Crista was just inside the walls of Mr. Linden's library. Some people thought the place was magical but that was nonsense, wasn’t it? She was twirling her long curly brown hair that covered her dark green eyes, and emphasized her tall, skinny frame of her body. Crista picked a book of the shelf but just as she was about to turn and leave a voice boomed above her then a dark face appeared. The voice boomed in the quiet little library and said, “be careful what you read bad things can come of it.” Ignoring what the voice had said Crista left with her head held high skipping toward home to read the book Mr. Linden had just warned her about. Later that night the moon looked like a sliver in the starry sky. She snuggled up in bed to read the mysterious book. The book was thick and leather bound with pages torn at the edges. Inside it was strange there was no author or title, a warning said’ many strange things happen who read this book.” She was curious to read on, there were tales of old times. One said a man was walking through the forest the next thing he knew there was a satyr attacking him. And then out from the book came a satyr charging at her. But as soon as it reached her it disappeared. Every tale she read something would come out at her then disappear. Until she came upon one called Vine, but she was too tired she yawned then fell fast asleep. Soon she woke up startled and awake, but she could not move she was tangled in vines. Even though she lifted four water buckets to and from the well every morning and every afternoon it was no use against the vines. That's what the title meant, but this time it did not go away. And it was too late now, then everything went black! She had gotten sucked inside the book. Every story she had read surrounded her and it was too late to undo anything. And then there were people she recognized from town that had disappeared years before, that’s what the warning meant. Soon the vines took her away to become part of one of the characters of the book she just read.
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In the morning her mother saw the book lying on her bed. But Crista was not there, she picked up the book and walked to her bedroom to read the mysterious book. It was like a magnet was pulling her to read the book.
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4 years later everyone was gone and the house was empty and quiet, and Mr. Linden picked up the book to take it back to the library.
He walked outside and looked up to the window where Crista used to stand 4 years ago and smiled and thought “ I had warned her, but it is too late now, maybe I should buy the house”. Mr. Linden laughed to himself about the last comment.
He then walked back to his house and saw a mysterious falcon staring down at him from the roof. He thought “why is it staring at me like that”, a shiver went down his spine.
He walked inside and placed the book back on the shelf. Then Mr. Linden stared at the wall for a few seconds then the out of nowhere, writing appeared why did you do this to me, he wanted to say I warned you but soon the words disappeared like dust. And he was left blinking his eyes, like did I just see what I thought I saw? Stammered and surprised he left in silence to read his newest book on the shelves. It was very weird 32 people had disappeared over the last few years, and only he knew what had happened to them. He put on his crooked smile and walked upstairs, he had warned each and every one of them but no one had listened.
****
Crista awoke and arose to her surroundings she was in a dark vibrant green forest at the edge of a small village. She went over to a small watering hole where she could get a nice long drink, and a good look at herself in the reflection of the glass like water. When she looked down at herself she let out a loud screech she was a dragon. Standing just less than seven feet tall, an estimate of 16 feet or more in wingspan, with her giant black and grey wings that enveloped her body. Crista had black and blue scales up and down her body, dark green eyes, black spikes down the center of her back. A long black and grey snout with sharp white teeth that gave a menacing grin, and sharp talons that curled down over her feet. Crista left the watering hole and her image of her new self behind her and made her way through the forest being sure not to be seen as her talons clicked on the forest floor. She reached the edge of the village that read River Seine people of Rouen. Christa's stomach let out a loud grumble. The first thing Crista had to do was try and find food, but the only thing she could find was people so she thought she could hold her hunger.
****
As time past Crista now a dragon spent her days in the forest. When Crista thought she couldn't hold her hunger in any longer, she went back to the town where the people of Rouen lived. Crista started to eat people, once her own kind, she didn't want to do it but it was the only way to live. It's not like she could walk up and ask for food, the people of Rouen would only hear a great roar.
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One day as Crista was doing her daily routine a new Rouen was out in the town the Archbishop of Rouen; St Romanus had presented himself to Crista. She went down to grab him to quench her hunger, but as she did so St. Romanus stabbed her in the stomach. Feeling weaker Crista tried to fend him off but St. Romanus triumphed over Crista and with one last stab she fell at his feet. St. Romanus took Crista over to a fire already set ablaze with roasting stick; the dragon lay there rotating. And when St. Romanus thought she was completely burned he put out the fire, but when he put out the fire the head and neck were untouched by the fire. St Romanus and the people of Rouen mounted the head on a building as an image of sending away evil.
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Several days later Crista awoke frozen to a wall unable to move. She was shocked to see that now she was a grotesque gargoyle half dragon, half animal, just her head and her neck. Crista was frozen with her stubby wings up in the air, her ears perked behind, a menacing scowl on her face, her talons gripping the side of the building, and she was frozen in stone. She looked back down at her neck, and then everything went black.
****
Crista awoke and arose to her surroundings she was back in the lush green forest at the edge of the village. Crista thought to herself, “now I understood every time someone reads this chapter I will start as a dragon then turn into gargoyle.” This was her way of life.
Folk Tale of the Gargoyle:
La Gargouille, was a legendary dragon that lived in the River Seine, which in the 7th Century was ravaging the town and people of Rouen. It was slain by St Romanus, the Archbishop of Rouen. After the dragon was slain its body was set ablaze, its body was consumed by fire but the head and neck survived and was mounted on a building.
Works Cited
"Gargoyles - Mythology and Folklore - The White Goddess." Gargoyles - Mythology and Folklore - The White Goddess. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 July 2016. <http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/articles/mythology_folklore/gargoyles.asp>.
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