The first few days after Freddy announced his run for mayor were a bit of a dud. Despite talking to his fellow public defenders and going through the necessary steps to begin petitioning for a place on the ballot in the fall, the needle didn’t budge one bit. No one in town was talking about his campaign and his chances of defeating the incumbent mayor were slim to none. Despite the lack of progress early on, this was about to change.
Freddy set up his first official interview in regards to his campaign and the brutal arrest from the previous week that coming Saturday. Though the news team wanted the interview to be done sooner, Freddy had made it clear he needed time to prepare and also set up an official campaign apparatus to take advantage of the interview. Although this annoyed the news team, they agreed to come by in the afternoon on Saturday, to film it at the home that he shared with Michael.
Early Saturday morning, Michael worked tirelessly around the house to make it as clean and presentable as possible for the news crew. Although he was still irritated, and becoming increasingly embarrassed, by Freddy’s quixotic campaign, he felt that at least one good thing was coming out of it so far.
“I get to show off my wonderful decorating skills to the entire neighborhood” Michael amusedly thought to himself, as he vacuumed the floor of the living room.
While Michael cleaned up the house, Evan sat with his communication device on the couch. When Michael went over with the vacuum to clean up the couch, he let out a loud cough.
“Move your feet” Michael said, before Evan lifted them up so that the bottom of the couch could be vacuumed.
When he was done vacuuming, Michael shut it off and looked at his son Evan reading on the couch.
“What are you reading there?” he asked his son.
“The news” Evan replied quietly.
“I didn’t know you were so interested in what was going on in the world.”
“I don’t know. I was just looking to see something different, that’s all. Hey, did you know there was a big robbery in Italy earlier this week?”
“Oh, that’s interesting.”
“Yeah, the front doors were destroyed at the entrance to the National Museum.”
“What?”
“Yeah, they say it was odd because they didn’t think anything was stolen there. They just said someone broke in and then didn’t take anything. They have no security footage of it or anything. Some people are saying it was an inside job. It’s so weird, you know.”
Michael stood silent for a moment, as anxiety, fear and dread consumed his being.
“Dad?” Evan asked, with concern laced in his voice. “Are you ok?”
Before Michael could respond, Freddy walked into the room, in a dress shirt, slacks, a belt and a tie. He planned to put on his jacket just as the news crew arrived. Looking at a seemingly paralyzed Michael, Freddy calmly called to him.
“Hey Michael. Is everything alright?”
After a brief silence, Michael answered.
“Can we go upstairs, please?”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“Dad?” Evan asked. “What’s going on? Why do you look so nervous?”
“Evan” Michael replied calmly. “Go upstairs and change into something more appropriate than your underwear.”
“It’s not underwear, dad. It’s—“
“Just change into something else” Michael hissed.
Startled, Evan bolted upstairs, as Freddy looked on with a serious expression on his face.
“Why did you have to get Evan all riled up like that?” Freddy asked.
“Let’s go into your office upstairs, please” Michael replied. “It’s urgent.”
Although Freddy was curious to know what was bothering Michael in that very instant, he agreed to follow him up to his home office and shut the door behind them. Noticing that they made their way into the home office, Evan, already changed into a slightly more presentable outfit, tiptoed his way across the hall and placed his head to the door in order to listen in to Freddy and Michael’s conversation.
Inside the home office, Freddy spoke up.
“What’s up with you today? If anyone should be nervous about this interview, it’s me. A lot is riding on this if I’m to have any chance of defeating the mayor in November.”
“There’s more important things than that, Freddy” Michael responded indignantly. “Someone broke into the National Museum this week.”
“So? What’s that got to do with us?”
“That’s where the Ruggeri rings are stored, Freddy!”
“Calm down Michael.”
Freddy gently placed his hands on Michael’s shoulders, which were pushed off upon his firm grasp.
“No Freddy. You need to take this seriously. The news report said someone broke in and seemingly didn’t take anything.”
“Then that’s a good thing, then. Someone tried to take the rings, but couldn’t. You should be thankful that the museum has such good security now.”
“But what if they did and we just don’t know about it yet? The museum said the security camera was shut off, so they have no idea what might have been stolen.”
“Maybe the electricity went out. Maybe the magical world interfered to stop the thief before it was too late.”
“But what if the wizard managed to break out of prison to try to take back the rings?”
“You remember what Sofya said, Michael. The wizard was sentenced to a 10,000 year prison term. They locked him up in the best security complex in the magical world. What are the odds that he managed to break out of that?”
“But what if it’s not the wizard, but someone else who knows of the rings power and tried to take it?”
“Even still, the curse was broken on the ring and I’m not going to turn into a dog anymore.”
On the other side of the door, Evan had been fascinated by the conversation taking place between his parents. It intrigued him that they may have been involved in something supernatural before he was even born. When Freddy had mentioned turning into a dog, Evan nearly jumped for joy, before stopping himself. Upon a quick composure, Evan continued to listen to the conversation taking place in the home office.
Back inside the home office, Michael continued the conversation.
“We never definitively determined whether the curse was broken or not.”
“I haven’t become a dog in over twenty years. What are the odds that it will happen now?”
“With the break in at the museum, much higher.”
“Michael.”
Freddy placed his hands on Michael’s shoulders again, this time without being rebuffed.
“Michael” he continued. “Everything is going to be fine. Just take a deep breath and relax. I’m going to prepare for the interview. You finish tidying up and let me know when the news crew gets here, ok?”
“Freddy” Michael replied. “I don’t think you’re taking this risk very seriously. I think you should be more worried than you are.”
“Everything will be fine. Now come on. Let me have a few minutes to go over my pitch.”
Michael groaned, as Freddy removed his hands from his husband’s shoulders and opened the door of the home office. When he peered out the hallway, Freddy and Michael could see Evan standing on the other side of the door.
“Evan” Freddy said. “It’s not appropriate to be listening in to other people’s private conversations.”
“I didn’t, papa” Evan replied.
“Come downstairs with me, Evan, and help me get ready” Michael said, as he left the home office.
“Can I stay with papa?” Evan asked. “I never get to spend much time with him.”
“I really have to concentrate on my pitch and prepare for the interview” Freddy replied, as Michael made his way down to the living room.
“Can I just sit and watch you? I promise not to make any noise.”
Not wanting to disappoint his son, Freddy sighed and reluctantly agreed.
“Fine” he said. “But you have to be quiet so I can work. Understand?”
“Yes papa” Evan replied, as he entered the home office. When Evan was inside, Freddy closed the door behind them.
A few blocks away from Freddy and Michael’s home, a normal, quiet Saturday morning, soon to be afternoon, could be observed. Most everyone was either out for the day or inside. This made for the perfect launching point for the wizard to arrive back into the neighborhood. Portalling himself in from Italy, the wizard let out a deep breath when he landed on the ground.
“Long distance travel unfortunately does a number on me” the wizard thought to himself, as he stood up and surveyed the neighborhood. “I haven’t been in this dreadful place in over twenty years. It looks so different and yet the same. No matter. I won’t be here long.”
Using some of his magical instincts, the wizard mentally traced the neighborhood, hoping to pinpoint the location of Freddy and Michael. After a few short seconds, the wizard marked the spot.
“Perfect” he thought to himself.
Just as he was ready to levitate, another portal opened up behind him. When the wizard turned around, he could see a large squadron of magical police officers ready to apprehend him.
“Magical police force!” the head officer yelled. “You’re under arrest for your previous crimes and now crimes of mass murder!”
“Never!” the wizard shouted back.
Time stood still, as a magical battle took place. The wizard was able to use his magic to kill several of the officers, but despite his best efforts, the police force overwhelmed him. Placing him firmly on the grass below, the officers sealed his wrists together with hand cuffs, before picking him up and hauling him away back into their portal.
If the officers had been more careful and less desperate to apprehend him, they would have noticed that the Ruggeri ring dropped from the wizard’s pocket and onto the sidewalk below. Before they could come back to retrieve it, it would already enter someone else’s possession.
Walking down the seemingly deserted block, a man looked down on the pavement below and moped. He was deep in thought about his missing dog. He didn’t have a lot of friends and his family very much kept their distance from him. His companion, a German Shepherd named Buddy, was his best, and possibly only friend. He missed him dearly and hoped that the posters plastered around town would lead to his return home.
As he absentmindedly walked about, the man stepped on the ring on the sidewalk.
“Ouch!” the man yelled, as he lifted up his foot and hopped several steps backwards. After gently putting his foot back on the ground, he looked down at the object that caused him such pain.
“Who the fuck leaves stuff lying on the ground like this?” the man asked aloud. “Doesn’t anybody respect the litter laws around here?”
Peering down at the object, the man saw the Ruggeri ring glowing brightly.
“Someone must have dropped their wedding ring.”
The man picked up the ring and began to examine it.
“Though I have to say, this may very well be the ugliest fucking ring I have ever seen in my entire life.”
Rotating it around, the man noticed something written on the back of the band.
“That’s the weirdest inscription I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Looking at it for a moment, the man began to read the magical incantation aloud.
"L'uomo al cane,
leggi l'iscrizione,
camminare su quattro zampe!"
In an instant, the ring began to glow even brighter than before. The glowing ring…