Connected souls

“Bet you I can hit it on my first try.” “No you can’t.” Ben was wide eye as he looked on in anticipation for me to fire. He had never seen a gun up close so I had to show off a little. I took aimed and fired the shot with out thinking much at what it had been I was so willing to kill. The animal hit the floor as it’s body did a twitch that seem to stem from a reflex that reacted to late.

I moved to pick it up when Star flew in snatching the the corpse up swiftly as if it had waited all this time for me to kill her prey. “Star is a rare bird one to see. Last time I saw her was on the red night.”

Red night had been when the library caught fire during the thanksgiving party the town was having. It lead to a body of victims, after that a legend about star had risen. She was the only star that night as the night sky filled with smoke. That drawing had become a symbol in our town representing tragedy.

“I should of shot her then we would not have to worry about any more tragedies in town.” “Ben you would not be able to hit her, even some of the town folks have tried, but never seem to be able to get her. Hell for that matter she was never seemed once.”

We went back telling her parents what happened and their laughter changed as the thought popped in their heads. If she showed herself then there will be a tragedy to follow. My father gathered the towns people to warn them of her appearance and soon mass panic had taken the hearts of all that had heard. Soon the whole town had became aware of Star’s appearance and stores began to shut down as everyone had began to hide in fear.

“Dad why do we need to hide? Star is just an average barn Owl.” My dad had lead me to the fire place and put his hand in there. The fire did not consume him, no cry in pain, or even an a knowledgement his hand had been in the fire. “That night granted some of us with thee ability to use magic. We sworn never to use it for respect on those who died on that night. You are to young to know of her, but Star was the name of a child who once lived here. She was soon to be discovered as a witch so was killed for it.”

“Why? Magic has been around for hundreds of years now.” “A witch is someone who is more close to the source and can produce the most destruction. Even today they are feared. What is important is that when she was killed the owl had been there and as the witch was killed the owl began to let out a strange cry resembling that of a weeping child. Some belived she was able to pass her soul into the owl where she waits till her magic is restored. I wished she was the one you shot.”

Days turn to weeks then a month passed. Violent began to erupt as supply had ran dry do to lack of deliveries. There had been natural causes preventing the supplies to reach our town and that drove the town more insane as they were certain it had been her. The town had not seen abandoned, which for the most part had been. The residence had not left most just died off for one reason or another.

Ben and I decided to go back to where we saw her and plead our case. However as we made it back we was not greeted by an owl, but in fact a girl not much older then us. Her hair stretched across the floor and have been covered in twigs and leaves. It seemed she spent her life in these forest, however was able to speak to us properly.

“I already know what you two seek, yet you can not cure a rot that has already seeped into the roots of a tree. I only wish to take out the rot from the root to build new. However young buds were always going to be uprooted from along with the more stubborn roots. I truly feel sorrow for your loss however know soon this forest will change and death would be better gift then what is to come to those who resided near the forest.”

Ben panic was shared along with me as we rushed out through the forest passed the deserted town and out on to the road leading out of it all. Before we made it out we saw the flock of owls following Star as she returned leading her army. What was to happen was not for us kids to concern with an although we loved our families this fear was more then just instinct something as kids we could not fight. By time we were old enough to realized what we did it had been years to late.