The Amulet

by Anonymous

James had been traveling through thick jungle for a week now. The heat was unbearable and it was getting harder and harder to keep up with his native guides. But regardless of the conditions he was determined to find that temple.

It all started three months earlier when he had read a great deal about an ancient temple holding vast wealth. James wanted it and he wanted it bad. So he hired a crew of some guides and plenty of men to carry booty. Unfortunately he had not planned on transportation once he reached the jungle. On the first day he had lost a member of his crew to quicksand.

Now his remaining members were growing restless and if he didn't find anything soon they would surely desert him. Thinking quickly he searched the surrounding area for any signs. Eureka! On an old tree he found a strange insignia carved into the wood. It looked extemely old and that was very good indeed.

"Mikki-Kai, come and translate this."

The Indian man quickly made his way to the tree. "It looks like Drazzi-Kami...... let me think....... 'To reach the sacred world of------------- th-n yo- mu-t....' I'm sorry sir but I can't make out parts of it.... They're worn away by time...."

"Well look harder! I'm not paying you five hundred thousand dollars for this!" James was furious. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted his men leaving. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"This is not worth the money.... Besides it is a bad omen to desecrate a temple."

James looked dubiously toward his translator. "Tell me what it says.... then you may go...."

"Alright............ 'To reach the sacred world of....... of.......' I think it says Damma-Kur...... I'm not sure though.... anyways... 'To reach the sacred world of Damma-Kur then you must go through the twin boulders of the demons.....' That's all it says... may I go now?"

"Yes... get out of here you coward...." And with that he scurried off.

James sat there for about a day. How should he know where the 'Twin Demon Stones' were..... It was night now and James was alone. Many eerie sounds came from the forest. Several times he could have sword that he saw things moving in the foliage.

Suddenly there was a tremendous roar. A unimaginable beast was charging at him! James ran like hell until he was clean out of breath. He stood beneath two huge statues that looked like the beast behind him! "Holy Shit!" and he began running again. He ran until he reached something that kind of looked like Stone Hedge and in the center there was an altar with an amulet on it. The amulet shined in the moonlight. It was covered in gems rubies and gold. In it was carved a strange symbol.

"All this trouble for this! One lousy little amulet! Aaaah! I can't believe it!" James was really pissed but after he heard more roars in the distance he grabbed the amulet and ran.

James woke up in the middle of a clearing, the amulet still in his hand. He didn't remember anything after running then blacking out. He looked around to try to get his bearings and decided he was lost. Cursing to himself he sat in the grass for a while. It was day now and he heard no more roars. Just birds chirping. He looked at the amulet. It was suddenly so strange yet beautiful. It was so... so... alluring..... So shrugging he put it on, got up, and began walking.

After about an hour James began to get hungry so he looked for something edible. While reaching for some fruit he stopped dead in his tracks. The back of his hand was covered in a light layer of fur and the rest of his arm was a brownish tint. To his horror his other arm was the same! Not even thinking he began running again. Running for longer then he could remember. Then he tripped on a root in the path. Slowly he rose.

To his horror the fur on his hand and arm was getting thicker. He looked down past his shorts and his legs had fur on them too. He screamed aloud. "How could this be happening?" he thought.

There was a racking pain in his lower back and a great pressure built up around his bum. He pulled at his shorts until a tail came out of them! He was horrified.

After an hour of sleeping the fur had gotten much thicker and you could barely see the skin under it all. His chest and face were also covered. The tail got longer and bushier. It was also a brownish color. He could swear his nose was larger too. His arms seemed to be getting scrawny along with his legs. He was rapidly losing weight now. His cloths no longer fit so he tossed them away.

Then he thought " Of course! It must be The Amulet!" but when he wen to grab it the hand that was holding it changed into a paw! His other hand was still progressing normally but the closer any limb got to the amulet, the faster the change went. He screamed again only this time it was very hoarse.

His feet had gotten a great deal smaller and they were getting leathery on the bottom, along with his palms. His fingers were shorter and hard to use. His right hand was completely a paw thanks to the amulet. His face was definitely forming a snout. His ears had moved toward the top of his head and grown fur. The tail was large and bushy and his muzzle grew large amounts of fur.

He found that instead of sobbing he was whimpering now. Suddenly with a sickening grinding noise his knees reversed and he was forced onto all fours. He found this more comfortable anyway but when he tried to stand up, a great pulling sensation brought him down. James was definitely much smaller now but he could view things in such a new way.

James was scared yet curious at the same time. He could hear great and his vision was excellent as well. He also found that he could move much faster so, since he was still hungry, he began to run. The wind was refreshing as it blew past his body. He was enjoying it!

He soon came upon a jeep that looked familiar. Then he realized it was his jeep! The crew was all seated in it and the translator was smiling. James was furious at the mutiny but when he tried to yell out all he could manage was a low growl. The translator laughed. "James, James, James. I warned you about the temple but you insisted."

One of the crew members quickly snatched the amulet from about James's neck and hastily put it in a crate surrounding it with hay. To James's horror there was a large metal cage on the back of the jeep. The translator continued. " Well since you obviously cannot pay us now..... I hear that wolves sell as good pets and as good skin rugs back in you're country."

Then all of them laughed. The laughter faded as darkness surrounded him after a blow to the head. James was on a route to a new home... He screamed again.

EPILOGUE

One year later an amulet is delivered to a museum and is stolen a week later by vandals. It is now somewhere in America. As for James.... well he's got a new life now.......

The End

The Amulet copyright 1997 by Anonymous.