Benny stood in the middle of the overgrown pasture, he listened to the chirp of the crickets and breathed-in the fragrant scent of the wildflowers and watched the orange-amber spectacle of the setting sun. It was a perfect late spring evening, he thought, it would have been perfect if Michelle was here.

Michelle was taken from him a year earlier in a riding accident; her Arabian stallion threw her while at gallop and she broke her neck on impact with the ground. The coroner said she lived at least an hour before she died and might have survived if help had reached her in time.

Where was he? Riding his Harley down a country road, angry and frustrated at an earlier argument they had over a trivial matter.

A trivial matter...

He sold the Harley and the horse (not because he blamed him, but he wanted to give him a happier life somewhere else) and bought a flatbed truck; he spent his days hauling supplies for his neighbors, often for free, while living off his late love's life insurance. He wasn't lazy, he had just lost his ambition and love of life.

Every day he came to this place, the place where it happened, and stared at the ground, the image of Michelle's lifeless body burned into his mind as with a firebrand. What argument was worth a life, he though.

A trivial matter...

The drone of a small plane's engine overhead startled Benny out of his reverie. He looked up and saw the plane. For a moment, he thought he saw something else up there, but disregarded it as a mote in his eye. As he walked back to the house he thought, had the pitch of the plane's engine changed suddenly?

He ate a microwaved frozen dinner, fell into a chair to watch tv, then fell asleep. When he awoke, the evening news was winding-up the five-day weather forecast. He was about to click-off the set with the remote when an anchorwoman appeared on the screen.

"Finally, in local news," she began, "a mid-air collision between a private aircraft and what has been described as an enormous birdlike creature."

She continued, "The incident occurred at four-thirty this evening. Pilot Norman Sooner was flying over Placerfield near Rozgood Air Force Base where he claimed he was 'sideswiped by a large winged creature without feathers with a long neck and tail'. Sooner went on to state that the creature was nearly man-sized and lizardlike in appearance.

"A local FAA official was quoted as commenting that the plane may have encountered either a large kite or an ultralight aircraft and also requested that Sooner submit to a drug test to determine if there was any impairment on his part. Meanwhile, although no missing aircraft have been reported in the area, the Placerfield Sheriff's Department says it will conduct a search of the area at first light tomorrow.

"Representatives of Rozgood Air Force Base had no comment on the incident, but stated that at no time were any military aircraft outside of its airspace in the past twenty-four hours.

"Sooner landed his plane safely at Placerfield Airfield; damage to the aircraft is estimated at five thousand dollars."

Benny tuned the set off. He thought about the plane he saw over his pasture, the strange "something" he saw out of the corner of his eye, and the sudden change in the plane engine's pitch. The newscaster said the incident occurred "over Placerfield next to Rozgood Airforce Base". That was where he was! The time was right, too.

Benny lived in a secluded area, despite his proximity to the base. If that plane had hit an ultralight, there may be a pilot nearby; injured, alone, and in need of help.

Just like Michelle was in need of help...

Realizing he couldn't sleep that night until he did, Benny went to the garage and gathered-up his flashlight, first-aid kit, and an assortment of ropes and blankets. He threw the whole kit onto his flatbed and drove into the night.

Benny decided the logical place to start searching was in his own pasture. Neglected and overgrown, it was a slow, tedious process. Fearing he would run-over anybody out here before he knew it, he stopped the truck and got out to search on foot. He had not walked a hundred feet when he stumbled over a limp form on the ground. He shone his flashlight on the form and what he saw took his breath away.

The pilot's description was incredibly accurate. What Benny saw lying before him was indeed a man-sized lizard-like creature. It had long arms and legs, with long, webbed, clawed digits at their distal ends. It did indeed have a long, slender tail and a long neck. The head was large and round with a long, toothy snout. The eyes were closed. But the most incredible parts of the creature were the two large wings laying crumpled behind the creature's back, joined to it behind its shoulder blades. Benny stepped back and looked over the creature from head-to-tail and one word popped into his mind...

Benny's mind raced. What should I do, he thought, call 911? The Sheriff? A vet? Geraldo? He shook his head to get focused.

He decided the first thing to do is to get this creature out of the pasture. There were coyotes loose and he didn't want his find to be chewed out of existence. Along that line of thought, he stepped closer to the dragon to examine it more thoroughly. Its skin, a reddish brown in the pale halogen beam, didn't appear to be broken. He shone the light around where the creature lie. No blood, but he noticed a trail of flattened grass leading off out of sight, suggesting the creature had actually landed deeper in the pasture and had walked or crawled to this spot where it...

Wait a minute! Benny knelt by the creature's head. It was perfectly still--or so it seemed. Nervously, he reached out and placed his open palm next to the dragon's snout. For a moment, there was nothing, then he felt it; moist and warm.

Breath. The dragon was alive!

Benny quickly pulled down the plywood ramp from the back of his flatbed. He didn't want to take the chance to drive it closer and risk injuring the dragon. Remembering his training from a failed six-month stint at vet school years before, he checked the dragon as best he could for broken bones. He felt the dragon's arms and legs, noticing how warm and smooth its skin was. He gently ran his hands over its chest, feeling for broken ribs, again noticing how humanlike this part of its anatomy was. In the course of his exam, he encountered what could only be described as female genitalia He finished by examining her wings. Again, it didn't appear that anything was broken, but there was some swelling along the forward portions of the right wing. All through the exam, the dragon remained unconscious.

Benny decided to try lifting the dragon. He knelt beside her and gently slipped his arms under her torso. He test-lifted and found that the dragon was much lighter than he expected for a creature her size. Slowly, steadily, he cradled the dragon's limp body against his, letting her limbs fall as naturally as possible on either side, and rose to his feet. Benny cursed when he realized dragon's wings were dragging on the ground. Eventually, he got the creature onto the flatbed, covered her with blankets, and drove home as fast as he dared.

Benny prepared a place for the dragon in his garage. He placed two old mattresses next to each other and covered them as best he could with all the clean sheets in the house. He then carried the dragon from his truck and laid her down on the bedding, laying it on its side and arranging its limbs and wings in as natural a state as he could.

The bare, hundred-watt bulb in the rafters gave Benny a better look at the creature. She was more red than brown, and its skin had markings on it similar to camouflage. She was a beautiful creature, Benny thought.

Just in case, Benny placed a large bowl of water next to the dragon's head. He left the garage door open in case she panicked and wanted to leave. Exhausted, he went into the house and fell asleep in his chair. He dreamed of the dragon and Michelle.

The sound of helicopters woke Benny the next morning. He got out of the chair and immediately cursed himself for not choosing the sofa. He must've hurt his back carrying the dragon, he thought. Despite the pain, he went through the kitchen to the garage door and opened it.

The water bowl was empty. The dragon was gone.

"Aw, shit!" Benny said in frustration, "I should have taken a picture." However, he knew inside that he was thinking, for once, more about the well-being of the dragon than of his potential fame for finding her. Still, there was a bit of a sense of loss; the creature would not even know who was its benefactor.

His back in spasm, he limped out into the morning sunlight. It was a bright morning, fragrant with the smell of wildflowers; the plaintive calls of peacocks in the distance assailed his ears.

Then there was another sound, a kind of chirping/purring sound that came from behind and above. Benny turned around and looked up. There, perched on the roof of the garage, was the dragon!

"Oh, boy!" Benny exclaimed, "You stayed!" The dragon responded by cocking her head. "You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?"

As if in response to his voice, the dragon stood and leaped off the roof. She extended her wings. Benny noticed its right wing could not unfurl properly, causing the dragon to circle left as it glided to earth. It landed roughly but upright, standing as tall as he on her long, slender legs. She folded her wings behind her back; they towered two feet over her head. She curled her tail around her left leg and then she strode toward Benny. Benny, overcome by the moment, simply stood there, the pain in his back nearly forgotten.

The dragon stopped a few feet from Benny. Extending her neck, she moved her head forward until the tip of her snout was almost touching Benny's lips. Suddenly, The dragon's tongue flicked out and swiped Benny's mouth and nose. The dragon drew back, snapping her jaws and breathing heavily. She then leaned her head forward again and licked the side of Benny's face.

A feeling of contentment flushed through Benny, as if the dragon had communicated to him through this contact that she know who he was and what he did for her. Perhaps touch is how these creatures communicated, he thought.

Still, being human, he responded with his voice. "My name is Benny," he said, patting his chest, "Ben-ny. Benny."

The dragon purred and patted her chest. She then began to make intricate gestures with her hands.

"Sign language!" Benny exclaimed. made sense. Obviously, the dragon's anatomy wasn't set up for complex vocalizations. Apparently a very intelligent creature, this was the logical alternative. Yet Benny hardly knew American Sign Language, let alone dragon.

Still, he held his hand out to her, hoping some signs were universal. She reached out with her hand and gently grasped his in her claws. She turned it over and caressed his fingers. Benny noticed how soft her palm was, and the claws, though ominous-looking, were not sharp. After the inspection she released him and signed again, drawing a circle around her chest and then pointing at Benny.

"Yes, I brought you here," Benny replied, guessing blindly at the dragon's signing, "I found you in the pasture and brought you here." He pointed at the pasture, the truck, and himself. The dragon nodded as if she understood.

The dragon walked around Benny as if to inspect his body. Benny turned to see her and suddenly felt as if he had been stabbed with a hot knife. For a moment, he thought the dragon had attacked him, but then he realized it was his back. He doubled over in pain and fell to his knees, winding-up winced in a fetal position on the ground.

"This sucks!" Benny spat out, "Here I am, making first contact with an unknown creature, and I have to foul-up my back!" Benny pounded the ground in frustration.

Then he felt something touching him. He looked up and saw the dragon kneeling over him. She was running her hands over his torso. Eventually, her hands found the small of his back where his muscles were in spasm. She gently pulled up his shirt, exposing his back. She then leaned over him and brought her snout close to his back. Benny could feel her tongue licking him where his pain was. Within moments, the pain was gone!

The dragon helped Benny to his feet; he didn't resists her assistance. He was stiff, but he could walk. "I have to go inside and lie down," he said, then gestured to the house. The dragon seemed to understand and let Benny lean on her as they walked back into the garage.

The dragon seemed to understand and let Benny lean on her as they walked back into the garage.

The dragon helped Benny down onto the mattresses he had set up for her the night before. Benny felt little pain and indeed felt a bit dizzy; like the effect of heavy pain killers. He didn't resist as the dragon gently laid him on his side and arranged his arms and legs to be comfortable. She then seized the bowl he had filled with water for her and sprinted out of the garage, taking flight out of sight.

Still in a bit of a daze, Benny lost track of how long she was gone, but she came back soon enough, carrying the bowl, now full of water, in her hands. She walked to the mattresses and knelt on them beside Benny. Holding the bowl in one hand and lifting Benny's head with the other, she offered him the water.

Benny took a sip. It tasted like sweet mineral water, a bit salty, but pleasant. He didn't feel like he was in any shape to question from where she got it. He emptied the bowl.

Feeling suddenly better, he sat up. His back felt stiff, but serviceable. When he sat up, he found himself nose-to-snout with the dragon, who promptly licked his nose and inhaled as he exhaled. She then blew a steady stream of moist air in his face. Benny realized what she was doing: breath-sharing, not unlike what horses do. Obligingly, he inhaled her sweet breath. Benny then laid down again; the dragon laid next to him, looking at him with enormous yellow eyes; beautiful eyes, Benny thought.

After awhile, Benny felt well enough to get up and go inside. Slowly, he got up, the dragon watched him closely, not interfering, but ready to help if needed. He stood up and faced the dragon, who was also standing. He reached out and took her hand. She didn't resist.

"Look," Benny said, "I helped you, you helped me. I guess we're even. I'm not gonna say anything to anybody about you. I hope you find your way home." Benny raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. Her skin was much warmer than his, and smelled slightly spicy. He released her hand and turned to enter the house. As he passed through the doorframe, he turned and saw here standing there, looking at him, her head cocked, her jaws parted slightly. Dragon or human, it was an unmistakable expression. "What do you want?" Benny asked in soft tones. He held his hands palms-up at his sides.

The dragon walked up to Benny and held out her hand, the hand he kissed. Benny took it and she stepped toward him. Benny's heart skipped a beat as she pressed the tip of her snout to his lips. He felt something warm and wet pressing against his mouth. Reflexively, he parted his lips and the dragon's well-lubricated tongue slipped easily into his mouth, drawing itself over his own tongue and the roof of his mouth. The sensation was exquisite! Not since Michelle had he allowed another human, let alone nonhuman, penetrate him in this fashion, yet he didn't resist this fantastic creature's probings; it felt unnatural, yes, but also incredibly pleasurable.

The dragon pulled her tongue out of Benny's mouth and gazed into his eyes with her own. Benny's mouth was coated on the inside with the dragon's saliva, and he had no choice but to swallow it. It tasted like fresh meat and molasses and he could feel it as it coursed down his esophagus and into his stomach, where it had the effect of a shot of brandy.

Benny's eyes widened, "you put that in my water, didn't you?" The dragon bowed her head. "Well, I guess you were just helping me the only way you knew how. Your saliva is like a painkiller/tranquilizer, isn't it?"

Benny stepped back into the kitchen. The dragon tried to follow, but couldn't negotiate the doorway; her wings were too high. Realizing this, Benny walked back to her and gently placed a hand on her chest; he could feel the fierce racing of her heart. He nodded his head and stepped forward as she stepped back.

Benny hit the close button on the garage door switch panel next to the kitchen entrance. The dragon watched silently as the big door closed and gave them privacy. Benny then stood before the dragon and smiled at her, "Okay, I'm all yours."

The dragon cocked her head and purred deep within her throat. She stepped toward him and once again pressed her snout to his lips. This time he opened his mouth wide and greeted her tongue with his. The dragon then moved close enough to embrace Benny, her flexible neck bent back into a question-mark to allow her to both kiss Benny and hold him against her body.

After they had kissed for awhile, Benny had swallowed enough of the dragon's narcotic saliva that he felt almost intoxicated, but not to the point of being impaired. He felt he could stop this at any time, but he didn't want to. He really thought the dragon was a beautiful, gentle, and passionate creature. He felt they both needed this, and he would not resist.

The dragon went over to the mattresses and knelt in the middle of them, looking up at Benny with hungry eyes. Benny knew what to do. He began to undress. The dragon watched intensely as Benny removed his shirt, pants, shoes, socks, and finally, his underwear.

The garage floor was cold beneath his bare feet, so he walked over to the mattresses and stepped up on the sheet. Slowly, shaking slightly from the effects of the dragon's oral fluids and out of anticipation, he knelt facing the dragon, suddenly aware of those claws and what they could do to his fragile human flesh.

"I-I hope I have an idea what you want to do here," Benny said. He laughed nervously.

The dragon crawled over to him on her hands and knees. Her wings extended over his shoulders. She straightened up and reached out with both hands, resting them gently on Benny's bare shoulders, careful not to let her claws come in contact with his skin. Her hands were much warmer than his skin--almost hot--but not uncomfortably so. She ran her hands down his arms and grasped his hands. She raised them in turn to her snout and pressed her mouth against them, making a sucking sound like an exaggerated human kiss. She then offered Benny her hands, and he kissed them tenderly.

The dragon scooted closer to Benny until their torsos teased other with their presence. The dragon placed her hands on his sides and drew his body against hers. Skin against skin, Benny felt the raw heat of her body seep into his own and he started to perspire profusely. The dragon responded by licking the beads of sweat from his forehead between deep kisses.

Benny and the dragon laid down on the mattresses facing each other. The dragon caressed Benny's leg with the sole of her webbed foot, then grasped his foot with her own, interlocking her toes with his. Both of them caressed and explored each others' bodies; the dragon reached behind her and draped her tail over both their legs. They kissed and pressed their bodies as tightly against each other as they could.

By now Benny was fully aroused, and the dragon turned her attention to his engorged male organ. Benny laid on his back and allowed his phallus to thrust up unencumbered. The dragon stared at Benny's manhood, then brought her snout close to it. For a moment, Benny was apprehensive about all those wicked-looking teeth so close to such a vital portion of his anatomy, but his worries were quickly relieved when the dragon produced her tongue and wrapped it around him, coating him and nearly coaxing him to climax. Sensing this the dragon ceased her oral pleasure.

The dragon climbed over Benny's body, her backside hovering over his head. Benny looked up and saw the dragon's slowly swishing tail. Beneath where it joined her body was bright-pink slit resembling human lips turned ninety degrees. Benny thought, at least we're similar in at least one way! He reached up and placed his hands on her rump and pressed down. Her wings fell on either side of his head and she squatted down on him. His lips met her labia and he kissed and probed her vestibule. For the first time, he felt he had caused a reaction in her; she tensed-up, her tail switched frantically and he could hear her purring louder than a v-eight engine. Suddenly, his face was doused with slippery, spicy-smelling fluid. "I think you liked that!" Benny declared.

The dragon then turned herself around over him and knelt on his stomach. She leaned forward and cleaned Benny's face of her jism. She pressed her snout against his mouth and this time forced her tongue deep into his throat, almost choking him. He felt something literally squirt from the tip of her tongue and down his gullet. She pulled out quickly and watched him swallow.

For a few minutes she just knelt there as if waiting for something to happen. To Benny's surprise, it did. His erection had nearly doubled in length! Further, his mind had but one thing on it. "I want you!" Benny said in a deep, shuddering voice.

The dragon lifted her hind up and positioned it over Benny's newly extended phallus. She lowered herself onto him, her body absorbing all he had. She leaned forward and licked his chest desperately, the tip of her tail brushed back-and-forth over his toes. She was breathing as heavily as he was now. Like him, she was yielding to her basic instincts.

The dragon then unfurled her wings and began to thrust them, each wingbeat lifted her slightly off him then set her back down. she did this repeatedly while grasping Benny's legs with her toes. Now not as careful, her claws were beginning to dig into Benny's flesh, but he felt no pain, thoroughly under the influence of the dragon's oral serum. What he did feel was intense pleasure from his penis with every beat of the dragon's wings. Warm, slick fluid squirted out around his shaft from her; the sensation was beyond description.

Suddenly, the dragon's canal clenched his organ tightly. She raised her head and let loose a sound like a trumpet blast. At the same time, Benny climaxed, pulsing shot-after-shot of his essence deep into the dragon with a force that nearly astounded him.

Benny and the dragon then lay side-by-side, exhausted but happy. They held each other on the mattresses, now damp with sweat, saliva, and other fluids from both their bodies. She stayed with him for an hour, then got up and stood by the closed garage door.

Benny didn't want her to go, but knew he couldn't stop her if he wanted to. They both gave and took from each other, and both were satisfied. He opened the garage door. She stepped out into the afternoon sun. Still naked, he ran after her and threw his arms around her. She embraced him, but not tightly. He kissed her snout, but she gently pushed him away.

The dragon then reached into her mouth and grasped one of her large fangs. With a quick twist-and-jerk, she pulled the tooth out of her mouth, leaving an empty socket that pooled with greenish-red fluid. Benny noticed that there was another empty socket on the other side of her jaw that had long-since healed. She offered the tooth to Benny. Reverently, Benny took the dragon's tooth from her hand.

The dragon then bit off one of her finger claws and offered it to Benny, which he took graciously. Benny didn't know how he could reciprocate (perhaps what he gave the dragon in the garage was good enough). Still, he bit off a sliver of one of his fingernails and held it in his palm. The dragon looked at it and winced with an expression that could only be described as sorrow. Still, she took the sliver and held it tightly in a clenched hand. After exchanging one last, long, look she unfurled her wings and thrust skyward like a sparrow missile.

"Watch out for planes!" Benny called after her.

Later that week, Benny was shopping and at the checkout, he noticed the Headline of a particularly notorious tabloid: "AIRFORCE OPENS HOLE TO PARALLEL UNIVERSE! Strange Creatures Sucked Through, Then Sent Back on Presidential Order."

"Welcome home," Benny said quietly.