Don't Wish for a Dragon During The Blood Moon Tonight

"I wish I had a dragon as a pet. A big red dragon I could ride around and soar across the sky."

Peter knelt by his window with his hands folded and his eyes looking up to the heavens. At exactly that moment a rare total lunar eclipse was occurring, making the moon appear swollen and red like a festering boil about to burst.

He looked up at the sky, waiting for something to happen.

But nothing did.

So much for what the old witch woman had told him.

All that blood he'd given her - it was all for nothing.

He got into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin.

After one last look outside, he sighed and closed his eyes, feeling disappointed.

A few hours passed and he was deep in REM sleep when something woke him up from outside his window.

Something was snorting and saying his name over and over again in a deep, lumbering voice.

Groggy, he rolled out of bed. Peter glanced outside and had to do a double-take.

There was a massive red dragon outside his window. The beast was two stories tall, its serpentine eyes staring in at him keenly.

Peter stuck his head outside the window in disbelief. He reached out and touched the great beast, petting its warm, scaly skin.

"It worked. I can't believe it really worked…"

The huge dragon pulled back as if offended.

"Of course it worked! You gave your blood, made the wish. Now I'm your dragon to command."

Peter hesitated. There was only one thing he wanted to know, and the dragon seemed to sense it.

"You want to ride me, don't you?"

"Can I? Please?"

"You may," the dragon conceded. "But don't touch my whiskers. They're sensitive."

"Deal!"

Peter climbed up onto the back of the great dragon and it lifted off into the air with great flaps of its massive wings.

They took off and flew higher and higher into the air.

"This is incredible!," Peter exclaimed, holding onto the dragon's scales as he soared through the clouds. "I'm so glad I wished for you!"

"Good," said the dragon. "Y'know, all this flying is making me hungry."

Peter held on tight as the dragon dove towards the ground, swooping low over a field of sheep. He unleashed a gout of flame, roasting them alive and taking a young shepherd boy with them.

The mighty dragon clutched a few pieces in its talons and left the rest for the vultures. It flew away as Peter screamed.

After that, the dragon was still hungry. It flew towards Peter's village as the sun began to rise in the early morning hours.

A bell began to ring from the church tower and a voice called out into the air.

"Dragon! Dragon attacking the village!"

The bell rang again and again.

"Thanks for wishing for me, kid," the dragon said. "I really thought we were gonna go extinct again for a little while there."