*Ender leads you into a large room filled with books* This is the library. Here Lissy keeps the literary masterpieces of herself and others. Please don't remove any of this work from this page, as the authors have chosen not to put their names on their creations, and no one would know their great writing.
Of Mares and Men: A short story written by Lissy about Thoroughbred Racing.
Double Trouble: a short story about a VERY mischievous pair of dragonets
Lissy's Domain: The home of Lissy herself, and her three adopted cyber-dragons.
Okay, so it's not much just yet. If you've got a story or poem you want to exhibit here, e-mail Lissy at xwingalta@siscom.net
The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife as I faced down Johnny Randall, three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, and an all-around bully. "Okay Jess. You say your ride is faster than mine? I'll make you a bet. Black Diamond wins this race, and I'll leave you alone. He loses and you're dog meat" My heart jumped to my throat. Johnny Randall was offering to leave me alone? Then the logical part of my mind took over. For a price... I knew I had the better horse, but Randall and his mount, a lean filly named Shannarra, were tough competitors. Could Diamond and I possibly out-sprint them? I knew I had to have confidence in my mount, and took Randall's offered hand. "Deal," I declared firmly. From across the room, one of the other jockeys, Kyle Williams, hollered out, "Hey Jess, Johnny! I want in on that at 10-1 odds!" We all laughed, and the serious mood was broken. Williams would bet against his own mother if he thought it was a winning wager. Unfortunately, his horse, Tiki Blizzard, wasn't even considered a major contender in what was already being hailed as "The Contest of the Century." Next to join the conversation was quiet young Ariel Somers. This would be her first Derby. "Jessica, you're not really betting, are you?" She piped up nervously. "I thought it was bad luck" I smiled reassuringly at her. "Of course I am. But nothing big." Only my life, I added silently. Ariel still didn't look happy, though, so I went on. "You really do get used to it after a while."
When the racehorse clock on the wall rang out the opening notes of "Boots and Saddles" we knew it was time. As one, all of the riders jumped to their feet and hurried out to the saddling paddock where we would finish preparing for the race.
Once the horses were ready, they were lead to the starting gate, 10 prancing, dancing Thoroughbred colts and fillies, with the purest bloodlines and the best training the world had to offer. Their entire lives had been spent preparing them for this moment, and not one of them appeared unready. Granted, several were slightly agitated, but that was to be expected. After all, they were still young. First to go into the gate was Williams and Tiki Blizzard, in the rail post position. Next were supposed to be Jedi Force, a small grey colt, and Night Wind, a handsome black with a wide white blaze, but "Night" was having none of it. The nearly 17 hand stallion was pitching a fit, throwing his head around and lashing out at the track hands with his steel-shod hooves. Diamond looked supremely bored with the whole display, and he nickered at Night, as if to say "Control yourself!" To everyone's surprise, the Texan racer obeyed, and docilely allowed himself to be led into position.
Randall's tawny golden chestnut Shannarra followed, the very picture of obedience, with Johnny flipping me a sarcastic thumbs-up as he rode by. Imagination, a West Coast sensation with an incredible closing kick, and Jade Hunter, a heavily muscled bay filly, were in gates 5 and 6. Then it was my turn. I tapped my heels against Diamond's sides and he calmly entered his starting stall. Following us were Antilles, a rangy chestnut; Exar Kun, a seal brown with a nasty temper; and in the final gate, Another Solo, ridden by Somers. He was obviously scared to death, and it took three track hands to get the bright chestnut calm and where he belonged. Finally we were ready.
I tightened my reins and mentally mapped out the race ahead. Jedi Force was a speed horse, and would likely be out in front early. I would have to be careful not to let Diamond match the fast pace I knew the California-bred would set. Fortunately, "Jedi" as he was called by his many fans, would likely run out of speed at the half-mile mark, allowing the real race to begin. Exar Kun's rider, an inexperienced kid from Costa Rica, would probably try to take the lead, making it unsafe for any other horse to be close. No one wanted to risk having their mount get kicked or bitten, even if it meant letting another horse take the lead. At that point, Night Wind and Williams' "Tiki" would be in the middle of the pack, with Antilles, Another Solo and Jade Hunter hot on their heels. Imagination would be loafing his way down the track, saving his tremendous speed for the stretch run. Knowing Randall, he would have Shannarra in the second or third spot, ready to move to the front if the opportunity presented itself. I would have to stay dose to Exar Kun if I wanted to pull the win out from under Randall's nose. I almost laughed at the image, but suddenly the bell rang and the gate snapped open.
"And they're off!" the cry rang from nearly a million throats, but the horses and jockeys at whom it was directed were oblivious. The first half-mile went as predicted, with Jedi slowing and dropping down to fifth, and Exar Kun taking the lead. Then things went crazy. Tiki and Antilles were in a desperate fight for second, and Shannarra lost her place in third, which went to Jade Hunter, making an early bid. Randall ended up pacing Imagination, who was trailing the pack. I had managed to hold Diamond in fourth place, but Night Wind was coming up fast As we rounded the turn into the backstretch, Exar Kun was running by himself when he suddenly stumbled and went down. Williams and Antilles' rider, directly behind the fallen colt, were forced to pull up abruptly, and the rest of us managed to get our mounts around the "track jam."
Jade Hunter was running her heart out, but the shorter filly began to lose ground to Diamond's long strides. His head was at her flank, then her shoulder, and finally, her neck, where he held. On our outside, Imagination began to move, and he was FLYING. I urged my colt to greater speed, and we matched the tall bay stride for stride, blowing past Jade Hunter easily. Then I looked over at the other jockey, and saw not only Petey Dantzer on Imagination, but beyond him, Randall and Shannarra. The rangy filly had obviously recovered from the jam and she was running us hard. Randall was working his mount frantically, squeezing every ounce of speed from her with his hands and riding crop.
I knew it was time to show the racing world what we were made of as we rounded the final turn into the homestretch. Crouched low over my colt's neck, I leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "Okay Black Diamond. Let's go." I was riding a 1,200 pound locomotive as my colt extended himself to full speed. I was part of him, one with the magnificent animal underneath me as we closed the distance to the wire and the end of the race. Diamond's thick black mane whipped around my face, giving me only a limited view of the horses around us. I caught a glimpse of tan and Randall's green and gold silks, and blood bay with Dantzer's maroon and silver as we charged by. We were out in front. Alone, or so I thought. Then I noticed a bit of red, and turned my head slightly to see more. Somers and Another Solo were right with us. Where had they come from?! I kneaded my hands along Diamond's neck, asking him for just a little more speed, and he responded, surging ahead slightly. I had to give it to Somers. For her first Derby, she was sure doing well. They kept directly at our side, and I thought maybe "Solo" had his nose in front as we flashed under the wire.
I stood in the stirrups and slowed my mount, tossing Ariel a thumbs-up as she rode by, a huge grin on her face. I paced her, and gave her a horseback high-five. "Good race, huh Kid?" She looked almost too stunned to speak. Finally, she came out with a quiet "Yeah."
Almost in perfect synchronization, we looked up to the place board, where there was a photo finish announced for 1st place. In third was Imagination, and Jade Hunter had moved up to fourth. Randall was cursing a blue streak as he stopped by Shannarra's owner, who proceeded to chew him out. "What the heck was that, boy? FIFTH? I mean, my God, you coulda won if you hadn't let that brat pass you! Did you forget where the RAIL was? Or did you decide you deserved to win, and everyone else was gonna let you do it easy? Couldn't you have-"
I lost the thread of their decidedly one-sided conversation as I passed them, and my attention was directed to the placing board. In first place flashed the number 7. I checked my saddlecloth and let out a whoop that spooked Tiki, who had just come off the track. "The DERBY! WE WON THE DERBY, DIAMOND!" Tiki bucked at the unexpected noise, throwing Kyle into me, and sending both of us into the dirt. I looked up at the other jockey and raised an eyebrow. "Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?" He quipped, and we both laughed. I felt something soft brushing my shoulder, and turned to see Tiki nuzzling me. I grinned at Kyle, then planted a big kiss on the white colt's velvety nose. "I don't hate you for being slow," I informed Tiki, reaching up to scratch behind his ears. "It made it easier for me to beat your rider." I heard a muffled "hey!" from Kyle, and my smile widened. I stood and brushed the dirt off my silks, ready to head for the Winner's Circle, when something in Williams' expression stopped me. "What is it?" I asked. He chewed on his lower lip, clearly wanting to say something, but just as obviously reluctant "Well, I um... was... well... um..." "Spit it out before I dent your helmet, Williams. I have a prize to claim." He appeared to take my words to heart and in a quick rush, the words tumbled out. "Jess, would you maybe like to grab dinner or something... I mean, after the press is finished with you." My eyes widened. Kyle was asking me out?! This day had certainly been full of surprises, as Derby Day often was. I didn't even think before I blurted out my answer. "I'd love to." The ear-to-ear grin he gave me was proof that his had not been just a casual offer. I looked over to the Circle, where Diamond's owner/trainer and the President of Churchill Downs waited with the famous wreath of roses and huge trophy, then back at Kyle.
With a quick word to the groom holding my horse, I took the reins and remounted. Black Diamond pranced all the way to the Winner's Circle. The reporters said he was a natural ham, but I knew he was just reacting to my exultation. "Walking on air" didn't even come close to describing the feeling of riding a great horse in a tough race and winning. Kyle waved as he took Tiki off the track, and I knew that this day would never be forgotten.
And it hasn't been... It was the beginning of a great career, and the end of one. Exar Kun had torn a tendon when he had fallen, and had to be put down, but when I saw Ariel later that night, I had a feeling that somehow, she was destined to be one of the "great ones." Before I had a chance to dwell on that thought, Kyle came up and took my arm. "Horseshoe for your thoughts..." he whispered quietly, following my gaze over to the Calloway table, where Ariel was seated with Solo's owners and trainer. I turned to look at him. "Just wondering how you managed to finish behind Estavez when his horse was lame..." Kyle obviously knew I was changing the subject for some reason, and played along, looking hurt. "Jess..." he began reproachfully, "didn't your mother ever tell you not to judge a man by the speed of his horse?" "No, she must have skipped over that one" I answered, chuckling.
The rest of the evening went much the same. When the dancing began, Kyle all but monopolized me out on the floor, and I was surprised to find that he was as good a dancer as he was a horseman. Later, he drove me home. As I stepped out of his car, he insisted on walking me to my front door, a true gentleman. I stood on the porch, unsure of what was expected of me, but Kyle answered my uncertainty with a mischievous grin. "Just think of me as an extension of Tiki..." he said quietly. I remembered earlier, when I had kissed the young Thoroughbred, and raised an eyebrow at Kyle. Realizing what he meant, I stepped forward and kissed him tentatively. As he returned it, a thought popped into my mind. Yes, this had definitely turned out to be a good day.
It had been a nice vacation, but she was ready to go home, 16 year old Channa Carter thought to herself as she watched her new dog play in the grass. The puppy was actively engaged in chasing his tail, and she had to smile. She and her parents had found the little mutt in London a few days ago, and the honors student and confirmed "cat person" had managed to convince them that she needed the cute little animal. "Wait 'til Lisa sees THIS," Channa mumbled, knowing her best friend would turn green with envy, having always wanted a dog. Suddenly the brown and white puppy took off down the hillside, and she yelled at him. "Damon, get your furry tail back here!" The dog paid about as much attention to her as he had when her father had told him to get lost. Channa glanced back at the ancient castle her parents were touring, then in the direction Damon had disappeared. Knowing her parents, they would probably be a while. On the other hand, if they came back and she was gone... She decided to retrieve her dog and be back before her parents even knew she was gone.
The strawberry blonde girl got to her feet and jogged after the retreating ball of fluff as he shot toward an unusual rock formation. Just as she nearly caught up with him, the dog disappeared into a narrow opening in the rockface, just wide enough for a small human to get through. Darn. Now what was she supposed to do? She figured she didn't have a choice. Getting down on her hands and knees, Channa started to wiggle her way in, muttering all the way.. "Damon, I swear that when I catch you I will break every bone in your furry little body!"
Suddenly, Channa heard her dog bark once from ahead of her somewhere, then she felt a faint pulsing radiating through the stone. She increased her speed, and burst out of the narrow tunnel into a huge chamber, where she saw Damon digging frantically at a large mound in the center of the cavern. Channa stepped forward, and nearly tripped over something that appeared to be a huge bone. To her horror, she realized it was, and there was a huge reptilian skull just beyond it. Closer scrutiny of the cave revealed that the huge skeleton wrapped twice around the walls of the cavern, with length to spare. A dinosaur? No, it couldn't be. As she watched, the brown and white mongrel unearthed a white oval object no bigger than his head, and started rolling it around with his nose. All of a sudden, the object split, revealing a ruby-red lizard with.... wings?! This was no lizard, Channa decided. It was a dragon. She looked at him, though she wasn't sure how she knew it was a him, and a voice, warm and rough, with a Scottish brogue, seemed to appear inside her head.
I dinna s'pose ye c'ld put me back in me egg, could ye, Lass? Channa freaked out. What on Earth?!
"Um, who are you?" she asked nervously.
That's me probl'm, the dragonet answered. I dinna know! He sounded truly upset.
Oh, quit'cher whinin', another voice chimed in, distinctly feminine, with a soft English accent. She must be our mum, so she'll take care of us. A tiny emerald green dragon had joined her brother on the ground, and she now looked imploringly up at Channa. Won't you? The girl wondered if she had a choice.
"Okay, then... You." She pointed to the male. "You're Kibby. And you," it was the female's turn "are Shamrock. Let's get out of here, okay? This place gives me the creeps." She scooped up the little dragons and put them in her pockets, then snagged Damon's collar and dragged him back outside.
As she stepped out into the bright sunshine, a feeling of intense forboding washed over Channa. She realized why when she recognized a pair of worried-looking figures standing nearby. Oops. Her parents hadn't taken as long as she had expected. She ran over to them, Damon tucked under one arm, her short tawny hair bouncing against her neck. She skidded to a halt in front of them.
"Mom, Dad, there you are!" She blushed fiercely, feeling the heat spreading across her fair skin. "Damon and I went exploring. Are we ready to go?" Her mother fixed her with a stern glare.
"We have been ready for quite some time," Lauren Carter said icily, looking at her husband. "Now, we're leaving." She took her daughter's arm and pulled her to their rental car, Channa's father trailing a few paces back.
Later that night at the posh Windsor Hotel, Channa flopped on her bed and watched Kibby and Shamrock wrestle playfully on the shag carpeting. It matched the little green's hide perfectly, she noted. Suddenly, they paused.
I be hungry, Kibby announced loudly.
Aye, me too, his sister echoed. Would ye be so kind as to get us some meat, Channa? Meat? This wasn't in her job description! Channa thought fast.
"Hey Mom!" she yelled. Lauren poked her head into Channa's room.
"Yes Sweetheart?" she asked, patting her elaborately done hairdo.
"Can I go out for dinner?"
"Absolutely not!" Lauren screeched, sounding scandalized. "You met a boy when you were wandering today, didn't you?! Well you're not going anywhere, young lady!" With that she flounced out of the room, leaving Channa stunned.
Well, that was certainly uncalled for, Shamrock said, obviously a little put-out by the rejection.
"You're tellin' me" Channa answered, frowning. "What am I going to do about you guys?" As she watched, Kibby began experimentally chewing on the carpet.
Yechhhh! he pronounced after a moment, spitting out a few strands of shag. That stuff inna fit fer cat'le! The girl had to laugh.
"It's called carpeting, Kibby," she explained. "It's not grass. It's sort of... fake grass." Just then, her father, James, walked in, and the two dragonets scurried under the bed.
"Cha-cha? Can I come in?" he asked. She nodded.
"What's up, Dad?" Channa asked, knowing instinctively that her father felt guilty about something.
"Your mother and I have a dinner to go to tonight. We didn't think you should be here alone."
"So I get to go?" She perked up.But then her face fell again as he shook his head.
"We've hired a nanny for you. Her name is Mrs. Calloway. She's very nice." Channa rolled her eyes and turned her back on her father. Taking the hint, he got up and left, and Kibby climbed up the bedspread to curl up next to her.
Dinna trouble yerself, Lass, he said, rubbing his tiny ruby head against her cheek comfortingly. We can get rid o' her if ye like. The slim girl chuckled.
"As much as I appreciate it, Kib, you don't have to." She rubbed the dragonet's belly as he flipped over and hummed happily. She heard her father call a goodbye, and a prim and proper British voice yell,
"Channa! Where are you, Luv?" The teenager sighed heavily.
"In here, Mrs. Calloway!" A fat woman in a too-tight smock bustled in, and Kibby huddled under the blanket on Channa's bed.
"Well, aren't you a sweet lit'l thing. I'm sure the boys go positively ape over you, don't they darling?" the nanny asked in a disgustingly saccharine voice. Channa nodded. "Well then," Mrs. Calloway looked around to make sure everything was in order, "I'll just go and get a bit of a rest." She waddled out.
A few minutes later, Channa judged it was safe to make a call to room service.
The steaks arrived in under half an hour, and Channa began to feed her little ones quickly. Unfortunately, over the din of slurps and smacks, she failed to hear the sudden cessation of snoring from the couch, or the approaching footsteps. She did, however, hear the ear-splitting shriek and loud thumping as Mrs. Calloway spotted the dragons and took off running. She also heard the extremely loud oral resignation letter drifting up the hallway to the open door to her parents' room. Ooops.
Shamrock and Kibby had finished eating, by then, and continued their playful wrestling on the floor. Shamrock had just crouched in the carpeting in front of the door to ambush her brother when the hotel manager ran in and demanded,
"What in the hell is going on here?!" Channa did her best to look innocent.
"I don't know Sir. Mrs. Calloway just panicked!" Shamrock! Kibby! Stay out of sight! she thought frantically, hoping they could hear her thoughts as easily as she heard theirs. But it was just to tempting a target for the green's hunter instinct. She raised her head and nipped at the man's bare ankle above his leather loafer. Then she hissed, low and menacing. His yell was (if at all possible) higher and squeakier than the fat nanny's, and definitely louder. She covered her ears and winced, until the ringing died down, then she retrieved the pair of hatchlings and tucked them back into her pockets. "Hush, you two!" she ordered. Then she pasted a frightened look on her delicate face and walked out into the hallway.
When her parents returned, they found that they had the finest suite in the hotel, for no apparent reason. That night, a dragonet curled up on each side of her head, and Damon at the foot of the bed, Channa lay awake thinking. Lisa was positively going to flip out when she got home. Oh well. She could handle it. After all, was there anything a dragonmate couldn't do? Dragonmate? Where had that come from? The term certainly fit. And maybe there were other dragons out there, too. As soon as she got back to the states, Channa vowed to start looking for them. She couldn't be alone!
She wasn't. Across a continent, a young boy sprawled on the back of his fully grown black dragon, wondering the same thing. Little did they know, their lives were soon to be irreparably intertwined. But that's another story entirely...