Surviving Alone

He was losing consciousness.  Not in the traditional sense because his feet were still moving, his vision still clear.  The problem was just inside his head.  He’d already forgotten his name.  Thinking was difficult, rapidly becoming impossible.

No one survived alone.

The images ceased to make any sense except in very basic terms.  Surrounded by tall objects that hid the sky, walking on sharp things that hurt his feet.  He seemed to be heading up, but the sky never got any closer, so it didn’t make any sense to him.

The tall things faded away, leaving the sky open.  He stopped to stare up at it, squinting at the light.  Why was the sky so far away?  Didn’t it used to be ... closer?  Or had that been a dream?  He thought he’d had a lot of dreams, but he couldn’t remember any of them.

Something huge covered up the light for a moment, then got bigger, as if the sky was falling down on him.  Strangely, he felt no fear, although there were shrieks around him and rustling as other things nearby ran for their lives.  The feeling of being alone rose to a peak as all the other living things left the area.  Tears slid down his cheeks.

This creature, though, he knew the name of.  Even though trees, grass, and sun had all faded already, he could never forget the word dragon.  Staring up at the dragon, he fell to his knees and lifted his arms.  “Help me,” he implored.  “I’m dying.  I’m alone.”

A woman leaned around the dragon’s neck to get a better look at him, then leaped to the ground.  “Poor bastard,” she muttered as she examined the empty shell kneeling before them.  “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.  Help him out, Aliena.”  She climbed back up Aliena’s shoulder as the dragon raised her claw.