The Owl's Scream

My friend used to tell me stories, about the barn owls and the moon. That when the barn owl screams, danger is near, and you will find yourself in danger soon. "Only few can hear it," she claimed, 'Those who are pure of soul, for if you are not, the owl will know, and those who are will hear its toll."

Ten years went by, she still told the tales, though I did not believe her words. Why would I fear the sound of a creature I'd never before heard? Our teenage years came, we grew apart, as people called her strange. 'The girl obsessed with the owls', they teased, but my friend's ways remained the same.

We went to colleges across the country, so we quickly fell apart. I always wondered what became of her, if she ever had a change of heart. Once when I went home to visit I ran across my friend. I stopped and crossed the street to chat, asked her how she'd been.

The streets were quiet, the lamps were dimmed, but I could still see her face. Eyes sunk in, cheeks pale as snow, as if she hadn't slept in day. Suddenly, those eyes grew wide, and she began to back away. I grew concerned, asked what was wrong, but she hadn't a word to say.

Finally, I heard a sound, a shrill and panicked cry. I looked around, up the tree, and met the creature's eye. With just one glare, it fell silent, and promptly took flight. I turned back to face my friend, and saw her running into the night.

With a flash, I stood in front of her, eyes glistening in the moon. I chuckled as she froze and asked, "Going away so soon?" Her words froze inside her throat as she tried to move away. I reached out and grabbed her arm, "Poor Rose, nothing to say?"

The knife sliced through her abdomen like wind through the trees. Blood spilled down her chin as she slid to her knees. I licked the blood off the knife, and whispered in her ear, "The stories that you've heard were all wrong, my dear".

"Owls are a friend of the moon, and there is indeed warning in their call, but the rest of the story is simply not the truth at all. You do not need to be pure of soul in order to hear their scream, they simply give you a chance to run from the nights' evil schemes."

"I thought you were my friend", she choked, and I couldn't contain my grin. "Oh, dear Rose, I do sincerely hope you learned your lesson. Spreading stories without knowing the truth will only hurt you in the end. Keep close your enemies, but always have an eye on your 'friends'.

Her eyes closed, her chest grew still, the night stealing her final breath. I lay a kiss across her head and left her soul for Death. I took flight into the night, following the moonlight's gleam. And with the dawn, I sat atop my branch...

....and let out a piercing scream.