The Mark of a Shadow Cat

Chapter 1

Helen

I didn't know what just happen to me. One minute I was normal, now I'm a cat being taken to somewhere different and away from my mom by a stranger claiming to my mate. James was walking away from the area where we were and walked toward an open pathway. "Say goodbye to your old life," he says, as a portal opened right in front of us. No! I don't want to go! I want to stay here! I tried to get away, but he quickly grabbed me and spoke. "No, no, no, Helen, my love, I know it's hard, but trust me. You will love, this new life, and your mother won't remember you. This of course, is temporary."

I struggled to get out of his grip. "No, Helen, no," he continued. "You're going hurt yourself." Then he moves me closer to his and over his shoulder for me to look at the forest. At my home for one final time. "There we go," he says softly as he pets me on the back. I couldn't hear my mom anymore either. I purred as he continues to pet me and started towards the portal. "It's alright, love, he whispered as I suddenly need sleep. I looked up and the sky was dark with a glorious full moon glowing on me. I yawned as James looked down and chuckled. He stopped petting me about a minute ago. Maybe that's why I was so sleepy. We were getting in a black chariot with its driver was waiting for us. Once we were inside, the driver made the chariot move. "Rest, my love. It'll be awhile before we arrive at the school, where you'll stay for training." I did just like that as I thought about what just happened to me. James was supposed to be my guardian, he was supposed to protect my mom and me. Not Separate us. His gift was supposed to help me with my magic. Not turning me into a cat.

Hours later, I must have slept through the entire ride, considering when we arrived, I woke up and seeing a big castle, one similar to where Dracula lived in Transylvania and really spooky too. I backed into James's chest as I shivered. "It's okay," James whispered, as he chuckled and kissed me a couple of times on the forehead.

"This is a school," he said, petting me on my back, making me purr so softly. "That's it, love, you just stay calm. Once we enter your room, you'll be back to normal. In the meantime, give in to your new nature. Soon you'll forget your past." He softly. Stepping out of the chariot and thanked the driver. "Welcome home, love," he continued.

He started to walk slowly into the castle. Inside, it was cold, dark, and just as spooky as the outside. I trembled as he purposely walks slow and turns the corner. Then he enters the first room on the right. It was big and beautiful. And bright, there was so much light in the room too. "Alright love, this is where you'll be staying until you complete your training," he said, as he moves towards a maple wooden desk that near a window positioned in the south corner of the room. "I'm going to set you here on the desk, considering that it's almost time for to return to your normal self."

He gently put me down on top of the desk. He later waits for a minute as I felt my body returning to normal, back to my human self. Darkness covers my body as it slowly turned me back to normal. Just like it did when I was turned into a cat. I gasped as I started breathing and looked down at my normal self. I was human again, but something about me was different. Something about me that's missing. I gasped as I just realized that every memory I had was gone. Memories about my home, my mom, everything gone and were replaced by a bunch of images of me as a I cat. "Wha-What did you just do to me?" I asked James, who looks at me with a smile and titled his head towards the side. "What do you think happened, love?" He asked me. "I don't remember, I mean, I remember being a cat for a while, but that's it," I stated, and looked down at my arm where there was an outline of a tattoo. "You gave me this tattoo, didn't you? James? Down by the creak, that's where you find me." He nodded slowly. "You gave me the gift to shift into a human, why? I love my tail, why did you take it away?" He didn't say anything at first, just looked at me and moves closed to me. Placed his head on mine, breathing heavily and nervously at the same time. "Because I love you," he said softly. "You took me from my home," I continued, as James drew closer for a kiss. "James, I want to go home, please take me home."