Hunted

In the distance, I hear her. Her voice is loud and strong...and terrifying.

The golden glow of the setting sun casts the forest in a beautiful light. Too much light. I make a noise, signaling for my baby to find me and take refuge in the bush that is behind me. It is the only one in sight.

I am completely still, hidden in the leaves. Only my eyes are moving, as I scan my surroundings.

Through the foliage, I watch in fear as a formidable creature glides silently toward the bush I am hiding in.

She perches on the branch of a nearby tree. With an ominous turn of the head, the barn owl scans her surroundings, calculating her next move with cunning intelligence.

The leaves cover me with darkness, and I know she cannot see me, but still the adrenaline rushes through my system. My heart pounds loudly and fills my ears.

Through the thumping, I hear my baby, making his way to find me. As quietly as possible, I make the noise to signal danger, hoping my noise will distract the owl from noticing him.

It's too late. The owl sees him. I think fast, intent on protecting my baby from the danger that surrounds us.

I signal to him again, telling him to find refuge in the bushes. The owl has her gaze locked, but before she can make her move, I interrupt her focus and sprint from my station, right into her line of sight.

Immediately, she notices me and my baby disappears into the safety of the bushes. Before I can plan my next move, the magnificent owl moves swiftly from the branch and glides in my direction.

The sound of my baby crying for help fades behind me as I run for my life.

Her talons graze the gray fur of my tail. She is closing in fast. The opening is large and I don't have time to change directions or I risk losing speed. The nearest refuge is a large oak tree, covered in ivy. I scurry up the leafy trunk, praying that I find an empty hole to hide inside.

The owl regroups and stations herself on the tree right next to the one I am climbing. Her head moves slowly, as her black eyes track my every move.

At last, I find a deep hole on the side of the tree. I almost missed it, for it was covered in leaves. I don't dare to look behind me, and quickly scurry inside. Immediately, I come face to face with a big, red squirell. Angrily, he chases me out of the hole that is his home. The owl watches the whole thing.

As I continue up the tree, I fall into a shallow hole that is at the top. The carnivorous bird sees that I am stuck before I can even comprehend it, and makes her next move. I look back slowly, in fear, and see her land on the branch right next to me. The last rays of day illuminate her face in hues of orange and pink. I think to myself, how can something so beautiful be so terrifying?

She lunges forward and aims her sharp beak at my head. I jump back in terror but her aim is good, and she bites my left ear. She almost catches me, but I slip out of the shallow hole just in time and hurry back down the tree.

I think of my baby, hoping he made it back home. That's when I hear him, crying quietly. He is still hiding in the bush, frozen in fear.

Finally, the sun has set, and the owl restations herself above me as I head back into the opening. The shadows cover me, and I signal for my baby to follow my voice. He screams with excitment and we reunite in the bushes. I tell him to be quiet. The owl is still tracking us, so we must stay in the shadows and be silent and fast.

And we take off. Sprinting through the dark forest, we head back to the tree where our hole is.

She follows in our direction, but we are saved by the darkness, and soon, we are home.