Immortal Shadows

Carlos Gets A New Pet

Suddenly, A man with a black laurel wreath on his head, Long black hair, Pale skin, He had golden eyes. He carried a scythe. The Man from The painting. The man swung his scythe at Carlos, Carlos wanted to react or to scream in terror but he didn't. The scythe struck Carlos in the back as his back exploded in pain.

It was like someone had driven a hot rusty knife into his back. Carlos screamed as the man ran his scythe from his upper back to the small of his back. Once the man yanked away his scythe Carlos immediately felt a bit better. He felt something heavy on his back as if someone had dropped a backpack full of bricks on him. He turned to see wings, Inky Black wings with at least a 20 foot wingspan. 

Carlos focused on the wings, He focused on moving them. Slowly but surely, The wings flapped and as the air hit them Carlos winced, They Hurt. Carlos got to his feet and looked around, Everything around him was dead. The trees, the wildlife, Everything. Carlos looked behind him and stared the man down. 

He felt an odd but comforting feeling from this man. He simply bowed "Thank You." He said and as he was bowing the man put his hand on Carlos's head which shocked him. Not nearly as much as what the man said next though."No Need To bow in front of your Father." The man said and Carlos shot up "What." He said "Forgive me, For I have never sired children before." The man said.

 Why was he talking so weirdly? "For I am Thanatos, Personification and God of Peaceful Death, afterlife, underworld, cemeteries, graves and tombs" Thanatos said as a pair of wings similar to Carlos's sprouted from his back. Carlos was amazed, His Dad, RIght In Front Of Him. He didn't know how to feel. It made sense to him in hindsight, His touch of death, His slow heartbeat, his pale skin. This man was his father and he had no idea how to feel.

 Most kids would be ecstatic, Finally knowing who their father was after so long. Carlos wasn't most kids, Yes, This was his father and he was glad to have met him. Then again, He was part of the reason His mother and brother had been ripped away from him. If he remembered correctly which he did, Thanatos was the one who led spirits to the underworld. Carlos simply formed a weird and wonky smile which was clearly fake and forced.

 "I can sense you don't know how to feel about me." Thanatos said Carlos only nodded "That is fine, For I have not any thoughts on how to feel about you. Children, admittedly do not fall into the list of things I am known for." Thanatos said "Virgin god" Carlos stated and Thanatos nodded. "So, Why am I here then?" Carlos asked somewhat resenting the god.

"Your mother was an angel upon mankind, She was beautiful and I couldn't resist." Thanatos said as he spoke as If every word pained him to say. "So why'd you do it then!" Carlos shouted in rage as the shadows around him started to act up again. "Why'd you take her!? Why'd you kill her!?! Why!?" Carlos shouted. Thanatos looked away. "I took no pleasure in taking your mother or your brother Evan away from the land of the living." Thanatos said as if it hurt for him to speak.

"Yet you did." Carlos said as he looked down "You still took them away from me." Carlos said "They are in Elysium, Eternal happiness will be-" "I don't care!" Carlos shouted as hot tears of sheer annoyance, anger, and hatred rolled down his face. "What about me!? What about my happiness!? Don't you care about me!? I'm your son!" Carlos said as Thanatos looked at him with a pained expression.

"Stop giving me that look and say something!" Carlos demanded as Thanatos placed a hand on his head and Evan's last words came to him again 'Don't be so angry, Okay?' How could Evan say that? How could he ask him that? Evan would be angry too. "I understand you are distressed...You are confused by what you have just seen...You're wondering how could your life be torn away from you so easily." Thanatos said.

"You don't know me." Carlos said "I know you well enough that I know you want to get revenge. Revenge on the person that has taken Diana and Evan away from you, For it is your fatal flaw, You Are Vengeful. You can not, and will not stop until the person that has wronged you is out of commission...Permanently." Thanatos said as he put his hand on Carlos's shoulder.

"Think what you may, but please know this.You Are my son,You are a child of death. You are a miracle Carlos..It would do you well to not forget it." Thanatos said as he faded away. Carlos, Stared at the air that used to be Thanatos as he pondered his words. Carlos heaved a sigh as he stood, He noticed something he hadn't before, The wound on his shoulder had cleared up and turned into a scar in record time. Now that he thought about it, His back didn't hurt nearly as much as it did earlier.

Carlos couldn't help but groan in frustration as he thought about what had just happened. His dad was a god? Carlos sure wasn't feeling too godly at the time. These were the times where he wished there was a handbook or guide to life. Carlos took a single step and his face planted against the ground. He urged himself to stand up but he couldn't move.

Something was weighing him down and he realized he'd forgotten all about the wings on his back. He got angry at this as he tried to stand up only for it to not work a second time. 'Disappear!' Carlos shouted in his head angrily as the wings then furled up and disappeared into black mist. Carlos then stood up and he looked around, His senses flared as he felt something watching him. Carlos grumbled, He didn't have time for this.

 A low canine growl rang throughout the area as Carlos jumped a bit. In the darkest area the leaves rustled as Carlos took a step back. A loud ear shattering bark rang through the forest and that was all Carlos needed before he took off running. He could hear something chasing after him, whatever it was. It was big because Carlos could hear loud thumping sounds which he suspected were falling trees.

Carlos's lungs started to shorten as he tried to breathe but it didn't work as his lungs started to hurt. Carlos had a choice between dying painfully by some type of dog souped up on steroids or oxygen deprivation, Both were really bad options but if He had to choose he'd pick the latter. Carlos ran as far as he could but inevitably he started to lose speed and consciousness as he held his breath to stop his lungs from burning.

Carlos mistakenly took a breath and it felt like he was inhaling pure fire as he coughed violently as he collapsed onto his knees trying to get his breath back. That was when the sun disappeared and standing over him was a rottweiler the size of a camper van. Carlos closed his eyes as he prepared for his inevitable end which never came as the rottweiler licked him.

"Ew!" Carlos shouted as he was now covered in dog drool "Come on!" He said as he tried to wipe the drool off his arms. Carlos glared at the dog as the dog tilted its head playfully at him. Carlos stared into the mutt's eyes as his eyes softened for a fraction of a second. Carlos reached out and he really hoped he wouldn't lose his hand over this. He gently rubbed the dog right in-between its eyes.

The mutt stuck out its tongue and started panting and Carlos smiled a bit at that. "What's your name, Buddy?" He asked as the dog started barking which Carlos frowned at "You don't have one do you?" Carlos said which the dog barked at and he hoped that meant 'You're right' and not 'I have a name, Jerk'.

"I'll call you...Cerberus, After the big dog himself" Carlos said and Cerberus seemed to like this name because he wagged his tail and licked Carlos happily. "Dude! You gotta stop doing that!" Carlos said as he tried pushing the dog off him.