Eressear

I sit on the floor with tears in my eyes. We moved house today. Mum says that it's a fresh start for us, but I don't want a fresh start. I want things to go back to how they were. I want to go back to our house in Stratford upon Avon with dad. I miss my friends with all my heart. I know that I can still keep in contact with them, but it's not the same. I feel so alone. I feel a void in my heart will never be filled or replaced. This isn't the first time mum made me move house and school. I doubt it'll be the last. I should be used to this feeling by now, but I'm not, and I don't think I ever will.

My new bedroom room is empty. The walls are white with lots of cracks. It doesn't smell very nice. Several boxes are piled on top of each other in the corner of the room, filled with my possessions. I've learned not to have too many things as it makes it easier to move house again.

I raise my head and see a stunning owl perched magically by the open window. The owl has a round face that is as white as snow and rich brown feathers with black speckles. He has a pair of sharp talons. The owl hoots and tilts its head.

The silvery moon is half full, and the sky is as dark as the deep ocean but infinitely deeper. It's like a void. The sky is filled with bright constellations.

I wipe my tears away. I copy the owl and tilt my head. I've never seen an owl with my own eyes before, let alone been so close to one. I've seen them in pictures but never with my own youthful eyes. I think it's a barn owl.

The owl continues to hoot and ruffles its heathers. I giggle while crawling closer on my hands and knee. I reach out my hand but startle the bird. It flies and roosts on the fence outside. I call out to the bird to come back, but he doesn't. I race out of my room and down the stairs while being careful not to wake up my mum, who heavily snores in her room. I miss a step and stumble down the remaining steps. I pick myself up—Overwhelmed with excitement to get a glimpse of the owl again. I slip on my trainers and grab a torch, then leave the house.

The owl takes flight once more, and I follow. I chase it up the drive- Through the neighbor's field- Into the woods. The owl is so fast, and I struggle to keep up with the bird that effortlessly glides through the sky. I can feel my heart pumping inside my chest. I huff and puff, but I don't stop pursuing the owl. For a moment, he was my only friend in the whole wide world. I don't want to lose him.

I shine my torch at him in the sky, then back down on the ground to see where I am going. I can't keep up with the owl in the thicket, he soars ahead and out of sight, but I can still hear his taunting hoots. It's as if he wants me to follow him, and he has something to show me. The nettles scratch my skin-The stinging nettles make my skin itch- My clothes are soaked and covered in mud. I see the owl swoop into a pipe. The pipe is large enough to crawl along, so I do. It's tight and compact. I see the light in the distance, so I head towards it. Where is the owl taking me? The owl exits the pipe, and I follow, but it's no longer night. The sun shines brightly. The sky is azure blue. I'm also no longer in the woods but an open meadow. The grass is long, fresh, and lush. I look behind my shoulder, and the pipe that I crawled through is gone. I have no idea where I am. I'm lost. How will I get back home?

"Hello, where are we?" I ask the owl. He lands on the ground and becomes the same size as a house. My mouth opens wide, and I gasp.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" The owl hoots. I know that I spoke to the bird, but I hadn't expected it to talk back.

"I followed you...How do I get home?" I mumble.

"Get home? That's not possible. There's no way back. Welcome to Eressear," The owl approaches me.

"Eressear? I have to go home! My mum will be worried if I'm gone for too long." I explain. I feel tears in my eyes again, but I don't cry. I have to be strong.

"I told you, there's no way back. Not unless..." The howl mutters.

"Unless what?"

"The red squirrel could help you get home."

"How do I find the red squirrel?" I question.

"I suppose I could take you seeming that it's my fault that you got here. It's on the way to Baywood Castle, which is where I am heading." The owl says.

"Thank you so much!" I reply and embrace the owl's beak.

"Climb onto my back, and hold on tight. We will fly," I do what the owl says. I mount his back and hold onto its feathers. Once the owl sees that I am comfortable, he flaps his wings and takes flight. My stomach hurts. I think I'm going to be sick. My heart is pumping so fast. I feel fearful yet fascinated. I peer down at the view below and what I see takes my breath away. The wind sweeps my hair into a mess. It's cold. I giggle and reach a hand out to touch the clouds that look like cotton candy. Everything looks so tiny down below. Is this really happening?

"My name is Toto, by the way," Chirps the owl.

"I'm Ember," I reply. I feel guilty for being so angry at my mum. I must find the red squirrel and get home to her as soon as possible.