BATTLEFIELD

Next Day

David looked hard at Clifford's darkened sunglasses, suntanned face, and long brown ponytailed hair, for it was the image of a battle hardened man of the 20th century, for it was a man sitting in front of him battle scarred by war and the medallion, but David had no idea what was staring into his face, he only saw his super cool uncle, who was a little eccentric, but truly cool!

"Pedio Machis, Battlefield, I think that is a pretty cool name, Clifford," David said with complete trust in his uncle and with complete ignorance of what he was accepting from Clifford.

The family's grandfather clock in the living room began to chime. Clifford looked at his wristwatch and saw it was twelve midnight. He had succeeded in passing over the Medallion before the end of David's 14th Birthday. His mission was done. Now it was all up to David.

It started to rain harder than before, it was raining cats and dogs outside David's large three section bay window. Then there were little ding sounds coming from the window and house structure, little bits of ice were hitting everything outside, it was hailing. David ran over to the right side bay window section and opened it in an attempt to catch some hail. Napoleon was wide awake whimpering in his dog bed and started barking as the hail began entering the room.

"Napoleon, stop barking, you'll wake up mom & dad," David said as he shut the window again. Napoleon got up from his bed and ran over to David.

"OK, Napoleon, now go back to bed," David said with a commanding voice. Napoleon actually listened to David and ran back to his dog bed.

"I think we should all go to bed. Come on kiddo, lets go to bed," Clifford said as he got up from his chair trying to signal to David to end his day.

Clifford walked over to the door, turned back and said, "David, happy birthday and congratulations for being the new Keeper of the Pedio Machis Medallion."

David replied instantly, "You mean Keeper of the Battlefield Medallion!"

"Yes, David you are now Keeper of the Battlefield Medallion. Now good night and happy birthday kiddo," Clifford said in a tired manner as he left the room closing the door behind him.

Clifford walked over to the guest room, where he was going to spend the night and quietly entered his room.

David plopped on his bed still wide awake and started to look at the battlefield medallion in the stone box. He picked up the medallion by the chain and kept his right arm straight up as he laid in bed. The medallion dangled from his right hand and then he started to swing the medallion back and forth.

David swung the medallion faster and faster and of course the heavy chain slipped from his fingers, flying far from the bed and landing on the floor!

As the medallion clinked on the wooden floor, a great flash of lightening brightened the already well lit room and a terrible roar of god like thunder rumbled, then all the lights suddenly turned off. The power went out.

David knew he was not suppose to drop the medallion, plus he was afraid maybe he broke it, so in the dark David got up from the bed to look for the medallion somewhere on the floor. David frantically searched the darkened floor as more strikes of lightening lit up the room and more thunder pierced the once serene rainy night.

Napoleon began to bark safely from his dog bed, which he refused to leave, scared to go anywhere else with the lightening and thunder paralyzing him in place.

In two opposite corners of the room, Napoleon sensed that he and David were not only the living creatures in the room now. Lightening struck again and illuminated the room showing two human sized lifeforms standing motionless. Napoleon started to dark louder and more intensely, while still lying in bed. Napoleon was scared to death.