"Older"

"Moooom!"
Becky clung to her mother's leg, crying into her soft, crimson scales.
"Jeremy's being mean to me!"
Becky's mom leaned down and hugged her daughter.
"And what is he doing that's so mean?"
"He's...spitting...fire...at...meeee!" Becky said between wailing sobs.
"Oh is he? Jeremy! You come in here right now!"
Jeremy poked his head into the kitchen with a look of mock surprise.
"Yeah Ma?"
"Have you been mean to your sister?"
Jeremy's face got a sheepish look and he looked down
"It was just a little fire. I wasn't gonna hurt her..."
Becky glared at him, sticking her forked tongue out in that special way only little girls can.
"You two play nice. Jere, No more teasing your sister with the fire."
"Okay, okay..." Jeremy loped back into the living room.
Becky's mother put her down and wiped her tears.
"Why cant i spit fire too, mommy?"
"Because it takes time to get your fire going ,hon. Don't worry. You'll get yours when you get older."
"but, i want to now..."
"baby, you have to be patient..now, go play nice with your brother."


"So, you want to do this huh kiddo?"
Jeremy let a long plume of flame light up the kitchen as they cleared the dinner dishes.
"You know, i can show you how "I" get my fire..."
Becky looked at him with a little sister's scepticism, but relented.
"See, it's all in what you eat."
Jeremy spoke as he gathered things from the cupboard and a large mixing bowl.
"You have to light things up with spicy foods. get them real good and hot."
Peppers, spices, hot sauce, it all went into the big bowl, and he gave it a quick stir.
"Drink this, and I promise you'll have the fire in your belly in no time!"
Becky peered into the bowl, the noxious smell causing her to wince and push it away.
"EWW! NO!"
Jeremy laughed a bit and stuck a claw into the mix, licking his finger clean.
"It works for me..."
He punctuated the last word with a small blast of teasing fire, just enough to tickle his little sister's nose.
"But, if you don't want it..."
He reached out his hands slowly for the bowl, gaguing his siter's reactions. Sure enough
"NO NO...gimmee.."
The little dragoness hurridly snatched the bowl and downed half of it with a large gulp while her brother watched intently.
"See? don't you feel it working?"


"I Can not be-LIEVE you did that to your sister!"
Becky's mom held her little girl who was once again wailing onto her shoulder.
"I was just trying to help her, mom...honest!"
Jeremy's false sincerity didn't fool his mother.
"You're just lucky she didn't get sick. Now stop teasing or I'm going to show you what REAL fire looks like..."