Tanpres #1

Here's the first portion of my book, "Tanpres." I'll give you more of it later. I hope this is a good teaser. Grab a cup of coffee or tea. Then, read and I hope you enjoy.

(I'm still working on title of this book and series, by the way.)

TANPRES

Chapter 1

MEGAN ASTORIA WALKED THROUGH THE dark Downtown Denver streets of LoDo as she realized her foolishness. She worked later than she intended at her newspaper, The Denver Patriot. She was a columnist and her specialty was war and the war on terror in particular. Her heels clanked on the concrete as she heard a noise behind her.

She reprimanded herself for not spending the extra money on a taxi rather than taking the light rail so particulary late in the evening. She kept her ears peeled for that noise in back of her. It sounded as though she was being followed. Wearing a three-piece skirt suit, trench coat, and heels didn't exactly make her feel safe.

Megan couldn't help but wonder if she was paranoid or if her hair standing on end was an accurate assessment of the situation. It could easily go either way for her right now. Her breath was erratic as she tried to keep it under control so she could listen. She held her pepper spray in one hand and had her keys extended in her coat's pocket just in case. They were her woman’s weapons of choice. She knew a few self-defense moves, but figured a heel to the shin or stomach might give her the best chance to escape unharmed. She just hoped that she deceived herself. She didn't know how she'd really hold up if she had to fight off an attack. Her nice set of lungs could scream loud if nothing else.

She heard a whirl in the air or a whoosh. It was something she couldn't identify. She kept her forward momentum and increased the pace as she heard it again and looked over her shoulder. Nothing. She turned her attention homebound. One block to go. She felt victorious and lucky.

It was premature, however. The footsteps behind her made four thuds on the concrete and that was all it took. Megan started to run as fast as she could--heels, skirt, and all as she prayed that she could get away and not make a face plant into the concrete sidewalk.

Immediately, her heart beat as fast as it could and she felt sweat bead on her back and across her forehead. She didn't want to be caught or imagine what unspeakable act might happen to her if she was. Therefore, she took care in every fast paced step.

The whirl sound swooshed by her left ear and she felt her hair move from a force like wind that rushed by her. "Megan," a voice called her name. "Stop running. I wish you no harm." It was a deep masculine voice that boomed. If she were to give God a voice, it would be that voice. Who was it and what did they want? Then, she got angry. How dare they follow her and scare her to death. She ignored it until she heard a pop.

After the pop noise, a dragon of all things, appeared from nowhere in front of her. She watched his mouth move and he said, "Don't be afraid. I wish you no harm and am quite real. I'm not a figment of your imagination. I need to talk with you."

The top of his head was even with hers and the top of his back was about chest level for her. He was roughly six feet long and was overall a dark forest green color, but he had metallic periwinkle and plum coloring on the bottom of each scale over his entire body. His tail added another four feet to his size. He was both the most beautiful creature she had ever seen as well as the most frightening. His teeth looked like large daggers and were numerous. He had a few wild curly and coarse hairs that came out of the top of his head and looked almost like a Mohawk. His eyes were the size of baseballs and his mouth was as large as a trash can lid or a tire of a car.

She did a double-take. Surely, it was a dream or a hallucination. She had kept a horrendous work schedule for a while now, so wasn't surprised. She ignored it and pretended like she didn't see it. If she ignored it, it would hopefully go far, far away.

The dragon sighed and disappeared from sight the moment she drew near. She heard the whirling whoosh again and she was pleased with herself for conquering her inner demon. She just needed to get a good night's sleep; although, that couldn't happen for a day or two. Work kept her busy right now since the President upped the amount of troops in Afghanistan. Megan felt better when she got to her loft and locked the front door with four deadbolts. She felt instant relief. She had made it home safe--paranoia and inner demons aside.