bright cheery kitchen went dim and all the color went to black and white. His father and great uncle disappeared from the now changed kitchen.

Then Jake felt hot breath on his back. He turned to meet with something out of a fantasy horror movie.

Jake was looking at a dragon standing on all fours with leathery skin, grayish brown.

Upon his appearance the air filled with the stench of rot and decay. It was most likely due to the fact some of his skin was rotting or had rotted away. Jake had to plug his nose feeling like it was burning at the smell.

The most noticeable spots of rot was a large chunk on it right side exposing bones of the rib cage, you could see noticeable size of missing flesh on the side of his tail showing some tail bone, and everything from the elbow down of his left front leg was bone.

There were also various other places were the flesh was rotting but less noticeable.

The end of his tail had a curved silver blade off to one side giving it the look of a scythe. He had horns on his head that resembled the blade as well.

His eyes were just empty black sockets with a small circle of glowing red in them like a piece of heated caracole.

Even with the absence of eyeballs he could still tell the dragon's eyes were trained on him.

The dragon gave a low growl in the back of it's throat before un-folding it's wings.

The wings had various holes in them making one think the dragon could no longer use them to fly.

It released a snort sending a gust of it breath on Jake but even with his nose plugged he could still notice it's breath smelt of brimstone.

The dragon let out a roar and Jake shot up in bed gasping for air.

He fell back letting his head hit the pillow as he started at the ceiling. He hadn't had such a nightmare in some time.

It took quit a while before Jake could fall back asleep and the rest of the night's sleep was dreamless.

~The next morning~

Jake walked into the kitchen with a good case of bed head. He was still wearing the t-shirt from last night but put on a pair of jeans on instead of walking around the house in boxers.

LS was already at the table reading the newspaper.

"Guessing from your bed head I say you slept well" LS said as he peeked over the top of the paper to look at his grandson.

"I did the second half" Jake said pouring him self a bowl of cereal.

"O and what of the first half" LS asked.

"Just a bad dream" Jake said continuing to eat his breakfast.

The two spent a few more minutes in silence when the burning question in Jake's mind just had to be asked.

"Gramps, can I asked you about a dragon" Jake asked.

"Of course you can what do you want to know" LS said putting down the paper to give Jake his full attention.

Jake went on to describe the dragon from his dream.

LS tried to hide it but you could tell he was bit disturbed by hearing of the dragon Jake described.

"…So have you ever heard of a dragon like that" Jake asked.

"It's a dragon of legend" LS said. "The graveyard dragon, reaper dragon, dragon of death, dragon of the underworld, the list of names goes on forever but it's basically the grim reaper of dragons. But it only appears around the dead or dieing… where were you last night?"

"I'd rather not talk about it" Jake said starting to stir his cereal around with his spoon.

LS knew by the way Jake was acting he shouldn't push but he needed to know.

"Just tell me" LS tried.

Jake kept his mouth shut.

"I promise not the get mad" LS promised.

Jake gave a short pause before he answered "I was inside… the house."

To any one else the house could of meant any house but to LS and Jake there was only one house he could mean with out giving it a name.

"What were you doing there," LS yelled. "Stay out of that house."

"I didn't do it on purpose and you said you wouldn't get mad" Jake accused.

"I'm not mad" LS insisted.

"Yes you are, you haven't even let me explain" Jake said.

"Then please explain" LS calmly said.

"I didn't want to be there let alone inside," Jake started to explain. "It was Brad and his two goons."

"What they do" LS asked.

"I was on my way home when the three came up to me wanting me go with them to a hunted house. I refused but then they called me scared, I didn't care but then followed me and kept taunting me" Jake explained.

"You shouldn't give in to their taunts besides a little fear is a good thing it stops us from doing dangerous things… at least the ones we don't need to do" LS said.

"It wasn't that they were taunting about me being scared it was them annoying me with their taunting. I just wanted them to stop I didn't want the going on all the way to the front door and come Monday through the hallways." Jake explained. "And I didn't go inside willingly they threw me in. But don't worry I won't be going there willingly, so I don't get forced inside, ever again.

"Good" LS said as the two continued to finish their breakfast.

Come Monday Brad and his two friends had told everyone they know about their terrifying experience in the house. Then everyone they know in turn told everyone they know, and they told everyone they know and so on and so forth.

Now a test of you courage was how close you get to the house or going inside. No one had been to break the record of an 18 year old that made it five minutes before running out so hysterical he ran into a parked car.

A/N This may get confusing later on if it isn't already so any questions just ask. Review