I woke up with no memory of who or where I was. Blinking I sat up as it all came back, I was Caliban, I was in my room and I had blacked out. It’s happening more frequently. I heard the voice in my head and looked to the left seeing the bright blue eyes and black shaggy fur of my pet, Sirius. Even sitting Sirius was huge, even bigger than a Great Dane. He was the same dog I had met in the forest and he was a hellhound. Hellhounds were basically the wolves of the supernatural world. Hell hounds were usually vicious but Sirius was a bit more good-natured although you definetly don’t want to get on his bad side. Sirius had been abandoned by his mother because he was different, a runt with blue eyes instead of the normal blood red. I think that’s what brought us together, two outcasts in a world trying to kill us.
He was right though, the blackouts had been happening more frequently, each one ending on the beach. This was the first one I had about the forest. I didn’t remember anything from my time there except what I had just dreamed about. I had been taken from my home on my seventh birthday. My family and I were celebrating but before we knew it Artemis had a broken arm, Mom was out cold and I was gone. 3 days later I was back but changed. While I was only gone for three days, for me it had been three months. Three months of running, three months of hiding, three months of surviving. When I tumbled out of the dark vortex I crouched into the nearest corner and growled.
Gradually I got better. I stopped biting and growling, although I slept as far back underneath the bed as I could. Throughout all this my mother never gave up hope. Every night when I was under the bed she sat on top calmly talking, even though I rarely understood. Eventually I started understanding more and even talking back. Soon enough I was deemed stable although I was and still am a little jumpy.
Looking up at Sirius I saw him staring at the steak I had dropped. Picking it up I tossed the raw meat to him and laughed when he snapped and swallowed without chewing. "Don’t choke" I said smirking. He was about to reply when his ears suddenly perked up. His hair bristled and he crouched into a defensive position facing the blank wall of my room. Turning I watched as the blank wall split. Cracks appeared crisscrossing in lines and strange runes I hadn’t seen before. The cracks had stopped moving and now formed a pentagram circled with the unknown runes that started an inch above the floor to the ceiling 7 feet up. Then fire shot out of the cracks causing us to jump back several feet. When the flames died down I saw a man standing there.
He was a couple inches taller than me with pale skin and shiny straight silver hair that was slicked back. He was wearing a silver suit made out of a soft looking material I’ve never seen before. Then I noticed that under each eye a think line went from his eyes to the bottom of his chin. That coupled with the whole fiery portal this I think it was safe to say he wasn’t human. I’d like to say I was civil and polite but I knew better. "Why hello how do you do? What’s that you’d like to eat my heart? Sounds great!" yea not such a good idea with the paranormal crowd. I did what any sensible person would do. I lunged forward, slamming him against the wall adding another crack right through the pentagram.
Holding him I reached behind my back and grabbed the cool, familiar handle of my knife and held it against the stranger’s neck. The knife was the tooth from the dragon and the broken stick I had fashioned in the forest. When I was sane again at home I fixed up the makeshift knife into something to be proud of. The polished handle curved downwards opposite of the blade which curved upwards. The knife was light in my hand which made it easy to flip around and switch grips. The blade was still the same bright white as it was the day I got it and cut pretty much anything I needed to. I kept the knife with me always since I came back. At the moment I had the knife pressed against the curve of his neck.
“Who are you” I said pushing the knife further into his neck. His face stayed emotionless as he looked at me. I felt like I was being studied. Then a small smile appeared on his lips. “Hello my prince” he said casually, “I’ve brought you a birthday present”