Cerberus

Writing prompt from Greg Strong on twitter

“Man bites dog”

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I stopped in front of the prison bars and looked at my business partner and room mate, Jonah.

“I go on one date, and you end locked up. What the hell where you thinking?”

Jonah sat on the ground, doing his best to look innocent. It almost made me choke on my coffee. Jonah was half Norwegian giant, topped two and a half meters, and a scar pulled his face into a permanent snarl. The eyepatch and roadmap of scar tissue just completed the look.

“I didn’t do anything,” he said, and crossed his massive arms. My ears twitched and my tail flicked back and forth, a reaction to the anger starting to spike. I took a deep breath. Being mad at Jonah would help nothing. He was my best friend, even if he sometimes had the mind of a five year old.

“You bit Zag’s dog.” I pointed out.

“It snarled at me.” Jonah defended himself.

I wanted to reach in a strangle him. “Let me get this straight. You saw a three headed dog, bound outside a bakery, and you thought you would just walk over and pet it?”

“It looked cute.”

“It’s a three headed dog, the size of a big draft horse, and it has glowing red eyes.”

“It also has a sign around it’s neck that says ‘please, do not pet’.” Zag said. I looked at the half-god who stood leaning against the wall, looking at us with humor in his eyes. I always thought Zag should be ‘more’ but he just looked like any other twenty year old. If I didn’t know his father, I’d never have thought he was the son of the god of the underworld.

“I didn’t see the sign until after.” Jonah got on his feet. “Look, I’m sorry I bit your dog.” Jonah huffed and flexed his fingers. None of us had had an easy life. We never fit into the old world. Too violent and too aggressive. Then magic changed everything. Jonah turned into his true self, and so did I. He was the half giant, and I was the cat hybrid. But we were still very much colored by our pasts, and saying sorry wasn’t easy for Jonah.

“Okay, big guy. Just don’t bite him again.” Zag unlocked the celldoor.

Jonah walked out and I grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s get home. Oh, and you owe me ice cream. I had to leave before dessert.”

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If you want to read more about Jonah and Freya? Then read my other writing prompt – Princess Fluffybutt