nothing but the far off rustle of a few lingering leaves on the winter trees, blowing in the wind. I stepped out from under the shelter of the porch and took off on the trail toward the highway. I walked as fast as I could, considering the large boots and my still awkward familiarity with walking.
I felt as though I had been dropped here from another world. I had to wonder what world? Would someone recognize me? I knew nothing beyond the last two weeks of my life. There were instincts that told me I was different, that the fact I could also be an owl wasn’t something to flaunt but hold private. I understood basic things as I said before, but how did I know them?
Perhaps my answers lay with the one I was supposed to find. Seeing him would solve all my problems.
I knew it.
EMILY:
All the guests had finally left. My mother had collapsed on the couch downstairs, now snoring. Watching her, I didn’t know how she could manage to sleep at all—my heart hadn’t stopped aching. I walked upstairs to my bedroom where I found Wes. He lay across my bed on his stomach, legs sprawled and mouth open, also snoring. My pink comforter was tangled over his body, making me smile for the first time today. There was a gentle creak from the rocking chair in the corner of my room. I jumped, expecting to see Jake, but it wasn’t Jake sitting in it this time. It was Lacy.
I breathed deep. “You scared me,” I whispered.
Lacy shrugged. She didn’t seem to care what she had done to me, good or bad. That was just the way she was.
I looked back at Wes. My once fond admiration of his sleep was now replaced with annoyance. I hated when Wes dozed off and left me alone with Lacy. Frankly, I didn’t have the energy to care whether she liked me or not, but still, I felt rude not saying something. I guess what was useful with our forced companionship was that we shared a similar feeling—a feeling of loss.
“I’m sorry about you’re owl, Stella.”
Her eyes flashed away from the wall to me, looking so much wilder than her brother’s. “You mean Missy,” she corrected. The ongoing fight as to what to call the owl still lingered even after her death. Wes had nicknamed her Stella, which I had to agree was a cuter name than the Missy name Lacy had given her.
“I’m sorry about Missy,” I corrected. “I know she was like a sister to you.” I didn’t like being stuck in the middle of their name fight. I needed to remember to flip flop from one to the other depending on who I was with.
“You can’t understand,” Lacy grumbled.
I found that a pompous statement, given the circumstances. “I can try.”
I could see Lacy’s shoulders soften and she leaned forward in the rocking chair. Perhaps she would open up to me for once. “She was the only thing I had for so long. I envied her, even. Missy could be who and what she was. She had simple emotion. She had a simple life.”
I smiled, “And a crush on Wes.” It was a daring thing to say, but it paid off.
Lacy laughed. “Yeah. Seriously.”
“Missy loved you most, though. You just couldn’t see that from your perspective.”
“No, I couldn’t.” Lacy was staring at her hands, rubbing her thumbs together with her fingers folded together.
“Wasn’t it obvious when she gave her life to protect you?” I continued. Lacy deserved as many condolences as I did. Unfortunately, human’s never understood consoling someone so gravely for what seemed to them a simple lost pet. Stella, or Missy, wasn’t just a pet. Though Missy had been a thorn in my side with her constant jealousy over Wes, I now admired her devotion as a friend.
“I guess you could say she’s in a better place.” Lacy offered.
I nodded in agreement. “I’m sure she’s with Jane.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and we fell into silence. Many minutes passed before the silence was interrupted by a snort from Wes. I looked over at him in time to see his eyes open a crack. He mumbled something but I
I felt as though I had been dropped here from another world. I had to wonder what world? Would someone recognize me? I knew nothing beyond the last two weeks of my life. There were instincts that told me I was different, that the fact I could also be an owl wasn’t something to flaunt but hold private. I understood basic things as I said before, but how did I know them?
Perhaps my answers lay with the one I was supposed to find. Seeing him would solve all my problems.
I knew it.
EMILY:
All the guests had finally left. My mother had collapsed on the couch downstairs, now snoring. Watching her, I didn’t know how she could manage to sleep at all—my heart hadn’t stopped aching. I walked upstairs to my bedroom where I found Wes. He lay across my bed on his stomach, legs sprawled and mouth open, also snoring. My pink comforter was tangled over his body, making me smile for the first time today. There was a gentle creak from the rocking chair in the corner of my room. I jumped, expecting to see Jake, but it wasn’t Jake sitting in it this time. It was Lacy.
I breathed deep. “You scared me,” I whispered.
Lacy shrugged. She didn’t seem to care what she had done to me, good or bad. That was just the way she was.
I looked back at Wes. My once fond admiration of his sleep was now replaced with annoyance. I hated when Wes dozed off and left me alone with Lacy. Frankly, I didn’t have the energy to care whether she liked me or not, but still, I felt rude not saying something. I guess what was useful with our forced companionship was that we shared a similar feeling—a feeling of loss.
“I’m sorry about you’re owl, Stella.”
Her eyes flashed away from the wall to me, looking so much wilder than her brother’s. “You mean Missy,” she corrected. The ongoing fight as to what to call the owl still lingered even after her death. Wes had nicknamed her Stella, which I had to agree was a cuter name than the Missy name Lacy had given her.
“I’m sorry about Missy,” I corrected. “I know she was like a sister to you.” I didn’t like being stuck in the middle of their name fight. I needed to remember to flip flop from one to the other depending on who I was with.
“You can’t understand,” Lacy grumbled.
I found that a pompous statement, given the circumstances. “I can try.”
I could see Lacy’s shoulders soften and she leaned forward in the rocking chair. Perhaps she would open up to me for once. “She was the only thing I had for so long. I envied her, even. Missy could be who and what she was. She had simple emotion. She had a simple life.”
I smiled, “And a crush on Wes.” It was a daring thing to say, but it paid off.
Lacy laughed. “Yeah. Seriously.”
“Missy loved you most, though. You just couldn’t see that from your perspective.”
“No, I couldn’t.” Lacy was staring at her hands, rubbing her thumbs together with her fingers folded together.
“Wasn’t it obvious when she gave her life to protect you?” I continued. Lacy deserved as many condolences as I did. Unfortunately, human’s never understood consoling someone so gravely for what seemed to them a simple lost pet. Stella, or Missy, wasn’t just a pet. Though Missy had been a thorn in my side with her constant jealousy over Wes, I now admired her devotion as a friend.
“I guess you could say she’s in a better place.” Lacy offered.
I nodded in agreement. “I’m sure she’s with Jane.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and we fell into silence. Many minutes passed before the silence was interrupted by a snort from Wes. I looked over at him in time to see his eyes open a crack. He mumbled something but I
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