Forewarned (BEING REWRITTEN)

I Get A Sweet New Tattoo

I woke to a strange buzzing sound, like a droning bee orbiting my chest. In the background, the steady beep beep of my resting heartbeat pulses on the screen in a mountainous ribbon. With each beep there is a corresponding thrum of electricity against my left chest. I tried to assess my body as I laid there. Was everything there? I inhaled through my stomach to make sure I didn't have stitches down my back. Nothing. I had both kidneys. At least I thought so. I wiggled my toes. Yup, still got legs. What a relief. So what did they do? Maybe I was given superpowers. Maybe they had given me juice that makes me invulnerable to bullets, or super- strength.

Eh, not likely.

"So you're up, sleeping beauty." I heard him tinker around with something in the corner of the room before giving a small grunt. "We know you're awake." His warm hand settled on my calf. "Your brain waves are all over the place."

I slowly opened one eye, then the other. Dr. Meyer's white lab coat is blinding, like the toga of some unfortunate angel. It pulls from his portly belly and then droops in shaded folds. I tried to sit up before his hand moved from my calf to my chest. "Keep still, son. Your healing factor is still working on your chest."

"What-what did they do to me?" I demanded, my voice embarrassingly high. "And where's—"

"Shh, he's just fine." The doctor crouched down and I heard a click and the slide of metal before he retrieved the tiny dark beast. Small bat wings of velvet tumbled over his palm and hung lazily off the side of his hand. His little head was supported by the doctor's thumb as he handed him over reverently, setting him down on my chest. My hands reached up to support him before he could slide off my chest.

"We just did a checkup on him, made sure he was healthy and boy if ever!" Meyer chuffed. "He's quite a strapping chick you got there!" Before I could respond his beady gaze was trained on mine intensely. "You remember anything?" He asked with a wicked glint of a grin.

"Remember what?" I squinted.

"You know," he lowered his voice. "Dreams... visions..."

Somehow his sudden interest disturbed me. If I had a dream, he'd be the last to know. "No," I replied, feeling a sudden cold prick at my neck as the heart monitor picked up speed. He turned to look at the jagged spikes, then over at me with a telling glance. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable and tried to push myself up on my elbows again. "Can I... go now?" I asked awkwardly before catching a glimpse of something dark on my chest. "What.. what is that?"

He stepped closer, though I rather he didn't. "It's your Rider tattoo. A symbol of your connection to your dragon. It's how you can communicate with him, and he with you. And... how he can transfer his own elemental powers... to you!" The last two words were said in the same tone you'd imagine a British teenager exclaiming "pippin!" His little giggle afterwards only made it more obnoxious.

He reached out to touch it but I swatted his hand away. He only smiled wider. "Good instincts. This is also your greatest weakness. Don't show it to anyone."

It was pretty badass. I've always wanted a tattoo and this was cooler than the Boba Fett playing a clarinet rendition I always wanted. A swirl of almost Celtic knots and designs swirled and flowered on my left pec. I don't know if it was just the drugs wearing off or if the designs were actually moving, avoiding the stickers pressed to the skin.

"Beautiful," he whispered, echoing my thoughts, but in a creepier way.

Caedmon was starting to wake up. His little muzzle was nuzzling into my skin. I patted his back before feeling a pull on my right chest. My brows furrowed as I slowly reached up to rub it. It felt numb to the touch. "What did you do here?" My gaze shot to the old man, brows furrowed. If he said anything dumb, I would take him. He's a little old man. I can take him down.

"Nothing," he replied quickly.

I wanted to punch him on his stupid strawberry nose. But somehow... I just didn't have it in me. Wimp. I rubbed the numb spot in slow circles, finally feeling a small bead, like a pea-sized object nestled between my rib cage. I reached up my other hand to feel the same spot on my left pec. It wasn't there. "What did you put in me?" I tried to unleash a manly roar, like the testosterone thunder of a hero in distress. But it came out more like a super squeak of a man child with a fear of needles.

"It's nothing. Don't worry, soon you'll forget it's even there." He stepped back, not meeting my gaze.

"So there's something in there," I gasped. "Get it out, get it out!"

Caedmon squinted grumpily, raising his head slowly, his head wobbling on a scrawny neck. He turned and looked at Meyer, then unleashed a low hiss.

"Calm down," Meyer snapped. "It's not anything to hurt you. Now, you have to rest in here another half hour before you can be released. Any more questions before I go?"

"Yes, the—" I pointed to my chest furiously.

"Other than that..." He began walking towards the door.

"Okay wait!"

He paused, turning his head slightly.

"Why... why do I burn in the sunlight?" I asked, my voice barely audible. 

"Because you're a shadow dragon Rider. A beast of the night." He said dramatically. "Light is good for shadow, but too much and you'll be hurting. Don't worry, we've ordered a special uniform and glasses for you. It shouldn't be a problem for you."

Well, that didn't make sense. But I didn't say anything more as he left the room. I ran my hand over the tattoo, deep in thought. The ceiling's grid pattern sucked me in as I stared at a rooster-shaped stain. Whatever the heck they did to me, it couldn't be good. Maybe brain control or something. Maybe it was... a kill switch so they could just kill me if I turned rogue. Maybe when I eventually escaped I'd have to dig it out with my bare fingers and a knife with my pained gaze towards the mountains as I kept the screams in like a man.

But the thought of escaping led me to the thought of Glow Torch and I shivered. I didn't want that.

"Meep," Caedmon stood up, then stretched out his front paws, his little bean toes spreading, curved claws peeking out. Then he leaned forward and stretched his hind legs, his mouth opening in a yawn, tongue curling between razor sharp teeth. He gave a mighty swish of his tail before plopping his butt on my stomach and looking down at me.

"You're gonna get bigger, right?" I poked his chest. "You're gonna get real big, then we're going to be able to fly."

He tilted his head to the side, then raised up his hind leg and gave his ear a good scratch.

I reached over and pinched his wings. They felt incredibly fragile, like I could rip them with a small tug. Slowly I spread them from his body. He watched them unfurl with excitement. His tail swished against my thigh. I slowly raised and lowered them, concentrating so intensely that the room around me blurred. "One day these wings are going to be huge and mighty," I murmured. "And I'll be able to ride you and you'll take us far, far away. Where no one can dare mess with us."

"Meep!"

I laughed at his response, shaking my head. "And then you and me, we'll be like rogues. We'll sleep on rooftops and get chicks cuz all the girls will want a guy who has a dragon. Like, come on!" I released his wings and they slid back to his side. He was looking at me intensely, as if he understood every word. His tail swished faster. "I won't have to live in some random person's house because no one will be able to find me. School? Who needs that when I have you! We'll fly around the world. You know where I've always wanted to go? The Bahamas. Yeah, we'll go there." I raised my voice to up the ante. "You wanna go? You wanna go?"

This just sent Caedmon over the edge. He jumped at my face and I let out a startled huff as he bit my nose. "Hey!" I pulled him off me.

He lowered his head sadly, his ears drooping.

"Aw come on, I'm sorry," I rolled my eyes and pulled him back to my chest. I unleashed a huge sigh from my chest, then looked down at him. "Can you understand me?" I asked in a small whisper. I was about to ask him to nod if he did, but somehow didn't have it in me.

His little tongue stuck out stupidly between his black lips, eyes closed as he rested his cheek on my chest. "Mlep."

"Mlep is right, buddy," I whispered, trying not to think of what would come next in this terrifying sequence of my life.