"Today, class, guess what we're going to learn?" the teacher chirped happily. The class of small children glanced blankly up at the teacher. Emmy was amongst them, doodling something, but obediently looking up when the teacher clapped her hands.
"About dragons!" the teacher exclaimed, as if she was happy that she had received a response. Emmy stretched her mouth to the same smile as always, and hurriedly came around from her short desk to the furry carpet she loved so much. It was one of her favorite things about her classroom- that and the mobiles that hung by the windows and when the light was exactly right, Emmy could practically see through them.
"Now, this story is about Jeremy and the dragon," the teacher explained carefully, looking out at the wide-eyed children who were smiling up at her intently.
Emmy was also looking and smiling, her eyes dancing with contained excitement as the teacher brought out the blue book with large letters written on the top.
Dragon Tales
Emmy Award
Bruce Kennedy, television producer. "The photo was...The illustrator didn't draw the dragons right; Emmy reflected momentarily, they didn't have scaly wings. And for another thing, dragons didn't usually go on all fours unless- like humans- they dropped a pencil or something. But that was all right. Things that Emmy drew didn't turn out the way she wanted to draw them all the time either.
"Once upon a time," the teacher began, hearing her students squirm happily at the familiar words, "There lived a little town called Whingdig. Whingdig was a small town. It was very peaceful." She flicked the page, staring down at the new scene. It was a picture of a dark forest, with glowing eyes peeping out.
"But then one day dragons came," the teacher said, making her voice low. Emmy frowned, disturbed. Wasn't that a good thing?...