When Women Were Dragons

On the same day, Beatrice almost turns into a dragon at dinner. Alex cries and begs for Beatrice not to leave her, and upon hearing her cry, Beatrice does not transform. Alex tells Beatrice a story about two sisters—one who dragons and one who doesn’t; and that the sister who isn’t a dragon dies. After this, Alex realizes that she needs to learn more about dragoning and begins to accept that the phenomenon is real and essential. She fetches the satchel that Marla gave her years ago and realizes that Dr. Gantz is the man she met nights ago—that he was watching a dragon. Marla stops by the apartment with another dragon who waits by a window farther down the street. Alex blames Marla for what is happening to Beatrice, and Marla tells Alex that dragoning is magic—and any woman can do it. She tells Alex that no one really knows why there were so many who dragoned all at once in 1955, but it’s inevitable for many women and possible for all. As fire trucks and police wheel down the street, Marla calls to her friend to go and tells Alex she will return.