A Winter Day

A Winter Day

Written by Anna Vesterby

It was a crisp December morning when Aria awoke to the vibrations of her loyal companion, Orion jumping on their rickety wooden bed. Having adopted him months prior, the two had become inseparable. Aria was a slim girl, with cascades of ebony hair trailing down her sun stained skin. Her heritage allowed her skin to remain a golden brown if maintained in sunlight, an envy of those with paler skin who would burn to a crisp in comparison. Scars on her body eluded to past stories of hardships one could only imagine but with them came a sense of power and purpose. The scars were afterall, tales of all that she had overcome. Instead of viewing them as a sign of defeat, she allowed them to bring her character; with every scar came a story of strength and determination.

Orion, a beautifully colored hound was not only a dog to Aria but her best-friend. Having been found on the streets himself, Orion had a tumultuous past filled with more tribulations than any pup his age should have had to experience. From being starved, abused, and abandoned he had never experienced love or companionship until Aria. Orion was mixed with multiple breeds, his coat was a deep brown transitioning to darker fur running down his long spiraly legs and snow white paws. His face closely resembled that of a boxer with darker fur framing his eyes leading to a soft white muzzle. Weighing about 80 pounds, Orion was a handsome, well built dog to anyone that laid eyes on him. Standing next to Aria, Orion was nearly above her hip, giving him a protective stance by her side. Despite his intimidating appearance, Orion had a kind soul, his only intention to protect Aria.

As Orion jumped on the bed, he looked lovingly in Aria's sleepy green eyes, sheepishly giving her a huge slobber filled kiss as if saying “mama it's time to start the day.” He was still a young pup with boundless heaps of energy who could play for hours. Aria, a restless soul, loved this about him; their energy often evening eachother out. On this particular morning as Aria slowly arose from the warmth of her bed she heard an unfamiliar sound. A screeching noise, the sound itself was not pleasant and uncomfortably loud. Orion, whose hearing was far more attuned than his human counterpart, heard it too. His head swiveled upward looking inquisitively up at Aria who had adorned her 5 foot frame inna sweater that could've been characterized as a dress. “What’s that sound, mama?” his face seemed to read.

Aria’s father had been heavily involved with a pastime called “Birding” or “Bird Watching,” a passion which he had always been interested in sharing with her. As a younger child, Arias energy had been too rambunctious to sit for hours in a field with only the hopes of the possibility of seeing these wondrous birds her dad would dream of. However, as a young adult while the adventure in her heart remained, Aria had learned to harness that energy to appreciate the wonders of the world around her. Slowing her mindset down, she had begun to appreciate the wilderness to the same caliber of her father.

As Aria poured herself a steaming hot cup of mocha flavored coffee, a staple of the winter season, the sleep cleared from her wide eyes. It was as if life seeped back into her body providing energy in the form of caffeine. She looked down at Orion's ember eyes, giving him a pet while the screeching outside continued. “Well Bud” Aria mumbled, “looks like we have an adventure,” making it their joint mission to find the source of the overwhelming sound.

Orion, knowing the word adventure meant going outside for hours on end, began shaking his body letting the excitement of the day course through his rapidly moving tale. As Aria slowly slipped her coffee she poured Orion an oversized bowl of food knowing he would need extra nutrients for the day ahead of them. She deliberately put on a pink winter cap, and fur lined snow boots, preparing for the cold of snow-frosted Missouri grounds.

As Orion hurriedly wolfed his food down, Aria continued to prepare for their trek into the wilderness. The screeching, appearing to be originating from the abandoned barn next to the humble shack which Aria occupied. Giving up on the hussle of mainstream culture, Aria and Orion had opted to live in a remote town where residents kept to themselves yet still mutually appreciated each other's want to detach from a technology run world.

After making sure she was properly prepared for the adventure to come, Aria lovingly put on Orion’s harness securing it over his broad chest. The two leaving the warmth of their small shack meandered towards the wooded trail which headed towards the rustic crumbling barn. The barn in particular had been left however many decades ago, somehow remaining through the cold winter elements of previous years. Aria was never able to understand how someone could abandon such beautiful structures but was grateful for the opportunity to learn of their past. As they trekked through the wet, damp, and frigid Missouri grounds the screeching continued.

Now, standing in front of the red stained wooden door, Aria felt the excitement course through her. What would they find? She questioned herself as her mind raced through the possibilities to come. Orion, sitting patiently by her side began to slowly wag his tail, feeling the emotions emitting from Aria, he too could not wait to see what was inside. As the sounds echoed from inside Aria slowly pushed the heavy barn door open.

The barn, having been untouched for years, made a heavy creaking sound as the doors pushed open. Inside was dark and eerie, the only lighting coming from the windows of abandoned stall windows. A musky smell entered Arias nostrils as the screeching they had come to search for came to an abrupt stop. The smell was recognizable to Aria as decomposing manure and hay as she had ridden horses throughout her life. The smell to others would’ve been putrid but to her it brought comfort.

Disheartened that the sounds had stopped, Aria feared they had scared away whatever animal had been the source. Luckily, what Aria could not smell or hear Orion could. Using his plush black nose Orion sniffed through the decomposing hay piles until in a far corner six inquisitive eyes peeped through the cracks of a wooden whole in the deep corner pocket of the barn. A loud screech rang out as Orion had located the animals behind him and Aria's adventure. Whatever animals he had come upon they were heavily frightened.

Aria hurriedly rushed over, pulling Orion gently back, not wanting him to further terrify the souls hiding in the dark little hole of the barn. There were plush white and yellow feathers falling from the sides of the crevice where the sounds continued from, now more panicked as if pleading with Aria to stay away. The motherly instinct of an animal terrified her children might be taken from prevalent in the animal's screeches. A large feather rippled head popped out protectively hiding the remaining golden eyes of her owlets.

The head belonged to a majestically built barn owl, the first one which Aria had come across in such close proximity. She stepped backward with Orion by her side, this was the owl's home and she knew to respect its habitat. Attempting to emit a calming energy, Aria sat lightly on the ground maintaining a direct line of vision with the golden eyed bird. Having the same motherly instinct over Orion she understood the need to keep those close to her safe. As if sensing the pure intentions of both Aria and Orion, the Owl slowly stopped her screeching retreating back into her hole.

At first Aria thought this might be the end of her interaction with the beautiful night creature. Just in case, she and Orion stayed seated a few moments longer when before long all six eyes popped back up. With a deeper inspection of all three barn owls It was clear the mother and her owlets were struggling from malnutrition as the frigid winter elements had forced their main food sources into hibernation. From this point on Aria made a promise within herself that she would make it her goal to see these birds throughout the winter.

As the barn grew darker with the setting sun, Aria and Orion slowly arose, beginning their adventure home. Dozens of thoughts continued to race through Aria's restless mind as she contemplated just exactly how she would help her new found animal friends. Upon returning to the warmth of their cabin the sweet aroma of Barbeque ribs wafted through the house. A recipe learned from her father, Aria, had set them to slow cook before they had departed hours earlier. As Aria sat down to enjoy the sweet tastes of her delicious dinner, she came with a clear and concise plan to help the screeching barn owls. A simple Winter day had now become her purpose for the rest of the season; she would make sure the Owls lived to see the summer.