Entry one:

I have met the most wondrous person today. Their name is Alex. Their family moved in yesterday. Maybe I should go introduce myself. I get butterflies just thinking of it. Maybe I should go see what my brother thinks.

Entry two:

I did it! I followed my brothers advice. It did wonders. Now Alex and I are going to visit the stream tomorrow. Hopefully the sun shines bright.

Entry ten:

It was raining today. News of our grandfathers passing arrived. My brother received a package containing his share of the inheritance. A cat shaped diamond. It is very pretty. I wish it could be mine. Fortunately my brother says he'll let borrow it once in a while.

Entry twelve:

Me and Alex all had our first date tonight. I was a beautiful moonlight picnic. We both had a wonderful time. We've already arranged the next date. Hopefully Alex's father doesn't find out.

Entry fifteen:

My brother has been acting strange lately. He's grumpier and more short tempered. I've have found his bed empty in the night. I tried asking about it but he keeps brushing it off. I'm worried. It may have something to do with the neighbours encroaching on our land.

Entry seventeen:

Several of the neighbours sheep were found slaughtered today. A few witnesses say that a vicious monster did it. Alex's father says that he'll track it down. Alex says we'll have to reschedule our date.

Entry twenty three:

Numerous livestock around the area have turned up dead. Sightings of the beast have increased. My brother has not been acting right lately. He's been picking more and more fights. I just don't no what to do about him.

Entry twenty four:

My brother is the beast! Alex and I were on a date tonight when we spotted the beast. Alex insisted that we follow it. We trailed it to my house where it transformed. Into my brother! I don't understand… how? I need some time to think about this.

Entry twenty six:

It's grandfathers pendant. Thats what gave my brother the ability to change. I know it. Me and Alex have been trying to find a way to either get it off him or confront him without him getting angry. I just hope we can stop this before someone gets hurt.

Entry twenty nine:

Disaster! Alex's father has found out about our affair! He has forbidden us from seeing each other again! He is sending Alex to a boarding school across the country. I don't know If I'll see my love ever again! My brother say he'll try and make things right, but I don't know if I can trust him. I need to stop him before he does something atrocious. I don't know if I can stop him, but I have to try.

Swiftshadow listened to Martin read the diary as she worked on Wilsons body. Gently removing the panels and marking the wires. She quickly located the part that Wilson wanted her to remove. She carefully began loosening the screws. She placed them to the side so she wouldn't lose them.

"Is that It?" Said Wilson who listened to the entries with rapt attention.,"thats the end?"

"All the pages are blank after this," Said Martin.

"I thinks its obvious what happened," Said swiftshadow, " The brother attacked the father who interfered with his sisters happiness. The sister tried to stop him but got mistaken for a witch and was killed for it. I'm not sure what became of that Alex fellow or why his father disapproved of the relationship,"

Swiftshadow screwed in a new part the place where the old one once was. It looked like an odd cartridge reader. She examined Wilson's instructions and started soldering wires into it.

"A mystery to be sure," Said Wilson, "It seems that there are a lot of secrets in Dulsbury's history,"

"Speaking of secrets," Said Martin, "Why did you lie about you name, Swiftshadow? And why You tell us what you where?"

Swiftshadow growled and pointed a clawed finger, "Cause I don't want to be drug off to so secret lab and experimented on,"

"The Center would never do that," Said Martin, "Who knows they might even find a cure for you,"

"What if I don't want a 'cure'. I'm not some diseased animal. Besides I'm perfect the way I am, scales and all. Now excuse me while I complete this project,"

There was a long period of silence. Swiftshadow continued soldering wires. The scent of molten lead filled the air. The heat of the iron pressed against the armour like scales of her hands. She wasn't worried. Her scales were fire proof.

She still bristled at the boys audacity. To even imply that she was somehow unwell. She liked being a dragon. She loved flying. She wouldn't change that for the world.

"Swiftshadow?" Wilson said, breaking the tense silence, "At the library, Did find anything about… You know…"

"Oh, yes, I guess I forgot during all the craziness," Said Swiftshadow. She immediately dropped the iron and reached into her back pack. She pulled out the newspaper and spread it out. The headline boldly proclaimed its article.

Local Inventor Dead By Own Invention

"What is the meaning of this?" Wilson said dumfounded.

"I don't know. I haven't had a chance to read it," She said.

Martin reached over and grasped the paper. He flipped over to the main article. He cleared his throat, "Local inventor, Wilson Hart, found dead in his house this morning. "It's a terrible tragedy." Says brother Gregory Hart Jr. "He was so young and brilliant… I miss him," His death is believed to be caused by a device of unknown purpose…"

"Please stop. I don't want to hear any more," The fans on the computer whirred. Swiftshadow could hear the tremble in the computers voice, "I don't under stand this machine shouldn't have been able to do such thing,"

"Hey, we'll figure it out together," Swiftshadow said breaking Wilson out his ramblings.

"So what was this thing supposed to do anyway?" Martin said.

Swiftshadow delved back into her work as Wilson began a tirade of tech jargon. Martin seemed to understand it about it as much as she did. She soldered the last wire in place.

"There done, Whats next?"

"Fantastic! Now all thats left is to upload me into it," A few images flashed on the screen.

"Seems easy enough," She said.

"It is a crucial but delicate step. Any damage could could essentially kill me,"

"Don't worry I'll be careful,"

A small panel slid open and a small hard drive popped out. Swiftshadow pulled it out. She looked at the device. It fit comfortably in the palm of her hand. to think that this small black box held the whole of Wilson. Everything that Wilson ever was and ever will be, his thoughts and memories was all in her hand. She promised herself that she would take care of it.

She carefully inserted it into the the robotic raptor.

Martin watched as the robotic raptor came to life. Its limbs twitched and spasmed. The cameras in its eyes shuttered open. It slowly rose to its feet.

"How are you feeling Wilson?" Swiftshadow examined the dinosaur closely.

The robot stretched out his arms and flexed its tiny three fingered hands. "Weird but functional,"

"With that out of the way we should focus on the whole curse situation,"

Martin couldn't shake the guilt that maybe that maybe it was his fault that his sister was cursed. That if he had just listened and followed Swiftshadow his sister would've made it. He let his curiosity get the hold of him and let her down. He was The Centers greatest agent yet he almost blew the mission through his carelessness. He had to set things right.

"Yes, we should," Swiftshadow began cleaning up the mess. Wilson was busy exploring his new form. "Though we should come up with a plan first. I'm not going to throw myself into an army of cat beasts blindly. Curse immunity or not,"

"This is toms truck," noted Wilson, "The drunk was always showing it off. He often came to me seeing if I could give it more horsepower,"

The shadowy sky hid the afternoon sun from view. The Swiftshadow and Martin had slept through the rest of the night and morning. They desired to be awake and alert for their move against the ghost. Wilson, meanwhile, had taken the time to get himself acquainted with his new body.

He felt oddly numb throughout his body. But he could see, hear, and move. that sufficed him for now. He can work on a more extensive tactile sensory network later. When he had the parts and time of course.

He also disassembled his machine. He meticulously examined each wire and circuit as he did so. He couldn't quite figure out his death. The date of death seemed to line up with the day he scanned his brain. He catalogued any and all variables that ay possibly lead to death but he found nothing. That was a puzzle he hoped to figure out in the future.

The future seemed somehow terrifying. He once saw future with a veneer of hope. Now he didn't see many options. He could go with martin and join this Center place. Or he could go with swiftshadow. Which was full of unknown dangers and she was all alone. Something told him that she was going to need all the help she could get.

The trio had dared to venture out at noon. They had found the village just as abandoned as before. The only inhabitant were the cats. Small adorable house cats. But if Swiftshadow's assumptions were correct, they wouldn't be so adorable once the sun went down. Swiftshadow and Martin both agreed that the cats were also the residents transformed by some curse.

Wilson was hesitant to believe them. He was never a superstitious person. He tended to see the world through a more scientific light. Anything to do with the paranormal or supernatural was met with scepticism. They searched through the area for something that could break the so called curse. They had already searched the library with no results.

"Could you have?" Martin examined the crashed truck.

"Not without severely hampering the engines life expectancy. Not that he understood that, no matter what I told him. Maybe I should've modified it. Let the man cry out in misery as the engine breaks down in a month,"

"Would serve him right." The black dragon snorted. "I can still smell the reek of liquor,"

A small mew interrupted them. A small tabby she-cat with four white paws had leaped on the trucks hood. Its bright green eyes stared at Martin pleadingly. Recognition flitted across martins face.

"Diana?" The cat rubbed its head on Martins hand. "Don't worry sis, I'll get you back to normal. I promise," A tawny cat with a leopard spot pattern sat next to the tabby. "You too Java,"

Wilson shook his head. He wasn't sure as to what to believe any more. He was half convinced that this was some elaborate prank. Another part was waiting for someone to tell him he was in a simulation and hand him a red and blue pill.

Swiftshadow stalked the area. Her nose remained close to the ground trying to pick up any and all scents. If someone once told him that he would eventually be friends with a shapeshifting dragon he would've laughed and told them they were crazy. The same went if they had told him he would've found himself in the body of a robot dinosaur.

"Any luck there, Swiftshadow?" Martin asked.

"Nada. I'm not finding anything new." Her tail twitched irritably. "There has to be away to reverse the curse. Maybe we're not seeing things right. Seek the truth of the hallowed three… And set the lost soul free… What are we missing?"

"We know that everything started with that pendent. Maybe all we need to do is remove it,"

"It seriously cant be that easy. What about the whole setting the lost soul free?"

"Its the best I got,"

"Well you're the professional. But should at least have a back up plan."

"What about that silver fire?"

"Dude, I have no idea of how I did that, much less recreate it,"

"So that was you firs time breathing fire?"

Swiftshadow spat a ball of golden fire at Martins feet causing him jump, "No, But it was the first time breathing silver fire. I can do normal fire just fine,"

"So whats the difference?"

"I don't know. It just has a different feel to it,"