2:22 AM

I had lived with my grandma and grandpa for years, and everyday, everything was always the same. Until one night, it wasn't. Sounds dramatic, I know, but think about it- when you are a kid with no siblings, living in the middle of no where, it all becomes drastic when things go left.

Now every morning I come to the breakfast table, and my grandma makes the best breakfast. Sometimes pancakes, fresh scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, grits, toast made to perfection with honey and glazed butter- the works! She would always give me coffee too, or as my grandpa would ask, “Would you like some coffee with your cream and sugar boy!?” They laughed at me for it but, hey, breakfast was heaven for me and the best time of the days before my grandpa would work in the coupes to take fresh eggs and vegetables to the sell at the market.

After my parents died, I was brought here. I had never met them before as my dad never talked about them. He was a prestigious lawyer, and I had always only known New York. I was only eight years old when the cops came to get me after their accident, and I’ve known this life here on this ranch ever since, and I slowly had grown to love it. So now in all of my four years here, it was always the same routine, until one night when I caught my grandpa.

The night was clear, and I could hear the owls hooting outside. I got up for my routine glass of fresh milk I always get in the middle of the night. I woke up out of my sleep, turned to my nightstand on my left side. 2:22am. Right on schedule as always. Sliding the warm covers off I put my slippers on silently and ease out of my room and down the hallway. Creek- ah the old sounds of the floorboard that always creeks right before I reach grandma and grandpa’s room on my right side where the door is...open? The door is always closed! Perplexed, I peek inside.

The window on the far side of the room is actually open, it looks like grandma was still sleeping on her side of the bed, but grandpa was missing. Weird. Tip toeing onward, I get past the living room and make my way to the kitchen to continue my regular scheduled program until boom. I see him. Grandpa is standing silently looking outside of an open window. He isn’t moving and just staring fixedly outside. I feel my eyebrows raise as I watch him for a second. “Grandpa?” No answer, no movement. “Grandpa-” Again, no answer, no movement. “GRANDPA!” Suddenly he shudders and looks around as if he was in a deep sleep with his eyes open. He blinks away his trance and puts his head down in his hands. “Are you okay grandpa?” I ask, watching his every move. He looks around a bit confused, but quickly tries to hide it, “Yes, yes son, I must’ve startled you there…” he laughs slightly, “Out for your nightly glass of milk? Let me get that for you-” He then grabs the glass left out for me by grandma, and opens the fridge. He grabs the cool glass container of milk, pours me half a glass and hands it to me. My parched mouth is excited and I immediately gulp it down. “Hey, I think it’s best we don’t tell your grandma about this, I was obviously just-” he stops and thinks to himself, and I watch him curiously, “...well uh, just checking on the chickens you know...nothing to worry about.” he says as he nods and pats me on the back. “Sure grandpa, no worries.” I give him a reassuring smile and we both tread off to bed.

The next morning, everything seemed back to normal. Grandma had prepared another amazing breakfast, and I walked in just ready to scoff down those eggs. Coming into the kitchen and dining area, inhaled the sweet aromas and hummed along to my grandma’s tune she hums every morning. Grandpa was already sitting down at the table, coffee in hand and looking rather tired. He has little bags under his eyes and a rather solemn look on his face as he stares down at the plate that was fixed for him. “Well, sit down love, I have your plate here-” Grandma says as she turns back to the stove. I sit down with my eyes still on grandpa. “Good Morning grandpa…” He blinks and looks up at me before taking a sip of his coffee, “Yes, good morning Timothy, you’ll have to excuse me, I’m just a bit tired this morning." Grandma brings over my plate, placing it in front of me before looking at grandpa. "Well you were moving around a lot last night Gerald, I don’t think you slept very well.” She moves over to him and proceeds to check for a fever. “Nothing, you feel fine. Well hurry then, after you drop those eggs off at the market maybe you can come back and take a nap my dear.” He nods after her and downs the rest of the coffee, before getting up and heading to the coupe outside. Grandma watches him from the same window I caught grandpa at last night as he loads his truck and drives off.

Grandma grabs her plate off the counter. “Go outside and have fun today...and be careful around the chicken coupe!” her voice trails off as I run outside to the brisk October air and grab my bike. I take a couple of laps around the ranch enjoying all of the scenery until I get back to the house. I look pointedly at the chicken coupe. What was grandpa staring at last night? Climbing off my bike, I walk forth and open the chicken shed. It was unusually quiet. I squinted so my eyes could adjust, but I gasped at what I found. All of the chickens were lined up in a perfect semicircle and still, looking forward as if they were staring at something in front of them that I couldn’t see. A loud chicken screech came from the back of the pack and they all started to disperse going back to normal, with a few of them crazily hopping towards me. I yelled and fell back kicking the door closed. Thump, thump, thump, thump- the chickens were hitting the door and I staggered up quickly to lock the door. “Timothy!” My grandma called from the porch, “I told you to be careful around that chicken coupe! Get from by there!” I got up and ran toward her, "But grandma- I saw the chickens all lined up! I don’t know, like they were in school or somethin-” I was panting hard. She looked at me puzzled, “What are you talkin’ about Timothy? Chickens don’t line up, that’s impossible-” “But grandma I saw it!” I exclaimed. “No that’s nonsense! Now get in this house and wash up. No more stories.” She turned away from me and held the door open for me to come inside. I sighed taking one last look back at the chicken coop when a large brown barn owl swooped down and landed on top of the chicken coop looking directly at me. My mouth dropped. It was only just beginning to be dusk, what was an owl doing out this early!? “Timothy!” My grandma yelled for me again and I reluctantly went inside.

That night, everything was quiet. I woke up at my normal time. My eyes opened sleepily, and the clock on my nightstand came into focus. It flipped from 2:21, to 2:22am. I sat up and looked around my room before getting up. There it was again! The barn owl I saw earlier was outside my window. It was watching me. Thump, thump, I felt my heart beat quicken and I slowly backed up to my doorway to head to the kitchen. Creek went the floor board, but I ignored it as I noticed the bedroom door to my grandparents room was open yet again. I looked inside only to see my grandma sleep on her side and my grandpa missing yet again! Only this time, two more barn owls peered inside from the open window. Now I rarely use this word, but what in the hell was going on here?! Scared out of my wits, I tiptoed past the living room to the kitchen. I gasped, the front door was wide open and two owls had flown inside looking directly at me. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer. Should I get my grandma? Grandpa didn’t want me to tell! Let me just find grandpa first!

I steadily walk into the clear, cool, eerie night. The coop is right straight ahead with the door wide open, and multiple large brown barn owls start flying in out of nowhere, all watching me. I ease forward and finally get to the door. Inside the chickens were all lined up again in a semicircle, quiet. They were all surrounding something, I tried to make out what it was. If I could just get a little closer, maybe I could see. Sweat started running down my face as I cautiously take each step. I peer over and see my grandpa, in a trance in the middle of the semi circle on his knees and looking directly into the biggest chicken I had ever seen. The chicken was huge and his eyes were fixated on my grandpa almost as if he was hypnotizing him! I gasped loudly and all the chickens looked directly at me. They all started screeching and yelling, and began to attack me, pecking like crazy! Abruptly the chickens started falling off of me. I was yelling over and over! My grandpa needed to snap out of it! Something was saving me and when the last chicken was hit off of me, my scratched face looked up only to see several large barn owls swooping in and attacking the chickens. My eyes can’t even keep up with the nonsense! I back into a corner watching everything. The lead chicken is now literally fighting an owl, and there’s complete chaos as the owls fight off the chickens. I see my grandpa still under a trance on his knees in the middle of the coop and I crawl over quickly to wake him up. He snaps awake as he did the first time and looks at me. All of the owls have evacuated in a flash, and the chickens go back to normal, except the unnaturally large chicken that was in the center hypnotizing my grandpa- he was left unmoving.

“Wha- what happened?” My grandpa asked, getting up and rubbing his temples. “I don’t think you’re going to believe me!” I told him looking around completely mystified. “Try me!” He says. I delve into the story, from the owls in his room window, to the open front door, to the crazy battle between the owls and the chickens. He stood quietly listening to me intently before shaking his head. “You know, your dad once told the same story. Said years ago he found me here doing the same thing.” He scoffs and goes to pick up the dead chicken, “I don't remember seeing this chicken before. He's huge! You both have the craziest imaginations. I will, however, see a doctor about sleepwalking. Now come inside!” We both leave the chicken coop and I turn to see a big brown barn owl land on top of it again. It stares down at me before it flies away. Grandpa gets back to the door of the house, holding it open for me, “Come on, get inside, and again, don’t tell your grandma.” I shake my head burying my face in my hands. All I wanted was some milk.