This is the story of how I was kidnapped... and had to overcome many obstacles before I was freed with the help of two very special young people.
My captors had failed the first time, but their memory was long and they remained just as ruthless.
They tried to silence my voice, keep me hidden, and many had chosen to turn away from the truth. But this is still my story, and I wish to share it.
In order for you to understand, we must go back to the day it all began.
Open your eyes, your mind, your heart and know what I say is true.
Adar 19, 5740
March 7, 1980
In the state of Pennsylvania, a baby girl is second born to the Sonnenberg family. On the very back of her shoulders was a birthmark, resembling a Chinese dragon.
"Her name should be…" the father, a stocky African American man with short dark-brown hair, contemplated.
"Rivka. Rivka Leonie Sonnenberg." The baby's mother spoke up. She was an African American woman with hazel-green eyes and voluminous curls.
Yes, those are my parents: Cleavon and Dulcea Sonnenberg.
Now my mom, Dulcea lived up to her name meaning, which came from the Latin word dulcis, meaning: "sweet". She was always so supportive of me and my interests however unconventional they were, but as for my father, Cleavon…
Cleavon Sonnenberg held up his new daughter, "You're still very small, but you will grow and you will understand that the most important thing is to be productive and have money. I'm going to make sure you don't forget it."
He was a practical man often to the point of utter frustration.
More on my Father's issues later, because here's where all the trouble began for me and my entire family.
"Look at this, right on the back of the baby's shoulders. It looks a dragon." The doctor remarked, taking notice of the newborn baby's strange birthmark.
Dulcea looked carefully as the medical staff cleaned up her infant daughter. "So it does, but from the way it's curled, it almost looks like the ich-"
Cleavon curtly interrupted her. "It's just a birthmark. Nothing special there."
One of the nurses alertly watched this whole scene, her intentions far from benign.
However on that same day, the child's uncle had picked up the Great Uncle and Aunt from the airport. They were now in the hospital at Cleavon's request.
First the Uncle walked down the halls, he was an African American man with thick dark-green aviator glasses in an oval face shape.
That would be my Uncle Aryeh, three years younger than my father and an Astrophysics scientist, no surprise there. He'd always felt more comfortable researching the stars.
Following Aryeh were a married couple. The man's deep bronze hair was starting to grey, but in mind and body he remained the same energetic soldier with a heart of gold.
That's Great Uncle Ezekiel Saperstein. You see, my late grandma Peninah, Father and Uncle Aryeh's mother had met Grandpa Jared Sonnenberg who was a historical archeologist, he loved Israel so much that he married Grandma Peninah, who loved travelling.
After the deaths of my maternal grandparents, Great Uncle Ezekiel and his wife Talia took in my father and uncle to look after besides their own boy, Zevach. Yeah, he's honest and works hard, though I'm pretty sure my Great Uncle always been quite restless even before he became a seasoned soldier.
Next to him, his wife had mahogany brown hair that fell to her shoulders with matching eyes. She carried a purse and, ever the documentarian, brought a camera along to capture the joyous occasion.
Great Aunt Talia, I admit, she can be fussy and a bit of a gossip, but she's very family-oriented and cares a great deal about being with family - be they kin or otherwise during important holidays. And she's very keen in the importance of preserving memories, including nature and the historical meaning to our culture, particularly through Photography. I've never seen her without a camera whenever she comes to visit. This trait would end up being a blessing in disguise, as you'll soon see.
The trio had just arrived to the hospital, trying to locate the hospital ward where Dulcea would be taken to. However, a couple of setbacks delayed them momentarily.
"Drat, this camera needs new film," Ezekiel noted with irritation.
"And I really must use the facilities," said Talia. She and Ezekiel stepped away briefly, leaving Aryeh peering into the ward in concern.
"Don't be long, Cleavon said they'd be here by now," Aryeh called after them.
But what they and my parents didn't know was that more than one sinister stranger was present.
The Hunstclan, an international, clandestine organization/cult of cold-blooded racial supremacist assassins and thieves, they sought to annihilate the magical realm and all its inhabitants. And believe me, they're far from honorable.
Their recruitment strategy involved kidnapping newborns, to be more precise those who bore the peculiar birthmark in the form of a coiled dragon somewhere on their bodies. These marks acted as a sinister code, signaling the Huntsclan to claim the child and take them into their ranks.
Once Dulcea was wheeled into a separate ward, the nurse who'd been observing the infant Rivka stopped right next to the wheelchair transporting the mother with her new daughter.
"Huntsmaster, we have a new initiate." the nurse announced with a respectful bow.
Cleavon, who'd been following his wife into the ward, was perplexed. "Excuse me, who?"
"New initiate for what?" Dulcea Sonnenberg questioned, she clutched Rivka close, unsettled.
That's when the parents noticed the ward was full of strange figures. Several masked men and at least two shorter ones stood in uniforms unlike any medical staff. Their eyes glared from behind cloth masks, resembling hooded ninjas. At the head of them all stood an imposing man, his skull helmet gleaming coldly. He strode toward Dulcea's wheelchair.
"No, stay back!" she cried, holding Rivka tighter. But with shocking speed, the man reached them.
Wrenching Rivka from Dulcea's arms, he turned away from the parents' screams of rage and terror.
"Come, little one. You belong with us," he declared, ignoring their pleas.
And unfortunately, I happen to be one of them.
Dulcea thrashed in her wheelchair, desperate to reach her wailing daughter. "My baby! Give her back, you monster!"
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Cleavon stomped forward.
Cleavon launched at the kidnapper with a bellow, but two masked figures grabbed him, straining to hold the struggling father back. The Sonnenberg pair was surrounded by these strangers with weapons.
But… those crooks hadn't counted on the extra company on that day. Especially if one of them was trained in the art of Krav Maga.
At that very moment, the Sapersteins arrived with Aryeh. Shocked by the unfolding chaos, they managed to go unnoticed by the intruders. Their delay hadn't been a nuisance, it'd given them the element of surprise, allowing them to strategize and act swiftly.
Thinking fast, Aryeh discreetly pressed the nurse call button while Ezekiel stealthily approached the commotion. His hand landed on a nearby tray containing medical instruments, and in a daring move, he took a calculated risk.
With the speed of a leaping puma, Ezekiel lunged forward with surgical precision, jabbing the scissors deep into the ringleader's shoulder. "No, you will NOT!"
The masked man howled, his grip slackening on the writhing bundle that was Rivka.
Seeing his chance, Aryeh darted right in and caught Rivka just before she hit the floor. Cradling her protectively, he then backed away toward the doorway.
Meanwhile, Ezekiel grappled with the injured kidnapper, delivering punishing blows. "You will not claim this child!" he roared.
But the Huntsclan were far from defeated. Circling Ezekiel menacingly, several lunged to rescue their leader.
"Huntsmaster!" One of the clan members – judging from his voice, he couldn't be older than eleven, dove forward with a weapon.
Oh, you see that one young Hunter? You're gonna want to especially remember him. Because unfortunately, this won't be the last time we see him.
However, Ezekiel's wife, Talia Saperstein, who still had the polaroid camera started to take pictures nonstop with the flash on, blinding the culprits. "Cowards! Scoundrels! Begone!"
From the doorway, Aryeh shielded Rivka with his body, every sense attuned for any threat to her safety. Reacting swiftly, he kicked a nearby table towards one of the criminals who attempted to approach them too closely.
"Help, security! Code Pink!" another nurse who had been summoned thanks to Aryeh's foresight heard the commotion and urgently called for assistance. "There's a code pink in progress!"
You're probably thinking this is almost too easy. But remember this was back when those scoundrels thought they only needed a very small group to retrieve a newborn baby into their ranks.
Talia continued to unleash flash after flash from her camera, swinging it erratically to blindside any Hunters. "Hooligans! Ruffians! Degenerates!" she shouted. Her quick aim disoriented them, buying precious seconds for Cleavon and Dulcea.
Cleavon managed to break free from his captors, engaging in a fierce fist fight with another hunter. Despite her exhaustion from childbirth, Dulcea quickly improvised by tearing down some curtains and throwing them over the hunter confronting her husband, momentarily obstructing his vision.
With a savage war cry, Ezekiel lunged and grasped the draconic skull helmet. Using all his soldier's strength, he wrenched it free with a spray of sparks. Though he failed to see the other man's face, his blows inflicted serious injuries that would force this particular Hunter to take on an instructor role in future years.
This Huntsmaster was injured but furious at being thwarted, he snarled and slashed with his weapon. But Ezekiel was relentless, parrying each blow with the stolen skull. He fought with the skill of a lifelong warrior, pushing the Hunter back step by step.
Reinforcements arrived with screams of "Freeze!"
The other hunters regrouped behind their wounded leader, casting menacing glares at both the family and the security guards.
Dulcea, still trembling with fear and clutching her husband's arm, was finally reunited with Rivka. Tears streamed down her face as she held her baby tight, relieved that her daughter was safe.
"This isn't over. You'll never find us, but we'll find you...!" With the strike of their weapons they vanished in a blinding green orb.
Sadly, they meant it.
The Hospital Security tried to get ahold of the footage, as you might have guessed, it "mysteriously" vanished along with the nurse who'd addressed one of the crooks as a Huntsmaster.
My Great Uncle and Great Aunt Talia had at first gone to hand over the new evidence from that day, but when they returned, they were pale and skittish. Strangest of all, they still held on to both the mysterious mask and a few of the photos Aunt Talia had taken with the polaroid camera.
We were all kept in the hospital for observation per policy.
Not long after, I got to go home with my parents to the house, where I was greeted by my maternal grandparents and by my older brother, Elihud, or as we call him "Eli".
Despite the absence of immediate danger, a lingering sense of unease remained within them. Aryeh speculated that the assailants might be part of a secret cult, but Cleavon vehemently avoided discussing the matter. Nonetheless, the rest of the family was left with numerous unanswered questions.
Having barely escaped with their lives, Cleavon Sonnenberg agreed to a transfer close to Connecticut. The decision was made in hopes of creating distance from the unsettling events and providing the family with a fresh start.
Sivan 20, 5746
June 27, 1986
That evening the Sonnenbergs were visiting Jones beach to watch Halley's comet. By then there were officially three children in the family.
Cleavon and Aryeh were talking as they made smores with the eldest, a seven year old Eli. The Elders (a nickname given to the older Sapersteins) were helping the youngest child, Nerine, collect seashells. Great Aunt Talia captured precious moments on camera, photos of Nerine giggling over tiny crabs that scuttled by her feet in the sand.
Meanwhile, Rivka occupied herself at a distance, diligently constructing a sandcastle. Dulcea handed her a seashell to add to the delicate sandcastle, smiling at her daughter's focused creativity.
Now, now, I know a family visit to the beach in the evening may not seem like such a big deal. But, imagine for a moment where you get a brief glimpse of secrets to your past and a dark foreshadowing to your future without even knowing it yet.
I better tell you all about it.
As her mother went to fetch additional seawater for building, Rivka remained occupied with the task of smoothing out a section of the sandcastle towers. However, her attention was suddenly drawn towards nearby voices, piquing her curiosity.
Close to a beach canopy were two boys. The first was Caucasian, around sixteen or so. The second appeared to be Asian American in a red jacket.
Yeah, you might not think THIS little scene important, but it is.
Watch the Asian American kid in the red jacket. I didn't know it then, but he's Jake Long, THE American Dragon visiting this time period.
A remarkable young man with a bright future ahead of him.
The thing is, he's frustrated about his own father, Johnathan, not knowing the truth about him being a dragon, nor the responsibilities he has. For Dragons were seen amongst one of the strongest magical beings and therefore serve as protectors of all magical creatures, a duty that sometimes forces them to intercede in conflicts with humans.
Earlier, Jake's mother, Susan, took him down to the basement to show him something. She opened up an old box and pulled out an old photo album, and turned to a certain page. On this page it showed her and Jonathan at the Halley's Comet beach party on June 27, 1986. There was a letter that wasn't even opened, she intended to give Jonathan this letter on the last day of school, and explain about her family being dragons, the existence of magical creatures, everything. However, she did not give it to him, saying some secrets are better kept secret.
Jake had discovered an hourglass which can be used for time travel, but when he and Fu Dog – that grey Sharpei- used it, he changed the course of history, which means he and his sister Haley won't be born unless he can change things back.
"And I suppose that's a magical talking dog?" The sixteen year old boy -a young Johnathan- said sarcastically, glancing over the grey Sharpie digging in the sand two feet from him.
"You are correct, sir!" The Sharpei dog then responded in a raspy voice.
The teenager yelped in alarm. Rivka watched quietly from her spot, not saying anything.
Now with Jake, Jonathan, and Fu Dog there on the beach, Jake decided to tell him the truth. But as any person would say they were from the future, Jonathan didn't believe him.
"Uh-huh, look, whatever your name is, this has been the worst day of my life!" Teen Johnathan griped. "The girl of my dreams is a dragon, there's dog slobber on my puzzle, and I can't get my collar to stay up to save my life! So if this is some kinda sick joke…!"
The Asian American boy, Jake walked two feet from Johnathan and said, "Dragon up!"
In a blaze of blue, the boy turned into a slender red dragon with a yellow underbelly, black hair with green ends, darker red wings and green spikes on his back and tail. Four-clawed hands and two-clawed feet.
I had never seen dragons before, but I was pretty much fascinated and curious all at once.
Rivka watched, her eyes sparkling with awe. However, Johnathan didn't take it well, it only terrified him to the point of fainting.
Jake looked to Fu Dog, "Could this day get any worse?"
And that's the wrong thing to say. Usually in movies or certain situations, whenever someone asks, 'How can it get worse', it always gets worse.
"It just did dragon!" a male prepubescent voice challenged.
Just six feet away, stood a scrawny Hunstclan apprentice of possibly fourteen or fifteen years old.
Ahhh, I told you he'd be important.
Sure, right now, he's a skinny teenager with a high-pitched voice that earns him the derision of his Huntsclan peers, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous than how he will be as an adult. Take it from someone who knows.
Despite the scraggly body and underdeveloped voice, Jake immediately recognized him. "It's you, the Hunstman!"
Because of Jake's time-travel, the Huntsman's first assignment was kidnapping Jonathan Long so the Huntsclan could force him to reveal the identity of a dragon known to be at their school, unknown to them to be Susan Long, due to rumors he was dating one.
Jake then quipped. "Dude, what's with the voice? You sound like an accordion stuck in a woodchipper."
"No one makes fun of my voice!" The young Hunstman snapped and attacked with a whip that threw green energy.
Rivka just watched Jake in amazement.
The dragon avoided most of the blasts from the young Huntsman, at some point - one of those green energy sparks just happened to hit Rivka's sandcastle...
"Hey!" Little Rivka was dismayed, but she was also quite angry. "That's not nice!" Irritated, she stomped right up to the teenaged Huntsman, her small fists on her hips.
The young Hunter didn't expect this. He looked, unknowing, upon the child whose family had successfully fought against the Huntsclan years ago.
At the time, I only reached up to the young Hunter's waist, but that didn't stop me.
On the plus side, the reason he doesn't see my birthmark is because Mom and Great Auntie Talia had insisted I wear a T-shirt. It's the little details that kept me safe.
He sneered down at her. "Out of my way, whelp. I've got a dragon to destroy."
"Not until you say sorry!" She jabs a tiny finger at his chest.
Jake holds back laughter at the absurdity watching the teen Hunstman argue with a five year little girl. But the young Huntsman is growing red-faced.
"I said, stay out of this!" he'd snapped, his voice briefly cracking.
"Get over it, meanie!" And Rivka furiously kicks him right in the shin.
He howled and hopped on one leg while Rivka blows a raspberry. "And don't come to my house either!"
Jake can't contain his laughter anymore at the humiliating sight, by then Fu dog was also in stitches.
"Rivka!" At that moment, the little girl's mother hurried over.
The family had noticed the ruckus, and a worried Dulcea ran over to scoop up her indignant little daughter.
"Get away from that raving lunatic!" Dulcea exclaimed, embracing Rivka tightly.
"But Ima-" Rivka said the Yiddish word for 'Mom'. "That big dumb meanie wrecked my sandcastle!"
"We can always build new sandcastles!" Dulcea responded before sprinting away with her second-born.
Cleavon watched anxiously as Dulcea rushed Rivka away. His eyes then moved to the source of the commotion and he froze in horror.
A red dragon battled a stranger, but it was the attire that chilled Cleavon to the bone. Those garbs - it was the uniform of Rivka's would-be kidnappers!
Cleavon stumbled back with a choked gasp. His heart hammered as memories consumed him: that night's terror, the phantom pains of the fight. It couldn't be, but there another one of those villains stood once more.
Dread clenched Cleavon's throat. Had they returned to finish what they started? Found his family after lying low all these years?
Adrenaline surged through Cleavon, flight or Fight screaming to defend his family.
A hand grasped his shoulder and Cleavon spun with a frightened yell. His eyes were wild, unseeing as the past consumed him.
"Breathe nephew, we're safe!" Ezekiel urged, peering at Cleavon with concern. "I don't think that little chazer knows." He shot the young Hunstman a glower.
Cleavon gulped air. But he couldn't, wouldn't believe what he'd seen. To do so would be to lose his fragile hold on sanity.
"Tate, did you see the dragon?" Rivka's voice chirped using the Yiddish word for 'Daddy'.
Cleavon went rigid at Rivka's question. He took a shuddering breath, schooling his expression as he turned. "There was no dragon, Rivka." His voice was hard, leaving no room for argument. "Now come, we're leaving. This beach holds nothing but ill memories and fantasies with no place in this modern world."
Rivka frowned, confused. "But Tate, I saw -"
"Enough!" Cleavon snapped, then softened at Rivka's flinch. "I'm...tired. It's time to go home."
Ezekiel watched Cleavon closely, concerned. But he knew pushing further would only agitate his nephew.
The family began packing in somber silence. Dulcea shot Cleavon a questioning look but he avoided her gaze. She sighed and scooped a disappointed Rivka into her arms.
As they left the beach, Rivka twisted for one last look at the setting sun. But her mind was abuzz with visions of flashing wings and scales - things her father stubbornly claimed didn't exist. Little did she know how that denial would sow the seeds of future conflict between them.
To be continued…
Author's note: OK fair warning the next chapter will be a long time lapse and she won't be officially meeting an unpleasant familiar face for a while, but expect subtle foreshadowing.
BTW Just a reminder, I have a right to write any kind of fanfiction from my imagination if I want to, regardless of complainers like JasonSkeans and/or that entitled troll obsessed with the SCP that keeps trying slam it into people's faces.
After all, we have the right to write our fanfiction our way WITHOUT adding stuff we don't care about into it whatsoever.