The Brookville Arms: Welcome to Brookville

By Michael Field

MILES seeks adventure and is in love with fellow resident, JULIE. HANK, the superintendent is Miles' and the residents' father-figure. As we meet more residents, the delivery truck crashes into the entrance, blocking anyone from escaping. Julie is sent into the wall, knocking her out.

The creature is awake. A stream of fire blasts through the roof of the truck and soon, the creature is loose. A dragon!

Miles can't believe his eyes. Chaos! The dragon unleashes burst after burst of fireballs. People scream. People burn. People are eaten. Everyone scrambles to safety, as our main characters find shelter in the basement. Miles carries a still unconscious Julie, as he narrowly avoids becoming the dragon's next meal.

Trapped in the basement as the dragon tries to melt down the door to get inside for another snack. There's very little they can do and no place to go. Until Julie awakens and discovers the air vent in the corner of the room. Escape!

The ventilation shaft leads to the main stairwell where Miles, Hank and now, Julie, escape to a room. The dragon has taken a nap, his belly full of residents from the Arms. One of residents is trapped in the lobby. He cries out for help and Miles and Hank decide to save him.

Miles and Hank hatch a plan to rescue GEORGE, the resident trapped in the lobby. Julie leads the others outside with no intention of saving anyone but herself. For someone that Miles wanted to date, he learns there are more important things to worry about. Like finding someone better, if he survives the night. Because the dragon is awake!

The rescue attempt is thwarted as the dragon traps Hank and an injured Miles in the service elevator. Just then the front entrance explodes. An assault team breaches the Arms. They quickly attack the dragon and trap it in a huge net. The secretive owner of the dragon has captured his property. The crisis at the Arms is over, not without loss and sacrifice.

Just another night in Brookville.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Field
• Release date: May 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224579648

Michael Field

I directed a feature I penned in 2005 titled, "Save the Forest", which enjoyed a small run on Netflix as well as being released internationally through Echelon Entertainment. I created the short film, "The Hero", which was a finalist for TriggerStreet.com's annual festival in 2005. and developed two successful web series, The Puzzle Maker's Son and Scenes from the Movies From there, I published my two novels Adam Parker and the Radioactive Scout and Adam Parker and the High School Bully. In 2015, my script Kiddo was a quarterfinalist for the Nicholl Fellowship and in 2017, I was nominated for a Writer's Guild Award for Outstanding Writing in New Media for my short Life Ends @ 30. Recently, I've published a novella, Paradoxed, and a YA-Adventure novella called All Things Weird: The Jar of Pandora. I also have a short film, that I wrote and directed, on the festival circuit, Noppera-bō You can find me here: michaeldfield.com and Forgotten Cinema Podcast.

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This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in the manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher.

The Brookville Arms

All Rights Reserved

Copyright 2023 Michael Field

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Cover Design by Alex Faison

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This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without expressed written consent of the publisher/author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Up on the Roof publishing

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The Brookville Arms

Michael Field

Up on the Roof publishing

Come not between the dragon, and his wrath.

William Shakespeare,  King Lear

Chapter 1

But what if they did exist?

Professor Colton Tanner stood at the edge of the cave’s entrance. Pitch black stared back at him, but he knew it was in there as well. Not beyond the blackness, but part of it. Its eyes shrouded in shadows. Slow breaths. Controlled. Not trying to hide from Tanner. But simply unafraid of what this new visitor had intended to do.

Tracking the beast proved difficult for the hunting team. The weather was miserable even for Romanian standards. The Carpathian Mountains Range was dangerous enough without harsh winds and bitter cold.

Tanner was a recent addition to the team, whisked into the country straight from a handshake deal. Tanner was well-traveled for a professor of literature, but this was his first time exploring the famed caves of the Carpathians. But that fact wasn’t the strange part of this whole experience. Tanner was here to find a creature long considered fictional. It’s primary reason for existence was to serve the purpose of authors and storytellers.

Tanner was looking for a dragon.

Normally, this professor was lecturing in class about myths and legends this time of year. Not much to look at when standing in front of a black board. His hulking frame hidden behind his usual shirt and jacket combo. He wore horned-rimmed glasses because he liked the style and because it helped with his short-sightedness. Students have been known to fall asleep in his class, if Professor Tanner gets stuck on a tangent when discussing the many aspects of literature he loves.  That usually meant he was talking about that winged beast which can breathe fire. His thesis was about the prevailing mythos of the dragon throughout literature from its early beginnings in the Book of Job to the multiple appearances in modern day television and movies. Tanner was considered to be the foremost expert on everything dragons. Of course, back then he believed them to be just what they were: a myth. A story created in the bible to scare people into doing God’s will. He never believed them to be real.

Then he met John Thornton.

Thornton was a man whose wealth came from his ancestors. The Thorntons have long been a family of land, beginning when the first settlers came over from Europe in search of freedom. Henry Thornton, John’s great-grandfather, came over in search for land. He was a shrewd businessman. Buying land that people deemed unusable, Henry knew that no matter the dream and no matter the scheme others had in mind, they always need a place to set up shop and he’d be waiting with a lease agreement.

Thus the Thornton Empire as born. These days, John Thornton oversees a massive conglomerate that covers the globe, influences countries and allows the occasional dalliance with a passion. John’s passion was the possession of what some would deem rare or unique. Not much was known of John Thornton. When he took over as CEO of the company, he built a metaphorical wall around him. He created a mythos of John Thornton, the man. He didn’t seek the spotlight. He didn’t crave attention. His only wants and needs were of the impossible variety. He funded countless projects that deal in the bizarre. You think it; Thornton has had a hand in it, which brings us back to Colton Tanner at the entrance to a cave along the Southern Carpathian Mountain Range.

Tanner slowed his breath, almost matching the heavy breaths coming from the darkness. He suddenly was reminded of his first encounter with Thornton, that set him on this path. Just another lecture. Just another room of bored college students, except one…

*     *     *

Tanner noticed him immediately when class began. Nothing particularly stood out about the student. He was thin. White. Checkered, collared shirt that buttoned up only halfway to reveal a T-shirt with the logo of the school on it. And he wore glasses. Wire framed, with something attached to them. That’s what Tanner noticed, but the student was so far back, he couldn’t make out exactly what was on the glasses.

Class started and the student never looked down to his notes if he even had a notebook. Tanner didn’t remember if the student brought bag into the lecture. He could feel his gaze all throughout the lesson.

Can someone tell me the first instance of a dragon in literature?

Hands shot to the sky.

It’s not anything written by George R.R. Martin, Tanner replied. More than a few went right back down.

Tanner pointed to a girl in the front row. Her hoodie over her head. Medieval times, right? They always talked about knights saving damsels.

"Well, while that is somewhat correct. Dragons do frequent many texts during the Middle Ages, the most popular being Beowulf and even the Life of Euflamm which tells the story of King Arthur slaying a dragon."

And video games. A kid from the back room. A few chuckles from the class.

Even Tanner smiled, Yes, Miles. Video games have had their fair share of dragons throughout their history.

Miles gave his approval with a thumbs up.

Speaking of history, does anyone know the first instance of the appearance of dragons in literature?

Another hand. This one from another female. Sitting upright. Perky. Ready to impress. The Bible.

Tanner pointed at her. Yes. Correct. The Book of Job features a sea creature known as the leviathan, which has similarities to that of a dragon. Also, in the Book of Revelation, Satan appears in the form of a dragon which was probably not a great representation of the species to have it linked to the ultimate evil in the world.

The thin man in the back raised his hand. Tanner pointed to him. Go ahead.

Sir. You talk like you believe dragons exist.

Tanner smirked. Perhaps. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that at one time, dragons walked the earth.

Like dinosaurs? The perky girl asked.

Yes. Like dinosaurs.

You think they existed?

The class turned their attention to the perky girl.

Tanner realized she knew her bible well. Different class, I’m afraid. Tanner changed the subject quickly. Let us check out a few images throughout history that show the many different features of dragons.

The thin man raised his hand again.

Yes? Tanner asked.

Sir. Do you think it’s possible that could still exist?

Tanner paused. The thin man had no expression on his face. He sat. Waiting for an answer. Well, much like the dinosaurs, if dragons existed, they are probably long gone from our world.

Sir. But what if they did exist? What if there was a place in this world untouched by man that allowed for this species to survive?

What are you asking me? If I think that could be possible?

Sir. I am asking if you would want to go find this place.

Tanner didn’t know how to answer. He caught a glimpse of the clock and realized this conversation derailed the end of class. A question for another time. I’ll email everyone some suggested readings before we meet again next week. By suggested, I mean, it’ll be on an exam in the future. Have a good day.

The class filtered out. Tanner went to his desk and began packing his bag, but he knew his interaction with the thin man wasn’t over. He