Kevin changed into his pajamas, turned back the covers, and got into his bed.
He regretted that Shaggy had to spend the night in the the backyard. Kevin was still not quite sure how it had come to pass that the amulet had restored his brother but also given them a dog. With the amulet now transformed into a tag attached to Shaggy's collar, it looked like the sheepdog might just be a permanent addition to the family. At least, that was his hope.
“Hope springs eternal,” came from a disembodied voice in Kevin’s head. The voice sounded male, but high-pitched and a sound like a thousand pairs of moth wings fluttering against a window pane obscured other background noises.
“It must balance out, in the end,” the voice said. “You do realize that?”
Kevin pulled the covers closer. “What has to balance out?” Kevin whispered.
The odd questioner chuckled, but the laughter felt as cold as a January blast of snow in the face.
“I do believe you are in a state of woeful ignorance,” the voice said.
"Who are you?" Kevin asked, finally getting to the obvious question.
The chilling laughter returned and nibbled at his brain.
"Some have called me Wepwawet," the voice responded. "You know me as the occupant of the amulet. You know, the one you evicted when you brought your brother back to human form but selfishly kept the dog.”
“I’m sorry,” Jared said. “I didn’t realize…”
“Think nothing of it,” the voice said. “As I have indicated, balance will be restored.”
“But everything’s perfect now,” Kevin said. “Jared’s back, and we have Shaggy.”
Wepwawet tried to slip into the human boy’s inner thoughts, but encountered an unexpected barrier.
“Well, what is that quaint saying?” The voice said, sounding a bit put out. “Life’s not fair.”
“But the amulet—“
“My amulet,” Wepwawet huffed.
“OK. Your amulet,” Kevin conceded. “But I don’t see the problem.”
“I’m sure you don’t,” Wepwawet said in an oily voice. “I will make it simple for you and reclaim the dog.”
“No!” Kevin shouted. “Shaggy’s mine now.”
“Well, once everything’s restored, I would consider letting you use the restored amulet again,” the being said.
“How would that help?”
Laughter filtered through the ether. “Even now, your brother’s dreaming of canine existence yet again.”
A doubt flickered into Kevin’s thoughts.
“You doubt me!” Wepwawet responded, offended.
“Jared was glad to get back to himself,” Kevin said.
"An interesting dilemma. Which is the stronger mind: the dog who was a human and now wants to regain human form or the human who became a dog and now seeks to deny he wants to return to that form?"
“Jared doesn’t want to be a dog!" Kevin protested.
“Are you sure?” The voice oozed deep into Kevin’s thoughts.
“I’m sure,” Kevin said, less than confidently.
“It’s simple, you know. You simply have to wish it, and make it so,” countered the entity. “I restore the amulet using the dog, but your brother gets his own wishes granted and takes the place of the dog. Everybody’s happy!”
Kevin couldn’t deny he was tempted, but he couldn’t do that to his own brother.
“You will,” Wepwawet predicted.
“I won’t!”
In the room, a being seemed to form. A shimmering dance of particles coalesced into a muscular humanoid form with a canine head.
“It’s what your brother wants,” the being said. “When I bring you the restored amulet, you will make the wish.”
“Never!” Kevin cried.
Kevin peeked over the covers and saw the wolfish head atop the man's shoulders as the being threw back its head and howled.
From within and without the house, other howls answered as the being Wepwawet vanished in a puff of smoke that left behind the lingering scent of rotting fish and something slightly floral.
Kevin’s eyes fluttered open in darkness and he lifted his head off the pillow. “Did all that just happen?” Kevin wondered, as he reached out and turned on his bedside lamp.