Ever since I started my regency at the hospital, I keep seeing this dark shadow, almost in a shape of a huge dog, out of the corner of my eye, and every time I try to look at it straight on, all I see is normal shadows. As the day goes on the shadow gets darker, and more defined. Red glowing eyes start to appear when midnight hits. I've asked a few other regencies but most think I'm making up a ghost story to scare them. I gave up asking after the fourth person said to stop trying to tell them a ghost story and get back to work.

The shadows never gone away, even after a month of being at the hospital, but they have never followed me home before. For what I can tell so far, whatever it is, is harmless to me, but I'm not sure if that will still apply as we walk the dark, quiet streets. I try to ignore it, and it works pretty well. Nothing bad happens as I open the door to my house and walk in. The shadow thing doesn't even follow me in. BONUS! I barely put my jacket into the closet before walking to my bedroom and falling face first into the bed, falling asleep even before my head hits the pillow.

I've never had many nightmares in my life before. This one, I wouldn't count as a nightmare, but I've never had a dream like this before either.

I'm standing in a graveyard, fog covering the ground. It's quiet as I slowly turn around. I don't expect to see anyone, and I don't, until I turn back to my original spot. Now someone is sitting on one of the headstones closet to me. Their head is down. All I can really make out is that they have dark hair that is a little to long for my taste, and a baggy World War II jacket on over black T-shirt and ripped jeans. When the person finally looks up, I gasp, his eyes glow the same eerie red, just as the shadow thing. Before I can say anything, darkness creeps up, covering the person and everything else around. When it recedes I'm looking at the bedroom ceiling. I don't forget the graveyard or person as I get ready for work.

As days turn into weeks, I still see this shadow like dog where ever I go, as does the dreams. I slowly become paranoid. I check every shadow I see to make sure this thing isn't fallowing me. I have a hard time falling asleep, as I don't want anything to creep in on my while I'm not awake. Bags starts forming under my eyes. My work slowly starts to suffer. Finally, on a day that my boss forced me to go home to sleep, I get onto my computer and try to search for what is going on, but none of it makes sense.

The results I get range from schizophrenia to a mythical creature. Not sure what to make with the results, I close everything and shut down the computer, hoping to get some sleep. Of course, sleep does not come. Instead, I get up and decide to go for a walk.

Its dark out, and no one is out. Probably all sleeping, I think as I walk down the street. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the glowing red eyes again. Instead of ignoring it, I snap and turn around yelling, "What are you!? What do you want!?" I don't expect an answer. Closing my eyes, I'm about to turn around, when something answers me.

"I don't want anything." Said a smooth male voice. My eyes open and all I see if a short, dark haired male, wearing a World War II jacket and glowing red eyes. The same person I keep seeing in my dreams.

Scared, I backup. Falling once I run out of sidewalk. Instead of getting up I craw backwards trying to get as far away as possible. I don't notice the car zooming down the street until I hear breaks screeching, pain shooting up my body, and a bang. My vision goes in and out, as I try to prosses what just happened. Between one blink and two, the red eyes male is standing over me looking scared. He looks around franticly. He must have found what he is looking for, because he lunges at something I can't see. I hear the smooth voice again asking for help, before everything turns black.

The next time I wake, I stare at a white ceiling. Turning my head to one side, I see white walls with white beds in a row. I'm in the hospital. I slowly turn my head to the other, and see a black dog sleeping on my arm. I'm not sure how long I stared at it, but I look up once the door opens. "I'm glad to see you are awake, Mr. Solace." The female nurse says, coming over to check on everything. "You are every lucky. We weren't sure you would make it to be honest." She continues.

"What happen?" I finally ask. Everything was fuzzy.

"What is the last thing you remember?" She asks instead. I tell her what I remember, without sounding crazy. "Well some driver hit you. They tried to stop in time, but didn't seem to help. They slammed into a tree after trying to avoid you. Died on impacted." Now the sound of something banging made sense.

I look over at the still sleeping dog. It kind of looks like the shadow like dog I keep seeing, but that can be real. "He hasn't left your side ever since we found you." The nurse comments. "You have a very loyal pet." She adds as I watch her leave the room.

Once the door is shut a new voice appears. "I am no one's pet." I look around the room to see who spoke. No one else is there besides the dog and me. I slowly lower my eyes back to the black animal. "Were you the one that spoke?" I asked, feeling ridiculous. No animal could talk.

"Who else?" He says. My eyes widen, and I move as far as I can.

"What are you?" I am trying to keep from freaking out, but I'm not sure if I'm doing a good job. The dog sighs before getting off the bed. I watch at is slowly becomes the male I saw before the accident. He puts his hands into the air. "I don't mean you any harm. I don't mean to scare you." I don't calm down, until he takes a step back. When he does, I notice his body isn't solid. Its transparent around the edges. 'Almost like a shadow.' I thought.

"Who are you? What are you?" I ask.

He puts his hands down. "I am what most people call a Black Dog."

"Black Dog?"

"Hellhound is another name for us." He is pouting slightly. I can't help but smile a little.

"Do you have a name?" I ask. Feeling braver the long I talk to him.

"Nico."

"It's nice to meet you Nico. My name is Will."

"I know." Nico replies while crossing his arms.

"Do you want to tell me why you are following me?" He doesn't answer for a long time. I don't put him. He seems like someone the more you push the harder it is for them to tell you anything. Finally, Nico replies. "I was doing my job and bring a soul to the underworld when I saw you. Even with all the death and sickness around you, you still radiated light. I wanted to see more of it." The last part was whispered I almost missed it.

"Why not come out of the shadows and talk to me then?"

"Because normal people can't see me, if I don't want them to. You can see through the mist. I didn't even know you could until you started getting circles under your eyes and having me in your dreams more and more."

"That's another thing that doesn't make sense. Why were you in my dream?"

"I wasn't trying to. But it seemed the more I wanted to meet you, the more you could see." I yawned at that. The pain medication must be kicking in again. My eyes slowly shut, but before I fall back into the sleeping world to tell Nico, "We can talk more once I'm awake, but for now sleep with me."

"What are you smiling about?" Nico asked. I slowly open my eyes and see him crossing his arms and glaring down at me, with the moon shining behind his back. My smile widens.

"I was just remembering when we first meet." I grab one of his hands and pulls him down into the grass with me.

"Oh." He mumbles into my shirt. "Sorry again about scaring you so much."

I just hum, closing my eyes once more, my arms wrapping around Nico. "It's a good thing you are more solid at night then during the day."

"And whys that?" Nico asks, a smile slowly forming on his face.

"I wouldn't be a very good medic if all I want to do is have my hands roam all over your body." I get a slip in the chest, before a soft kiss on the lips.

"You don't have to hold back now." Nico mumbles against my lips.