My name is Rylen Jones, and I am fourteen years old. I am too young for the beast, or at least that is what everyone says. But, here I lie staring at the white ceiling tiles counting the cracks between them with this dastardly beast wreaking havoc inside of my head.

A nurse walks into the sterile room I was lying in, and asked if I was ready. Was I really ready to fight the beast? I had no choice at this point, for the beast would devour me if I didn't fight back. With a nod of my head, and a hushed whisper tone I said; “Yes, I'm ready.” She walked over to me, and placed an oxygen mask over my face. Then she brought out a large needle full of medication which she placed into my IV.

A crowd of medical professionals flooded my room. For a moment I tried to fight the medication, and look around the room. But, my whole body began to feel heavy. The nurse who had given me the medication said; “Have courage my dear...” That is when my eyes began to droop, and I could fight the medication no longer. At once, I now knew I had to face the beast.

I awoke in a place that seemed familiar, but it felt so strange. I was in my childhood bedroom, but I could hear the beast screeching in the distance. I walked out of the bedroom, and I saw my family, including myself eating dinner at the dining room table. I walked over toward them, and I touched my mother on the shoulder. They couldn't hear or see me, and at this time none of us knew the beast was lurking in my brain. If only we had known about the beast then, it wouldn't be so large and fierce now. Again, the howls of the beast were in the distance beckoning for me.

I exited my childhood home, and took a glance back at my child self one last time. If the beast would've been found then I may not have been strong enough to fight it. But now, although some said I was still too young for the beast somewhere deep inside of me I believed I had the courage to defeat it.

I walked out into the front yard of the home I had grown up in, and there to the left my bike still laid. I was now much taller than I was when I rode it as a child, but it was my fastest option to get to the beast. I hopped on it, and began to pedal. With each pedal down the other leg of mine would rise up, and hit the handle bars of the bike that was now too small for me. I persevered, and pedaled dauntlessly up a large hill.

I could hear the beasts moaning, and screeching becoming louder and louder the further I pedaled up the hill. By the time I reached the top of the hill my heart was beating vehemently. I stopped for a moment, and looked back at my place of comfort – my childhood home. Then I looked in front of me where the wails of the beast were overpowering.

The rocks at the bottom of the hill shook with each roar of the beast. The beast wasn't in sight yet, but I knew it had to be near. I closed my eyes, and felt my heart beating in sync with the beasts bellows. I took a deep breath, let out a battle cry, and made myself fearlessly push off the ground to make the bike go once more.

I pedaled faster, and faster. The ground around me shook violently, and it started to open up. Then for a moment all I saw was darkness surrounding me, and it changed to a metallic substance as the beastly hallows became much closer. I was so close I could feel the warmth from its breath.

The beast is a dragon of a deep gray color. Its eyes are of fire and brimstone. Its wings muscular, and lined in a jade color that reflected off the metallic substance. Spikes flowed from the top of its head to the very last scale of its tail.

I stood face to face with the dastardly beast. Its eyes pierced deeply into my soul, as a deafening silence fell over the thick air. Breaking the silence the beast let out a screech, and whirled its spiky tail. The tail hit me, and the spikes drove deeply into my skull. My body was wrenched with pain.

I laid on the metallic surface looking up at the beast. Suddenly, familiar faces that seemed larger than life started to appear on the metallic walls. My mothers face appeared and said; “Fight Rylen, fight.” My father said; “Be fearless.” The nurse who had given me the medication appeared once more and said; “Have courage my dear...”

I arose from the floor, and I felt my necklace hit my chest. My father had given it to me years ago. It was an agate stone, red and banded in a white color. It had ridged sides, and looked spine-chillingly like the dragons eye. Agate is said to bring courage, and healing.

I held the stone to my chest for a moment, then I unclasped the chain from around my neck. I swung the chain over my head a few times while aiming directly for the beasts eye. It stared at me as if its eyes were like poison to my soul.

With every ounce of might, and courage I had left in my body I let the agate stone fly through the air towards the dastardly beasts eye. I hoped with all my heart it would make it there. The beast let out a sound unlike any I had ever heard. The dragon started to flail its body in every direction possible. It shrieked, and moaned as the color drained from its body. Finally, the last bit of color in its jaded wings disappeared. I walked over to the beast feeling victorious, and removed the stone from its eye. At that moment it vanished into nothingness, and ceased to exist.

I awoke in a haze to the same sterile room with the nurse, doctor, and my parents staring down at me. The doctor said; “We were able to remove the brain tumor. You will just have a scar on your head, and be sore for awhile.” My parents both said what good news this was! Then the nurse came over, and said; “You have fought a very courageous battle, now get some rest.” I closed my eyes, and drifted off willingly this time knowing courage had won the battle.