The Owl that Rides the Coyote

The Owl that Rides the Coyote

The highway was dark and empty. He had a long drive through the night, fueled only by three energy drinks, ice-cold air conditioning, and loud music. He had to stay awake, and the energy drinks were already failing him. His eyes were getting heavy, and he knew this was dangerous, but he had to keep going. It wasn’t long before his head was bobbing with each blink of his eyes. “Damn,” He muttered and cracked open another energy drink.

His headlights flashed over a road sign that indicated he was entering the reservation for the next four miles. He recalled visiting his great grandfather on the reservation and listening to the tribe’s stories. A smile crept across his face, momentarily waking him up. That was when his eyes locked with a scraggly coyote that was standing in the middle of the road. A white barn swooped before his rapidly approaching car and landed on the back of the coyote. Now both of their inky-black eyes pierced his own, stealing his breath and making his thoughts go fuzzy. He could hardly process what was happening when his hands jerked the wheel to the right, sending him into the shoulder of the road. His tires squealed and deafened him as he slammed on the brakes and was finally brought to a stop. Shutting off the engine, he tried to reorient himself. His heart pounded inside his chest, and his ears rang. He shook his head, trying to regain his grip on reality, but between the exhaustion and near-deadly accident, reality eluded him. When his vision finally cleared, he got out of the truck to see if the animals were still in the road, but it was far too dark to see anything. Only his headlights lit the area in front of them. Feeling uneasy by the darkness surrounding him, he climbed back into the old truck and started the engine. It rattled to life, but the stereo didn’t blare. He tried tuning it to different stations, but the airwaves were silent. “Figures as much.”, he said with an annoyed sigh.

He glanced at his watch at noted the time one-oh-four in the morning. He still had at least four more hours’ worth of driving left. “Back to it then.” He muttered.

He checked his mirrors before merging back onto the road. It was still as empty and dark as before. He continued his lonesome drive down the highway, a little more awake after than before. His mind kept wandering back to the foreboding vision of the coyote and the barn owl. It wasn’t uncommon for him to see the coyote as it was his spirit animal. A spirit animal was said to protect and guide the people of his tribe in this life and the next. When he was just a young boy of four years old, he was bitten by a rattlesnake while playing in a restricted part of his great grandfather’s land. In a poison-induced vision, a coyote came to him. The elder did not know where his great grandson was, so the boy was destined for death, but a coyote appeared to the old man and led him. That day he had been saved by the coyote, so his great grandfather believed that the coyote had chosen to be the boy’s spirit animal. Ever since that near-death experience, the coyote had come to him many times. Recalling that memory comforted him, and he felt calmer knowing his spirit animal was nearby. But he couldn’t help but feel anxious over the ominous owl and what it could have possibly meant for him. His great grandfather would tell him stories about animals and their abilities to prophesize throughout his childhood. He knew that the owl held deep meaning, but his mind kept drawing a blank. While it was annoying racking his brain for answers, he was happy to have something occupy his thoughts and keep him awake.

It felt like an eternity before another road sign came into view. It indicated that he was entering another reservation for the next four miles. Another reservation? He furrowed his brow. He had never driven this way before, but he didn’t think there were so many reservations along this route. Suddenly a flash of white jumped into his field of vision. Frightened, he slammed on his brakes and clutched a hand to his chest. “What the hell was that?!” He exclaimed.

His question was answered quickly as the blur of white came back into view and landed on the road sign that he had been approaching. The barn owl’s eyes bore into him. His heart raced, and the uneasy feeling from before flooded his entire being. He broke out into a cold sweat as he kept his eyes locked with the owls. A sudden blare of the radio startled him, breaking the connection, and his eyes dropped the radio, but it went dead a split second later. His eyes darted back up, but the owl was gone. “Shit.” He breathed, “I’m so tired, I’m starting to hallucinate.”

Realizing he was stopped in the center of the road and could cause an accident, he pulled over just behind the sign. He wondered if he should stay here and try to get some sleep. Otherwise, he might end up killing someone or himself with this reckless driving. He remembered he was falling behind schedule, and he couldn’t afford to pull over for very long. After calming down, his exhaustion returned, and he needed a pick me up. He reached over to the passenger side and spotted one last energy drink. “Thank the creator.” He said in relief. Cracking it open, he pulled back onto the road.

He finished off the drink in a couple of gulps and tossed the can onto the passenger seat. The car was silent save for the air conditioner that he still had on blast to keep himself awake. While it helped some, he had wished he still had music to listen to or even something to look at besides the dull pavement and pure blackness around him. Even with his headlights set to the brightest setting, he still couldn’t see beyond a few yards of the road. Bored with the darkness and silence, he let his mind wander again. It came back to the coyote and the owl. Their symbolism still eluded him, and it made him feel anxious. He searched his memories for a time when his great grandfather told him a story about either animal. Still, his mind was blank, but his wish for something to look at was finally answered after some time. A sign came into view. Finally, he thought with relief. “Reservation Next Four Miles,” it read.

Fear crept into his belly as the feeling of déjà vu swept over him. He slowed the truck and pulled over a few feet in front of the sign. He racked his brain for answers. Maybe he had been driving in circles without even realizing it. That must be it, he thought, but the realization that he hadn’t taken any turns in hours dashed that thought. Hours, he thought. He had been on this road for hours, so he must be getting close to his destination! He ought to be, at least. Relief filled him, and he quickly glanced at his watch to see what progress he had made. “One-oh-four.” It read.

The relief was quickly replaced by fear. What the hell is going on? A shadow darted across his headlight, and his eyes snapped up. The barn owl perched atop the sign. Its pitch-black eyes found his own and searched his soul. Its head tipped to the side, and it leaned forward. The motion felt like beckoning, and he stepped out of the car. Sweat drenched his body, but their eyes remained locked. It felt like minutes passed as they stared into the eyes of each other. Suddenly a voice filled his mind and transported him to a long-sought memory. “The barn owl is a wise and frightening creature. It carries the knowledge of things beyond our understanding, and that frightens us, my boy.” The voice calmly explained. “But we fear it, not for the fact that it knows, but for what it knows. The barn owl, you see, knows of our death.”

The meaning of the owl slammed into him like a car at top speed. It was impending death that the owl symbolized to his people. How could he have possibly forgotten? It was the white barn owl that had visited him when his beloved great grandfather had passed. The owl had followed him around the day he had gotten the dreadful phone call. Sadness briefly replaced the panic. The awareness that death was lurking nearby reignited the fear in him. The ink-black eyes held him in place until the flash of distant headlights woke him from his trance. A car. Finally, a car!

Without a second glance at the owl, he dashed towards the lights, frantically waving his arms. Maybe they could help him get off this never-ending road. The lights rapidly approached but didn’t look to be slowing. Perhaps if I was in the center of the road, He thought. He moved to the center of the road and continued his sprint. Still, the car did not slow. It had to see him, but they were choosing not to stop, and if he didn’t move, he would end up smeared on the pavement. He wasn’t quick enough, though and the car was about to collide with him. He braced for the impact, but the car passed. No- the car passed through him. Fear mingled with confusion filled him to the brim. “What the hell-“, he began. He was cut short by the coyote that stepped out of the darkness and into the center of the road.

It watched him with knowing eyes, and its demeanor was calm. He fell to his knees in exasperation and began to cry. The exhaustion, fear, and confusion muddled together, and he couldn’t hold it back anymore. The owl flew down from its perch and landed atop the coyote. Both watched him thoughtfully. Finally, the wolf blinked slowly and turned its head towards the end of the highway. Following its gaze, he noticed what looked like a faint light at the end of the road. Realization flooded him. The owl called the coyote here, and it was here to guide him. Wiping at the tears that streaked his face, he stood and walked to the coyote’s side. The owl gave an acknowledging “hoot” before taking off into the darkness.

The coyote nudged his hand with its muzzle, and he gazed into its calming yellow eyes. Nodding in understanding, he let the coyote lead him down the dark and empty highway. The endless knowledge of the barn owl filled his consciousness, and by the guidance of the coyote, he was welcomed into a plane of rest that he had so desperately sought.