The Return

The farm appeared overgrown—the place once a gold mine and riches for any man brave enough to climb the cliffs. John stood where his father once stood, a proud man who was hung for his gold. John stared at the wagon tracks that remained, deep ruts encrusted in weeds.

John Sasser had returned home following the will's reading, not wanting to attend the funeral. He left that life behind many years ago. John turned his Ford Bronco down the road, feeling as if he was being watched. The land always had eyes. The summer's wheatgrass was golden with chaffs ready to burst open with seeds. The Meadowlarks sang as they swooped down, scooping up the grasshoppers swaying in the wind. The fields were alive with sounds John had not heard in years. Bordering the fields were the ponds that accumulated after the rains. The frogs came from nowhere, along with the crickets, salamanders, and millions of flying insects looking for nourishment. The once dry field was now an oasis that John was so fond of as a boy. He reminisced as he drove down through the field towards the old homestead. He felt good again.

John parked, facing outward if he needed to escape. He looked around; he saw no movement. He looked over the enormous barn, and it still had the old weathervane on top; an old owl looked on. He knew there was no power to the home, but there should be a kerosine tank outback. He grabbed a can out of the Ford and headed around back. John saw the owl fly over to the barn and perch. The house paint had peeled, showing the wood of long ago. He peered around back, and the tank was there, along with the well.

John peered into the well and dropped a rock, and he heard a splash. John became startled when he looked up, and the old barn owl was sitting on the pole. John knew the stories about owls; either they were good luck or bringing an ominous message. The tank was full, and he pumped the kerosine. John tried the back door; it was locked. He peered in; the place was sparse.

John walked around the front to be met by the local sheriff. A tall man with long hair, riding a horse. He had a familiar look, and it was his high school buddy Danny. John smiled and reached out his hand. Danny was not smiling. He had white beads in his hair that signified he was a holy man. Danny looked at John and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a pouch with blue beads entwined on the front; John recognized it immediately; it was his father's.

"John, glad you could come, something bad happened," Danny said.

"Danny, what are you doing with my father's medicine bag?"

"I brought it from the county morgue," Danny said.

"Where is my father's body?" John asked.

"We got it up at the lodge, and we will gather at the ridge and return him to Mother Earth."

Danny handed the pouch over, and John looked at him, confused. The owl flew over, and Danny looked startled. A holy man should not be afraid of the owl.

John asked, "My father was hung in the barn; what you know about that?"

"Your father died by suicide; didn't anyone tell you?" Danny said.

John could tell he was lying. John stuffed the medicine bag in his pocket and walked towards the house. Danny climbed on his horse and started to ride out. The owl watched the horse and the man ride down the road.

John pushed the front door open, and the light spilled in. Everything appeared frozen in time. He went to the sink and pumped, and the well pushed mirky water up. He filled the lanterns and opened the icebox, empty. He looked out at the barn, knowing his father's spirit was there. He decided to drive to town for supplies.

Driving down the road, John saw a woman walking. He stopped and asked if she wanted a ride. She looked at him; it was Molly, the spirit talker. John looked at her, and she smiled. He gestured to the open door, and she laughed. She looked back as John passed by with her hollow eyes. He flashed back to her younger days; she was pretty. Locals tell a different story. They say she was crazy.

John pulled into the Sure Stop on route 40, the last stop for gas. He walked into the store, and Fred Redhawk was behind the counter. He waved at John. He loaded his arms with chips, bean dip, beer, and other junk food as Fred watched. The owl was roosting on the sign. John walked through the aisles picking up crackers and a pack of beer nuts. Fred pulled a pack of deer jerky and a jar of honey and bagged it for John.

"John, good to see ya," Fred said.

"Likewise, Fred," John piped up with a grin.

"John, that's a nice owl ya got yourself."

John spun around and looked, but the owl was gone. He looked back at Fred and grabbed his bags, and left quickly.

John drove back to the turnoff and headed towards the house. The fields came alive as he started across. The Meadowlarks started singing, and the frogs sounded like a symphony. He could hear his elders speaking to him, calling him to return to his home. He began to see visions amidst the ponds, spirits dancing ever so faintly through the marsh. The house was on the rise, and the owl sat high on the peak of the roof. John watched the owl; he knew the owl had a message.

That evening, he lit the lamps. John sat and listened to the wind through the reeds. John drifted off, dreaming of his boyhood adventures when he was startled awake by a noise. It was getting louder, voices chanted in tongues, as he opened the door. He stood terrified. Light spilled out from under the doors, peering through every crack in the barn. John reached into his back pocket and grabbed his fathers' medicine bag, and it had powers. He headed towards the barn. He peered through a hole in the door and saw shadows circling; it was Danny. John opened the door, and everyone turned. John was breathing hard, as their focus turned angry. They were circling something, but he could not see. He walked closer; it was Molly. It was a sacrifice. They looked at John, the way Molly looked at him earlier, hollow. John backed through the door and started to run. He could hear them echoing screams of terror. Just then, the owl swooped down from the pine in the field, attacking Danny. John watched in horror as the owl dug his talons into his eyes. Danny was screaming for mercy, but the owl never let up. The lights dimmed and finally dissipated in the barn. John drifted off into a deep sleep.

John woke to the sound of a motor off in the distance. He pushed up and felt the dried mud pull away from his chest. The motor noise was closing in, and he could make out the sheriff's lights flashing. A large man stepped out of the car. He reached down and pulled him up. John looked and started crying.

"You ok, sir? The sheriff asked.

He handed the hanky to John to wipe the dried mud from his face. John was shaking, and he felt weak. The sheriff walked to his car and radioed for an ambulance. He grabbed a bottle of water from his truck.

John looked towards the barn, and the doors were open. John pointed towards the doors, but he couldn't find the words. The sheriff went to the radio for additional help as John crumbled. John was loaded into the ambulance and taken to the hospital. They started an IV and gave him Ativan. He drifted off to sleep and was dreaming again. The next morning a nurse came with a breakfast tray, rubbery-looking eggs, and dried toast. John looked up and smiled.

"I would like to check out today."

The nurse checked the IV and walked out of the room. The nurse returned with the doctor, and they stared at him.

"Good morning John, how are you feeling?" the doctor asked politely.

"I'm a fine doc, and I need to go."

"You gave us quite a scare yesterday." The doctor reported.

"But she was a real doctor, Molly; she was real."

"Well, I think you had too much to drink after hearing about your father, and I am going to recommend a medication."

"Doctor, Danny was killed by the owl, just have the police go check," John demanded.

"The police checked out your story, and nothing is going on up there, except you drank too much." The doctor claimed.

John immediately got dressed and checked himself out AMA. The doctor tried to stop him but couldn't hold him

John started to walk towards his father's home when an old truck stopped to give him a lift; it was Fred.

"Fred! Thank God! They think I'm crazy!" John exclaimed.

"John, you interrupted Danny trying to murder Molly. She was holding the secrets of your father. He would never have killed himself; the owl was trying to tell you."

"Fred, I am going crazy; I am having visions, and I miss my father."

"John, you must return to the barn and see what happened to your father, the owl will help you. The meadow will sing to you, and you must protect the future for us," Fred claimed.

John stared off as they pulled up the old dirt road, the meadow started singing again, the Meadowlarks began flying across the wheatgrass, and the crickets were in a symphony. John got out of the truck and walked to the barn to face his fears. He opened the door, and there stood Molly. She reached out her hand and grasped his. The owl was in the rafters, watching. The spirits rose, whirling around John, and told the story. He could see his father climbing high to the gold mine with someone following. He watched as his father dug out bags of gold and strapped them to his waist. Climbing down was difficult, and the follower was close behind. He could see in the vision the follower did not see his father hiding the gold in the well. Later they came for him in the barn, hanging him for his gold. Molly had hidden in the hay bales, frightened.

"It was Danny," John shouted.

Molly looked up at the owl as he flew out the barn window. I looked back; Molly was gone. Fred was at the door and looked at me.

"John, you must stay; all the spirits live here."

"Fred, I live in the city and have a job."

"You must stay, John; this is your vision."

John looked; the owl was gone. Later that afternoon, John drove to the highway and headed out of town. He looked around; the meadow was alive. John stopped at the Sure Stop to get gas. He asked the cashier if Fred was on duty to say goodbye.

"Oh, that is rich; Fred has been dead for years dude, funny though," the boy exclaimed.

The cashier pointed to Fred's picture on the wall; he was posed with John's father up at the barn, smiling. The woman in the background was Molly. John turned back on the highway and headed back to his father's home. As he pulled in, the meadow started signing again, and he jumped out when he saw Fred's old truck. He yelled for Fred and walked up to the truck. The windows had been breaking out years ago. The house was still boarded up. John turned towards the barn and saw the owl, watching.