Paranormal Fantasy Summer - Excerpt From

CHAPTER ONE


“I hate the cold and I hate the stupid woods,” I muttered as my boots crunched over the snow.
I continued to swear under my breath as I went, mostly cursing myself for being stupid enough to venture out here. I paused to take a sip from the flask of bourbon I carried with me.
I should have stayed at the diner where it’s warm, and I could order one of their hot chocolates, with extra whipped cream and those little marshmallows.
When the hunter burst in, raving about a monster loose in the woods, I should have ignored it. He could be a raving lunatic for all I knew, but the beast he described, if it was real, could be a danger.
I’d built a life for myself in the mundane town of Bedford. It was about as far from the supernatural world as you could get, which suited me just fine. I needed normal. I didn’t need some supernatural critter coming after me.
As I entered a clearing I found some footprints. Or rather pawprints. Big ones.
There’s no way that is from a bear, I thought.
I could walk away now and hope whatever it was moved on but instead I followed the pawprints. Supernatural creatures had a way of sniffing me out and I didn’t need this thing coming crashing through my door in the middle of the night.
“Stef? What are you doing out here?”
I jumped nearly a foot in the air. Turning on the spot, I found Deputy Clark behind me, carrying a shotgun. He had a knit cap on over his dark hair and he was wearing his usual navy police uniform.
“I wanted to see what all the fuss is about,” I said, knowing full well that normal women didn’t decide to venture into the woods on a whim when something big was on the loose, but I wasn’t normal.
He frowned at me. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s not safe. Go home, Stef.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
Stef.
That wasn’t even my name. I told him my name when we first met, but he misheard me and thinks my name is Steffanie. Which he has shortened to Stef, like we’re friends or something. I don’t have friends in Bedford, or anywhere for that matter. I stay at my house, on the edge of town and the only time I venture out is for groceries and a coffee at the diner.
“It’s a free country. I can take a walk in the woods if I want to.”
He sighed. “Whatever.”
He knew better than to argue with me. From the few conversations we have had, I made it very clear that I do what I like. I don’t have the energy to argue with people, so I have a habit of being incredibly blunt. Some would say rude, but I don’t care. What is it they say? Respect your elders? I’ve got a few thousand years on everyone.
I waited for him to walk away, he hadn’t noticed the tracks yet. I just hoped he wouldn’t accidentally shoot me, especially when I had decided to wear a black leather jacket and green sweater. I should have worn something that wouldn’t blend into my surroundings. Then again, I didn’t do bright colors, not anymore.
I continued to follow the tracks. The only weapon I had with me was an old knife that I kept in my boot. It was a gift from my mother, a long time ago. It probably wouldn’t do much against Bigfoot or whatever was out here. Luckily, I was hard to kill. Not impossible, but I was pretty tough.
Branches snapped up ahead and I paused, wondering if it was Clark or the beast. The low, rumbling growl answered that question. I pulled the knife from my boot.
“Come out, come out, whatever you are,” I said softly.
I could see dark fur and a huge hulking shape. Approaching it as quietly as I could, I was ready to attack when the creature turned. It was a blur of fur and the next thing I knew, I was on my back, the creature pinning me down. I closed my eyes, waiting to be eaten, but instead, the creature licked me.
“Urgh,” I said, trying to wipe the slobber off my face. That’s when I got a good look at the beast. A beast I was very familiar with.
“Cerberus?”
I stared at the mutt in front of me, not quite believing my eyes.
“Get off, you big lug,” I said, pushing him back. He moved enough to let me get up.
“Move away, Stef. I’ve got a shot!” Clark ordered, appearing from the trees.
I quickly stepped in front of Cerberus. “Put the gun down, it’s fine.”
“Are you crazy? Look at the size of that…what is it?”
“It’s a dog. A special breed.”
Very special.
“That’s like no dog I’ve ever seen, although it seems to know you,” Clark said, as Cerberus licked my arm.
“That’s because he’s mine. He ran away a while back, but now he’s apparently back.”
Clark slowly lowered his gun, looking confused.
“Okay. Get a leash on that thing, will ya?”
I forced a smile, waiting until he was walking away before flipping him the bird. God, I hated that guy. He was always sticking his nose where it wasn’t wanted. I guess that was part of being a cop, but it still annoyed me. How long before he started looking into my life? Of course if he was still calling me Stef then he couldn’t have looked into it yet.
I turned back to Cerberus.
“Where have you been, you naughty boy,” I said, hugging his huge head.
Not wanting to leave them out, I gave his other two heads a pet.
Thank God humans couldn’t see his true form. All they saw was a huge black dog, not the hellhound that he was.
“Why are you here?” I asked, even though he couldn’t answer me.
“Come on. Let’s go home,” I said.
He perked up at the word ‘home’ and I felt a pang. Of course I meant my two-bedroom chalet, not that home. We could never return there.
Cerberus bounced around me as we walked, acting like an overgrown puppy. He only acted that way around me. It reminded me of the first day I met him.



***
A LONG TIME AGO



I sat in the darkness, miserable and missing home. I missed my mother most of all. How would she survive without me?
Ever since she fell ill last year, she continued to struggle. I prayed to the Gods that she would be okay and that I would see her again one day.
He appeared out of the darkness, looking wary. I almost laughed, a God wary of a mere mortal like me, but perhaps that was to be expected with the fit I threw when I was told I had to live here.
“You should see this as a great honor,” he said, his dark eyes watching me.
People say that the Gods are beautiful, and I guess that is true, but they are also terrifying. The power they command can be felt when you are in their presence and with his reputation, it was doubly terrifying.
“You stole me away from everything I know, how is that the honorable thing to do?” I snapped.
He stiffened, and I could see that he was struggling to remain calm.
“You will learn your place in time,” he said.
“Or I’ll run away,” I muttered.
“You can try, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You’d have to get by Cerberus first.”
He whistled and a huge dog appeared, it’s three heads glaring at me. I had never seen a beast like it. I cowered on the ground, bracing myself for it to eat me. Instead, it sat down and started panting. Drool dripped from the head nearest me and I shifted back to avoid it.
We were left alone. I don’t know what possessed me, but when I realized it had no intention of eating me, I reached out a hand for it to sniff. The middle head seemed to be the one in control. It sniffed my hand, then licked me.
“Ew,” I said, wiping my hand on my gown.
He bounced up and down, wagging his massive tail.
“You’re just a big softie, aren’t you?” I said, stroking one of his heads. “Come on, Cerberus, let’s play.”

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