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SILVER LINING
By Get2daChoppa

CHAPTER 1: A good life
14 year old Thomas Bradwell, a boy with a small build, slightly scruffy brown hair & light green eyes has just lived through another ordinary day in his humble life; he got up at seven o'clock in the morning before going downstairs & having breakfast (cereal & toast, just on its own), after which he brushed his teeth & got his bag ready for school.
He then had mom kiss him goodbye before he hurried to school on his sturdy blue-and-red bike & arrived to his first class just before the bell rang. He sorta concentrated on the lessons, but mostly wondered when lunch would arrive. When it did, he managed to narrowly avoid the schoolyard bullies & chatted to his friends about the latest baseball game in-between bites of his lunch; ham sandwich with a small block of cheese & a carrot stick, though as always, it drifted to a random topic. This time, the conversation ended on action movies. The bell rang again & he went to his final lesson of the day; woodwork, his favourite subject. Mainly because the teacher, Mr Barnaby, was nice and that every lesson, he got to make something. Today, he made a wooden stamp of a spiky ball, and he was especially proud of this one.
Finally, the day ended, and his mom picked him & his bike up to home, where he chatted with her about the day through the short journey home, which sits in a heavily forested area. At home, he turned on the news, which had that report about his friend again. He hoped that he would be alright before he switched the channel to the kid's channel, laughing at the cheapness of the set before Dad, an avid hunter & all-round tough guy with a soft heart, took over the couch & set it to the football channel whilst asking to no-one in particular why there isn't a hunting channel. Then, dinner was served; ham with mushed potato & peas, with plenty of ketchup. He lapped the ham up, downed the potato & almost got away with skipping the peas before mom noticed again.
He then spent 5 minutes eating all the peas on his plate before running up to his room & playing the latest free-to-play game on his phone before it was time for him to go to bed. He brushed his teeth well this time, and leaped into bed, all of the while his mom was by his side, kissing him goodnight.
He went to sleep cozily & peacefully, & snoozes softly in the bed as dawn breaks in the horizon, sending the first beams of sunshine through the trees & into his room. What will wake him up, however, will alter his life forever.

CHAPTER 2: Rude awakening
He wakes up with a sharp pain down his back.
"Ow!...That's odd." He mutters to himself tiredly as he pulls the covers away from him & rolls out of bed. He then walks halfway across his room before feeling the sharp pain again, except that it spread to his upper arms, legs & his neck. "What the?!" He exclaims, now much more alert & bothered. "Something's wrong...I better ask mom whatOOOWWWWAGH!" A more severe spike of pain spreads in his body, making him trip & crash onto the floor of his room. He tries to get up again, but the pain only increases, making it impossible for him to do so. Helpless & on the floor, he can only scream in pain as he feels like he is being stretched...he looks down to find that his arms & legs are in fact extending, and slowly forming into something else whilst little, shiny red things pop up from his skin & are dotted around his body. Recoiling in both horror & pain, he shuts his eyes tight in an attempt to lessen the terror of whatever is happening to him. However, he cannot ignore the pain & stretching as even his whole body stretches into a weird-feeling shape. Suddenly, he convulses in agony as every bone in his body feels like it is snapping & changing positions. He cannot even call for help, as his face is snapping, twisting & stretching too. He can only yell incomprehensible moans & mumbles of pain as his muscles feel like they are being inflated & bulked up, especially his butt & his back. In those areas, the bone-snapping & stretching is at its worst, forming something new & strange whilst he sees flashes of green light, in spite of the fact his eyes are shut tight. A stinging pain then courses through his head, causing him to roar in anguish. He is particularly confused when he does this; why is he roaring like a dinosaur? He did not expect an answer, though; all he could think is when the pain will stop. Eventually, it lessens & finally stops, letting Tom to try & get up off the floor. He does so, though can't seem to get off all fours, as if something in his body is restraining him. He finally opens his eyes, the first thing he sees being his wrecked room, & is mortified when he looks at himself; a five meter long (six & a half meters, counting the tail), one-and-a-half meter high quadruped dragon, with red wing membranes & red neck, chest, belly & bottom tail scales. His eyes are still green, but more reptilian now, with rows of sharp teeth in his mouth & two horns protruding from the back of his head. His arms have been replaced with front legs, and his hands therefore being replaced with front feet, whilst his hind legs are more built up & powerful. His tail flickers wildly & his wings fold up to his body as he cries out; "MOM, DAD, HELP ME!" His voice is deeper now, as if he suddenly became older. He freezes in fear when he hears thumping footsteps head upstairs.
"Tommy?! What's going on, are you alright?!" Dad yells in a tone which is both worried & angry. The footsteps head closer to the door...
"What will Dad think of me looking like this?!" Tom asks, anticipating the worst as the doorknob quickly turns...

CHAPTER 3: Heartbreak
The door swings open, Dad bursting through the doorway & grinding to a halt when he catches sight of the red dragon that was once his son. He stares with wide eyes & a gaping mouth, almost stumbling backwards in the sheer shock of it all. After a moment of silence, dread & realisation, he puts the dragon, the torn clothes on the floor & the wrecked room together, coming up with his own conclusion;
"You...you monster. You god damn monster, you killed my son." Tom is now filled with fear & confusion as he recoils in dumbfoundedness.
"W-wait, wha-"
"You KILLED MY SON!" Dad bellows in a grieving rage before charging at him, drunk in his fury. Utterly terrified, Tom weaves past his hate-filled father & clumsily runs down the stairs on all fours to the kitchen, hoping that his Mom can at least recognise him beneath the scales, wings & tail. In panic, he barges through the kitchen door & sees his mom paralysed in terror of the sudden appearance of a dragon in the kitchen. "Mom, I might look different, but it's me, Tom! Please, Mom, you still know me!" He begs, hoping to not get the same reaction from her as he did his father. She simply screams in horror at him & throws two plates at him, both hitting him & shattering, much like his heart is shattering. She then reaches for the knife stand & pulls out a large kitchen knife, pointing it at him in fear.
"GET OUT. GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE, CREATURE!" She screeches at Tom, who now is welling tears at the sight of her hostility.
"Mom, please, it's me! I'm Tom, no-one else!"
"I don't know WHAT kind of sick joke you're pulling, but GET OUT before I slice you up!" On that, all hope of convincing Mom & Dad that he is not a monster is utterly lost. He turns & bolts out of the front door, tears streaming down his scaly head from his draconic eyes as he concentrates on only one thing; running far, far away from here. A deafening crack fills the air, followed a split second later by his right shoulder tearing apart & coursing severe & agonising pain throughout his body. He faces the house for a final time to find Dad leaning out of his bedroom window & aiming at him with his most treasured hunting rifle.
"I will never rest until I can hang your head on the wall & avenge my son, you dirty beast!" Unbeknownst to him, it is his son, the dragon with tears streaming down his cheeks & blood streaming down from the gaping wound on his shoulder, both of which drip on the forest ground as he runs in fear, who he is shooting. His next shot thankfully misses as Tom sprints into the treeline, tragically leaving his old life behind & entering the vast, dark forest.

CHAPTER 4: The Wild
"Impressive for a transformed human...most would have curled up in the fetal position in pain from that." A deep voice approvingly states. Tom then looks around in a flurry of confusion, trying to figure out where this voice is coming from.
"W-what?! Human born? Where are you?!" He shouts whilst sniffling in distress & trying to wipe away his tears with his front feet.
"I'm right here with you. Or should I say, in you."
"Huh? In me? Like voices in my GRAAH!" He roars in pain a little as his shoulder wound attempts to heal itself.
"In your head, yes. My name is Drahsich, & I shall be your guide to this new form of yours."
"You...did you do this to me?"
"Technically, yes, but-"
"CHANGE ME BACK!" Tom roars in both anger & pain.
"As much as we would all like that to happen, I can't. It is physically impossible to change back to human form...there's no easy way to say this, but I'm afraid you shall remain a dragon for the rest of your life." Tom then collapses onto the floor belly-down & shuts his eyes in upset & denial.
"This isn't true...I'm a monster & everyone hates me...I don't wanna be a monster..."
"I may have been a monster in my life, but you can start a whole new life from when my own doomed life failed. You could be a better dragon than I was ever meant to be."
"Your life? So you're a ghost?"
"More or less. I was bred specifically for the war...our war. All you need to know is that I fought in it & plenty of dragons died in it...including me. You have taken the form of me when I was your age, and from the very beginning I was designed to kill. Because of that, I only know two things; how to fight as a deadly warrior & my determination for you to be pacifist."
"But I don't want to kill anyone...I never even got a go with dad's rifle!" A growl pierces the air, but not from Tom or Drahsich. Tom turns to the growl & finds a large wolf, with its eyes fixated on him & its many, many razor-like teeth bared whilst it's body shifted into a pre-pounce position.
"You might need to right now..." Drahsich warns before the wolf leaps at Tom, its mouth wide open & aiming at his gaping, bleeding weak spot. With his new instincts, Tom attempts to dodge the wolf, yet it manages to claw into his wing membrane whilst it flies past. Tom howls as his wing stings like an electric shock. "The wolf has just crashed & now it is on its side." Drahsich observes as Tom watches. "Now is your chance to strike!" Tom paces up to the dazzled wolf before hesitantly raising his right front leg at the creature. "Well? What are you waiting for? Finish it off!" Drahsich yells before the wolf takes advantage of Tom's hesitation & claws his face. Now enraged, he pounces on the wolf, his claws slicing straight through the wolf's head as he crushes the rest of its body on the ground using his body weight. A moment later, he snaps out of his fury & runs away from the body in utter regret. But then he hears a whining sound, like that of a dog. He slowly wanders to where the direction is coming from, & finds a small wolf cub in the undergrowth, whimpering & glancing at bushes, trees & rocks as if it was looking for something.
"...Is that...that was its mother I killed, wasn't it?" Tom asks whilst his voice wavers in upset.
"I think that is most likely. Look, don't feel too bad; you were only defending yourself."
"But what about the cub?"
"Forget the cub. I think it is old enough to live on its own."
"No, it isn't." Tom retorts angrily between the tears. "My Dad knew all about wolves from hunting them here, & he told me that they had to be at least twice as big as that to be on their own & live for longer than a few days."
"Regardless, we need to survive. The cub will only prove a distraction & hinder our chances of survival. Look at what happened to you when its mother appeared!"
"I killed it in just two seconds, Drahsich. We don't need to worry about learning to survive when I can do that already." Drahsich does not answer, proving Tom's point. He then creeps towards the cub, lowering himself down to its level & trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. It jumps when it sees him & quickly starts walking back away from him. "Hey, shush now..." Tom says in a calm, yet slightly upset voice. "Shush...I don't want to hurt you. I don't even want to think about harming you. Just come here, & I will look after you." Tom freezes, & both him & the cub wait for a moment before it hesitantly steps towards him. After a minute, its fear turns to curiosity, pawing at Tom's snout before it touches it. Tom decides not to move, the cub brushing its snout on his proving it to be a wise decision. After another minute, he rises up to a standing position, stepping to the left. The cub follows him.
"Tom..." A now sorrowful-sounding Drahsich begins to say to Tom; "...you can keep it. I think I'm beginning to understand how to live in peacetime."

CHAPTER 5: Crosshairs
Two days have passed, & Tom walks serenely yet alertedly on the edge of a steep mound as the cub catches up with him. He named it Danny just the day before, & it proved to be faithful & sweet, & his only companion to keep him sane after becoming a dragon. Well, his only real companion.
"Something's wrong here." Drahsich uneasily mentions.
"What're you talking about?" Tom responds, confused as to what the ghostly soldier was implying & looking around for any possible signs of danger. "It's quiet...and barely any large animals here."
"That's the problem. It is too quiet. I don't even think we have been in this part of the forest before."
"Don't worry, I'm sure that if there is any danger, Danny will point it out again." In response to its name being mentioned, Danny catches up with Tom & brushes itself on the side of his leg in affection. "Aww...if I still had arms instead of these front legs, then I'd be petting you right now, buddy." Danny then decides to jump on Tom's tail & walk up his back, resting near his head. It feels weird to Tom, having this cub run across his back, but at least this is a pleasantly weird feeling...not bone-reforming or organ-shifting this time. Then a smell reaches his highly-adapted snout; that of partially rotten flesh. This smell would have been intolerable to him when he was human, but for some reason, as a dragon he not only tolerates it...but is slightly attracted by it. "Drahsich...should I be attracted to this?" He murmurs uncomfortably.
"You can't help it, I'm afraid. Enhanced scent & a lust for flesh was how I was...designed, if you will." Drahsich responds forlornley. Danny, who is much less cautious, bounds towards where Tom knows the smell comes from. Having crossed the mound edge, Tom walks out from a few bushes & spots where the smell is coming from; a large chunk of meat mounted on a stake. His eyes widen in terror when he realises what this means.
"DANNY! GET BACK!!!" But as a loud crack fills the air, his warning is too late. A large hole is ploughed through Danny like a hole punch, knocking him a meter sideways before he finally rests on the forest ground, instantly killed. "DANNY!!!" Tom roars in anguish, tears streaming down his cheeks once again. Then a rough, pompous voice hollers from a small distance away;
"Who's there? Oh God, did I kill your-" It pauses, whilst Tom freezes in fear.
"Who is he?" Drahsich asks. "You seem to recognise him...is he a deadly enemy of yours?"
"He's my dad." Tom replies, whispering to avoid detection. "We both used to really bond with each each other...up until you turned me into this." His voice has a little hatred in it now, directed towards Drahsich. "Now both mom & dad think that I'm a monster who killed their son...& my dad's a skilled huntsman."
"Tom?! Oh, Tommy, get back here! We've been missing you dearly!" Dad hollers again, oblivious to what the voice of his son is coming from. Terrified & bereft, he leaps & bounds into the opposite direction, fearing for his life & constantly thinking the same thing over & over;
Why is all of this happening to me?!
"I don't know..." Drahsich responds. "...I just don't know."He feels a pinprick on his side, but does not give much mind to it. That is, until his movements become uncontrollably sluggish, as if he is trying to run on superglue. He then decides to look to his side & sees a tranquilliser dart embedded in his side. "Oh no, I can't stop...I need...to...toooo..." He hits the ground face-first in this sudden tiredness, blacking out.

CHAPTER 6: Sympathy
"Come on...rise & shine, big boy." An older, yet soothing voice says to Tom as he begins to wake up from his drugged sleep. His eyelids sluggishly open to unveil where the voice is coming from; a middle-aged man with blond-brown hair in casual clothes, excepting the knee & elbow pads he is wearing. He smiles at Tom in a forgiving & meaningful way as reaches out his arm, presumably to pat him. Tom then jumps up in shock at the sudden appearance of this man & the equally sudden change of surroundings; he is in a clean, idyllic room, much like an average room, with the exception that everything looks oversized for this man...or is it just the ideal size for Tom?
"Wh-who are you?! Where am I?!"
"My name is James...and you are safe & sound now." Tom pulls a confused expression at this point, wondering why this man isn't freaking out about him being a dragon. "Seriously, what is going on? Where am I?"
"To be more specific, you are in the dragon house; a house designed, built & currently cared for by me for when I finally find a dragon...& you seem to fit the bill well."
"You've taken me here?"
"Yes...but just so you don't have to ask any more questions, I'll explain all this in a nutshell; I am really interested in dragons. I mean, I've always been for as long as I can remember. My biggest dream was to look after one & live with one...now that dream is fulfilled. Basically, I researched them & built this whole place to achieve that dream...& then I found you, knocked out by a hunter's dart, your shoulder & wings a mess, & so desperately in need of care. Well, you might notice that all of your scratches & injuries have been patched up as much as I can." Tom then looks at where his injuries were to find a bandage wrapped around his shoulder & his wing membrane wounds stitched up.
"Gee, thanks...so how do you know so much about dragons?"
"I...well..." James ponders, as if trying to recall a memory. "Ah, well there have been cases of dragons around here quite a while ago...it's quite well-documented, actually."
"There are more dragons like me?!" Tom asks excitedly, cracking a smile. A slight thought occurred to him that he has rarely smiled since he became a dragon...
"Maybe. I can't tell, honestly; cases like this are extremely rare. Though even if there are more, I think that you're fine without other dragons anyway. I mean, why risk trying to survive out there in the wild when you can live here in peace, harmony & comfort? You won't be alone either..." James walks up to Tom & pats him on his left shoulder in a confident, supporting manner. "...because I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens." Tom becomes absolutely overwhelmed by the calm tone & kindness James just expressed to him, the only other people to show him this kindness was his parents...who hate him now. Yet another tear drips down his eye when he thinks of his parents. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" James asks sympathetically.
"My parents...they used to love me..."
"Parents?" James' eyes widen in his response.
"I wasn't always a dragon, you know...just two or three days ago...wait, how long have I been unconscious for?"
"Five hours."
"Oh...wow. Anyway, two days ago, I was human. Just a normal kid in a good school with good friends & good parents...until I suddenly just woke up, & my body started hurting so bad I couldn't get up off the floor. I shut my eyes through the whole thing & when it stopped, I opened them & poof, I became what I look like now. My parents took one look at me &..." He sniffs whilst barely being able to say his next words; "They...they called me a beast, a monster...they thought I killed their only son. Now my dad's trying to kill me, & he's a master huntsman."
"I'm sorry this has happened to you, I truly am. If it makes you feel any better, I just prepared a meal for you." Tom instantly raises from his grovelling position, suddenly enticed by the promise of proper food. Due to his fear of becoming a killer, he did not hunt or eat anything for the past two days, thus is starving.
"A-a meal?! Like, a dinner?"
"Of course! Now just follow me." James walks through the doorway of the room, entering a large hallway, and Tom follows. The hallway seems rather lavish, despite the two CCTV cameras in it looking a little out-of place. Through it, they both enter the kitchen. It is rather long, with a wide circular table in the middle of the first section, which is seemingly designed for quick preparations & dining. The second section has two large ovens & a narrow (compared to its height) refrigerator, and a lengthy rack full of assorted knives & other kitchen equipment. The sight of the rack makes Tom shudder in nervousness as he remembers the last rack he saw. All of a sudden, a mesmerising scent fills his snout as James decorates where the smell is coming from; a large slab of half-cooked meat on a larger metal plate, which rests on the table. "Dinner is served." James proclaims, stretching his arms out at the meat as he looks at Tom invitingly. Tom then almost gallops toward the meat before using his front feet & jaws to tear a piece off of it & swallow the piece whole. "By the way," James starts to ask. "what shall I call you?"
"Uh...Tom. That's what most people call me, anyway."
"Nice to meet you, Tom. Welcome to your new life."

CHAPTER 7: Bittersweet
The rest of the day turned out quite well for Tom; James showed him around the house & they even walked outside for a few minutes before it was time for him to get to his large bedroom & sleep in his new bed; a wide, yet short mass of mattress supported by a sturdy wooden base. James told him it was especially designed for dragons like him, which made Tom wonder if he knew more than he told him...though he took no mind to it as he settled down on all fours & managed to sleep. His mind recaps this experience as his body clock attempts to get him up. Though this time, his body clock has a voice.
"Wake up, Tom. I don't think James is going to appreciate having to look after a lazy dragon." Drahsich mockingly jeers. At first, Tom can only tiredly mumble a few curse words as he quickly finds his draconic feet not being as capable of grabbing & pushing away covers as human hands.
"Wai...wuh? I can't get up!" He slurs in distress. Drahsich chuckles humorously in reaction.
"Just shove your body weight to the side. You'll get used to it, don't worry." Tom tries to do this, but the covers trip him up & he tumbles embarrassingly to the floor.
"I guess now I'm here with James, this might just be the worst that can happen to me today." Tom sighs as he crawls out of the covers that trapped him.
"Come down now, sleepy head!" James invitingly greets from downstairs. "I have a special activity for you today..." Tom rushes downstairs excitedly at the prospect of a new activity to start the day, a major change from trying to survive every hour of the day. He moves through the hallway & checks the table in the kitchen for any food; there is none, but the plate is in the same place as yesterday & has been cleaned. "Come on Tom, no time to lose!" James calls from the room next to the kitchen, which leads to the outdoors. Tom leaps through the doors & finds James standing there & looking as bright & cheerful as always. "Come on outside, Tom. I've found something to keep you busy for the morning." He strides outside, with Tom following him in curiosity. Outside is a large patch of flat grass at the top of a small hill, which faces & is surrounded by the forest.
"Uh...James?" Tom asks, looking at James in confusion. "What's the surprise?" James gives a light-hearted laugh in response.
"Oh, it's nothing to reveal. I just thought you could do a little flight practice while you're out here."
"Flight?!"
"Well you have wings, don't you? Might as well make the most of them while you can...well, I'm just going to prepare breakfast. I'll be back in a moment." He walks up to the door & almost shuts it before turning towards Tom. "Happy flying!" He says almost in anticipation whilst closing the door behind him. Tom then looks straight up at the sky, the clouds rolling & clumping up in the sky like drops of white powder in god's water bowl.
"Right...so, Drahsich?" He asks nervously.
"Present."
"...How exactly do I fly?" Drahsich sighs, as if he was oblivious to completing an easy task.
"Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before you'd ask me that."
"Well... how do I do it?"
"Okay, here's how; first off, move those wings of yours to their full length!" Tom obeys him quickly & spreads his expansive wings to full spread for the first time. "At least we know you can take orders..." Drahsich grumbles. "Now, when you flask downwards, keep them at that position & parallel to the ground." Tom responds to this order by experimentally & roughly flapping his wings.
"I'm not going up...why am I not flying yet?" Tom asks with a tinge of impatience.
"That's because you're not doing it right." Drahsich sternly replies, full of impatience. "When going upwards, move your wings in a circular motion." Tom then moves his wings in a clockwise motion, only to be met with another scathing, fed-up criticism from Drahsich; "That's the wrong way, you simple hatchling. Other direction!" Tom quickly obeys, moving his wings counter-clockwise. "Now listen to me carefully." Drahsich instructs, slightly calmer now. "When your wings are going up, right them to be perpendicular to the ground, then put actual FORCE on the downbeats. Go!" Tom attempts the instruction, but to no avail.
"It's not working, I'm not getting any lift!"
"It'll require practice, and you also need to go from a crouch to a jump when you start flapping."
"What?" Drahsich retorts to Tom's confusion furiously;
"You CROUCH..." Somehow , he momentarily possesses Tom's body, pulling him into a crouching position. "...then JUMP and FLAP!" He forces Tom's movements to follow those instructions as well, momentarily making him glide a few feet over the grass. Drahsich then relinquishes his control, only for Tom to lose his balance & tumble to the ground.
"Aw...crap." He mumbles miserably, his snout partially buried in the dirt.
"Now try that again." Drahsich orders tiredly. Tom, taking all of those instructions in, manages to pump his wings into flying motion before he feels a sharp pain in his back, causing him to tumble again. Drahsich sighs in annoyance at his second failed attempt. "And again...I'm sure you can fly a few meters sometime in the next week!" He sarcastically adds.
"Wait...where did that pain come from?" Tom wonders out loud, turning to where the pain came from; behind him. Standing outside the door is James, who holds a tranquilizer rifle & puffs at the top of it as if he has just fired it. "...James?!" Tom yelps in horror as everything around him becomes more blurry & his senses feel more numb. "This...this isn't right! What are you doing?..." He then slips into unconsciousness once again, James looks at him, just as cheery as always, but with a more malicious look to his face.
"Don't worry, Tom. Everything is going exactly according to plan..."

CHAPTER 8: Prisoner
A loud clang & whirring of machinery wakes Tom up with a start, but then he soon finds himself cramped in a small box barely able to fit him. He cannot move his arms, legs or wings, & can barely move his neck & his tail because of the box he appears to be packed in being so cramped.
"Wuh-WHAT?! What's going on...Drahsich, do you know?"
"Don't ask me, I'm a voice in your head! I have as much of a clue of what's going on as you do." Tom whimpers as he looks out of the metal bars that he faced, seeing that he is being carried, possibly by crane, to a massive structure with a series of letters & words clearly labelled on it.
"I'm scared, Drahsich...I'm really, really terrified right now...what happened to me?" As he is suspended closer & closer to the building, he starts to hear voices on the ground below him. His enhanced draconic hearing can pick up at least two of them;
"You know, you just keep impressing me. How many have you reeled in again?"
"Oh, about five this month."
"Woah. If you keep going with your good work, you might just get a promotion, Dr.Melder!"
"For the millionth time, please just call me James." Tom's heart sank when he put together that voice & that name. One of the kindest people he ever met just turned out to be using his kindness as a disguise to send him to this place, and whatever kind of fate awaited him in there. "You know, I had quite a bond with the last one. I almost felt sorry for that thing." Every single word of his now pierces Tom's already shattered heart like unbreakable ice picks. But in what seems like no time at all, his box is attached to some kind of port on the side of the megastructure. The bars then retract, allowing Tom's body to slide down onto a pipe, which he stumbles & falls down through. Waves of confusion & panic overtook him as he tumbled down through the dark to an unknown destination for what he could only assume is seconds...or minutes...or half an hour...he cannot tell in his terrified state.
"This is bound to lead to something serious!" Drahsich yells, also terrified. "When we make it to the bottom, I will teach you how to use your flame brea-" he is interrupted by Tom crashing through a hatch & landing on his side in a sterile, blank & white floor. He is surrounded by what appears to be scientists clad in lab coats & a couple of security guards, each holding a white sphere with a blue button on it. They are standing in front of a reenforced metal frame, that is shaped roughly like a table, except with a narrower main structure & the prescience of clamps, hinges & belts on it. It also has two wheel castors on each of its 'legs'. "Right, hold your breath." Drahsich instructs urgently.
"Wh-what? Hold my breath?" Tom confusingly replies.
"Just hold your breath until you feel a spark! Do it now!" Tom obliges as the guards shove themselves past the scientists. "Now, we don't have much time, but as soon as you feel the spark, put pressure on your third-" Drahsich is interrupted yet again, this time by a painful ringing sound that courses pain through Tom's head. He becomes sluggish & almost crashes into the wall, but the scientists & the guards lift him & drag him onto the frame. His mind still reeling from the effects of the ringing sound, he is helpless as he is strapped & locked into the metal frame as it's purpose is revealed to him; a cage to render him immobile as he is wheeled through a grey, concreted hallway, with metal, re-enforced doors lining the walls. One of them is open, revealing a heavy tray transporting the body of another dragon, covered by a heavy cloth. It is on wheels & being pushed by four doctors, whilst a security guard with a heavy pistol escorts them. Without warning, the dragon attempts to get out from beneath the cloth in a panic attack, screaming in a juvenile & female-sounding tone;
"HELP MEEE! I WANT MY MAMA! PLEASE TAKE ME HOM-" Her pleas are cut short by the guard shooting the cloth three times, silencing her for good.
"What is this place? I'm not going to stay here forever, am I?" Tom moans, gutted & afraid at the sight of the execution.
"Maybe, maybe not." One of the guards taunts in reply. "But boy, do we have a special surprise for you, ya scaly beast." Tom is trundled along the corridor for a length of time he cannot figure out; either minutes or hours, or maybe longer. Eventually, he is turned towards one of the metal doors, which is open & revealing what looks like a lab with a complex table on it. There is a double-sided glass panel overseeing the whole room, and there are all sorts of complicated surgical implements, mostly bladed, surrounding & suspended above the table. Lining up a clear wall is a team of what look like surgeons, staring intently at Tom. The table itself has, amongst other things, a few clamps & restraints. It is obvious that Tom Is going to be strapped to it...

CHAPTER 9: Operation
The ringing goes through Tom's head again, almost making him black out as the scientists loosen the belts & unhinge the clamps on the frame he is on. Too weak to resist, he is dragged on to the table & lays on it belly-first before the clamps on the table are closed, wrapping tightly around all four of his legs, his neck, his chest, his waist & his tail at two places. As for his mouth, they attach on his mouth a clear rubber mould with a black tube leading from it. It surrounds his upper & lower jaw & fits perfectly, like a muzzle.
Oh, thank goodness. Tom thinks to himself. At least they have anaesthetic. But he does not feel numb or sleepy...only a cold rush moving through his body.
"I don't think that's anaesthetic..." Drahsich warns as the surgeons stand back after having set everything up. The implements above the table then lower, extending several scalpel blades. Tom gulps when he sees them, wondering how far they will cut. His heart pounds like a heavy drum in his chest as he anxiously awaits what will happen next. The surgeons then stick several wires all over his body, which hurts, but is not enough to phase Tom yet. After they do that, the implements suspended from the ceiling have fully lowered, & the scalpel blades begin to pierce his midsection. He cringes in pain as they & more blades from beneath the table slice a single neat line around the midsection. The blades then retract, being replaced by large, flat hooks. They dig into the line & pull at each side of the cut, exposing some of the flesh underneath. Tom begins to writhe in a instinctual, yet vain attempt to get out of the clamps. The blank wall he is now facing slowly raises itself whilst the surgeons prepare the two more bulky machines at either side of him. When the wall is fully raised, it reveals a large block of a machine with an equally large incave in it, where many, many stubby wires & tubes of all shapes & sizes protrude from it. The table then spins, also slowly, until Tom faces the door instead. Then, both the large operating apparatus & the table move closer to the machine until Tom's tail tip almost touches it. Then all of the surgeons put on reflective goggles, as if something were to happen that could blind them. A loud humming emanates from the machines at the sides, signalling that something is powering up & filling Tom with utter dread. After a while, white-hot beams of light blast from both machines & quickly slice cleanly through Tom's midsection. He squirms & shakes around on the table whilst screaming a guttering cry for help. Surely, the amount of pain he is feeling would make him pass out...but then he remembers the gas. It's not meant to stop the pain...it's meant to lengthen his suffering. He does not know why, but all that takes up his mind is the unbearable pain that electrocutes his body & sends him into a wild spasm of suffering. When the beams stop, the surgeons gather around him like wolves closing in for the kill & open up his sawn waist. The machine suspended from the ceiling appears again, lowering itself down & clamping on the part of his wings which connect to the back before unsheathing saw blades. The blades spin, move into the clamps & hastily, yet carefully saw his wings off. After the wings are detached, the surgeons heavily bandage the bleeding stumps & continue to fiddle, cut & stich his organs, muscles & spine in what seems like a whole eternity, all whilst Tom cries many words in agony, but due to the muzzle of a gas-feeding mask surrounding his mouth, only one is decipherable;
"MMMAAAAAAAAAMMAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Eventually, some surgeons step away from his midsection & lift some clamps that detaches the first half of the table. They spray what looks similar to liquid nitrogen on the cut-into midsection before wheeling that half of the table away...along with half of Tom's body. He stops screaming & watches in utter shock as his tail, rear thighs & hind legs, along with all of the organs in them, are wheeled out of the door, where a box labelled 'ORGANIC COMPONENTS: DO NOT OPEN WITHOUT AUTHORISATION' stands outside. His exposed upper organs face the large machine, where the surgeons wheel Tom towards. He makes a last, tired attempt to wriggle free, but the clamps holding him down do not show any signs of weakening. Once positioned in front of the machine, the surgeons intricately link the tubes & wires to his exposed blood vessels, organs & muscles, literally plugging him into the machine. He convulses again, due to the pain & discomfort of having tubes & wires being plugged to his major organs. This takes what Tom can only assume is half an hour before they unclamp his front legs, his chest & his neck from the table & wheel it away, allowing for Tom to finally stand up. At least, the upper half of his body; the lower half is replaced by the machine.
"Alright!" One of the scientists announces cheerfully. He had not focused on what they were saying until now due to all of the pain of the surgery. "Activate the life support machine!" A surgeon then flicked a large switch beside the machine, & it came to life, pumping at where the pipes are attached to Tom's upper body. Tom grunts & sobs painfully in reaction to the pumping as the last two tears stream down his face.
"Congratulations, gentlemen." The intercom announces, filling the room with its words; "The procedure is complete. All we need to do now is to wait, & see what results this thing can offer us." The surgeons walk out of the room, occasionally cheering & chatting, before they close & seal the metal door behind them, Tom's last glimpse of freedom shut away before his very eyes. He shakes uncontrollably from both the sheer horror of what just happened to him & the pumping, sucking feeling surrounding what used to be his waist.
"DraHSich?" Tom eventually asks. "...I...I caN'T movE..."
"C-correct...obv-vious o-o-one." Drahsich stammers, trying desperately to include humour into this hopeless situation, despite being completely scarred by the surgery himself.
"It's LIke...I'M A parT Of thE Wall...WHat dO I do? HOw do I DeseRVe thIS?..." He looks up at the blank, sterile ceiling & calls out a truly desperate, sick & lonely cry; "SomeONe...anYOne...pLEase...HElp mE..."

CHAPTER 10: Postremus finis
Tom does not know how much time has passed by. Minutes? Hours? Days, even? A week? His sleepless & tortured mind cannot tell, as he remains at the same spot, only managing to raise his arms as a form of pointless exercise. If he tries to break free, he will die. If he stays, then nothing happens.
Again.
Over and over again, the only feeling he knows being the painful pumping where his waist used to be. The idea of being an extension of an unmoving wall drives him completely insane. Occasionally, dad would burst through the walls & charge at him again, up until Tom realised that this is just a hallucination.
"GreaT...I'm sEEing THingS...DrahSIch?"
"Are y-you going to as-sk me how w-we are goin-ng to get out ag-g-gain?" Drahsich responds, his slightly icy yet clearly weakened & shaky voice being an audible shadow of his former self. Tom sighs forlornly to his comment.
"Yes. But dO You hAVe an IDea aNYway?"
"Well...th-the only th-th-thing you can d-do is wait for...r.....r-rescue."
"But fROm whO?"
"Ah...a-another dragon...m-maybe?"
"But wHAt do I Do in HEre bEFore THat hAPpenS?"
"We...w-we wait."
Time passes again. To Tom, it is half an hour. Who knows what time has passed in real time...
"DrahSIch...I WAs woNDeriNG if yOU are EVen rEAl, or JUst mE GoinG Mad."
"Th-that...would-d be an am-amazing achiv-vement. I s-still have s-so many s-stories of my life...to t-tell."
"But tHEy arE All oF war ANd deATh...it Will ONly maKE me fEEl woRSe." Drahsich stays silent in acknowledgement of Tom's rough, desperate & pain-filled statement.
More nothing happens.
Maybe for hours or minutes before an alarm blares & red lights fill the room. "WHAT NOW?!" Tom hollers in panic, stomping his feet on the floor around him to simulate backing up to the wall or running.
"I don'T Care IF it kILls me, LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" Tom yells, pushing himself to try & detach himself from the pipes. Due to the strength of the pipes & also Tom's fear of dying, he gives up after a while of struggling. The metal door then unseals & opens, revealing a squad of soldiers in heavy, black-clad uniforms & assault rifles, & Tom looks directly at them, mortified at their presence & confused as to why one of them is pointing a gun at hi

"Tonight's top story; Former professional hunter James Bradwell & his wife, Louise Bradwell are charged with the murder of their son, Thomas Bradwell, who has not been found as of yet despite an extensive police search. Suspicion was raised when they claimed several times in interviews, & now police interrogations, that a supernatural creature mauled their son to death. The police deputy has called their explication "Irrational & delusional.", & the murder charge was made just this afternoon. We will have more reports on the subject as it happens."

Classified document

For personnel of the D.R.S (Dragon Biological Study) project only. Any unauthorized use of this document will result in the use of lethal force on the user. If necessary, this document will be destroyed to prevent any information on the D.R.S project from being exposed to the public, where powerful enemies could obtain it.

[December 30, 2014]

[20:39:04 Mountain Time]

[“Project Frankenstein” report]

Subject name: Thomas Bradwell

Age: 14

Sex: Male

Height: 1.5m

Length: 6m

Weight: 200 lbs.

Test result: Partial success

Additional notes: Subject was terminated in accordance to decontamination of the entirety of section 5 due to the escape of another subject. Tom has been disposed of in the waste processing area & will soon be recycled into prisoner rations. His rear half will be used to test device A22 MK.3 as a continuation of project Frankenstein.
[SIDE NOTE FROM SCIENTIFIC OVERSEER AND DRAGON SMUGGLING: DOCTOR JAMES MELDER] I would personally consider this project an astounding success. We now know more about Dragon biology from this partial test alone than we ever have previously. Who knows, maybe we have finally unlocked the key to the biggest secret of these creatures. Maybe every cloud has a silver lining.

[Report closed]

EPILOGUE:
"Well...you did it." Drahsich congratulates. "You went through hell. Well done for making it...well, here."
"Huh?" Tom responds confusingly. "Where am I? I can't feel anything!"
"You are in what every single dragon sees eventually."
"Hang on...am I dead?"
".......Yes. Sorry, I could not have made that any lighter for you."
"Oh...so am I in heaven, or hell?"
"Neither. You are in what you might call 'Limbo', but were it not for me, you would not exist in any form or place at all after being shot in the lab."
"What are you talking about? Limbo? What did you do?"
"Alright, alright...before I explain what I have done, I just have to thank you for giving me the chance to experience living without war. I previously knew of almost nothing but war & how to perform like a soldier, and sure, there were the horrific, ungodly moments, but those times which good flourished; Danny, James's initial kindness & your determination not to ruin a single person's day...those times changed me. To say thank you, I will use the energy keeping me going to let you have a second chance. I died fighting brutally, but now I will rest peacefully & happily...again, all thanks to you, Tom."
"Wait...are you going?! Where am I going? Am I stuck in this place?!" Drahsich laughs cheerfully before answering;
"Yes, it's time for me to go...forever. In a strange way, I'm looking forward to it...eternal quiet & no need to even think. You, on the other hand, can call a small crystal home until a human stumbles upon it. You know what to do then, my friend."
"I...so I transform another person...and I become a voice in their head, right?"
"That's right. Sometimes, if you concentrate really hard, you can take control of your body for a few seconds. But you'll have to make sure it's OK with the person who owns the body, just like I did with you."
"I...uh, gee, this is real nice & all...but I don't think I'm ready yet."
"Don't worry, my friend; I've practically set everything up for you." Tom suddenly feels his...not a body, but more like his being...fading into a falling crystal.
"Woah, wait! I just wanna say goodbye, Drahsich! It was nice being with you!"
"Goodbye, Thomas Bradfield. May you remain forever young...and forever my saviour." Just like that, Drahsich's presence vanishes. He is finally gone.
Tom then fades into the crystal, looking out & seeing the beautiful night sky as he finds himself in the middle of a field.
"Hrm, great. Stuck in the middle of this grass...no-one's going to find me here." But by a stroke of luck, the crystal is picked up by someone. Tom stares without the need of eyes at the person picking up his crystal, & for the first time in his existence feels the true, warm glow of hope flow through him. Maybe this time, he will have a truly happy & fulfilling existence. Maybe every cloud has a silver lining.

Description
SILVER LINING
By Get2daChoppa

CHAPTER 1: A good life
14 year old Thomas Bradwell, a boy with a small build, slightly scruffy brown hair & light green eyes has just lived through another ordinary day in his humble life; he got up at seven o'clock in the morning before going downstairs & having breakfast (cereal & toast, just on its own), after which he brushed his teeth & got his bag ready for school.
He then had mom kiss him goodbye before he hurried to school on his sturdy blue-and-red bike & arrived to his first class just before the bell rang. He sorta concentrated on the lessons, but mostly wondered when lunch would arrive. When it did, he managed to narrowly avoid the schoolyard bullies & chatted to his friends about the latest baseball game in-between bites of his lunch; ham sandwich with a small block of cheese & a carrot stick, though as always, it drifted to a random topic. This time, the conversation ended on action movies. The bell rang again & he went to his final lesson of the day; woodwork, his favourite subject. Mainly because the teacher, Mr Barnaby, was nice and that every lesson, he got to make something. Today, he made a wooden stamp of a spiky ball, and he was especially proud of this one.
Finally, the day ended, and his mom picked him & his bike up to home, where he chatted with her about the day through the short journey home, which sits in a heavily forested area. At home, he turned on the news, which had that report about his friend again. He hoped that he would be alright before he switched the channel to the kid's channel, laughing at the cheapness of the set before Dad, an avid hunter & all-round tough guy with a soft heart, took over the couch & set it to the football channel whilst asking to no-one in particular why there isn't a hunting channel. Then, dinner was served; ham with mushed potato & peas, with plenty of ketchup. He lapped the ham up, downed the potato & almost got away with skipping the peas before mom noticed again.
He then spent 5 minutes eating all the peas on his plate before running up to his room & playing the latest free-to-play game on his phone before it was time for him to go to bed. He brushed his teeth well this time, and leaped into bed, all of the while his mom was by his side, kissing him goodnight.
He went to sleep cozily & peacefully, & snoozes softly in the bed as dawn breaks in the horizon, sending the first beams of sunshine through the trees & into his room. What will wake him up, however, will alter his life forever.

CHAPTER 2: Rude awakening
He wakes up with a sharp pain down his back.
"Ow!...That's odd." He mutters to himself tiredly as he pulls the covers away from him & rolls out of bed. He then walks halfway across his room before feeling the sharp pain again, except that it spread to his upper arms, legs & his neck. "What the?!" He exclaims, now much more alert & bothered. "Something's wrong...I better ask mom whatOOOWWWWAGH!" A more severe spike of pain spreads in his body, making him trip & crash onto the floor of his room. He tries to get up again, but the pain only increases, making it impossible for him to do so. Helpless & on the floor, he can only scream in pain as he feels like he is being stretched...he looks down to find that his arms & legs are in fact extending, and slowly forming into something else whilst little, shiny red things pop up from his skin & are dotted around his body. Recoiling in both horror & pain, he shuts his eyes tight in an attempt to lessen the terror of whatever is happening to him. However, he cannot ignore the pain & stretching as even his whole body stretches into a weird-feeling shape. Suddenly, he convulses in agony as every bone in his body feels like it is snapping & changing positions. He cannot even call for help, as his face is snapping, twisting & stretching too. He can only yell incomprehensible moans & mumbles of pain as his muscles feel like they are being inflated & bulked up, especially his butt & his back. In those areas, the bone-snapping & stretching is at its worst, forming something new & strange whilst he sees flashes of green light, in spite of the fact his eyes are shut tight. A stinging pain then courses through his head, causing him to roar in anguish. He is particularly confused when he does this; why is he roaring like a dinosaur? He did not expect an answer, though; all he could think is when the pain will stop. Eventually, it lessens & finally stops, letting Tom to try & get up off the floor. He does so, though can't seem to get off all fours, as if something in his body is restraining him. He finally opens his eyes, the first thing he sees being his wrecked room, & is mortified when he looks at himself; a five meter long (six & a half meters, counting the tail), one-and-a-half meter high quadruped dragon, with red wing membranes & red neck, chest, belly & bottom tail scales. His eyes are still green, but more reptilian now, with rows of sharp teeth in his mouth & two horns protruding from the back of his head. His arms have been replaced with front legs, and his hands therefore being replaced with front feet, whilst his hind legs are more built up & powerful. His tail flickers wildly & his wings fold up to his body as he cries out; "MOM, DAD, HELP ME!" His voice is deeper now, as if he suddenly became older. He freezes in fear when he hears thumping footsteps head upstairs.
"Tommy?! What's going on, are you alright?!" Dad yells in a tone which is both worried & angry. The footsteps head closer to the door...
"What will Dad think of me looking like this?!" Tom asks, anticipating the worst as the doorknob quickly turns...

CHAPTER 3: Heartbreak
The door swings open, Dad bursting through the doorway & grinding to a halt when he catches sight of the red dragon that was once his son. He stares with wide eyes & a gaping mouth, almost stumbling backwards in the sheer shock of it all. After a moment of silence, dread & realisation, he puts the dragon, the torn clothes on the floor & the wrecked room together, coming up with his own conclusion;
"You...you monster. You god damn monster, you killed my son." Tom is now filled with fear & confusion as he recoils in dumbfoundedness.
"W-wait, wha-"
"You KILLED MY SON!" Dad bellows in a grieving rage before charging at him, drunk in his fury. Utterly terrified, Tom weaves past his hate-filled father & clumsily runs down the stairs on all fours to the kitchen, hoping that his Mom can at least recognise him beneath the scales, wings & tail. In panic, he barges through the kitchen door & sees his mom paralysed in terror of the sudden appearance of a dragon in the kitchen. "Mom, I might look different, but it's me, Tom! Please, Mom, you still know me!" He begs, hoping to not get the same reaction from her as he did his father. She simply screams in horror at him & throws two plates at him, both hitting him & shattering, much like his heart is shattering. She then reaches for the knife stand & pulls out a large kitchen knife, pointing it at him in fear.
"GET OUT. GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE, CREATURE!" She screeches at Tom, who now is welling tears at the sight of her hostility.
"Mom, please, it's me! I'm Tom, no-one else!"
"I don't know WHAT kind of sick joke you're pulling, but GET OUT before I slice you up!" On that, all hope of convincing Mom & Dad that he is not a monster is utterly lost. He turns & bolts out of the front door, tears streaming down his scaly head from his draconic eyes as he concentrates on only one thing; running far, far away from here. A deafening crack fills the air, followed a split second later by his right shoulder tearing apart & coursing severe & agonising pain throughout his body. He faces the house for a final time to find Dad leaning out of his bedroom window & aiming at him with his most treasured hunting rifle.
"I will never rest until I can hang your head on the wall & avenge my son, you dirty beast!" Unbeknownst to him, it is his son, the dragon with tears streaming down his cheeks & blood streaming down from the gaping wound on his shoulder, both of which drip on the forest ground as he runs in fear, who he is shooting. His next shot thankfully misses as Tom sprints into the treeline, tragically leaving his old life behind & entering the vast, dark forest.

CHAPTER 4: The Wild
"Impressive for a transformed human...most would have curled up in the fetal position in pain from that." A deep voice approvingly states. Tom then looks around in a flurry of confusion, trying to figure out where this voice is coming from.
"W-what?! Human born? Where are you?!" He shouts whilst sniffling in distress & trying to wipe away his tears with his front feet.
"I'm right here with you. Or should I say, in you."
"Huh? In me? Like voices in my GRAAH!" He roars in pain a little as his shoulder wound attempts to heal itself.
"In your head, yes. My name is Drahsich, & I shall be your guide to this new form of yours."
"You...did you do this to me?"
"Technically, yes, but-"
"CHANGE ME BACK!" Tom roars in both anger & pain.
"As much as we would all like that to happen, I can't. It is physically impossible to change back to human form...there's no easy way to say this, but I'm afraid you shall remain a dragon for the rest of your life." Tom then collapses onto the floor belly-down & shuts his eyes in upset & denial.
"This isn't true...I'm a monster & everyone hates me...I don't wanna be a monster..."
"I may have been a monster in my life, but you can start a whole new life from when my own doomed life failed. You could be a better dragon than I was ever meant to be."
"Your life? So you're a ghost?"
"More or less. I was bred specifically for the war...our war. All you need to know is that I fought in it & plenty of dragons died in it...including me. You have taken the form of me when I was your age, and from the very beginning I was designed to kill. Because of that, I only know two things; how to fight as a deadly warrior & my determination for you to be pacifist."
"But I don't want to kill anyone...I never even got a go with dad's rifle!" A growl pierces the air, but not from Tom or Drahsich. Tom turns to the growl & finds a large wolf, with its eyes fixated on him & its many, many razor-like teeth bared whilst it's body shifted into a pre-pounce position.
"You might need to right now..." Drahsich warns before the wolf leaps at Tom, its mouth wide open & aiming at his gaping, bleeding weak spot. With his new instincts, Tom attempts to dodge the wolf, yet it manages to claw into his wing membrane whilst it flies past. Tom howls as his wing stings like an electric shock. "The wolf has just crashed & now it is on its side." Drahsich observes as Tom watches. "Now is your chance to strike!" Tom paces up to the dazzled wolf before hesitantly raising his right front leg at the creature. "Well? What are you waiting for? Finish it off!" Drahsich yells before the wolf takes advantage of Tom's hesitation & claws his face. Now enraged, he pounces on the wolf, his claws slicing straight through the wolf's head as he crushes the rest of its body on the ground using his body weight. A moment later, he snaps out of his fury & runs away from the body in utter regret. But then he hears a whining sound, like that of a dog. He slowly wanders to where the direction is coming from, & finds a small wolf cub in the undergrowth, whimpering & glancing at bushes, trees & rocks as if it was looking for something.
"...Is that...that was its mother I killed, wasn't it?" Tom asks whilst his voice wavers in upset.
"I think that is most likely. Look, don't feel too bad; you were only defending yourself."
"But what about the cub?"
"Forget the cub. I think it is old enough to live on its own."
"No, it isn't." Tom retorts angrily between the tears. "My Dad knew all about wolves from hunting them here, & he told me that they had to be at least twice as big as that to be on their own & live for longer than a few days."
"Regardless, we need to survive. The cub will only prove a distraction & hinder our chances of survival. Look at what happened to you when its mother appeared!"
"I killed it in just two seconds, Drahsich. We don't need to worry about learning to survive when I can do that already." Drahsich does not answer, proving Tom's point. He then creeps towards the cub, lowering himself down to its level & trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. It jumps when it sees him & quickly starts walking back away from him. "Hey, shush now..." Tom says in a calm, yet slightly upset voice. "Shush...I don't want to hurt you. I don't even want to think about harming you. Just come here, & I will look after you." Tom freezes, & both him & the cub wait for a moment before it hesitantly steps towards him. After a minute, its fear turns to curiosity, pawing at Tom's snout before it touches it. Tom decides not to move, the cub brushing its snout on his proving it to be a wise decision. After another minute, he rises up to a standing position, stepping to the left. The cub follows him.
"Tom..." A now sorrowful-sounding Drahsich begins to say to Tom; "...you can keep it. I think I'm beginning to understand how to live in peacetime."

CHAPTER 5: Crosshairs
Two days have passed, & Tom walks serenely yet alertedly on the edge of a steep mound as the cub catches up with him. He named it Danny just the day before, & it proved to be faithful & sweet, & his only companion to keep him sane after becoming a dragon. Well, his only real companion.
"Something's wrong here." Drahsich uneasily mentions.
"What're you talking about?" Tom responds, confused as to what the ghostly soldier was implying & looking around for any possible signs of danger. "It's quiet...and barely any large animals here."
"That's the problem. It is too quiet. I don't even think we have been in this part of the forest before."
"Don't worry, I'm sure that if there is any danger, Danny will point it out again." In response to its name being mentioned, Danny catches up with Tom & brushes itself on the side of his leg in affection. "Aww...if I still had arms instead of these front legs, then I'd be petting you right now, buddy." Danny then decides to jump on Tom's tail & walk up his back, resting near his head. It feels weird to Tom, having this cub run across his back, but at least this is a pleasantly weird feeling...not bone-reforming or organ-shifting this time. Then a smell reaches his highly-adapted snout; that of partially rotten flesh. This smell would have been intolerable to him when he was human, but for some reason, as a dragon he not only tolerates it...but is slightly attracted by it. "Drahsich...should I be attracted to this?" He murmurs uncomfortably.
"You can't help it, I'm afraid. Enhanced scent & a lust for flesh was how I was...designed, if you will." Drahsich responds forlornley. Danny, who is much less cautious, bounds towards where Tom knows the smell comes from. Having crossed the mound edge, Tom walks out from a few bushes & spots where the smell is coming from; a large chunk of meat mounted on a stake. His eyes widen in terror when he realises what this means.
"DANNY! GET BACK!!!" But as a loud crack fills the air, his warning is too late. A large hole is ploughed through Danny like a hole punch, knocking him a meter sideways before he finally rests on the forest ground, instantly killed. "DANNY!!!" Tom roars in anguish, tears streaming down his cheeks once again. Then a rough, pompous voice hollers from a small distance away;
"Who's there? Oh God, did I kill your-" It pauses, whilst Tom freezes in fear.
"Who is he?" Drahsich asks. "You seem to recognise him...is he a deadly enemy of yours?"
"He's my dad." Tom replies, whispering to avoid detection. "We both used to really bond with each each other...up until you turned me into this." His voice has a little hatred in it now, directed towards Drahsich. "Now both mom & dad think that I'm a monster who killed their son...& my dad's a skilled huntsman."
"Tom?! Oh, Tommy, get back here! We've been missing you dearly!" Dad hollers again, oblivious to what the voice of his son is coming from. Terrified & bereft, he leaps & bounds into the opposite direction, fearing for his life & constantly thinking the same thing over & over;
Why is all of this happening to me?!
"I don't know..." Drahsich responds. "...I just don't know."He feels a pinprick on his side, but does not give much mind to it. That is, until his movements become uncontrollably sluggish, as if he is trying to run on superglue. He then decides to look to his side & sees a tranquilliser dart embedded in his side. "Oh no, I can't stop...I need...to...toooo..." He hits the ground face-first in this sudden tiredness, blacking out.

CHAPTER 6: Sympathy
"Come on...rise & shine, big boy." An older, yet soothing voice says to Tom as he begins to wake up from his drugged sleep. His eyelids sluggishly open to unveil where the voice is coming from; a middle-aged man with blond-brown hair in casual clothes, excepting the knee & elbow pads he is wearing. He smiles at Tom in a forgiving & meaningful way as reaches out his arm, presumably to pat him. Tom then jumps up in shock at the sudden appearance of this man & the equally sudden change of surroundings; he is in a clean, idyllic room, much like an average room, with the exception that everything looks oversized for this man...or is it just the ideal size for Tom?
"Wh-who are you?! Where am I?!"
"My name is James...and you are safe & sound now." Tom pulls a confused expression at this point, wondering why this man isn't freaking out about him being a dragon. "Seriously, what is going on? Where am I?"
"To be more specific, you are in the dragon house; a house designed, built & currently cared for by me for when I finally find a dragon...& you seem to fit the bill well."
"You've taken me here?"
"Yes...but just so you don't have to ask any more questions, I'll explain all this in a nutshell; I am really interested in dragons. I mean, I've always been for as long as I can remember. My biggest dream was to look after one & live with one...now that dream is fulfilled. Basically, I researched them & built this whole place to achieve that dream...& then I found you, knocked out by a hunter's dart, your shoulder & wings a mess, & so desperately in need of care. Well, you might notice that all of your scratches & injuries have been patched up as much as I can." Tom then looks at where his injuries were to find a bandage wrapped around his shoulder & his wing membrane wounds stitched up.
"Gee, thanks...so how do you know so much about dragons?"
"I...well..." James ponders, as if trying to recall a memory. "Ah, well there have been cases of dragons around here quite a while ago...it's quite well-documented, actually."
"There are more dragons like me?!" Tom asks excitedly, cracking a smile. A slight thought occurred to him that he has rarely smiled since he became a dragon...
"Maybe. I can't tell, honestly; cases like this are extremely rare. Though even if there are more, I think that you're fine without other dragons anyway. I mean, why risk trying to survive out there in the wild when you can live here in peace, harmony & comfort? You won't be alone either..." James walks up to Tom & pats him on his left shoulder in a confident, supporting manner. "...because I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens." Tom becomes absolutely overwhelmed by the calm tone & kindness James just expressed to him, the only other people to show him this kindness was his parents...who hate him now. Yet another tear drips down his eye when he thinks of his parents. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" James asks sympathetically.
"My parents...they used to love me..."
"Parents?" James' eyes widen in his response.
"I wasn't always a dragon, you know...just two or three days ago...wait, how long have I been unconscious for?"
"Five hours."
"Oh...wow. Anyway, two days ago, I was human. Just a normal kid in a good school with good friends & good parents...until I suddenly just woke up, & my body started hurting so bad I couldn't get up off the floor. I shut my eyes through the whole thing & when it stopped, I opened them & poof, I became what I look like now. My parents took one look at me &..." He sniffs whilst barely being able to say his next words; "They...they called me a beast, a monster...they thought I killed their only son. Now my dad's trying to kill me, & he's a master huntsman."
"I'm sorry this has happened to you, I truly am. If it makes you feel any better, I just prepared a meal for you." Tom instantly raises from his grovelling position, suddenly enticed by the promise of proper food. Due to his fear of becoming a killer, he did not hunt or eat anything for the past two days, thus is starving.
"A-a meal?! Like, a dinner?"
"Of course! Now just follow me." James walks through the doorway of the room, entering a large hallway, and Tom follows. The hallway seems rather lavish, despite the two CCTV cameras in it looking a little out-of place. Through it, they both enter the kitchen. It is rather long, with a wide circular table in the middle of the first section, which is seemingly designed for quick preparations & dining. The second section has two large ovens & a narrow (compared to its height) refrigerator, and a lengthy rack full of assorted knives & other kitchen equipment. The sight of the rack makes Tom shudder in nervousness as he remembers the last rack he saw. All of a sudden, a mesmerising scent fills his snout as James decorates where the smell is coming from; a large slab of half-cooked meat on a larger metal plate, which rests on the table. "Dinner is served." James proclaims, stretching his arms out at the meat as he looks at Tom invitingly. Tom then almost gallops toward the meat before using his front feet & jaws to tear a piece off of it & swallow the piece whole. "By the way," James starts to ask. "what shall I call you?"
"Uh...Tom. That's what most people call me, anyway."
"Nice to meet you, Tom. Welcome to your new life."

CHAPTER 7: Bittersweet
The rest of the day turned out quite well for Tom; James showed him around the house & they even walked outside for a few minutes before it was time for him to get to his large bedroom & sleep in his new bed; a wide, yet short mass of mattress supported by a sturdy wooden base. James told him it was especially designed for dragons like him, which made Tom wonder if he knew more than he told him...though he took no mind to it as he settled down on all fours & managed to sleep. His mind recaps this experience as his body clock attempts to get him up. Though this time, his body clock has a voice.
"Wake up, Tom. I don't think James is going to appreciate having to look after a lazy dragon." Drahsich mockingly jeers. At first, Tom can only tiredly mumble a few curse words as he quickly finds his draconic feet not being as capable of grabbing & pushing away covers as human hands.
"Wai...wuh? I can't get up!" He slurs in distress. Drahsich chuckles humorously in reaction.
"Just shove your body weight to the side. You'll get used to it, don't worry." Tom tries to do this, but the covers trip him up & he tumbles embarrassingly to the floor.
"I guess now I'm here with James, this might just be the worst that can happen to me today." Tom sighs as he crawls out of the covers that trapped him.
"Come down now, sleepy head!" James invitingly greets from downstairs. "I have a special activity for you today..." Tom rushes downstairs excitedly at the prospect of a new activity to start the day, a major change from trying to survive every hour of the day. He moves through the hallway & checks the table in the kitchen for any food; there is none, but the plate is in the same place as yesterday & has been cleaned. "Come on Tom, no time to lose!" James calls from the room next to the kitchen, which leads to the outdoors. Tom leaps through the doors & finds James standing there & looking as bright & cheerful as always. "Come on outside, Tom. I've found something to keep you busy for the morning." He strides outside, with Tom following him in curiosity. Outside is a large patch of flat grass at the top of a small hill, which faces & is surrounded by the forest.
"Uh...James?" Tom asks, looking at James in confusion. "What's the surprise?" James gives a light-hearted laugh in response.
"Oh, it's nothing to reveal. I just thought you could do a little flight practice while you're out here."
"Flight?!"
"Well you have wings, don't you? Might as well make the most of them while you can...well, I'm just going to prepare breakfast. I'll be back in a moment." He walks up to the door & almost shuts it before turning towards Tom. "Happy flying!" He says almost in anticipation whilst closing the door behind him. Tom then looks straight up at the sky, the clouds rolling & clumping up in the sky like drops of white powder in god's water bowl.
"Right...so, Drahsich?" He asks nervously.
"Present."
"...How exactly do I fly?" Drahsich sighs, as if he was oblivious to completing an easy task.
"Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before you'd ask me that."
"Well... how do I do it?"
"Okay, here's how; first off, move those wings of yours to their full length!" Tom obeys him quickly & spreads his expansive wings to full spread for the first time. "At least we know you can take orders..." Drahsich grumbles. "Now, when you flask downwards, keep them at that position & parallel to the ground." Tom responds to this order by experimentally & roughly flapping his wings.
"I'm not going up...why am I not flying yet?" Tom asks with a tinge of impatience.
"That's because you're not doing it right." Drahsich sternly replies, full of impatience. "When going upwards, move your wings in a circular motion." Tom then moves his wings in a clockwise motion, only to be met with another scathing, fed-up criticism from Drahsich; "That's the wrong way, you simple hatchling. Other direction!" Tom quickly obeys, moving his wings counter-clockwise. "Now listen to me carefully." Drahsich instructs, slightly calmer now. "When your wings are going up, right them to be perpendicular to the ground, then put actual FORCE on the downbeats. Go!" Tom attempts the instruction, but to no avail.
"It's not working, I'm not getting any lift!"
"It'll require practice, and you also need to go from a crouch to a jump when you start flapping."
"What?" Drahsich retorts to Tom's confusion furiously;
"You CROUCH..." Somehow , he momentarily possesses Tom's body, pulling him into a crouching position. "...then JUMP and FLAP!" He forces Tom's movements to follow those instructions as well, momentarily making him glide a few feet over the grass. Drahsich then relinquishes his control, only for Tom to lose his balance & tumble to the ground.
"Aw...crap." He mumbles miserably, his snout partially buried in the dirt.
"Now try that again." Drahsich orders tiredly. Tom, taking all of those instructions in, manages to pump his wings into flying motion before he feels a sharp pain in his back, causing him to tumble again. Drahsich sighs in annoyance at his second failed attempt. "And again...I'm sure you can fly a few meters sometime in the next week!" He sarcastically adds.
"Wait...where did that pain come from?" Tom wonders out loud, turning to where the pain came from; behind him. Standing outside the door is James, who holds a tranquilizer rifle & puffs at the top of it as if he has just fired it. "...James?!" Tom yelps in horror as everything around him becomes more blurry & his senses feel more numb. "This...this isn't right! What are you doing?..." He then slips into unconsciousness once again, James looks at him, just as cheery as always, but with a more malicious look to his face.
"Don't worry, Tom. Everything is going exactly according to plan..."

CHAPTER 8: Prisoner
A loud clang & whirring of machinery wakes Tom up with a start, but then he soon finds himself cramped in a small box barely able to fit him. He cannot move his arms, legs or wings, & can barely move his neck & his tail because of the box he appears to be packed in being so cramped.
"Wuh-WHAT?! What's going on...Drahsich, do you know?"
"Don't ask me, I'm a voice in your head! I have as much of a clue of what's going on as you do." Tom whimpers as he looks out of the metal bars that he faced, seeing that he is being carried, possibly by crane, to a massive structure with a series of letters & words clearly labelled on it.
"I'm scared, Drahsich...I'm really, really terrified right now...what happened to me?" As he is suspended closer & closer to the building, he starts to hear voices on the ground below him. His enhanced draconic hearing can pick up at least two of them;
"You know, you just keep impressing me. How many have you reeled in again?"
"Oh, about five this month."
"Woah. If you keep going with your good work, you might just get a promotion, Dr.Melder!"
"For the millionth time, please just call me James." Tom's heart sank when he put together that voice & that name. One of the kindest people he ever met just turned out to be using his kindness as a disguise to send him to this place, and whatever kind of fate awaited him in there. "You know, I had quite a bond with the last one. I almost felt sorry for that thing." Every single word of his now pierces Tom's already shattered heart like unbreakable ice picks. But in what seems like no time at all, his box is attached to some kind of port on the side of the megastructure. The bars then retract, allowing Tom's body to slide down onto a pipe, which he stumbles & falls down through. Waves of confusion & panic overtook him as he tumbled down through the dark to an unknown destination for what he could only assume is seconds...or minutes...or half an hour...he cannot tell in his terrified state.
"This is bound to lead to something serious!" Drahsich yells, also terrified. "When we make it to the bottom, I will teach you how to use your flame brea-" he is interrupted by Tom crashing through a hatch & landing on his side in a sterile, blank & white floor. He is surrounded by what appears to be scientists clad in lab coats & a couple of security guards, each holding a white sphere with a blue button on it. They are standing in front of a reenforced metal frame, that is shaped roughly like a table, except with a narrower main structure & the prescience of clamps, hinges & belts on it. It also has two wheel castors on each of its 'legs'. "Right, hold your breath." Drahsich instructs urgently.
"Wh-what? Hold my breath?" Tom confusingly replies.
"Just hold your breath until you feel a spark! Do it now!" Tom obliges as the guards shove themselves past the scientists. "Now, we don't have much time, but as soon as you feel the spark, put pressure on your third-" Drahsich is interrupted yet again, this time by a painful ringing sound that courses pain through Tom's head. He becomes sluggish & almost crashes into the wall, but the scientists & the guards lift him & drag him onto the frame. His mind still reeling from the effects of the ringing sound, he is helpless as he is strapped & locked into the metal frame as it's purpose is revealed to him; a cage to render him immobile as he is wheeled through a grey, concreted hallway, with metal, re-enforced doors lining the walls. One of them is open, revealing a heavy tray transporting the body of another dragon, covered by a heavy cloth. It is on wheels & being pushed by four doctors, whilst a security guard with a heavy pistol escorts them. Without warning, the dragon attempts to get out from beneath the cloth in a panic attack, screaming in a juvenile & female-sounding tone;
"HELP MEEE! I WANT MY MAMA! PLEASE TAKE ME HOM-" Her pleas are cut short by the guard shooting the cloth three times, silencing her for good.
"What is this place? I'm not going to stay here forever, am I?" Tom moans, gutted & afraid at the sight of the execution.
"Maybe, maybe not." One of the guards taunts in reply. "But boy, do we have a special surprise for you, ya scaly beast." Tom is trundled along the corridor for a length of time he cannot figure out; either minutes or hours, or maybe longer. Eventually, he is turned towards one of the metal doors, which is open & revealing what looks like a lab with a complex table on it. There is a double-sided glass panel overseeing the whole room, and there are all sorts of complicated surgical implements, mostly bladed, surrounding & suspended above the table. Lining up a clear wall is a team of what look like surgeons, staring intently at Tom. The table itself has, amongst other things, a few clamps & restraints. It is obvious that Tom Is going to be strapped to it...

CHAPTER 9: Operation
The ringing goes through Tom's head again, almost making him black out as the scientists loosen the belts & unhinge the clamps on the frame he is on. Too weak to resist, he is dragged on to the table & lays on it belly-first before the clamps on the table are closed, wrapping tightly around all four of his legs, his neck, his chest, his waist & his tail at two places. As for his mouth, they attach on his mouth a clear rubber mould with a black tube leading from it. It surrounds his upper & lower jaw & fits perfectly, like a muzzle.
Oh, thank goodness. Tom thinks to himself. At least they have anaesthetic. But he does not feel numb or sleepy...only a cold rush moving through his body.
"I don't think that's anaesthetic..." Drahsich warns as the surgeons stand back after having set everything up. The implements above the table then lower, extending several scalpel blades. Tom gulps when he sees them, wondering how far they will cut. His heart pounds like a heavy drum in his chest as he anxiously awaits what will happen next. The surgeons then stick several wires all over his body, which hurts, but is not enough to phase Tom yet. After they do that, the implements suspended from the ceiling have fully lowered, & the scalpel blades begin to pierce his midsection. He cringes in pain as they & more blades from beneath the table slice a single neat line around the midsection. The blades then retract, being replaced by large, flat hooks. They dig into the line & pull at each side of the cut, exposing some of the flesh underneath. Tom begins to writhe in a instinctual, yet vain attempt to get out of the clamps. The blank wall he is now facing slowly raises itself whilst the surgeons prepare the two more bulky machines at either side of him. When the wall is fully raised, it reveals a large block of a machine with an equally large incave in it, where many, many stubby wires & tubes of all shapes & sizes protrude from it. The table then spins, also slowly, until Tom faces the door instead. Then, both the large operating apparatus & the table move closer to the machine until Tom's tail tip almost touches it. Then all of the surgeons put on reflective goggles, as if something were to happen that could blind them. A loud humming emanates from the machines at the sides, signalling that something is powering up & filling Tom with utter dread. After a while, white-hot beams of light blast from both machines & quickly slice cleanly through Tom's midsection. He squirms & shakes around on the table whilst screaming a guttering cry for help. Surely, the amount of pain he is feeling would make him pass out...but then he remembers the gas. It's not meant to stop the pain...it's meant to lengthen his suffering. He does not know why, but all that takes up his mind is the unbearable pain that electrocutes his body & sends him into a wild spasm of suffering. When the beams stop, the surgeons gather around him like wolves closing in for the kill & open up his sawn waist. The machine suspended from the ceiling appears again, lowering itself down & clamping on the part of his wings which connect to the back before unsheathing saw blades. The blades spin, move into the clamps & hastily, yet carefully saw his wings off. After the wings are detached, the surgeons heavily bandage the bleeding stumps & continue to fiddle, cut & stich his organs, muscles & spine in what seems like a whole eternity, all whilst Tom cries many words in agony, but due to the muzzle of a gas-feeding mask surrounding his mouth, only one is decipherable;
"MMMAAAAAAAAAMMAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Eventually, some surgeons step away from his midsection & lift some clamps that detaches the first half of the table. They spray what looks similar to liquid nitrogen on the cut-into midsection before wheeling that half of the table away...along with half of Tom's body. He stops screaming & watches in utter shock as his tail, rear thighs & hind legs, along with all of the organs in them, are wheeled out of the door, where a box labelled 'ORGANIC COMPONENTS: DO NOT OPEN WITHOUT AUTHORISATION' stands outside. His exposed upper organs face the large machine, where the surgeons wheel Tom towards. He makes a last, tired attempt to wriggle free, but the clamps holding him down do not show any signs of weakening. Once positioned in front of the machine, the surgeons intricately link the tubes & wires to his exposed blood vessels, organs & muscles, literally plugging him into the machine. He convulses again, due to the pain & discomfort of having tubes & wires being plugged to his major organs. This takes what Tom can only assume is half an hour before they unclamp his front legs, his chest & his neck from the table & wheel it away, allowing for Tom to finally stand up. At least, the upper half of his body; the lower half is replaced by the machine.
"Alright!" One of the scientists announces cheerfully. He had not focused on what they were saying until now due to all of the pain of the surgery. "Activate the life support machine!" A surgeon then flicked a large switch beside the machine, & it came to life, pumping at where the pipes are attached to Tom's upper body. Tom grunts & sobs painfully in reaction to the pumping as the last two tears stream down his face.
"Congratulations, gentlemen." The intercom announces, filling the room with its words; "The procedure is complete. All we need to do now is to wait, & see what results this thing can offer us." The surgeons walk out of the room, occasionally cheering & chatting, before they close & seal the metal door behind them, Tom's last glimpse of freedom shut away before his very eyes. He shakes uncontrollably from both the sheer horror of what just happened to him & the pumping, sucking feeling surrounding what used to be his waist.
"DraHSich?" Tom eventually asks. "...I...I caN'T movE..."
"C-correct...obv-vious o-o-one." Drahsich stammers, trying desperately to include humour into this hopeless situation, despite being completely scarred by the surgery himself.
"It's LIke...I'M A parT Of thE Wall...WHat dO I do? HOw do I DeseRVe thIS?..." He looks up at the blank, sterile ceiling & calls out a truly desperate, sick & lonely cry; "SomeONe...anYOne...pLEase...HElp mE..."

CHAPTER 10: Postremus finis
Tom does not know how much time has passed by. Minutes? Hours? Days, even? A week? His sleepless & tortured mind cannot tell, as he remains at the same spot, only managing to raise his arms as a form of pointless exercise. If he tries to break free, he will die. If he stays, then nothing happens.
Again.
Over and over again, the only feeling he knows being the painful pumping where his waist used to be. The idea of being an extension of an unmoving wall drives him completely insane. Occasionally, dad would burst through the walls & charge at him again, up until Tom realised that this is just a hallucination.
"GreaT...I'm sEEing THingS...DrahSIch?"
"Are y-you going to as-sk me how w-we are goin-ng to get out ag-g-gain?" Drahsich responds, his slightly icy yet clearly weakened & shaky voice being an audible shadow of his former self. Tom sighs forlornly to his comment.
"Yes. But dO You hAVe an IDea aNYway?"
"Well...th-the only th-th-thing you can d-do is wait for...r.....r-rescue."
"But fROm whO?"
"Ah...a-another dragon...m-maybe?"
"But wHAt do I Do in HEre bEFore THat hAPpenS?"
"We...w-we wait."
Time passes again. To Tom, it is half an hour. Who knows what time has passed in real time...
"DrahSIch...I WAs woNDeriNG if yOU are EVen rEAl, or JUst mE GoinG Mad."
"Th-that...would-d be an am-amazing achiv-vement. I s-still have s-so many s-stories of my life...to t-tell."
"But tHEy arE All oF war ANd deATh...it Will ONly maKE me fEEl woRSe." Drahsich stays silent in acknowledgement of Tom's rough, desperate & pain-filled statement.
More nothing happens.
Maybe for hours or minutes before an alarm blares & red lights fill the room. "WHAT NOW?!" Tom hollers in panic, stomping his feet on the floor around him to simulate backing up to the wall or running.
"I don'T Care IF it kILls me, LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" Tom yells, pushing himself to try & detach himself from the pipes. Due to the strength of the pipes & also Tom's fear of dying, he gives up after a while of struggling. The metal door then unseals & opens, revealing a squad of soldiers in heavy, black-clad uniforms & assault rifles, & Tom looks directly at them, mortified at their presence & confused as to why one of them is pointing a gun at hi

"Tonight's top story; Former professional hunter James Bradwell & his wife, Louise Bradwell are charged with the murder of their son, Thomas Bradwell, who has not been found as of yet despite an extensive police search. Suspicion was raised when they claimed several times in interviews, & now police interrogations, that a supernatural creature mauled their son to death. The police deputy has called their explication "Irrational & delusional.", & the murder charge was made just this afternoon. We will have more reports on the subject as it happens."

Classified document

For personnel of the D.R.S (Dragon Biological Study) project only. Any unauthorized use of this document will result in the use of lethal force on the user. If necessary, this document will be destroyed to prevent any information on the D.R.S project from being exposed to the public, where powerful enemies could obtain it.

[December 30, 2014]

[20:39:04 Mountain Time]

[“Project Frankenstein” report]

Subject name: Thomas Bradwell

Age: 14

Sex: Male

Height: 1.5m

Length: 6m

Weight: 200 lbs.

Test result: Partial success

Additional notes: Subject was terminated in accordance to decontamination of the entirety of section 5 due to the escape of another subject. Tom has been disposed of in the waste processing area & will soon be recycled into prisoner rations. His rear half will be used to test device A22 MK.3 as a continuation of project Frankenstein.
[SIDE NOTE FROM SCIENTIFIC OVERSEER AND DRAGON SMUGGLING: DOCTOR JAMES MELDER] I would personally consider this project an astounding success. We now know more about Dragon biology from this partial test alone than we ever have previously. Who knows, maybe we have finally unlocked the key to the biggest secret of these creatures. Maybe every cloud has a silver lining.

[Report closed]

EPILOGUE:
"Well...you did it." Drahsich congratulates. "You went through hell. Well done for making it...well, here."
"Huh?" Tom responds confusingly. "Where am I? I can't feel anything!"
"You are in what every single dragon sees eventually."
"Hang on...am I dead?"
".......Yes. Sorry, I could not have made that any lighter for you."
"Oh...so am I in heaven, or hell?"
"Neither. You are in what you might call 'Limbo', but were it not for me, you would not exist in any form or place at all after being shot in the lab."
"What are you talking about? Limbo? What did you do?"
"Alright, alright...before I explain what I have done, I just have to thank you for giving me the chance to experience living without war. I previously knew of almost nothing but war & how to perform like a soldier, and sure, there were the horrific, ungodly moments, but those times which good flourished; Danny, James's initial kindness & your determination not to ruin a single person's day...those times changed me. To say thank you, I will use the energy keeping me going to let you have a second chance. I died fighting brutally, but now I will rest peacefully & happily...again, all thanks to you, Tom."
"Wait...are you going?! Where am I going? Am I stuck in this place?!" Drahsich laughs cheerfully before answering;
"Yes, it's time for me to go...forever. In a strange way, I'm looking forward to it...eternal quiet & no need to even think. You, on the other hand, can call a small crystal home until a human stumbles upon it. You know what to do then, my friend."
"I...so I transform another person...and I become a voice in their head, right?"
"That's right. Sometimes, if you concentrate really hard, you can take control of your body for a few seconds. But you'll have to make sure it's OK with the person who owns the body, just like I did with you."
"I...uh, gee, this is real nice & all...but I don't think I'm ready yet."
"Don't worry, my friend; I've practically set everything up for you." Tom suddenly feels his...not a body, but more like his being...fading into a falling crystal.
"Woah, wait! I just wanna say goodbye, Drahsich! It was nice being with you!"
"Goodbye, Thomas Bradfield. May you remain forever young...and forever my saviour." Just like that, Drahsich's presence vanishes. He is finally gone.
Tom then fades into the crystal, looking out & seeing the beautiful night sky as he finds himself in the middle of a field.
"Hrm, great. Stuck in the middle of this grass...no-one's going to find me here." But by a stroke of luck, the crystal is picked up by someone. Tom stares without the need of eyes at the person picking up his crystal, & for the first time in his existence feels the true, warm glow of hope flow through him. Maybe this time, he will have a truly happy & fulfilling existence. Maybe every cloud has a silver lining.