In No Man's Land

Making Friends

It was the same dog-like creature he saw in the paintings on the wall a while ago. He couldn’t make sense of anything right now. He doesn’t know if he should run or fight the doglike creature off. He became spellbound and paralyzed with fear. He couldn’t move.

As the creature in the form of a dog slowly moved towards him, he could now see the full appearance of the dog, the heads of snakes grew from his back, and with a serpent's tail. His fear grew strong as he began drawing back.

“I’m Cerberus and you must be the human from another world.”

“f**k me!” John exclaimed.

Dogs don't talk either because they have three heads or a serpent’s tail. Things around here are quite different from what John grew up seeing in New York City. His last dog as a kid was named after his grandpa, ‘Paulo,’ and all 'Paulo' could do whenever he saw John was to run around him playfully. He remembered that if Paulo's tail is dangling down in a loose manner and is not hidden between the back legs, he doesn't have anything to worry about. It could simply mean 'Paulo' is feeling calm, cool, relaxed, or content. But what troubled him now is the creature before him has its serpentine tail hidden between the back legs.

“You haven’t answered me, human!” Cerberus halted and fixed its glowing eyes on John.

“I don’t talk to talking dogs.”

“I am not a dog.”

“But you look like one.”

“Don’t believe what your eyes see around here. They might be deceiving.”

“Are you saying you are a human but were turned into a three-headed dog?”

John doesn’t believe in magic but he was a fan of fantasy movies. In the magic movies he has watched, anything is possible. Seeing a talking three-headed dog reminds him of the movie he watched with his ex during their first leave from WIC Company; a movie about a talking dog who happens to be a businessman but was turned into a dog by an old witch. As he remembered this movie, his mind flashed back to the paper he picked from the bus stop on his way home. ‘Could it be WIC Company is into building a device that could take one back in time or perhaps a teleporting device that could take anyone to anywhere outside his original world?’

His thoughts were interrupted by Cerberus as the creature opened his mouth to speak. “I am not a human and I was never turned into what you are seeing. This has been my nature and how I've always looked.”

“What do you want with me?” John leans on one of the oak trees that surround them. He wasn’t sure if he was seeing what he’s seeing. He thought he was hallucinating. “I get it! Oh yes, I get it now. You aren’t real. Perhaps it’s the apple I hate from Ozenzo's castle. They must have added something to the apple.”

“I’ve seen why you have not yet figured out how you got here. You see everything as unreal and I bet you’re thinking you must be asleep and will wake up soon from this nightmare. This is not a nightmare but a reality and I am real, just as you being in 'No Man’s Land' is real.”

“I will not believe anything you are saying. Soon, morning will come and all this will be gone. I will be awake on my bed, awake from all these nightmares.”

Cerberus chuckles and makes his way to John. “Perhaps I should give you a bite; it will help you wake up from that nightmare of yours.”

John quickly grabbed a tree branch and started waving it at Cerberus, “Just stay away from me you motherfucker!”

“I am not sure what that word ‘motherfucker’ means but certainly you must be the human from another world and I am here to help you.”

“If I need help, I will just go to Ozenzo and not a demonic appearance dog.”

“I am not a dog,” Cerberus pounced at John and held him down to the ground.

Cerberus hates being referred to as a dog, although his intentions with John weren’t clear but he can’t have a human insult him and go free.

“Please don’t eat me... Oh no! Spare me!” John cried out.

“I will spare you if you promise not to refer to me as a dog.”

“I promise... Please spare me!”

Cerberus moved away from John and turned to leave. “Where are you going?” asked John.

“Away from you.”

“But you said you wanted to help me?”

“I have changed my mind.”

John quickly picked himself up and ran towards Cerberus. He blocked him and pleaded in a soothing voice. “Please, I am sorry. Perhaps you could help me now. I need your help, please.”

“I offered my help and you spat at it. Move away!” roared Cerberus.

“Forgive me, I need it now, please,” John pleaded as he knelt before Cerberus.

His actions pleased Cerberus greatly. No one has ever knelt before him, not humans, not even the gods. He has been serving Hades his entire life in the underworld and all he could get was to be ignored and used as a house dog who keeps watch at the gate of the underworld. He has been guarding the gate of the underworld for eons before the battle between the warlocks and the gods began.

“Arise human. Perhaps we could be best friends.”

“Thank you.” John rose to his feet and dusted his pants. “How do I get back to my world?”