The Chosen: Battle with a Cerberosian Prince - PART I

CHAPTER 1 - THE PACKAGE

CHAPTER 1

THE PACKAGE

With a sudden jolt to his body, he opened his eyes. His heart was racing, his shirt was drenched, and he couldn't see anything. He could feel his body trembling, while drops of sweat ran down his arms and torso. For a brief instant his body felt paralyzed. He took a moment to calm himself down, to figure out where he was. A few minutes later, he gradually began to regain the ability to move his limbs. As he removed the sheets off his damp body, he got out of the bed and staggered towards the light switch. He could finally see his surroundings; it was all familiar to him, not so much the bedroom but the experience itself. As he walked to the bathroom, still half asleep, he looked into the mirror. Now I won't be able to go back to sleep, he thought to himself. He hadn't been able to sleep through the night for as long as he could remember.

Walking back to his bedroom, he was clearly wide-awake. He grabbed his phone from underneath the pillow and checked the time. It was 2:37 a.m. He took a deep breath, held it in for a few seconds, and exhaled. He sat on his bed with his hands on his head in frustration. Trying to figure out what to do next, he decided to go over to his desk. He took out his notepad and started to write.

When he glanced at the clock, he realized the time—it was morning. The birds were chirping, and the sun had started to pierce through the blinds. He'd been writing all night. Wow, that was quick. Writing always centered him; it gave him a sense of calm, a sense of peace. Putting his notepad away, he started to get ready for the day.

"TRISTAN."

"TRISTAN."

His uncle called for him from the kitchen. He preferred to go by TJ, but his uncle's formality was never to be questioned.

"Coming, sir," he called back.

"You don't wanna be late, so you betta get goin'."

"Yes sir, I'm almost ready."

Today was actually a big day. TJ had received multiple early offers from colleges around the country—full-ride scholarships, guaranteed. TJ had just come off the best season of his high school football career, achieving his best numbers, as a junior. He led his team to the national championship, was an All-American, and the recipient of multiple "best player of the year" awards. He was one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the country. The reason today was particularly significant was because he had appointments with USC and UCLA. Being a native to Southern California, a local college was a logical choice, and it didn't hurt that these two colleges were two of the best colleges one could attend, at least in California.

Yet with all that he had going for him, all the opportunities that awaited him—opportunities that 99% of his peers would kill for—TJ was undecided, and not just about which college to commit to. He couldn't stop thinking about his future. Everyone expected him to go to college, through a football scholarship, and maybe go pro if everything went according to plan. For his uncle, and everyone else in his life, it was automatic.

"Make sure you have gas in the car."

"Yes sir."

"You got everything you need?"

"Yes sir, I'm good to go."

"OK, I'll see you later then. Good luck."

"Thank you," TJ responded.

He got his backpack from his room, along with his car keys, phone, and wallet. As he opened the front door of the house, he saw a brown box on the porch. It had no information on it, except his name on top, written in black marker. Getting mail wasn't anything unusual for TJ; the stacks of letters on the unused dinner table were proof of that. What was a bit strange was the informality of the package. No college logo—or logo of any kind—no return address, no stamp, not even TJ's home address, which would be required to mail any package. It did have his name on it, so he knew the package was at the very least intended for him. With curiosity getting the better of him, TJ dropped all his stuff, picked up the box, and took it to his room. Before he could pass the doorway, he heard his uncle calling out to him from the living room: