Sorrento's adventure
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by June Vernau
Cleethorpes Discovery Centre
Sorrento spent the night on the
roof of the Discovery Centre... |
A single dog walker circled the boating
lake. A cyclist wobbled his way around the lake edge, calling out to a
friend gasping behind him. Small voles tunnelled in the grass. Moths lay
dormant camouflaged against trees.
Within the shrubbery a green scaled
tail twitched. A clawed foot edged towards the pathway and a thin line
of smoke threaded through the evening air. Leaves parted and branches scrunched.
Two fiery nostrils emerged from the darkness.
At once the dragon was airborne, flapping
its great creped wings, beating, soaring into the night sky. Higher and
higher until the weight of its great body sent it gliding towards the tree
tops' silhouettes.
The weak branches staggered and cracked
under the dragon's bulk. Grasping, clasping and clawing, in a vain attempt
to right itself, the creature plummeted to the ground below sending shock
waves through the sleeping earth.
Dragging its wings across the pathway
it lay dazed for a brief moment then once again launched into the air.
Two wing beats, legs propelled then stiffened, perfectly balanced, it landed
on the roof of the Discovery Centre.
Softly draping its wings across the
roof's expanse, it rested its weary head on the tiled edge. The hooded
eyes closed and a gentle peace drifted over the lakeside.
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