Lord Canos

My name is Jake, I am a boy who lives in rural Maine. I used to live a normal life, but that all changed when I went for a stroll through the woods. It was a nice day, the sun was shining, the leaves still on the trees and not a cloud in the sky. It was one of those days that seemed like nothing could go wrong. I was outside of my house like I normally was, climbing trees and running around the pond. I suddenly got the urge to go into the clearing in the woods, about half a mile into the woods. I had been to the clearing many times and noting ever happened. So why would anything happen today? On my way to the clearing I heard a wolf howl, it sounded like it was coming from about the same area that the clearing was. I was very fond of wolves so this excited me and I ran as fast as I could to the clearing to try to see it. I realized I had no idea where I was, I thought to myself "I went straight like always, but the trees and bushes here are not like they normally are..." I shrugged it off and kept walking. I really started to worry when I had walked at least two miles without finding the clearing, I decided to climb a huge oak tree to my left. I was almost at the branch that I was reaching for when I fell, I plummeted down. I panicked, it was almost a ninety foot drop right onto sharp rocks and thorn bushes! I closed my eyes and braced myself for the end, but it didn't come. I opened my eyes and realized I was being held, someone had caught me! Relief flooded my body until I saw what was holding me. It was hideous, but beautiful at the same time. It had a huge muscular body with a graceful wolf head. It had black fur and red eyes. It spoke in a monotone but gravelly voice, " I saw you were falling, I decided I would save you, after all I did create this hellish illusion to trick you." I started wrapping my mind around it. "So you created an illusion? To trick me? What for?" It grinned and threw me to the ground "You see kid, I know everything, everyone, I can see their dreams, thoughts, and emotion. I can see your mom right now, driving to Vermont to see her sister, she is worried that you are home alone right now. I can see it all. You have something I want, and need." I started to get up, but it punched me back down. "How do you not feel fear right now Jake? Do I not scare you? Am I not ugly to you?" My response came in about five seconds. "No, I am not afraid, you are a wolf, and wolves do not scare me, they are misunderstood. Like me." Canos looked to the sky and considered this for a few moments. “Hmmm, misunderstood. Yes, that is indeed what wolves are, shot out of fear and shunned. What did we ever do to deserve it?” “I have always thought the same thing Canos… By the way, do you want me to call you Lord Canos or just Canos? He grinned and obviously tried holding back a laugh “That is what you are thinking about right now? Not the fact that an ugly, brutish creature is standing in front of you?” “I told you I am not scared of wolves.” “Tell you what Jake. I have a deal for you. Meet me at your bedside tonight at midnight.” I told him I would be waiting for him to arrive when I got home. Canos ran off in the other direction and the scenery of the woods changed, there was still nothing that I could remember, after all it was farther in the woods than I had ever been. I started walking back the way I was sure home was. I walked about a mile and fell to the ground in exhaustion, I was in good shape, but I had never hiked so much woods at once. I sat there and listened to the birds chirping and watched the squirrels run up tree trunks. I was so calm, that I fell asleep. When I woke up it was dark. I panicked for a second, forgetting what had happened earlier. I calmed down a little when I remembered what had happened. I realized I had no idea which way to go, I decided I would have to spend the night in the woods, and wait until morning so I could see better. I piled up some leaves for a pillow, lied down and fell asleep. I awoke to warm air on the back of my neck, I froze up. I felt a paw on my chest flip me over. The thing started whispering “You told me you would be in your room waiting for me.” I started trying to talk but it interrupted me, “I do not like broken trust, and you have broken my trust in you.” “Canos, I was tired and fell asleep in the woods, can we just make the deal here?” “No. I am not going to ask permission anymore. Now I will just do it and assume you will be okay with it, just like you did to me.” Canos started to dissolve into a black mist, a black mist with two red eyes. “You now have the curse of Lord Canos, you shall now forever be powerful, omniscient, and cunning. But you will also be shunned from society, a freak to the public. Just like me.” The last thing I remember that has not been distorted with darkness was the black mist flowing into my body.