Talking to Dragons

Date: September 4th, 2010
Location: A drafty attic in a home for orphaned kids.
Written by: Jere, age 9

So my best friend, Smokey, seems to think that one of us should be keeping a detailed record of what happens to us, and since I'm the only one who has the ability to hold a pencil (Smokey doesn't have thumbs), I got elected.
Honestly, I really don't see why we even need a record of this at all, because it's not like anyone either cares or would believe me about my life if I told them about it, but Smokey is insistent and at this point I'll do anything to shut him up. He thinks what we do is interesting and that we might like to go back and read about it when we're old and senile.
I think what we do is mundane and something of a hassle, but then, I have been doing it a lot longer than he has. I'm hoping he'll lose interest soon, I hate writing.

He's pointing out to me that future readers of this tome might like to know what it is I do exactly, and this is the part I really hate to write down. The few times I've told people about me and my life, it's always come back to bite me in the rear, so mostly I don't talk anymore.
Actually, I don't talk about much of anything, and I definitely don't talk about the dragons.

Yeah, I said dragons.
Smokey is one, as a matter of fact; a rather small, annoying green one. He hates that I've described him like that, but he needs to be quiet since he's the one that wants this to be factual.

Here it is in a nutshell:
I'm not an expert on this, but as far as I can tell, there are a bunch of other dimensions running parallel to our world, and one of them is a world populated completely by dragons. I've never been there, and I wouldn't go for a Ferrari and a pile of cash, but Smokey says the dragons there are as big as houses and viciously mean. They have a strict code conduct, and anyone who doesn't live up to this code gets banished to our world.
Since their code apparently requires all dragons to be huge, mean, fire breathing monsters, the dragons that get banished here are, for the most part, like Smokey. They're small, scared, need a box of matches to light a fire, and have absolutely no clue how to make it in this world.
Most of them are very gentle creatures who are relieved to be away from their home world and they do quite well here once they adapt.

Which is where I come in.
I live in a home for orphaned kids in Texas that has a portal to the dragon world on the property.
I'm not sure how it works, but every so often, it opens up, spits out a scared little dragon, and I swoop in to help them learn to live in our world. I've been told that Earth is way different from their world.

I show them what kinds of food they can eat, how to catch fish, make shelters... survival type things that I enjoy so much.
Most of them move on, but Smokey has hung around. He's slightly obnoxious, but since I'm being forced to be honest for this record, I'll admit I'm glad he's here. I was really lonely before he showed up.

Here's the thing. Because these guys are from another world, not everyone can see them or talk to them like I can.
In fact, I'm not sure anyone can see them besides me. I know they're here, and I know I'm not crazy, but sometimes it's easy to let yourself think you are, because that's how the world sees you when you talk about talking to dragons.

So that's my, well, our life in a nutshell. More soon, it's time for bed.

Jere