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The Owl's Warning to the Lovers

Take heed of hooting

By Nessy WriterPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
2

An owl hooted as if to warn me of something. The sound of it echoed in my mind a moment after. It seemed to melt into the dusk that was quickly descending, as if to call back the fading light or else hurry it on. I looked around, from dappled branch to canopy, wondering if I might be able to catch a glimpse of this most elusive of birds. What kind of owl would it be? A barn owl perhaps or...Who was I kidding? As if I'd ever seen one before, let alone distinguished between the types.

"What are you looking for love?"

It was Dean, the planes of his face warm and rosy, lit up as if from within by the orange tones of the sky. His expression was full of concern, and I was quick to alleviate the burden of misplaced fears.

"Nothing, just heard an owl and thought maybe I'd manage to spot it while we still had this light. Only seen them in books before, would be a great end to the day, ticking that off my bucket list."

"Oh really?" His expression was amused now, "It's funny but I don't recall hearing a thing, I think I was too mesmerized by the sight of your tight rear climbing the hill in front of me." I giggled and shrieked with delight as he grabbed my waist from behind and bombarded my neck with kisses.

"Come on," I said, breaking his grip playfully and launching myself forward in the process. "We need to try to get back to the car before dark," I paused,"there'll be plenty more time for that later." I turned my head to give him a suggestive look beneath my eyelashes, "I would have thought you'd already had your fill by the river."

My mind wandered to this morning. How he'd said he had a surprise for me. I'd cynically told him I thought he "didn't do surprises". But apparently that was then, this was now. He was doing all he could to gain my trust back, even after all this time had passed. He was succeeding, and I loved him for it. He'd sat me down in the car with a mischievous grin, placing his trusty, black backpack in the back seat.

It had been a glorious mid-summer day. The kind of day where the sky was such a crisp blue, it made you dream of the ocean. Made you feel as if the day would be as never-ending as the sky itself. He'd driven us out to these beautiful woodlands, lead me by the hand off of the footpath. There was a secluded bank by the river that sparkled as if winking at us conspiratorially. He'd opened the zipper of his backpack to reveal our old, tartan picnic blanket, various rich snacks and an impressive vintage of red wine. Plastic cups were forgiven in this instance.

As we'd laid out the blanket and sat down facing each other, I had looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. His soft, grey eyes had seemed to echo my thoughts. The fresh gust of wind rushing through the grass behind him had created a serenade that shut the rest of the world out. I'd drawn closer to him without realizing it, without noticing his left hand wind through my hair until he'd pulled me in for a kiss. The kind of kiss that led to bodies united in hungry rapture, the food abandoned. I sighed, holding on to the image tightly so that I might never forget it.

Snapping back from my reverie, I was now at the top of the hill and remembered that only Dean knew the route. I could still hear the faint rush of the river, the choir of leaves rustling in the canopy above, but heard no distant voices now. We must've been some way from the main trail. The view was worth it. A rippling mass of shimmering green, the steeple of the village church peeking through it in the distance. The glint of the river, like the shining skin of a sleeping serpent. My lover was soon by my side, not out of breath, he really had hung back for the pleasure of it.

"I see you have chosen to reclaim your rightful place as navigator. You say this route circles round back to the car park. Are you sure? It's going to get really dark any minute now."

"It might be dark by the time we get back to the car, but we're not far off. Don't worry, you have me here to protect you." Clearly the look I gave him must have seemed unconvinced because he added, "I know this route like the back of my hand and I have a torch in my backpack."

"I trust you, I do, but wouldn't it be easier to come back the way we came?"

"This way is much quicker." He looked me straight in the eyes and placed both hands on my shoulders reassuringly."Come on, just think of it as an adventure, we used to go on those all the time, remember?"

I remembered. I also remembered how we'd drifted apart when I stopped going with him. That settled it for me. His features were red now as the sun said it's final goodbye. It seemed eerie, as if everything were bathed in blood. I pushed the morbid thought from my mind. Red with love, passion. I pulled Dean in close by the cloth of his shirt for a deep and lingering kiss. There could be no doubt in his mind that I'd follow him anywhere.

"Right, time to take the lead, my lady...," he offered me his hand and I took it gladly, giggling. As we walked on he looked up at the sky and I instinctively followed his gaze."By the look of it, there's going to be a full moon tonight, we probably won't even need the torch." As we carried on walking and the last of the daylight was gone, he proved to be right. The moon was soon an orb so strangely large and bright, it almost felt like an inverted daytime. Like everything was a watercolor covered in a dark, blue wash. I heard a sudden rustling and froze.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" The rustling had stopped. We began walking again when a twig snapped. I had the feeling of being watched.

"Now what was that? You must have heard that," I said in in an urgent whisper as I clung more tightly onto his arm. He tugged me along, chuckling. "This is a woodland park, not the wilderness. It's probably a squirrel or a rabbit, we wouldn't find anything scarier than that." He was right. I took a deep breath and changed the subject.

"We've come so far haven't we?"

"Indeed we have," he replied. He chose me, to fight for this relationship, and I'd chosen to forgive him. Things were so happily different now. No more tear soaked sheets or sleepless nights pacing an empty bedroom. Everything was as it had been when the marriage began. We'd probably share a shower when we got home, as we often did these days. I usually woke up before he did. I'd make him his favorite breakfast, eggs and bacon.

I was brought back to the present by his voice, "such a beautiful day, such a beautiful relationship, beautiful woman, inside and out." I felt radiant in reception of such praise.

"The woman feels the same about her man. How much longer? Can't be far now right?" He stopped, his features less distinct in the moonlight. I couldn't make out his expression. Was he lost? He didn't look at me.

"It's such a shame it all has to come to an end."

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.

"Wha-What? What do you mean?"

A couple leaves scratching over each other in the breeze were my only response. I persevered.

"Now? After such a wonderful day, such a wonderful year, after all we've been through and worked so hard for? You want to end this relationship now?"

"It's too late for that." I wondered at his meaning as he paused."You couldn't just accept your place could you? Be grateful I supported you. Turned a blind eye?" Something in his voice had changed. It seemed hollow, vacant. It sent chills down my spine.

"But you begged me to stay with you. To forgive you. Said you'd left her, that she'd never meant anything to you."

"The problem is...The problem is I couldn't very well just leave her could I? I couldn't do it. " Now there was emotion. Anger, frustration. The facade was broken, cracking off like pieces of plaster to reveal who the real Dean had been all along. Even as my own heart was breaking all over again, I fought hard to stay calm. This wasn't like before. Dean seemed...unhinged, desperate even.

I struggled not to choke on the tears that ran down my face, starting to question why he'd brought me here. There was disappointment in his statement. In himself? Perhaps I could reason with him. Even though everything in me wanted to scream, curse and sob at this betrayal, even worse than the last. He'd had a reason back then, we were unhappy. But now....

"Dean, you said you chose me. But, but If you really want to be with her, I'm not stopping you. Go, be with her." I shivered in my thin coat. "We shouldn't be discussing this here though, right? Let's go home. We can figure out what to do in the morning, OK?" I waited for a response. "OK?" I tried again timidly. He looked conflicted for a moment, but then he shook his head.

"No. No, you know that's not enough. You are, in the way, you'll always be in the way." He'd slipped off his backpack when we'd stopped. Only then did I realize that he'd slipped his hand inside it.

His trusty, black backpack, I'd seen him use it hundreds of times. Never, not once, had I ever stopped to question what might be in it. Apart from that one time. When I'd found the camera. When I'd found the pictures. Desperate to prove I'd put it all behind me, I'd accepted it as part of our fresh start.

He was pulling something out of it. He wouldn't, would he? I took a slow step back. Then I saw it. There was no longer any denying what it was or Dean's intentions. The moonlight reflected off the cold, hard metal of a blade. Run, I had to run! I turned and took a few steps. Something hard hit the back of my head, propelling me forward. I managed to run a short distance before I fell to the ground, dazed, vision blurring.

I moved to face him, pushing myself backwards towards the thick trunk of an oak. If I could just use it as a support to get up. But I was weak. The back of my head was pulsing, it might be bleeding. He didn't rush towards me, he was walking with calm, measured steps.

"Dean please, you don't have to do this."

"I'm glad you're facing me." I had tried to push myself up the tree trunk but he grabbed me with one hand and held the knife to my stomach with the other. "I want to look into your eyes when I do it, say goodbye properly." I cried out as he drove the biting metal deep into me. I heard a flutter nearby. That's when I saw it.

It's great black eyes in its's bright, white face. It stood on a branch just above my killer's head. The owl hooted as if to warn me of something. But it was too late.

Thank you for reading! Appreciate you dropping a like if you enjoyed it.

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About the Creator

Nessy Writer

A freelance writer of all sorts sharing it out with the world. Poetry, prose and advice.

If you want to show your support and see more please follow me on Twitter: Nessywriter

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