Signs of Trouble or Speed

Signs of Trouble or Speed

By: Theresa Martineck

In the night cast over a man lost in the shadows of the depths of the woods. His crawls shadowing his own fear of what’s in front of him that he cannot hear nor see. The darkened sights which moonlight too dim to help make his way, the inimitable sound of a slight woot owned by a barn owl. To the man’s fearful ears, he hears nothing as the motions around him seem to dim right into his ears. Though there were actual sounds coming from the dark, the man failed to make this connection to the wisest animal in the world, the barn owl.

Its population numbers should matter and speak truly of the survival wisdom. Perhaps there’s more to it. This particular species doesn’t only have night vision and incredible wingspan, in fact there’s a bigger mystery to solve. As the wings expand one after the other at the right travel rate, time seems to collapse. Only the owl will know the pace to the time for it’s impossible to measure time travel. Making its way minutes or days into the future, holding and comparing the man’s compassion or commitment to glory. Nothing better to observe than the human man vigor. Whilst this man’s bracing moment, the owl captures the vision of the man. This man named Trudy, a sole traveler seeking something more to himself. What struck bold to this owl’s memory, the brim of the man’s glowing face met by fullness of his beard under the yellowing of the owl’s night vision, only his side-eye and cheek bone seem to light as Trudy reaches through the brush of the night. Clicking of the owl, a total memory logged into moments of the future. Little does Trudy know that a vision from above captured for the owl to travel back from. Expanding his soft but devious wingspan back into time, minutes, into days to find where the man started from.

Within the days prior, focused on Trudy’s metropolitan lifestyle. Before he knew how dirty his fingernails could get, all needs obsessively within reach. No reason to ever feel socially harmed. Business as usual in his hard-earned corporate office with employer’s nonstop attention. Details planned in and out of way of sorts. Trudy’s education carried him dear through every single punched in second across the board. He has been seen managing projects and all with the knowledge that efforts would be lost if he didn’t stick around daily for the impression of listening. Listening to coaching was the manner for which continued to pay him on the company dime. Non sequitur statements at work seemed to exist at a pace corporate’s interest lied only in conversation with superiority. This man lived through venerate messages deeply trained within his manner. Trudy lies awake at night choking on his nerves, his hands brought to perfect typing manner and dreamed only of his emails kept short. He knew deep within that the tragic look of his inhales weren’t because of lack of expression. There was another challenge that lived beneath. In the wakeless moments he could be truthful. His life didn’t measure up to joyful as he only sought balance in his plan. Breaking away was Trudy’s only way to exhale, something far from the normal daily routine.

Longed to feel pain bracing his muscles in excursion. Pain in muscle soreness, not the type achieved by missing a protein drink following his sanitary gym daily but the brisk of an unkept moment. The one moment the owl had stored away for this man. Hungry for silence and adventure. Trudy imaged mud in his toes and dirt in his nails in exchange for perfect air in his lungs. As he woke each day grasping and only finding the tension growing in his back. His shoulders gripping away until his fingers counted the escape from normal.

Trudy wanted to go so far that reception didn’t exist, to not call out would be to forfeit the life he grew and kept neat. He had to know that his enigma of unexplained absence would meet the memory kept in the future mind of the owl swarming the skies of all time.

Planning

Forced into planning out his vehicle’s trunk space. The kind of force that is lurking in his own head, his own thoughts distracting him from his current existence. Trudy couldn’t focus on anything other than his new travel idea. His ordinary life was now a distraction.

Looking to find wild space that didn’t meet the criteria of the modern day explorer. Instead, Trudy in a blunder avoids internet expectations without any interest in scoring attention – more so quite the opposite.

Sits in a stir, just continues to play along with checking emails, keeping instances of communication cut short. Realizing the drastic measures about to come from new behavior so longed for sight of real views. His plans are to leave to whichever place in time he was according to the owl’s capturing mind.

Bringing with him some clever devices, absorbency towels, canister for fluids, sleeping bag, sensible survival meals. The most he could carry or think to want to need. The inception of sleep, no alarm set, he left at dawn.

Travel

After a long commute towards Mount San Antonio of Southern California region, his eyes locked into a lit stare. One similar to large green eyes that of a barn owl. While having seen so many owls in museums, he’s yet to actually have heard a call of the wild quite like the barn owl’s woot.

Embraced with such space Trudy decides to take his vehicle off track but in sight of his vision. As he pulls his wagon off the road, his blood starts to rush with excitement. His mind geared for the rush and pulls of nature. Slight chirping to his ears as he opens his car door. With ever so strong, slow motion he decides to leave his car behind. Grabs his blazonry of supplies packed tightly to sit on his back to begin his course. Feeling so expert as desperate can bring one forward.

Hours into travel on foot he starts to find a spot to reflect. Midday before him and seeing a winsome man in a self-reflection moment. Trudy’s mind as clear as the day before him.

Walking up to open grass fields, seeing needed mental change. As he reaches for his first bite from his packed lunch his body is fed in more than one way. Surprising to him, as he munches away, no animals were in sight nor attracted to the scent of food. Nature was so fulfilled around him.

Starting to feel his beard growth, his skin hardens from healthy dose of untapped resource. His mind goes back to sitting alongside professional women feeling mortified that his skin was smooth as some of theirs. In fact, media led to believe this to be a desirable trait. Left with so few choices, he practically gathered interest on appearance enhancement.

Ready to let go to the air around him, Trudy steps forward again into brush terrain, hoping for sightings. Yards ahead, there against a brush were berry bushes. So sweet to taste he could feel the juices in his mouth even from such a distance.

His mind takes him back again to the last time he traveled. Before college while taking part in the army, he sees flashes of himself running through training. That day forced into manhood as his skills gripped. His feet bleed that day as his hands grew into rocks. While he never totally softened from strength build, it was never totally felt mentally. His physical nature more instructed to him rather than taking strides of strength on his own regard. Much like his terrain trekking will bring him. With a certain enrichment to today’s course. His soul is clear. Mind focused on exploring. Trudy takes in the air as he reflects on moments of his life never left attended. His face almost as hard as the shape taken by an owl beak.

Lost

As the brush gets larger and closer in view, he sees half a barn. So darkened and aged with no distinguishing address. His mind grew curious but couldn’t help a flashback to his daily usual semi perfect city buildings with absolute precision. For a moment and for the first time since Trudy accepted leaving his vehicle, he felt fear. Fear of the unknown to this location, fear of the inhabitants, fear of what vacated the location, fear of the next to find. While his walking so far led to no trauma but more refreshing. He starts to slither himself with new ideas.

Refueled with energy he hones in on what’s left of the pieces of wood left behind. Makes necessary markings on his map based on distance and what has been passed so far. Aurora down and Trudy reaches to fork through the bushes for a full handful of berries. With a rasp of flavor working through his mouth, he begins to pout so briefly as he begins to feel tired. Knowing dusk is approaching faster than his sleep plans for the night.

Smarmy nits and bees flying over the bushes. The sun totally set. The sight of the man again, forced the owl to galvanize through his memory. A memory that only travel from the future would confirm.

Never new growth without compromise. The man climbed through the broken down building housing himself as the walls darkened deep within. A quick flash of yellow light blasts his way. If he could breathe light, it was more felt within. Too quick to notice its source. A slight visitor was present, one who would slightly approve its own presence.

Regrets start to sink in as he reaches his low. Trudy’s pen runs dry as his memory stretches on meanings behind his markings. How great predictive text from computer programs may have benefited his mind only to find his root purpose in the idea of seeking touch with nature.

Trudy distinguishes the darkness and closes his eyes to think of reflective bodies of water. With no trenches in sight or reservoir even to plan he imagines what survival meant to those dormant to this exact location prior. He felt the brushes of feather dust through his nostrils but ever so slight. He starts to sigh with relief on the quiet, quaint arrival that has his imagination wondering.

Criticizing his desire for answers on the history of the building, his new borne discovery lurked by existing settlers. He pulls out his sleeping bag and finds his day’s end. He had met his owl clicking and soft white feathers. His mind wiped clean of any sight of this miraculous owl. Blanked out by his sleeping bag, Trudy’s tired hands glide slowly over his heart, his hand lies still on his chest, except a pulse was felt everywhere in his body.

Measurements

As his body arose in the morning apprised, again, at what peaceful surroundings he had become welcomed to enjoy. Trudy in that moment decided not to ever picture surroundings of cubicle walls again. Instead determined to find answers.

As dawn breaks and fully from wakeless, Trudy drops his belongings to welcome himself to more of his desert from the evening prior. As he gathers berries, his hand slips, sharded thorns tear at the outside of his hand. Cutting him deep enough to bleed up through his fore wrist. Holding his injury, he decides to follow his path backwards.

Having spent enough time in this part of the woods, he makes his way to the Town Hall to see what’s on register. Realtor traced land ownership; Trudy wishes to call this location home. Assumed to be bare and unaccustomed to life, he reached a new level of goal accomplished.

Land hasn’t been claimed in 206 years. Records reflect original owners abandoned and left unowned a portion larger than Trudy had estimated. The Realtor begins to discuss the risks involved in claimed unsettled land, off grid has its obstacles and Trudy interrupts the Realtor mid-sentence to ask if any owls sightings were common. The Realtor blinking again, glazes back at the man’s eager face. Trudy wishes to remain in reflection of his prior life before meeting this property.