Unlike the dragon that had danced in Chinese New Year parades, the Halloween dragon roared. It ran. It tumbled and rolled.

By dark, they had frightened two witches, a skeleton, and a boy who insisted he wasn’t frightened.

“Then get in,” said Wind.

So he did, and became a dragon.

At the end of the lane, Sophie turned toward the sea.

“Let’s go down to the old pier.”

“We’re not supposed to go there after dark,” said Wind.

“We’re a dragon,” said Sophie.

There was a thoughtful silence beneath the cloth.

“Dragons can go anywhere,” Sophie added.