SSS PROLOGUE

      PROLOGUE

A boy finds a name

John Black crept into the house through the back door of the old town house in the kitchen. His eyes saw clear as daylight in the dark kitchen as he gathered up bread from the pantry and other food stuff. He made his way through the kitchen looking for treats but could find none. He walked on through the house looking around for jewelry and whatever he could find to put in his bag. He had

He was eating a cheese sandwich poking through draws for money when he felt someone watching him. He turned slowly around toward the staircase leading upstairs to see a woman with flaming red hair in a long dress smoking a cigar staring at him as she sat on the stairs.

The woman's eyes seemed to glow as she stared him. No. She was staring past him. through him, into some world or place he couldn't see. He felt like she was seeing everything about him knew all the secrets some he knew and some he didn't know. She seemed like a ghost or some other worldly being. She said nothing and didn't move. She was fixed to her position like she had always been there and he hadn't known it.

“Are you a ghost?” He asked in voice that revealed his own fears of the supernatural and magical world.

The woman's lips formed a strange fearsome smile. “They call you John Black. You don't know where you come from but I do. Your mother was a maid. Her mother was a slave brought over from the southern regions of old magic and ancients secrets. Your father was a worthless male but he loved your mother and he was loyal to her. He took her away and they worked here in the city in the house old a master thief. Her boss killed your father first and then your mother when he found her but before all that he cursed you. He's a mean, evil, wizard. I should know. He did me dirty as well. Yeah. They call you John Black but that ain't your name.” She said.

“What is my name?” John asked knowing that the old lady had to be some type of seer. He felt everything the woman said was true and she scared him.“You know what you don't need to say anything else. I'll be going.” He said and tried backing away putting down the bag as a chill went down his spine.

The old lady shook her head. “Styx Shadow. Yeah. That's your name. It suits your magical nature and that trick you have of turning invisible. I should know.”

“Because your a Seer.” Styx said. The name suited Styx. It was something he claimed automatically because it was his name. It was something he could own to and believe to be true because he knew it belonged to him.

The old lady shook her head. “I see the past. I see the nature of mortals great and small. Your birth Mother called you Little Prince in her native tongue but your no prince. Your Styx Shadow. I know because I'm your Momma Fiona. Happy Birthday.” She said giving him a scary smile and then started to laugh.

Styx turned and ran for his life for the front door. I have to say his reaction wasn't surprising or at all out the ordinary to any one that has every met a Seer of the past or future. I do wonder though. Why? Why did he return? That is something I can not understand so well. She never did discuss with him anything more about his future the seven years they spent together and of course Styx never did ask another thing about his past.