Return of The Night Owl

Return of the Night Owl

On a dark dreary night, only three before the blood moon that only comes once every 600 years, a young boy at the age of 16 had no idea what journey lay before him that week or who he might meet along his path. Before gearing up for a routine nightly run, Jermaine did his leg stretches in his small and cozy living room apartment that he shared with his older sister, Penelope. Jermaine was, what one would call a night owl. He slept throughout the days and had an abundance of energy once he rose from slumber. Because the weather forecast a bitter and cold night, Jermaine wore a sweater underneath his reflective coat with bright red socks that stretched up above his knees. On his way out he grabbed his AirPods. Music was his daily motivation, he popped them into each ear and the sound of Drake began to hum through. Crystalized icicles hung from the lamp posts that lined the dark and gloomy street which was bare, other people knew to beware of the frosty air. Running towards Curtis Murray park, which sat at the end of the street, Jermaine passed only two other people. They nodded to each other, a signal of greeting, and continued their separate ways. The park was lovely. Jermaine loved hearing the crashing of the waves against the ice in the background of his music as he ran, it gave a zen feeling. Halfway through the park, a light began to flicker ahead of Jermaine. An eerie feeling arose in his stomach, He brushed it off and continued running allowing the adrenaline to flow through his blood. A sudden gust of wind hit his face when he saw something zip across him into the trees. He stopped running, he was startled and lost his breath. He looked around the path and his eyes made contact with the big beady eyes of a bird perched on the branch of an elm tree. It was an Owl, staring into his soul, blinking only once. Jermaine, confused but curious as any young boy, started to edge closer to the big bird hiding in the night shadows. The owl made a hooting noise and flew off deeper into the forest, Jermaine knew better than to go off path especially at night. Starting his music again he continued running down the paved pathway. He could not stop thinking of the owl as he carried along. Jermaine finished his run and was now on his way back toward his warm apartment at a slow stride in the night. As he approached the end of a path, a big fluffy Wolf was waiting to greet him. He slowly and fearlessly approached the dark and hairy animal, who bowed its snout toward the boy and ran off into the woods beside the path. Jermaine was brave and knew never to trust the feeling of fear but, to question it. He shook his head and trotted along, exiting the park. ‘What is in the air tonight, the full moon is not for another two days?’ Jermaine thought to himself as he hurried home to escape whatever other wilderness lurked in the night. Once Jermaine reached home he explained the series of events to Penelope, who did not believe what she called his ‘fable story’; she believed a wolf would have snatched him right up in the dead of the night had he crossed its path. “Maybe the animals have crowned you as King of the Forest ” she chuckled as she uttered the sarcastic joke. Penelope thought of Jermaine as a dreamer always looking deeper into things, while she was logical and loved fact above fiction. Annoyed with Penelope's attitude, Jermaine retreated to his bedroom to write about the night in solitude. That night Jermaine dreamed of a world unknown to him coated in a misty fog.

Two nights later Jermaine decided to go out for another run, under the full moon; he loved how it gleamed brightly over the Lake at Curtis Murray Park. It was a blood moon and the first one of the year. He did not want to miss the opportunity to see it on fire. He bundled up this time wearing a headlamp and he decided to bring his camera in case he saw some more wild animals on his run. Penelope would have to believe him if he had a picture to prove it. The night was dark and damp, a heavy fog densely flowed through the street he was headed down. Jermaine began to jog again. He approached the entrance of Curtis Murray Park, ran up until he could see the moon, then stopped to enjoy the view of the bleeding moon dripping across the dim and gloomy lake. The look of it was surreal, something he would dream about. The sun shone through the moon with an orange glow, almost resembling the sunset. Caught off guard Jermaine felt something thud against his left shoulder but when he turned there was no one- not a thing. He began to run again and there was that eerie feeling, almost as if something was about to happen yet again. Jermaine pulled out his camera and began to flicker with the settings when down swooped the night Owl. ‘You returned’, the big bird flew in three circles before taking a landing on a branch right in front of the boy. It seemed much larger up close, Jermaine questioned how the bird could even sit on the branch without snapping it in half. The bird did not approach him but slowly hopped deeper into the darkness of the forest; Jermaine inched closer toward the bird and began to follow it. He took his photo with no flash; knowing it would scare the owl away. He started to naively follow the Owl into the forest as if he had been under some sort of spell. The Owl began to fly through the branches at a gradual speed. Jermaine hurried behind the owl afraid to lose his guide through the twilight. Picking up his speed to match the owl, Jermaine began to jog for nearly 30 seconds before he tripped on what he assumed was a pile of twigs. He fell and fell and fell, it was almost never-ending, He screamed on the way down and fell onto the ground of a world unknown to him. Hitting the ground with a boom he fell to a deep slumber. The owl flew around his sleeping body waiting for him to awaken. Worried they would not have time she considered poking him awake with her sharp beak, she shook off the thought as she did not want to be responsible for his injuries. An hour passed Jermaine awoke he found himself lying in a murky, cold place. The fog was thick, he could barely see in front of him. Rising to his feet he began to rub his eyes, still, all he saw was fog. Suddenly the Owl appeared out of the fog floating in front of Jermaine's face. “You!” he shouted “Where did you lead me? Where am I?!” The owl made a sharp hoot noise before clearing its throat, “Allow me to introduce myself, for I am Verona the guardian of Uriel.” Stunned to hear an owl speak, Jermaine exclaimed “You-you speak!” he felt as if he was in a dream. “Only when spoken to. Now sit quiet child, I need to tell you why you’re here. We don't have much time left, follow me to the castle as I speak.” Without hesitation Jermaine began to follow Verona through the misty air, unsure of when the path would end. He was fascinated with the dream world, although he still could not remember falling asleep; he was out running, that's what he could recall. “We have a new king who is dour. He has banned the people from laughing and now everyone in the kingdom is acting sullenly, afraid of being caught filled with joy.” “How can he ban such a thing? He must be evil. Why must I go to see him?” Jermaine replied while stopping in his tracks, waiting for a response. “He is allergic to laughter, he claims, he does not want anyone to laugh if he cannot join in, being as miserable as he is”. Jermaine was always ready to crack a good joke like it was his birthright. “What does he do to those who break the rules? I am too young to die.” The Owl made a hooting noise which resembled a chuckle. “He would have you locked away in his basement chambers, however, I would not allow such a thing nor would the ones who sent me to you.” “M-me? You thought I was funny huh?” The two threaded through the dusk and could begin to make out crystals gleaming through the fog. The Owl stopped and turned toward Jermaine “You need to think of your best joke, if King Gigglefit laughs he will not stop- ever!” Raising her wing, Verona pointed toward the glimmering castle “That is the Angelite castle, where the king has taken comfort. We are about to reach the paved roads of obsidian, be weary, the fog will dissipate and we risk the chance of being seen by troll guards.” That did not leave Jermaine feeling easy, he became filled with nerves. They approached the Obsidian road and immediately Jermaine's nerves were at ease from the crystals below his feet. He looked up at the tower of blue, pink, and white Angelite crystals reaching into the clouds above. Moving swiftly from each shrub to the next, Verona and Jermaine stealthily approached the crystal tower. On the way, Jermaine went back and forth in his head deciding which joke would be the one. Verona did not doubt the spirits which led her to Jermaine but she just could not see the humour in any of the jokes he had stated along the way, she found them cheesy. “The King, he usually hangs out in The Great Hall, I bet you he is in there right now sulking. Being a putrid excuse for a Goblin and King,” Verona said in a sharp yet harsh tone. He continued to follow her as she flew from the last tree; to the yellow path paved with citrine. Curiosity struck as he wondered the meaning behind all of the crystals, he marvelled at the wonders of the land. Verona told Jermaine to stay on the path until she gave a signal of three hoots. She soared far up into the air, all the way up the case of stairs to see if guards were near. After making sure the coast was clear, the Owl signalled to Jermaine “Hoo-Hoo-Hoot” He sprinted toward the plethora of jade stairs leading up into the clouded air. Adrenaline filled every inch of his being; much like when he went for his runs. Jermaine was excited for the challenge ahead. He knew he could make King Gigglefit laugh and if he could not…. well he would continue to believe he was trapped in a dream. Jermaine felt as if he had been on the steps for hours. The steps of jade stone, gave him the courage to reach the top where he saw Verona with her beak in her neck, plucking away at old feathers. Where they stood was silent. They both knew better than to utter a sound, they tiptoed toward the corner. The hallways had golden walls and stone fixtures of all the past rulers lining down the room they were headed to. Verona poked her head out into the hall and blinked twice letting Jermaine know the coast was clear. They tiptoed down the floors made of opaque selenite, looking down Jermaine noticed the floor shine a white light with each stride of his feet; he wondered if the King knew they were coming. He stopped sliding his feet against the selenite and stared at the doors of the Great hall he could hear the King inside making a fuss about it being too bright out that day. With a nod to Verona, he used great force on the large and thick doors made of black tourmaline. In the room was King Gigglefit. “And who are you, little human boy. You smell like onions and cheese. How dare you enter my castle in such a rude manner!” Jermaine squared up his shoulders, “I am Jermaine, Knight of the Night and I am here for your crown! Step down now and I will go easy on you.” King Gigglefit scrunched his brows as he stood from his throne. The King seemed much larger than Jermaine had imagined, though he had never actually seen a goblin before. The king stomped his large feet over to the boy, he drew in a large breath and blew it in Jermaine's direction. The breath created a large whirlwind of air that blew Jermaine right off of his feet and into the air. King Gigglefit found humour in this and immediately busted into a fit of laughter “you-hahaha- though you could- ahahahahaa- take my -ahahaha” he realized what was happening as he struggled to end his sentence. The King’s eyes grew wide, Jermaine struggled off of the ground dusting the dirt off of his clothes as Verona sat in the corner watching everything take place. King Gigglefit was laughing so extremely hard that the goblin lost his balance and toppled over onto the dusty floor. He rolled around, cackling without control, at the thought that he could be defeated by the ‘tiny’ boy. The laughing echoed in the room. Jermaine saw an opportunity, he grabbed the threads hanging around the throne and walked over to the large goblin laughing on the floor. He used the first thread to wrap the goblin's arms together, Verona held one end of the thread in her beak and pulled in the opposite direction to tighten the knot. They used another to tie his ankles together and the last thread to cover the mouth of the goblin who laughed madly with tears spilling down his cheeks. “Verona where shall we leave him? I can barely move his fat foot!” Jermaine said as he lost his grip on the goblins ankle. The guards laughed as they came into the Great Hall to see the commotion, as they could not stand the miserable king. It brought them such joy to finally see him not being wretched. Running through the castle with Verona hovering above, he cheered “WOO-HOO” to the bottom of the castle stairs. Verona thanked Jermaine, for about the thirtieth time, as she twirled and danced through the air around him. Elated, she had forgotten even a moment of doubt she had about him. “Okay, I would just like everyone to meet you, our knight and saviour, who defeated the dreadful king, then I shall bring you home to your world” Jermaine, who felt kind of confused about the situation that just took place in the castle, shrugged and followed behind the Owl. Things did not go to plan and he was sad he did not get to use his comedic skills. “Shake it off, you did what you came to do, he cannot help but have the humour of a savage goblin.” Jermaine knew Verona was right and decided to clear his mind and accept his title as the hero. The pair arrived at a gigantic barn wrapped in ivy and moss from the ground to the roof. White and pale pink stones of clear and rose quartz painted the pathway leading to the barn doors. As Verona approached the doors they opened right up for her, she turned around while flying in place, waiting for Jermaine to catch up. Inside the barn were centaurs, werewolves, and other mythical creatures sprawled about the perimeter. There were even families of fae flying around a garden. Everyone turned to greet Verona, “Vee you’ve returned! Please tell us of good news” uttered a husky skunk with a voice as big as its body. Verona flew above the animals hooting and doing tricks and spirals “of course my family, I come to tell you that the king has laughed and he has yet to stop! This is the lovely boy who had erupted such a burst of great laughter in King Gigglefit!” The Owl hovered above Jermaine's head. Around the barn, there were cheers, howls, and even the sounds of chirping from the family of birds resting at the top of the barn. The animals were ecstatic, they flooded out of the barn picking Jermaine up on the way to spread joy in the streets once again. Jermaine laid on top of the animal's backs as they carried him across the kingdom celebrating their freedom. That day, the animals and villagers made more jokes than ever before, spreading joy and cheer with one another! Peace was finally restored to Uriel. Jermaine said his goodbyes, as the sun started setting, to the creatures and the human citizens of Uriel. They thanked him once more and went on with their celebrations. Verona and Jermaine walked toward a forest that spread pitch black. Through the forest, Jermaine made sure to keep a close distance from Verona. He kept walking until he could see snowfall in the distance. Jermaine stumbled at the edge of the dark forest and landed in a pile of snow on the other side. He stood up shivering and shaking off the snow. Looking around he could not see Verona any longer. The Owl swooped down, “hoot-hoot” she chirped as she landed on the street lamp flickering above Jermaine's head. “Well, young knight it was a pleasure to have your help along my journey. I cannot show you enough gratitude I fear…” “I should thank you, Verona. You gave me the trip of a lifetime! I hope one day I can return.” Verona shook her beak down at Jermaine “Unfortunately Jermaine that cannot happen, the entrance to my world will be closed for another 600 years at midnight when the moon goes void.” Saddened to hear that he could not see Verona again he grabbed his camera hanging around his neck and gestured it toward her “Allow me to have a picture of you with the moon so that I may always have this memory.” Jermaine pleaded “Yes one picture then I must go back to celebrate with the rest, get my good side” Verona joked as she flew down to a branch in a pine tree. She turned her head toward the camera and Jermaine captured what he thought was the most astonishing photograph ever captured on the camera. Verona flew back into the darkness of the forest and immediately as she left a plethora of snow fell from the sky. Jermaine ran home holding his camera to his chest making sure it did not bang against his ribcage. The snowfall was fluffy and strong. He could barely see up the street to his apartment, the snow seemed to go on for miles resembling a thick fog like the night he had entered Uriel. He reached home almost out of breath and covered in a coat of thick white snow, he entered the building in a hurried excitement to share his story with Penelope! She would have to believe him since he had been gone such a long time! Bursting through the front door Jermaine wiggled the snow off of his clothes. “You are dedicated to your runs, it looks brutal out there,” Penelope said as she entered the living room. “Penelope, I have something to show you. Weren't you worried about me?” Whipping the camera from around his neck, he opened up his camera roll. He kicked off his running shoes in a hurry and rushed to shove the camera in Penelope's face. “Very beautiful! Is this the mystical owl you spoke of? Also, you were gone for an hour. why would I be worried? That’s normal for your runs.” Shaking his head in disbelief, “There is no way! I went to a whole other world. It seemed like I was gone for days” Jermaine proclaimed. He scrolled to the photo he had taken a night before of the owl in night vision. Turning the camera to face Penelope he pointed, “see I took this the night I entered the world, the date is completely different!” Shocked, Penelope shifted back and forth between the photos and noticed a bright white aura surrounding Verona, she believed Jermaine and no longer thought he was making the story up. That night Penelope prepared fettuccine shrimp alfredo; Jermaine's favourite and listened to the story of his journey with Verona, the Night Owl. He told her about all the crystals he saw, tying up the big goblin king who would never stop laughing, and he told her of all the magical creatures he had met. By the time Jermaine was done telling of his adventure, all Penelope could say was “I guess you are King of The Forest after all.” The two siblings laughed and carried on merrily the rest of the evening. That night Jermaine dreamed of Verona appearing at his window not saying or doing anything just standing as a guard on the windowsill. He slept peacefully that night.

Copyright © 2022 by Cierra Beckford-Lofters

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