Hannah Hamm

That Night

The night air had a peculiar and crisp chill to it that couldn’t just be attributed to the harsh bite of winter. One could barely make out the shape of a decrepit barn, the snow falling mercilessly, covering the structure in a thick blanket of white. Other than the sound of the blizzard, there seemed to be no movement at all, as if all the world lie dormant. Small footsteps rustling through the snow broke the stillness, almost abruptly. The small figure of a young girl labored slowly through the snow, stopping every few feet to breathe deeply and readjust the sack she carried on her shoulders. She held a small flashlight in her hand, its waning light barely enough to make out the formation of the aged barn. Stopping outside the massive barn entrance, she began struggling to pry it open through the heavy snow. With an audible grunt the doors gave away just enough for the girl to slip her tiny frame through. Stumbling inside, she turned and peered through the open door, as if waiting for something to follow her. She shone her flashlight around the interior of the barn before making her way to a small stall near the back. She threw the sack off her shoulder and sat down in the very back corner of the stall, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her head upon them. She inhaled deeply, her every breathe distributing a small cloud of steam. Time passed and the girl scarcely moved, except to pull her coat tighter around her, warding off the icy air. As she sat in the darkened barn, the only noticeable sound was the wind and snow beating against the ancient shelter’s sides. The world fell hushed again, but much like how her footsteps broke the calm of the winter storm before, the small rustling of wings could be heard entering the barn. She raised her head, and a small smile crept across her face. Reaching inside her sack, she pulled out an old lantern and lit it, immersing the stall in a warm glow. The newfound illumination revealed a small barn owl perched at the top of the enclosure. Its white and brown speckled feathers glistened, still wet from snow. The flame in the lantern danced and mirrored off the owl’s seemingly clever eyes.