In Fire, she lives

The first time his luminous eyes saw her, she was crying. Only a child, she startled him as she ran into the barn late one afternoon. She flopped down on a pile of hay, burying her tear-soaked face into her hands.

"Why?" she asked the empty barn, pulling her wild curly hair straight up into the air.

He ruffled his feathers, as he watched her, he could feel her pain, and beneath the pain a budding power hidden within.

"Why did I have to be so different?" She asks quietly, her fingers entangled in her long, red curls. Crying softly to herself, she kept hearing their words, and seeing the disdain on their faces. Her first day of school and she would never fit in. Her parents never prepared her for such a reaction.

The rest of her classmates, and their families all over the village had various shades of thick, black, straight hair. Some with hints of blue, others, hints of brown or violet. None of them had bright red, curls. Her own parents had black hair. But they never let her feel different, instead they told her how beautiful she was. Yet that did not stop them from lifting her hood when they walked together through the village.

She thought about this, and her sadness became outrage, anger at her parents, and frustration that she would always be different, unwanted.

His big eyes continued to watch her, his head following her as she paced back and forth, leaving a trail in the hay laden ground. He felt the power inside her growing, her anger fueling it like a growing fire.

Then suddenly before him, she screamed and as she did her hair turned to flame. Scared for her, the owl let out a loud "Hoo! Hoo!"

She heard the owl, but did not see him, his call broke her reverie and she calmed down. But she was different, her wild mane of red curls had changed, as if thrown in a kiln and released. Her hair was now the color of a raven, black, straight and as smooth as silk. Her big green eyes that seemed to take up most of her young face became even more shocking contrasting with her shiny black hair.

The change did not last however, as she became happy, and calm, her hair slowly changed back. As it did, she called out to the owl, "Hey, mister, can you do that again?" convinced it was a magical owl, and not her own magic that caused the change.

"Hoo!" the tawny brown owl responded. Yet nothing happened. This went on for some time, until he became hungry, and the sun began to fade. With one last "Hoo!" he flew away in search of his dinner.

For the next week the girl returned every day, attempting to make the miracle happen once again. She taunted the owl, bribed him with mice, and even tried singing to him.

Though she had a lovely voice, his responding call of "Hoo! Hoo!" did not change. He wanted to tell her, "It's you! You're magic." But she did not understand him. He flew around her, even pecked at her, trying to make her angry again. But to no avail.

As time passed, the girl got used to the laughter, the name calling, having her hair pulled. She had her secret hiding spots to eat lunch and tried to wear a hood whenever she could. She grew quiet, only speaking when she had to, so as not to draw attention to herself. She most certainly never sang, at least not with anyone nearby.

Instead, she spent afternoons with the owl, talking to him, singing to him and bringing him mice.

But then, one day things changed, she had grown into a young woman, a beautiful woman, with striking features, catching the attention of young men. Though they did not dare say it, as they did not want to be associated with someone so very different.

One fall day, a new young man and his family came to live in the village. With jet black hair and skin, the color of warm caramel, they were quickly loved by all. The young man had strong, manly features, a chiseled jaw, and the nose of a warrior. His eyes like melted milk chocolate, his voice deep and melodic.

All of the young women desired his attention, and though he noticed, and even enjoyed them fawning over him, pushing their bosoms out as he passed, he did not choose them.

Like the rest of the giggling girls, she too found him attractive. Yet, unlike the rest she did not fawn over him, nor pursue his attention. Instead, she tried harder to be invisible, scared he would notice her and reject her. His rejection was one she would not be able to handle.

Yet, what she did not know, is that he had indeed noticed her. The dusting of freckles on her skin, her green eyes so full of sadness and her hair bright, curly and wild. He wanted nothing more than to hear her speak or see her smile.

She wandered to the barn, and found her friend the owl at his perch, and she told him of her unrequited love. He listened and felt the power in her rising again. He knew if she could learn to harness her power, she would be happy. He knew exactly where to take her. He stretched out his wings, and "Hoo!" so loudly she grew silent. She watched as he flew from his perch, circled around her and then flew out the barn door.

Without questioning him she followed. He flew above her, but low enough to be easily spotted. She watched him gracefully cruise through the air, his feathers full of wind. Deep in the forest, he finally came to rest on a big rock that stood on the edge of a creek between two large thick trees.

"Hoo!" he called out, practically yelling at her. She didn't know how, but she felt he was communicating with her, guiding her. She closed her eyes and felt the wind on her face. "Hoo!" he called out again, and she sat on the ground. She felt the earth between her fingers.

As she did this, she felt something else, she felt a fire building inside of her, encouraging her to visualize what she wants. A mix of frustration, sadness, and oddly enough hope filled her, bubbling over at the surface.

For the second time, the owl watched her change before his eyes, surrounded by flame, but on alight, he watched as she let the magic inside her be released, and once again her hair changed raven black and silky smooth. Once again as quickly as it changed, it returned to its origin.

Determined to make it stick, the young woman repeated the same cycle, until she found a balance. Learning to harness her powers, and to control how much magic she exerted to get the result she wanted. This went on for hours, with her friend the owl ever watchful.

Eventually, as dusk settled, she grew tired, and after one last attempt, she laid down by the water, at the foot of the rock and slept.

She was awoken by the sound of a soft "Hoo, Hoo!" and the flutter of wings. As she lifted her head something unexpected happened. She felt her head, and instead of curls, she felt smooth straight silk. She looked at her reflection in the water, and there in the morning sun was her beautiful face, surrounded by long locks of smooth raven black hair.

"Thank you." she whispered to the owl, and as she walked, she kept touching her hair, making sure it did not change back.

As she walked through the village, she was caught by gasps from old women, shocked faces of her classmates, and cat call like sounds from grown men. She smiled, and even greeted people.

"How?" some would ask. She would merely smile and lift a finger to her lips as if to say, it was a secret.

For the next few days, she continued to check her hair, though the spell held. She was admired openly by many a young man and befriended by some of the meanest girls she'd ever known. Yet, she was not truly happy. For a fleeting moment she felt comfortable and accepted. But she realized quickly that it was not for who she truly was. Conversations were not about anything that mattered. The boys were only interested in her looks and trying to get her alone. None of them really cared about anything beneath her skin. Through those days she found herself trying to find him. The only man she'd ever wanted to be good enough for, and though she saw him from a far, he never came to her. Like she hoped he would. She thought if her hair was "normal" he'd surely be proud to be with her, shirking all other girls for her. But he did not.

One afternoon she wandered around the woods, with the owl flying overhead. She found herself singing a song, she didn't quite know the words to, but it seemed to come from her very core.

The young man had noticed her, before anyone else, he watched her walk through the village, hiding her beauty beneath a hood. Then suddenly she changed, her freckles faded, and her hair was the same black straight sheet as everyone else's. He knew she was magic, but it made him sad to know she had used her magic to change herself, to try to fit in.

That afternoon he left school early, feeling rather melancholy. He wandered the forest, and found himself sleepy, he laid by the creek, the warm earth beneath him, warming his bones, he drifted off to sleep.

He was awoken by the sound of singing, and the soft melody of an owl's call following along. It was a song he recognized, though he did not know how. He found himself singing along softly, as he wandered through the forest, following the sound.

There in a break in the trees he saw her. Dancing and singing, her new hair shiny and dancing. Though as she stepped into the sun, he saw it. The red underneath, the real her. He stood there, quietly mouthing the words as he watched her for a time.

The owl noticed him first, its bulbous eyes fixed on him, "Hoo!" the owl called, this time out of rhythm, but it was not a warning. Rather it was an invitation.

He stepped forward singing more loudly, so that she would hear him.

She heard the words, but not in her voice, a manly deep, beautiful voice singing her song. She turned and there he was, walking toward her, the most handsome man she had ever seen. She felt a spark inside her as he approached. She watched each careful step, and the movement of his mouth as he sang.

The song came to an end as he stopped just an arm's length in front of her.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what?" she replied, confused.

He reached out and lifted a strand of her hair, as he spoke, "Why would you change something so beautiful?"

She looked down as she responded, "You don't have to make fun. I know I'm not beautiful, but at least now I fit in."

He released her hair and lifted her face with to fingers beneath her chin. "Oh, my dear, why in the world would you want to fit in? When you were born to stand out."

She looked at him, a smile playing on her lips, but inside she was not so sure. "Why would anyone want to stand out. It only brings pain and heartache."

This hurt him, knowing how awful people can be, and how horrible someone so beautiful, so special, so kind, could be treated with such disdain.

They stood there in silence for a few moments, her words of pain hanging on the air.

She opened her mouth to break the silence, attempting to apologize, but he stopped her.

"There's a magic inside you, you were made to be special, to be different. Different is beautiful, you are naturally beautiful. Don't hide behind curtains of dark hair, or boring skin. Don't be afraid to be who you are. The most special people don't fit in, because they were meant for something greater."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as he spoke. She had never felt like she was special, or that anyone could really see her. She had tried to be invisible for so long, it was shocking to be seen. As her tears fell, they left her freckled skin in their wake. She closed her eyes, and for the first time, she wanted to be seen. Not like everyone else, but as herself.

One last time she was surrounded by the fire, and when it passed, she stood there all wild red curls, freckles and bright green eyes.

He gasped as she changed, or rather, returned to herself. "You're beautiful." He said, and she smiled, the most genuine smile she ever had.

"Especially when you smile." he said and then stepped closer. She gasped as she felt him close enough to feel his breath on her cheek.

He lifted her chin again, this time looking her deep in the eyes before kissing her.

"Hoo! Hoo!" the owl exclaimed, his presence no longer required, he flew away, back to his perch in the barn.