The Dark Night of The Owl
A new day had been born. The sun glowed gloriously. Its golden rays fell on my face. I gazed up at the azure sky through my fingers, to avoid being blinded by the sunshine. Parts of the sky were dotted with fluffy white clouds. Other parts were stroked with clouds that were wispy and feather-like. “Is there an artist in the sky”? I canvassed. If there were an artist somewhere then they painted the sky to imperfection. Nonetheless, it is beautiful. I asked myself, “where do the clouds go”? The clouds floated aimlessly in bliss, without a care in the world. I was in the middle of a mellow meadow. The meadow oozed a kaleidoscope of colours. The plethora of flowers; daisies, violets, poppies, dandelions and more, swayed gently in the breeze. “Zzzzz”, the bumblebees’ buzzed as they few humbly bumbled by. After lying on the grass for so long, I got up to wander around in the meadow; I am one of the clouds in the sky. My bliss was transient as I had walked into some nettles – ouch! My smooth skin started to sting. The thought did not occur to me that there would be plants that sting. During my walk, I also fell. In the process, I cut my leg on some sharp stones. I walked back towards my spot to grab my rucksack. I rummaged through it to find some ointment to rub on my skin; and a plaster to cover the wound. “Ahhhh”, I screeched as I applied my ointment. I knew that my stings and cut would eventually heal; obvious, subtle, deep, or shallow. As my pain eased, my curiosity grew. The curiosity of taking another step. Does a certain idiom spring to mind? I wondered “Should I walk some more”? “Or will I get hurt again”? A monologue streamed through my mind over and over until a butterfly caught my eye. It fluttered around me and landed in the palms of my hands. It stayed there for a short while. “Why did it stay for so long”? I pondered. “If so, what was it trying to tell me”? Before I came up with an answer, the butterfly flew faraway into meadows. The meadow dimmed as the sunshine faded. As the sun melted into the horizon and the whistling winds made their presence known, I knew it was time. I walked ever so slowly towards the woodlands. Fireflies fluttered around me, just like the butterflies in my stomach. I looked over my shoulder to spot any creatures that may be lurking in the shadows. Nothing was there. I turned back round to look ahead only to see the depths of the darkness, outnumbered by the trees that stood tall and firm. The fireflies had disappeared - they abandoned me. I felt lost; I was lost. “Hoo hoo”, I heard. It was an owl, a barn owl. I could tell by its figure as it was illuminated by the moon. However, I could not see its eyes and that frightened me - not knowing whether it was glaring at me or not. The owl hooted again and then took flight. Intuitively, I followed. I knew that if I hadn’t moved, I would’ve drowned in my fears. The sudden howls of wolves echoed in the distance. I picked up the pace. "Grrrrrrr". “Grrrrrrrr”. “Owowowoooo”. My full awareness was triggered by the melodic howls. What a brisk walk had turned into a full-on sprint. I darted in the direction the owl was flying in. Luckily, I escaped, just about. The wolves stopped chasing me as I was no longer in their vicinity. They retreated into the woods. I didn’t know what I found more terrifying; being eaten by a pack of wolves or by the fear that was consuming my soul. I arrived at a small tranquil lake. My adrenaline dropped and the subtle sweeps of calmness from the lavender soothed me. “Was the butterfly a sign that something was changing"? "A transformation of some kind, perhaps”? I thought. The sun slowly ascended. Everything around me became very vivid. The grass and leaves were like emeralds and the apples on the apple trees were like rubies. I strolled over to the lake and kneeled to look at my reflection. I smiled because I knew I had found myself again.