A Formula For Disaster

This is a story I wrote a few years ago.
Some of you have read it; many have not.
I revamped it and hope you enjoy the read.
Graphic created by Kevin @ The Beginning At Last.

Eugene was a wreck …. disheveled clothes, bloodshot eyes, tired, hungry and freezing. He had been working in the lab nonstop throughout this sleety January night, frantically perfecting a classified formula. He still had 300 small black-capped vials to fill, wrap securely in packing materials and stash inside porcelain statues before neatly stacking them in shipping crates and delivering them to the transportation facility by dawn. HIGHLY TOP SECRET ASSIGNMENT, he was told.          

The harried chemist was momentarily startled by a swift bustling motion high up in the rafters. A bat? “Keep going …. no time to dilly dally” he muttered to himself, choosing to ignore the unwelcome intruder. 

There it was again, that fluttering scurrying movement. Eugene glanced in the general direction of the noise, then did a double take, squinting. He removed his thick glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. Putting his specs back on, he snuck another peek. On a table among the jars, vials and potions sat a scaly white dwarf dragon with wings, large eyes and a spiky frill. 

“Great”, Eugene mumbled. “Now I’m hallucinating.” 

“You are not hallucinating, Eugene, but you are over-worked and exhausted. Fortunately, I can help. I am Glacier”, replied the dragon in a surprisingly refined voice. He nodded his frilled head slightly in greeting. 

“No, no, no, no, no! This is insane! I’m not seeing you! You’re not real!” Eugene rubbed his eyes again and took a swig of his now cold coffee, grimacing at it’s acrid taste.

“Stop exaggerating, Eugene. This is not insane. And I am definitely seeing you. Listen, my friend …. you will not finish without my help. Allow me.” Lifting an arm, Glacier pointed to the formula Eugene was working on, raised the bottle into the air and magically poured the hazy, smoking liquid into a vial. He sealed it, carefully wrapped and hid it inside a small statue, then gently placed the statue in a wooden crate. Eugene was too stunned to move. 

“Do you understand now, Eugene? We will work together. It is better for you to have help.” Glacier cocked his head to one side, his claw tapping the tabletop in anticipation.

“I’m not so sure about this. Who are you? Why are you so willing to help me? You don’t even know me. What’s in it for you?” Eugene was rambling.

“You are my mission, Eugene, and I take my missions very seriously …. but I am perfectly happy helping someone else in need. The decision is yours. There will be time later to discuss “what’s in it for me”, as you so succinctly put it.”

Despite his incredulity, Eugene accepted the eloquent dragon’s offer. He knew it was the only answer if he hoped to finish his project on time or face the wrath of the cartel.

Working together in some sort of hyper-speed, the duo swiftly completed the job. Eyeing the clock, Eugene saw he had ten minutes to carry the heavy crates to the terminal across the compound. .

“You still need my help, Eugene. The crates are too heavy. I will teleport you”, offered the sage dragon, but Eugene dismissed him. Straining, he placed the boxes on a hand truck and walked toward the stairs. 

“Beware the stairs, Eugene! They are frozen!”

In a hurry to deliver the crates, Eugene ignored his helper’s warning. Struggling to the top of the frozen stairs, his feet suddenly flew out from under him and he lost his grip on the hand truck. Eugene tumbled backwards, crashed into a shelf and upset a hefty basilisk statue which fell and crushed his skull, killing him instantly. The hand truck slid down the stairs and landed with an incredible crash inside Eugene’s laboratory, scattering its shattered contents everywhere. 

“Oh, Eugene. Tsk tsk. Why are you humans so insistent on doing everything your way? You chose poorly, Eugene. You should have listened,” clucked the wise dwarf dragon before taking his leave and flying off into the wintry night.

NAR©2025

This is “Dance With The Dragon” by Jefferson Starship

No Theme Thursday: 01.16.25 (First Anniversary Edition)

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy ~ The Sicilian Storyteller, Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section, and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.