An Owl And A Dove

Kali-

I met her three weeks ago, in the snow. I had never seen anything more beautiful and was greatly embarrassed after walking right into her. She had golden-brown skin and long dreadlocks, made even more magnificent by the contrast of the dreary January sky.

Isaia-

She was a demon and I, an angel born to bring peace where she brought havoc. Both stuck in human embodiment until adulthood. From six years of age I had been trained by the Monks to rid this realm of her presence when the time came. And the time did come. When I felt her emerging power from across the English Chanel, I left Paris with the intention and instinct to do what had to be done. Then I saw her, in the snow the day I landed in England. She walked right into me. I was following a soggy map in the dim afternoon light and as soon as I felt her in my arms, I knew it was Kali. Her cheeks went red against porcelain skin. Eyes like the fierce January sky. How could one who possessed so much evil, look so exquisitely pure?

Kali-

She said her name was Isaia and that she was lost and looking for Rosehall House. A coincidence I thought, as I too lived there with Max, my best friend. We walked together in the cold. She told me she had moved that day from Paris and we talked and laughed and then left for our separate rooms.

Isaia-

After a few days of watching and listening from afar, I came to the realization that she had no idea what she was. I had to find out more about her. Perhaps, I thought, she could be led away from potential evil and towards the goodness of the Lord. So I enrolled at her place of study. The Monks of Adam had religious allies at many establishments around the world, so it was not difficult.

Kali-

We were studying poetry at the time, a favorite of mine; I caught eye contact with her from the back of the lecture hall one day. Another coincidence, I thought. I smiled but she looked away quickly. After break I came back to see her in the seat next to mine. “Kali, I didn’t realize you studied here.” She had said with a smile, in a deep, quiet voice that felt like honey. I composed myself and sat down next to her. Her dark eyes and mine were locked for a few moments and I saw in them something I didn’t quite understand. Pain, perhaps.

Isaia-

We had hushed conversation throughout the rest of January’s classes. One day something I said made her laugh and Lori, the lecturer, called on her to read her own poem aloud, ‘beings as she had so much to say’. Kali looked at me with a bit lip before standing slowly. You hate her, remember that you hate her, I lied to myself. She began to read;

"A Winters night, forest frozen.

It was only but a dream.

And in a light so pure, so golden,

A dove with feathers soft as cream.

But I, myself, flew in the dark,

And screeched as I tried to scream,

With a darker wing,

As an Owl I sing,

But screech as I try to scream."

My pulse increased as she spoke. Not only because the voice of this unknowing demon hit like summer rain, but because this dream she described in her poem was one that I had regularly, only I as the Dove. I was afraid that this meant her power was coming ever closer to the surface. I had learnt through conversation that she was orphaned young and didn’t know of her heritage, which explained why she knew nothing of her demon blood. Could there yet be peace for her soul or was she damned by default, like the Monks had taught me?

Kali-

I had never followed a religion. If I’d had to, I would have chosen one that is led by nature, kindness and peace. Isaia mentioned religion quite often and I was interested in her Christian view, but she had told me that she too was an orphan only she was raised by the church, so how could she know any different? It was nice talking to her though, even with opposing points the conversations we had over the weeks flowed like an easy stream in spring. My fondness of her grew quickly and the winter mornings, while before were dull and empty, were now filled with her warm presence. This was until I fell terribly ill. I’d woken in the night, sweating, my body convulsed relentlessly but I could not call for Max to help nor could I move. By morning the convulsions had stopped but left each muscle aching deeply. My head was pounding and it was hard to breathe. Max suggested I go immediately to hospital when he found me on the floor, too weak to stand. I refused, “I will be fine.” I insisted, and he eventually gave up. He made me soup and left for work. I finally fell to sleep as the sun rose.

Isaia-

We had been walking together to class every morning so when she didn’t show I was worried. I waited for a while before deciding she may have left early. She hadn’t. I sat through the lecture, unable to rid her from my brain. Her grey, captivating eyes ever present in my thoughts. Three days past and still she didn’t show; I decided I must check on her, make sure she was still human.

Kali-

I was asleep in the day time again. Laying on a blanket in front of the roaring fire, struggling to get warm, though my skin felt 200 degrees. The reoccurring dream returned and I was sat on a branch in the forest, my white and brown wings wrapped tight around my owl body. I tried to call out but only a deafening screech left my beak. Through the trees a golden light appeared and in its rays a dove flew toward me fast. At first I thought the dove had come to help, to warm me with its golden light, but as it neared a fear grew deep in my stomach. I braced myself for the impact but just before the collision... I was awakened by a knock at the door. I got up slowly from the ground and wrapped the blanket around myself. When I opened the door Isaia rushed in and gripped my arms, frightening me at first. She asked if I was okay in French and then again in English. “I’m fine. I’m fine.” I answered, confused as to why she seemed so worried. I had only known her a matter of weeks, though it did feel like a lot longer.

Isaia-

As soon as I felt her, after she opened the door, I knew that the transition had begun. I could feel the dark spirit inside of her gaining in power and beginning to pour itself into her mortal body. She invited me in, completely unaware of what was happening. She thought she had a bad cold and warned me to keep some distance, afraid she might pass it on to me. I ignored her instruction and lay beside her in front of the fire, we spoke softly until she fell asleep listening to the ‘Nocturnal Waltz’ by Johannes Bornlöf, one of my favorites. Before I left, I watched the soft breath of her chest. Her long, dark hair in waves around her head. Where I should have wanted to, have needed to end her existence… I wanted to protect it with everything I was. How could this be? And what was I supposed to do now?

Kali-

When I awoke the fire had near enough died and Isaia was gone. The apartment was cold and empty. In Isaia’s place a black leather notebook lay, it must have fallen out of her pocket. I picked it up, with no intention to pry but as I did Max slammed the front door, making me jump and causing the journal to slip out of my hands and land open on the ground. On the left page was a drawing in charcoal and the right was filled with small handwriting in French. As I picked it up I realized the woman’s face in the drawing to be my own, though the date atop the page was last year, many months before we had met. As Max had studied French I asked for his translation. Though some of the words he couldn’t read, enough of them he could. He looked at me, confused and alarmed. “What does it say?” I asked him impatiently. He flicked through more of the pages before answering. “This girl is dangerous, Kali. Some sort of psychopath by the looks of it.” He shook his head. “I think that she's planning to harm you in some way. I’m not certain though, my French is rusty.” I grabbed the book from his hands. Although I was still weak and aching, the stab of betrayal in my heart hurt more than my tired limbs. Against Max’s pleas, I left to confront her, to gain the truth. When I got to her apartment I found the door slightly ajar so I entered quietly. Her apartment was completely empty and no lights were on. I found her standing in the large window, soft music playing. The moon was full and bright and shone white on the dark skin of her muscular body. In the air around her, feathers were falling to the ground like snow. When she heard me, she turned fast. I was frightened initially but an unknown sense of power took over. “What is all of this?” I demanded, holding out the notebook she had dropped.

Isaia-

I stepped closer, wondering how much she knew. How could I have been so careless? “Please, you have to understand,” I began. This situation had been so very different in my head. I thought that killing her would be easy. It turned out loving her was even easier, so I decided to tell her everything. I told her of my heritage and hers. She didn’t believe me at first but deep inside she had known for a while she was different. As we spoke I felt the darkness inside her begin to strengthen, her emotions had excelled its growth within and I felt the anger begin to erupt. My feathers began breaking through my shoulder blades in instinctive defense and against my will. When my wings broke free completely she fled from me with inhuman speed into the freezing night.

Kali-

I ran into the forest with tears swelling in my eyes, and in the darkness I tripped and fell. This is when I heard the voice of a woman speak my name but when I looked up it was not a woman but an Owl that stood before me, the size of a woman. “Do not believe the Daughter of Adam, child. You are no demon and your soul holds no evil. It is true that she is your counterpart and the children of Adam have long held the notion that our kind must be banished from the land of those living. But the truth is, we are here only to protect it. They believe we must be enemies. Show her that you can live in peace. Undo the wrongs of centuries past.” The owl spread her magnificent wings and prepped for flight. “Wait! Who are you?” I called. But I already knew somehow. She was Lilith, the original female and Mother of Earth. I was of her bloodline.

Isaia-

I finally found her in the forest, tears running down her cheeks, mine too. I took her face in my hands, agony in my stomach, and against everything I was born and raised to believe… I kissed her and she kissed me back. Any consequence became momentarily inferior. Everything else ceased to exist.

By Crystal Jagger