Alive!

Patiently, the little red and yellow Chinese dragon sits perched on my desk.

Everyone knows her as my favourite stuffed toy, but only I know her for what she truly is – alive.

They scoff me, mock me, make fun of me and my wild imagination, but I cannot deny that those tiny, yellow felt wings have flapped more than once. I cannot ignore the subtle movements of her claws or the fleeting flexing of her spines.

Let it be a secret then.

I won’t bother to tell anyone about the cigarette I lit up the other day when she snorted.