The Spirit of the Owl

It was a dark and foggy night. Blake was taking a late-night drive because he could not sleep. His mind was racked with guilt and shame. It was his second week out of prison, and he felt like everything was falling apart just like before. He just did not know how to get back on track.

Blake was in his early forties. Once, he had a family with a daughter, but in his twenties, he got bored of the family life. He started hanging out with the wrong kind of people and before you know it he was an absent father breaking the law and spending five years in and out of prison. When he was locked up, he would make his daughter promises to be there when he got out, but he would never keep that promise. He would just end up fucking up again and ending back up in prison. He is tired of living this life. He is lonely and broken and wonders if there is even a reason to keep living.

Blake snaps out of it just in time to see an owl in the road, but not enough time to avoid from hitting him. He screeches to a stop and gets out of his car. He goes to the owl to see if he's still alive. The owl and Blake make eye contact and something weird happens. Suddenly, him and the owl trade places. Yet at the same time their thoughts and memories become one. Instantly, the owl is aware he's looking down at his own body yet he's also looking down at the man known as Blake. The owl goes back to the car and pops open the trunk and gets out a blanket to wrap the owl (Blake) in. He gently puts him in the passenger seat. The owl sits there for a moment overwhelmed by these new feelings he's never felt before. Such sorrow and despair. Owls have never experienced guilt before, and so he sits there and cries and cries for this man. This man, that only moments ago, ran him over.

The owl was curious to know how and why they traded places. There had to be a reason for this to have happened. Something he must do that Blake was unable to do himself. After all, he is a wise owl. This man’s burden had now become his. This Owl was Blakes Spirit guide, here to guide him back to a life with purpose. The wise owl gathers up all Blakes loved ones in a place they all know well, known as flat rock. As they all gather around in curiosity, the owl (Blake)sits them all down in a circle. He tells them that there is no time to explain. To close their eyes and listen to his voice. He begins to hum a tune and each one of them began to see something, like a movie, they began to feel something and suddenly all of them were connected. All their thoughts, emotions, memories, all merged into one so they could all understand and there would be no need for words.

Once the Owl felt satisfied. Now that they were able to see their story from Gods eyes, empathy and understanding would prevail! He walks back over to the car where his body lies in the passenger seat. He gently gathers his body and holds him close. Nurturing the man that resides inside of the owls injured body for the Owl understands this man doesn’t deserve any more pain than what he puts himself through with his thoughts. Even though the owl could have remained the man forever, he really did not want to. This experience was one he is grateful for. Plus, how could he hunt now that he was exposed to guilt?

He tells the man that he is forgiven and then he looks up to the stars above and hums to the Lord above

”Oh Lord, please hear my plea , I thank you for this experience ,for the chance to understand what it feels like to be a man, I ask that you forgive this man’s bad deeds, we have worked on creating new seeds….all I ask is that you forgive him and set me free .”Blake wakes up, still in the driver seat of the car with the poor owl he hit laying in the street. He gets out and gently scoops him up. He knows it was not all just a dream, he thanks the owl and lays there lifelessly. He takes him home and buries him in his garden and every week his family and he would come to this garden and they would share with the spirit of the owl, their experience from the past week. All that love made their garden thrive.