Chapter 1, Year of the Dog.
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As my life progressed, my appearance started to be more and more like my fathers. The only thing diffrent was my blue eyes. I also has ths weird mark on my chest. My mother says its the Year of the Dog symbol, but I don't know where it came from. My father said it just started out as a brown spot when I was born.
Soon after, my little sister was born. Her name was Socks, because she always loved to play in my owner's socks! She was a ginger, like my mother. Yet she had brown eyes. She also had a white tail, though thats from my grandmother. I also checked to see any marks but I seemed to be the only one. Socks and I loved to play. I would always win the play fights and she would always win at Hide and Seek. We were both fast, so we would always win in tag. Even wth playing other dogs in the apartment! Our friends were Hiti, a spotted pup, and Greg. A really smart dog who has brown fur, but it;s starting to grow gray out of age He loves to watch us play wth his neice. It blows my mnd about how much he knows about my owner's kind.
One day, out of curiosity, I asked Greg about the mark on my chest. He told me he would get to me after reading the owner's books. You see, his owner is an old libraian lady who is retired. She still has some old, left-over books to read again. Most of them are legends and hstory books. Also romance, even though she WAS married.
Who knew what Greg found out what would change my famlily's, friends, and my own life, forever.
"Tobias! Tobias!" an old voice shouted out of the window.
I moanded and blnked open my eyes. I peered out of my soft, red bed and saw ears pricking up. My mouth opened for an incoming yawn and stretched my legs. My feet carried me out of my bed and looekd out the window to see a blury brown and grey dog. "Greg?"
"Tobias! Open this door quickly!" his 'british' accent ordered.
I jumped on windowcouch and turned the handle. Then pushed with my might to open the large window. The old dog jumped in quickly, and my groggy eyes opened wide with admirration. I never saw him jump like that untill that time Hiti almost drown. That ment somehting was troubling him.
"Greg? What's wrong?" I asked nervously.
"Tobias, remember that time when you asked me-"
"About the mark? Yea," I titled my head in confusion, "Why?"
"Come with me, and I will show you."
![[User Posted Image]](http://www.zodiac-signs.org/images/chinese-zodiac-signs-3.gif)
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When I arrived n Greg's apartment, I followed him to a special room. The room with all the books. As we walked in, I was amazed at how much books were in there. So many books. Though I have been here plenty times before, it never ceases to amaze me. I think Greg feels the same. Everytime e walk in, he smiles greatly. Though something felt terribly wrong. He wasn't smilng. He was frowning.
We came across this table and saw an opened, leathery book on it. It looks so old! Older then Mrs. Hanker, Greg's owner. As he jumped on a big, velvet chair, he waited for me to jump. I tried my best and then jumped on a toad stool, tryong to find my balance before I can fully sit down. Once I settled, he stared starit into me, and I gulped.
"Okay, what's going on?" I squeaked, but in a brave way.
"Read this," he retorted, putting his paw on the dusty page. It took me a while to relize he was ponting to a passage.
I peered inside to see the following paragraph:
Year of the Dog-
Durng the Year of the Dog, a special animal is born. This animal is a dog. The Sprit of the Dog then choses a new host when it's old one has died. Or it makes the new one by itself in a mother's womb. When this dog born, the sprit goes inside it and takes it's form. It does not control it, but it helps is control the dog's powers. This could be inherited or a random choice. The Year of the Dog Spirit is said to be male, so it's hosts are only male. Though on a rare occasion, it choses a female. When the animal is at it's full power, the spirit takes control to calm it down, or use it's power. The 'birthmark' on it's fur lights up, indicating that the spirit is taking over. When the animal is born, and the spirit goes inside of it, and the mark appears anywhere on the body in where the spirit entered. This mark is in the form of the spirit's symbol. So if your dog has a Year of the Dog symbol somewhere around it's body, its most likely to be the protector of a new year.
I looked up from the book and peered at Greg. A shocked, scred, and excited look was on my face. "So....im a protetor of something? And I have...powers?"
My old friend just stared at me with a look of sorrow, and protection in his eyes.
"You must leave now."