"I really don't know where any of this came from," says Carr, a Space Coast Writers Guild member who contributed to the children's fiction series, "Summer Storm" and "Camp Daybreak," which were published in Florida Today earlier this year and in 2001. "But the more people I talked to (after Annie's demise), the more it inspired me. This landmark seemed like such a passion for so many people in Brevard County for so long. There were birthday parties there, charity events, a lot of deep feelings."

A Space Coast resident since 1989, Carr wanted to bestow Dragon Point "with a nicer ending than crumbling into the river." In Carr's fable, Annie is placed in the Indian River by her mother, who instructs Annie to find her way home via a secret underwater cave. Although Annie assumes a statue's rigid stance during the day, for 30 years, she spends her nights scouring the lagoon for an elusive portal to Dragon Island. She eventually finds the link, and is reunited with friends and family on the other side.

"You can take the story at face value, but I think it evolved into a metaphor for life and growth, changing and transforming, even into death and rebirth," Carr says.

That metaphor struck an especially poignant chord with Robin Krasny, who co-wrote "Dragon Island" with fellow recording artist Eddy Fischer. Approached by Carr to create a theme song, Robin & Eddy focused on magic and gave it a calypso lilt.

In 1998, Krasny's boyfriend was killed in a hit-and-run accident near Stuart, "and after five years of grieving I'm just coming out of my cave," she says. Not coincidentally, "the subject of life and death and regeneration has been the theme of all my songs. The body crumbles and becomes compost for new growth, and the spirit moves on in a beautiful way."

Having canoed and kayaked to Dragon Point as a kid, Krasny has watched development claw the river's shores and foul its waters since the statue was erected 30 years ago. In that context, Annie's ruins could be interpreted as symbol of the Indian River Lagoon's de-evolution.

"But that's what makes Diane's book brilliant," she says. "She doesn't go beating people over the head about the tragedy of the lagoon. She slips in little references on endangered species and focuses more on the beauty of what drew people to this area in the first place. Maybe in a subtle way, through the story and the song, it can bring back some caring about the river. I think Annie's the biggest thing, in terms of merchandising, to come out of this area since the space shuttle. Annie's been a part of our heritage longer, actually."

Tailored to kids ages 7 to 12, "River Dragon" has already found a receptive climate at Suntree Elementary, which staged the play not long ago.

"It's hard to explain how neat it is to see your vision come to life, with all these little kids running around like dragons," Carr says. "I think it's got a lot of other applications in the classroom, too: language arts, drama, science, art and music. But writing is the easy part. Trying to get it out there -- that's the real work."

Greg Blow, one of many who tried to salvage Annie through the now defunct Hope Dragon Foundation, hasn't read the book. But he makes no secret of what he'd like to see happen should "River Dragon" throw a new spotlight onto Annie.

"It's been one of my dreams to get that thing fixed. And I know a lot of people feel the same way," says Blow, who works at Telemar Marina in Indian Harbour Beach. "It doesn't even have to be the original concrete. It could be something like fiberglass. But I think it's important to the community to be there."

Blow's dream may not be so far-fetched. Longtime Dragon Point property owner Warren McFadden sold his house -- and Annie -- to Melbourne's Bob Hereford several months back. Hereford is an advocate of reconstruction.

"We're early in the process, and the house needs some work first," Hereford says. "But I can't see Dragon Point without a dragon."

Also, it doesn't hurt that his 9-year-old daughter loves the "River Dragon" book and song. Says Hereford, "It's absolutely wonderful."

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Click above to Read the first chapter of River Dragon....