The Nightmares and The Owl

It was a cold, dark night. The wind was still and the sky was clear. The stars adorned the cosmos with their brilliant gleam as the full moon illuminated everything in sight. The silence was broken by a long, shrill shriek and was restored just as abruptly. Dark eyes, and a pale face could be seen in the shadows. A small bird, roosting on the branch of a tree could be seen flapping its wings. The field upon which the tree would be found was empty for miles around, and the call of the owl would not disturb anyone. The owl let out another screech, and flew off into the distance.

A young woman jerks out from a deep slumber; shaken, and upset. She cries out from the darkness of her room, but her calls would fall upon deaf ears. "That's right. You're no longer here." She muttered to herself as she looked over at a picture of herself with her husband on the nightstand beside her bed. "It's only been over a year since your passing, and I cannot imagine this pain, and loneliness will ever fade away." She thought to herself as her attention turned to the ceiling. "Why do I keep dreaming of that owl?" she pondered as she fell back asleep.

Clouds began to form over the empty field, and droplets of water came crashing down. Water dripped from leaves and branches. The same long, and shrill shriek could be heard. The owl flapped its wings as water ran along its feathers. The night grew colder and the owl flew in search of respite from the incoming storm. Anywhere it could roost without being submitted to the worsening rain, and frigid air would suffice. A seemingly empty barn came into view in the distance, and the lone owl flew inside from a hole in the wall behind the barn.

The rain grew heavier, thunder roared through the night, and then a sudden flash as lightning struck. The young woman was awoken by the sudden sound and flash of light. She looked at the picture on the nightstand once again. "You always held me tight on nights like these, my darling." She thought as she reached over and took the picture from the nightstand and held it pressed against her chest. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as she let out silent sobs. She stared blankly at the ceiling and held the picture tighter. She closed her eyes and slowly fell back asleep.

In the barn, the owl shook off the remaining water from its feathers as it searched for the perfect spot to perch undisturbed. It let out another long, and shrill shriek as it began to roost once again. A flash of lightning casts the shadow of a man. His face grim, and menacing, locked in an ever mischievous smirk. An obvious intruder, he carried a backpack full of his belongings. This man had been travelling along the countryside; hiding out in empty barns, abandoned buildings, and even caves. He knew no remorse for his actions, as he was set upon a path of spreading chaos and despair. The mere memories of his actions brought an evil smile upon his face, as his sights set upon the house on the opposite side of a barren field that was once a thriving farm. Water poured into the dilapidated barn from holes in the roof, as the man rummaged through the items in his backpack. He looked towards the house and his eyes grew dark, and became devoid of light, as if his soul was slipping away.

The storm worsened as the night progressed; heavy rain, and rumbling thunder was all that could be heard. Sudden flashes of lightning illuminated everything as the radiance of the moon became obscured by the dark, ominous clouds that overtook the sky. The man became impatient as he stared at the house, awaiting his moment. The lights were all turned off within the house, and he got up from the pile of hay he sat upon. He threw his backpack over his shoulder and began walking towards the house, as the owl quietly watched him venture out into the rain. With each step he grew closer to the house, and his grin grew bigger. "I might stay here a while this time. The houses in this area seem to be a bit isolated, and out of contact from the rest of the town" he thought to himself as he secured a knife into his back pocket. He walked around the house to the front and stood under the porch, then knelt and pulled a lockpicking kit from his backpack. He worked on the door, and got it open. He paused to listen for any indicative of an alarm system, but none was heard. The inside of the house was still and quiet, bathed in darkness except for the residual lights from electronics throughout. He set his backpack down beside the front door, and began walking around quietly, the floors were hardwood and would creek occasionally but not loud enough to cause any alarm to the residents of the house. He made his way through the building, ending every life he encountered. The first to go were children whom he suffocated in their sleep. The parents put up more of a fight as the mother awoke her husband with screams of pain as he drove his blade through her multiple times. The father of the family finally fell after a short struggle with the man, which choked him with his bare hands. The evil man smiled at the sight of his latest conquest. "This was messier than it had to be. I don't think I will stay here after all." He softly muttered as he picked up his backpack and returned to the barn for a canister of gasoline he had seen earlier.

The owl let out a long, shrill shriek as the man drove away from the burning building. The storm subsided, a final flash of lightning, and one last roar of thunder was heard. Gasping for air, the young woman was awakened once again, still clutching the memento of her life before her husband's demise. She got up out of bed, and walked to the kitchen, still thinking about her dreams of an owl, and her husband who died from complications of a pandemic disease that was storming throughout the world. He looked out the window and noticed a fire off in the distance. It came in the direction of her nearest neighbors' home. She went into her living room and attempted to call the police, but the telephone lines were down. She became isolated after her husband's passing as she fell into a deep depression, she canceled her internet, and cellular phone service, keeping only her landline. She got no dial tone from her phone as she kept attempting to call for emergency services. "Maybe their barn caught fire?" She wondered as she looked at the flames brighten up the horizon. The night was once again clear and the storm was completely gone. She got a glass of water, and paused for a moment. "I think I should go over there just to make sure things are alright." she thought to herself as she tried to dial the police one last time, still no dial tone. She went upstairs into her bedroom to find a robe, and the keys to her truck. From her bedroom window she saw a familiar car parked outside of her house. "I know that car. It's the neighbors'! Maybe they came to ask for help or to escape the fire?" she thought to herself.

A long, and shrill screech was heard, startling her. She noticed an owl perch on the end of her window. It made her uneasy, she closed the window, and the owl flew onto her roof. She paused for a second and thought about her dreams. She shook herself back into reality, "They might be in danger" She said as she threw her robe over her shoulders and made her way downstairs. She went out through the front door, and approached the car, but found it to be empty. She looked inside and found a ragged backpack in the back seat of the vehicle. She stepped back from the car, and slowly made her way back into her home. She walked inside and locked the door behind her. There was an ominous feeling in the atmosphere of her house. She felt a pair of eyes gazing upon her, but she saw no one. She went to her telephone once more, and again, heard no dial tone. She walked around the house, and discovered that the backdoor of her home was open. Her heart sank deep into her body, and fear petrified her very being. She was paralyzed, but shaking at the same time. She closed the backdoor and locked it, then proceeded to walk upstairs. As she was halfway up the staircase, she heard the distinct sound of someone's footsteps. Again she was petrified. She crept into her room, and came face to face with a grim, and evil smirk. A pair of dark eyes looked back into hers, and she felt her heart stop. She wanted to utter a scream, but found a pair of hands clasping her throat. She tried to fight but was overpowered. She looked over the man's shoulder and saw the picture of herself and her husband, still on the bed. Tears rolled down her cheeks and a sense of relief overcame her. "At least we will finally be together again, my love." She whispered through a suffocated voice. The evil man laughed as his grip tightened, and her body became limp.

A long, shrill shriek was heard from the roof of the house, as the owl screeched once again, and flew off into the distance. Nothing more than a passive witness to the heinous acts of an evil man, yet unaware of the atrocities it had seen. It flew back to the tree in the empty field and continued to roost peacefully. Back at the young woman's home; the evil man dug a shallow grave and threw her naked body into the hole. "I think I will stay here for a while." he thought. Flashing lights and blaring sirens raced past the front of the house, as emergency units finally made their way to the burning house down the path. "I suppose they will come here asking questions, and they will surely notice their missing car. I guess it was too good to be true. I suppose I have no other choice but to keep moving on." The man drove away once again leaving a burning building in the rearview mirror.

It was a cold, and dark night. The stars adorned the cosmos as the moon once again illuminated everything in sight. Down the path the stolen car was found, and a long shrill shriek was heard as an owl was seen flying away. The car was empty except for a lone canister of gasoline, and the man wasn't seen since, but his evil path of chaos and despair continues through any place that crosses his path of destruction.