Michael had been back at home for two weeks now, at his parent’s place, during his summer break from studying at college. Although he had taken up a job at one of the supermarkets, boredom had set in fairly quickly in the small town where he was. There just wasn’t much to do, living on the outskirts of Hilldale, a township of barely ten thousand people. All of his friends had moved away from here long ago. His parents, too, were on a long holiday, leaving Michael pretty much on his own. The long hours spent watching television and wandering around the Internet provided some limited entertainment, though not nearly as much as he wanted.
It was a warm day, one where the summer sun would beat down harshly if you stood in its light for too long, but was still comfortable enough in the shade. Michael looked at the basement door. Maybe there was something of interest down there. He opened the door, flicked on the basement’s neon light, and stepped down a short flight of steps, into a room filled with a collection of old boxes and discarded junk. His dad never threw much out, and it inevitably gathered in here. He spent a while searching through the boxes, reading through dusty old magazines and reminiscing about items from his childhood - old toys, a collection of basketball cards, trophies from the sports teams he used to be in as a kid. Then a small, polished box caught the corner of his eye. Michael dug it out from amongst several other containers. It was difficult to open, requiring a great deal of his strength, but he eventually managed to flip the lid. Inside the box was a circular shaped amulet and an ancient note that was faded to a dull yellow. The amulet must have been worth a fortune, Michael thought excitedly to himself, admiring the paws inlaid on either side with precious gems. If those gems were real…
He decided to take the medallion and note upstairs, where the light was better. Carefully, Michael placed the amulet on the coffee table in his living room, and unfurled the note, reading the old, flowing script carefully.
" What?" He muttered, not really taking seriously what he was reading. The man said he had been transformed, which happened, according to the date, at least eighty-two years ago.
Michael couldn’t take the note that seriously. But, it had gotten a hold of his curiosity. He looked at the amulet, and placed his fingers on the inner part of it, twisting the dog’s paw around. So that was true, at least. So, if he turned it so it was just to the right of where the arrows met… it’d only be a day. He checked the note again to make sure.
" You’re an idiot." He said to himself. Still, the idea interested him, being a dog for a little while. It was worth a try. Not that the thing would work. It couldn’t.
Michael placed the side with the dog’s paw on his chest, feeling the gems and glass touch his skin. After a moment, nothing. He should’ve known it wouldn’t work. Then, a strong burning sensation invaded his skin where the amulet touched. He looked at the note frantically. The last type of dog, or maybe any canine, which he had witnessed…
Michael tried to remember. A tingling sensation touched his ears…