The creature stepped closer, hooves clopping on the floor.
"There's details of which you should be aware," the being said in tones meant to be persuasive but simply coming across as unctuous and mildly repellent.
"Jared's my brother," Kevin delivered with the most confidence his pre-teen body could muster in the face of a being with eons of experience on its side. "That's the only important detail."
The being made a "clop, clop" sound as it tiptoed closer. "He's so happy, if only he would stop his silly resistance," Wepwawet claimed. "You could help him, dear boy."
Kevin listened to the creature speak with a voice that rasped as if the being didn't often use words to communicate. The bizarre snout opened and closed out of synch with the voice. Beneath the voice, Kevin heard something that reminded him of nails scraped across a chalkboard. He felt himself urged to respond.
"How?" Kevin asked, keeping an unwary watch on the nearby creature.
"Encourage him to enjoy himself," the being said. "The form and the function will come easily if he will cease his silly struggle."
"No," Kevin retorted and narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so interested?"
The being had flinched at Kevin's emphatic refusal, but now Wepwawet recovered. "I bridge the ways between worlds," it explained. "It's my job, and I'm really quite good at it."
Kevin remained unconvinced.
"Even now, he's remembering what it was like," the being said in a tone part growl, part purr.
"He is not," Kevin said. "He wants to stay human."
"Shall we wager?" The being clasped skeletal hands together and advanced.
"Huh?"
"If he's not thinking his little doggie thoughts, I will go away and bother you no more," the being said. "But, if he is..."
"What?"
The being gave a cold smile. "You'll see."
Foolishly, Kevin agreed. "I know he's not," Kevin said. "We just talked, and he wouldn't lie to me."
The being snapped skeletal fingers. "Remember what I told you," it said. "Help him be content."
"What?" Kevin asked, but the being vanished in a puff of dust particles that swirled slowly to the floor.
Downstairs, he heard the back door open and close. "Kevin! We're back."
Kevin rushed downstairs and saw his brother and the sheepdog standing in the kitchen. Without hesitation, he threw himself into Jared's arms. "I'm so glad you're back," he said.
The sheepdog whined for attention.
"I'd really like to shower my body," Jared said. "Would you mind giving our ordinary sheepdog his dinner?"
The sheepdog whimpered again.
Kevin let go of his brother and backed off. Jared smiled.
"Now, be a good boy for Kevin," he said, patted the dog's head, and handed the leash off to Kevin.
Kevin returned Jared's smile, but as soon as his brother left the room, he got on his knees in front of the sheepdog. "Jared, are you in there?"
The hungry dog woofed and rushed over to the counter. He sat, expectantly, gazing up where he knew the shiny food bowl was kept.
"Forget food, boy. Something's not right..."
The dog woofed again.