Return of the Night Owl

Bruno moved closer to where the commotion was coming from. Peering through the leaves and branches as he drew nearer, he could see by the moonlight, a couple with interlocked arms, walking down the little jetty out onto the lake, on this warm summer’s night. With a wicker picnic basket swinging in his hand, he had dark hair cropped short, light short sleeved shirt, dark shorts and deck shoes on. Her with her long curled dark hair falling over her white cotton summer dress a picture of a secret romantic moment.

With the checked blanket spread out at the end of the jetty, they settled themselves down to enjoy the treasures stowed in their picnic case. A pop of a cork, quiet whispers with the odd interspersed shriek of laughter they made this moment in time theirs. A memory to be locked away and cherished.

Bruno turned away thinking he was intruding, but he was curious and drawn to this couple. He looked back over in their direction and saw the man removing his deck shoes and dangling his feet into the lake over the edge of the dock. The night was so quiet and still as if it was holding its breath watching with Bruno. The splashing of his feet and the hushed conversation carried on the night air and Bruno could now make out what they were saying.

“Stop it Dave,” she sighed, “you know it was not the case! Please let’s not ruin this evening, I thought we had got passed this and we were starting to get back to our old selves again.”

“So, I should just sweep this all under the carpet and forget this should I Claire?” He snapped taking a large pull on his drink.

Bruno noticed the expression on her face changed a mixture of fear, anger and dread. Bruno leaned forward from his position to get a better view. A light breeze bustled through the trees and leaves as if signaling a change in the air of the night. Bruno was on the perfect branch, at the perfect height to see all from this vantage point.

“Of course, Mr. Perfect, your knight in shining armor coming to your rescue!” He spat with a sneer. “You expect me to believe nothing happened between you two that evening?”

“Well, you were the one who left me and went storming off in a mood, he was just doing a nice thing helping me get back home safely!” She retorted, “I was stranded there thanks to you, and yes! Nothing happened, he was just being gentlemanly.”

“Gentlemanly! Gentlemanly! Really?” He said mockingly “Nobody does anything for nothing, you had to give him something, you little tart.”

“Not everyone is as low and selfish as you Dave, some people take pride in what they do and how they conduct themselves.”

A movement on the forest floor out of the corner of Bruno’s eye caught his attention, a small mouse scurrying for cover into a hole in a tree root. However, Bruno’s attention was brought back the lake, to the jetty, to the couple. This was starting to get interesting, not something he got to see every night.

“Oh, well look at you little Miss Perfect to go with Mr. Perfect. You make me sick!” Dave growled.

“Well, some people made the most of their time at school didn’t they!” She bristled back at him. “You barely managed to learn to read and write, let alone any sporting prowess, or to learn to swim, or anything to better yourself. Just to be one of the lads huh! Where did that attitude get you? You’re pathetic getting so bent out of shape with this! What’s the point staying here now? I knew you would ruin this evening; this is not going to work!”

Clare turned away from Dave in the direction of Bruno and stared right at him. Bruno ducked back into leaves, he thought she had spotted him. Damn, he was being so careful, but the full moon is so bright tonight. Bruno held his breath and peered forward again, but Clare was not looking at Bruno, she was looking back round at Dave, where he sat on the edge of the dock with his feet casually in the water.

“Seems like you need putting in your place again Clare!” Dave fumed as he pulled his legs out of the water to get up. Clare’s body tensed, hesitated and then sprang forward as if this was her only chance to get the upper hand with him before he could teach her a lesson. Colliding with him, knocking him off balance with the surprised attack, he reeled backwards. A little too far to what the dock would allow, and he slid backwards off the edge into the water.

She gasped and grabbed his legs to stop him falling all the way in, but only managed to keep his calves and feet on the dry jetty, the rest of him bending at the knees over the edge was in the water. She gripped tight trying to stop him from sliding all the way in knowing he can’t swim, but he was already submerged and wriggling around trying to get his head back up for air. Perhaps having a more athletic physique, a stronger set of stomach muscles instead of a spreading middle would have got his head above the water again. Perhaps if he hadn’t used his fists so much on the women he was with and hadn’t had his fits of jealousy this situation he found himself in could have been avoided, but this is where he had ended up.

Clare not strong enough to pull him back up and in fear that if she let go of his legs, he would slip forever more under the water unable to save him, the scene played out a few minutes more, before the struggling stopped and the surface of the lake become quite again.

All was still. A shocked numbness descended as the reality of what had just happened sank in.

This was too much for Bruno! He screamed out into the night and screamed again. Stretching out his wings and taking flight into the moonlit sky, his white heart shaped face illuminated as he soared up. Time to get away from this tragedy and satisfy his hunger growing and growling in his stomach.