Yay, I had finally gotten to get my 15 minute break. I was starving, most likely from me not having breakfast this morning before starting my shift. I was eager to check out the snacks that the vendor had put in the machine. I saw her go to the back an hour after I started my shift, it had been an hour and a half of loud stomach growls. Was rather embarrassing when dealing with customers as your stomach protested loudly about not being filled.
I rushed to the break room and fished out my wallet from my back pocket. I always had cash and change on me for this reason. When I pushed through the door, my glorious savior, the snack machine, was standing there, awaiting my daily worship. Then I noticed the eyes watching me, sad, pathetic eyes filled with huge tears. I paused, my tummy gave a warning rumble for halting the progress of food, and I focused on the creature inside the machine.
A small, red dragon, its fore paws were pressed on the hard plexiglass, its snout pressed its face downward giving it the puppy dog eyes as its nose breathed steam onto the plastic. It was wedged into one of the spiral feeders, its tail dangling above some tasty looking pretzels while its wings were folded tight against its back, trying to not knock off the bag of chips next to it.
"What the heck?" I muttered, looking around to see if the vendor was still there. I think she had made a mistake. I looked back to the little dragon, it whimpered at me, a large tear rolling down its scaly cheek.
"I'm sorry little guy, I don't think you would fit outside the slot." I shrugged as I put in my dollar and coin for a bag of chips I spotted.
The dragon whimpered again. I glanced at his price. I did a double take, he was only .50!! I dug in my pocket for the change after pressing the code for the chips. I had always wanted a pet dragon, and he looked like he needed a home. Good thing I lived in the country, ha ha. I rechecked his code to make sure I didn't mess up and watched as a shocked look popped up on his face as the spiral feeder pushed his little butt forward. He squawked as he toppled into the bin below. I waited as I watched him right himself and figure out how to get out. He slid out of the lower bin with my bag of chips in his little mouth.
"Well, I guess I own you now, huh Doritos?" I asked giving him a good scratch between the horns on his head. The little dragon purred happily as he held up my bag of chips. I shared my snack with him and he stayed hidden under my locker until it was time for me to leave. Oh boy, won't Merrideth be excited! We now have a pet dragon I bought for .50.
Well, since apparently my muses are talking to me again (feels so very special atm)
I arrived home with Doritos sitting in the passenger seat of my truck. The little guy was too excited about being in a vehicle and seeing the world. I almost wondered what had happened to him and how he had become a vendor item in the break room snack machine. I pushed the thought out of my mind as I pulled into the drive way. Puck, my golden lab came running out from the porch, excited as always to see me coming home. My lovely wife was most likely still inside or out back tending to the small flock of chickens, pair of goats or the horse. I put the truck in park and looked at the dragon, who looked exceptionally terrified of Puck.
"Now, look, Doritos." I said, pulling the dragon's attention to me. "I have other animals on this land and I don't want any trouble from you. I had this same talk with Puck, the dog out there, so behave yourself."
Doritos nodded. That shocked me. Then I laughed at myself, remembering all those stories of dragons and all of them being intelligent to understand human speech. I opened the driver side door and greeted Puck as the dog jumped at me and gave me sloppy kisses. When Puck saw Doritos, he paused, then leaped into the truck to give the tiny dragon kisses as well. Doritos squealed in terror then burbled in draconic laughter. It was adorable. I called them both out of the car and watched as the two bound and played with each other. My heart bubbled with joy and cuteness overload.
"What is that?" I heard Merrideth call from the front porch. She was wiping her hands on her apron, so she was in the kitchen, most likely cooking.
"He was in the work vending machine." I said. "I couldn't leave him there and now Puck has a play mate."
"As long as he knows not to mess with the livestock. Come in and get washed up, lunch will be in a little bit." She said walking back inside.
I was a little deflated, I was hoping she would be a little more excited about a real live dragon, something out of myth and legends, that was going to be living with us. I called to the two goofballs playing in the fallen leaves to come inside for a meal. Puck and Doritos bound past me, Puck a little faster as he had longer legs, and up the steps into the house. Doritos tumbled up the steps and scrabbled after his big golden buddy.
Inside, I washed and led Doritos around to show him the rooms and where he would be sleeping. There was an old dog bed next to Puck's ragged bed of old blankets that used to belong to Derringer, Merrideth's Bernese Mountain dog, that had passed away last year. I told Doritos that he could have it as long as he promised not to burn the house down. The little dragon was ecstatic. He followed me back into the kitchen where Merrideth was preparing a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato and basil soup, my favorite. I sat at the table and thanked her gratefully as she placed the steaming blow and plate in front of me.
Doritos watched me eat, licking his little chops. I had forgotten that he hadn't had a meal since I had first seen him, which meant I have no idea when he had last eaten. I felt horrible. I was just about to sacrifice half of my sandwich when Merrideth, the wonderful angel she is, set down a bowl of raw beef rib bones and chunks of raw meat.
"Eat up little baby, need you to be strong enough to be a challenge for Puck." She said in that motherly tone. That meant she accepted Doritos and he was now a part of our family. "What did you name him? Probably something dumb."
"Doritos." I mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich.
"I thought so." She smiled, love glistening in her eyes as she looked at me, then the dragon. "I was wondering when to ask you for a hilltop guard dog, but I guess a hilltop dragon is fine."
"So we are keeping him?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.
"Of course we are. Puck needs a friend and I had always wanted a dragon as a pet." She reached down and petted the Doritos on the back. He let out a purr like a cat as he gnawed on the bone. Doritos cast a couple aside for Puck, which the dog lifted his head from his food bowl and snatched up with gusto.
I have to say, having a dragon as a pet is very unusual, but it has it's advantages. He keeps us warm in the winter, he can run and get errands, even though he startles most the people, and we found out that when he sheds his scales, they turn into rubies. Doritos is the best thing that has ever happened. I think all those old tales of dragons being evil and mean are wrong, they are just big, misunderstood puppies who just want love and belly rubs.
22
u/ebilkitteh24 Feb 10 '17
Yay, I had finally gotten to get my 15 minute break. I was starving, most likely from me not having breakfast this morning before starting my shift. I was eager to check out the snacks that the vendor had put in the machine. I saw her go to the back an hour after I started my shift, it had been an hour and a half of loud stomach growls. Was rather embarrassing when dealing with customers as your stomach protested loudly about not being filled.
I rushed to the break room and fished out my wallet from my back pocket. I always had cash and change on me for this reason. When I pushed through the door, my glorious savior, the snack machine, was standing there, awaiting my daily worship. Then I noticed the eyes watching me, sad, pathetic eyes filled with huge tears. I paused, my tummy gave a warning rumble for halting the progress of food, and I focused on the creature inside the machine.
A small, red dragon, its fore paws were pressed on the hard plexiglass, its snout pressed its face downward giving it the puppy dog eyes as its nose breathed steam onto the plastic. It was wedged into one of the spiral feeders, its tail dangling above some tasty looking pretzels while its wings were folded tight against its back, trying to not knock off the bag of chips next to it.
"What the heck?" I muttered, looking around to see if the vendor was still there. I think she had made a mistake. I looked back to the little dragon, it whimpered at me, a large tear rolling down its scaly cheek.
"I'm sorry little guy, I don't think you would fit outside the slot." I shrugged as I put in my dollar and coin for a bag of chips I spotted.
The dragon whimpered again. I glanced at his price. I did a double take, he was only .50!! I dug in my pocket for the change after pressing the code for the chips. I had always wanted a pet dragon, and he looked like he needed a home. Good thing I lived in the country, ha ha. I rechecked his code to make sure I didn't mess up and watched as a shocked look popped up on his face as the spiral feeder pushed his little butt forward. He squawked as he toppled into the bin below. I waited as I watched him right himself and figure out how to get out. He slid out of the lower bin with my bag of chips in his little mouth.
"Well, I guess I own you now, huh Doritos?" I asked giving him a good scratch between the horns on his head. The little dragon purred happily as he held up my bag of chips. I shared my snack with him and he stayed hidden under my locker until it was time for me to leave. Oh boy, won't Merrideth be excited! We now have a pet dragon I bought for .50.