The Shadow of the Black Owl

Shadow Of The Black Owl

By: Gabe Lacey

Chapter 1

Another bone chilling, snow covered day in the small town of Monowi Nebraska. Another trudge through the blistering cold through squinted eyes and gritted teeth. The wind seemed to blow with a ferocious howl similar to that of a ravenous wolf. As Belle made her way to the mailbox she caught a glimmer of sunlight ever so faintly shining through the dense fog in the snow. With a thick, heavy layer of snow covering the ground as far as the eye could see, walking from the house to the mailbox had become a somewhat cumbersome task. But Belle Livingston was always prepared, as she marched out in a brand new pair of grass boots with confidence. Inside the mailbox was a peculiar looking envelope placed neatly inside. Belle immediately retrieved it and went back inside of her house where a fireplace was already lit and ready for her. Belle sat down in a comfy black recliner chair by the fireplace and proceeded to open the envelope. Inside she saw a letter in Old English font along with an old fashioned silver key with a crown insignia on the top of it. The letter read as follows:

" Dear Ms. Livingston,

You are cordially invited to join me on Saturday at 7pm sharp for a house warming party at my mansion. I've only just recently moved to your quiet town and would very much like to get to know the community better. It will be a masquerade themed event held at Olaf Manor. One of the attendees shall win a prize at the end of our little get together. Hope to see you there...

Sincerely,

A friend "

"What a strange invitation..." Belle muttered as she stood up and placed the letter and key on top of the fireplace mantle. Given that today was Friday the party would take place tomorrow evening. Why would someone send invites to an event taking place the next day on such short notice? "Nothing interesting ever happens in this town.... maybe I'll go", Belle uttered as she made her way upstairs. After removing her hat, gloves, winter coat and vibrant grass boots, Belle headed into the bathroom to draw herself a hot bath. Once the tub was full she slipped in, as thoughts of what she would wear to this mysterious party raced through her mind. A slight smile began to form around her lips as she continued to daydream in the bathtub. The wind outside started to pick up, rattling the windows and making the floorboards creak in its wake. But Belle wasn't concerned. Her mind was elsewhere, still focused on the party she would attend tomorrow night.

Chapter 2

Saturday had arrived, and the day had gone by unusually fast. The snow from the day before had melted and a few puddles of water and wet pavement were all that remained. A few hints of the night time stars were already becoming visible in the sky. The sun was quickly fading behind the horizon leaving one last defiant red glow as it departed letting a full moon take it's place. Belle began readying herself for the party applying just the right amount of makeup to her already naturally ravishing face. Her skin was flawless and smooth with a complexion similar to that of butterscotch candy. Her long black and brown braids danced and dangled by her shoulders as she prepared for tonight's outing. After applying a cherry red colored lipstick, Belle walked to her closet to pick out a dress. A shiny, all gold, sleeveless ballroom dress seemed appropriate for the occasion. Belle maneuvered into the dress adding gold and pearl earrings and white and gold high heels to match. Once Belle was certain all eyes would be on her at the party she headed out the door and began walking towards Olaf Manor which was conveniently located just a few blocks down the street. As Belle made her way to the manor she noticed an old woman with disheveled hair and tattered clothing hobbling slowly towards her. Her skin was sagging to the bones. Her face looked lifeless and upon her shoulder sat a giant black barn owl. As Belle cautiously walked closer the old woman began to speak.

"DON'T GO TO THAT PARTY.... NOTHING BUT DEATH AWAITS THOSE WHO GO TO OLAF MANOR!" the lady screamed from the top of her lungs. A startled Belle attempted to continue walking past the woman but she grabbed onto Belle's upper arms gripping them tightly as she repeated herself.

"DON'T GO TO THAT PARTY.... NOTHING BUT DEATH AWAITS THOSE WHO GO TO OLAF MANOR!"

Belle shook herself free from the woman's grip. "Don't touch me!" Belle shouted.

The old woman ignored Belle's demands and continued to scream.

"IF YOU GET LOST IN THAT MANOR JUST CALL OUT TO MY OWL AND SHE WILL COME SAVE YOU! HER NAME IS JADE!"

Belle quickly put distance between her and the insane woman, walking as fast as a pair of high heels would allow. Soon after she was in front of Olaf Manor. An old, giant, creepy looking house painted a dark blood red in color. The sky was completely dark now with the moon shining down ominously upon the manor.

"Screw it lets have some fun!" Belle proclaimed. With the scare of the old woman already put behind her, Belle walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. A moment later the door opened and a figure appeared.

Chapter 3

"Greetings and welcome!" A voice shouted. As the figure emerged from the shadows into the doorway, a man with skin paler than that of the melted snow stepped out on to the porch to greet Belle. His face was youthful but his hazel eyes had the look of someone who'd experienced much in their lifetime. He had long, dark brown, slicked back hair which was laid neatly at either side of his face. Aside from a short goatee at the end of his pointed chin, his face was completely bare. He wore a mask over the upper half of his face and a rather laughable looking green and black checkered top hat. He was tall. Around 6 ft 5.... no ... taller...closer to 7 feet. He wore a long navy blue suit jacket with matching pants and dark brown dress shoes with crocodile print pattern. " Come in my friend! Come in out of the cold and make yourself at home! The festivities are about to begin!" The man stated with excitement. "I am your humble host. Everyone calls me Sir Callahan Fortesque but a lady as lovely as yourself can call me whatever you like." Belle blushed at his last remark. "Why thank you! I'm Belle." She said doing an awkward courtesy. She then followed the man into the house as the door shut firmly behind her. The interior was oddly dim for a party. The main source of light came from a lantern placed on a table directly in the middle of the grand hall where Belle could see a few other guests were gathered. She walked over to introduce herself. "Hi my name is Belle, what are your names?", she asked the group. But they said nothing. Only stood in silence with their masks over their faces. Belle moved in closer and noticed one of the guests seemed to be trembling. Whole body shaking ever so slightly. "Are you okay?" Belle inquired. She heard a reply this time. A very faint whisper. "Heeeeelp meeeeeee!" the guest pleaded. "These folks have such a wild sense of humor...I absolutely adore it!" Shouted Callahan! "I'll be right back. Belle feel free to explore my manor until I summon all the guests for dinner. It won't be long now...not long at all..." As Callahan retreated further into his home to prepare the feast, Belle attempted to talk to the rest of the guests but all of them were acting very strange. They stood in place, still as mannequins. The only indicator they were even alive was the slight shallow breathing that allowed their frames to move. Something was wrong. Belle could sense the fear emitting from all of the guests. She took off the mask of one of them. A young woman around her same age and discovered an expression of the utmost terror beneath it. There were tears streaming down the woman's face. "Dinner is almost ready!" Callahan's voice bellowed from somewhere inside the manor. Belle looked around at the rooms in the manor and noticed locks on the outside of each and every door. This wasn't right. "RUN!" A voice in Belle's head shouted. Belle immediately took off back towards the front door. And as she did she heard heavy footsteps behind her as if someone was chasing her. "Belle where do you think you're going??!!!", Callahan shouted. "BELLE GET BACK HERE!!!! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!, he screamed. Belle didn't look back. She tried to open the front door to escape but it refused to budge. " No! No! Noooo!!!", Belle grunted in frustration. As she continued desperately pulling at the door she could hear the footsteps behind her getting closer, and closer, and closer. Then Belle remembered the crazy old woman who had grabbed her on her way to the manor. She had warned Belle about coming here. She said if Belle was in trouble to call out to her owl and it would save her. But what was the owl's name? Belle had forgotten and with her current dire situation, remembering was no easy task. "What was that damn Owl's name??" Belle pondered to herself. She tried to replay the ladies words of warning in her mind all the while still pulling at the front door hoping against hope it would finally give way and let her pass through it. " BELLE COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! THE FOOD IS GETTING COLD!" Callahan screamed. Finally those four letters flashed brightly in Belle's mind. "JADE!" Belle shouted. And as if she had just lifted some sort of spell, the door opened and Belle ran outside.

Chapter 4

Belle ran down the stairs of the old creepy manor and down the dirt trail leading back into town. Her heart was racing so fast all she could hear now was the thumping in her own chest. She no longer heard footsteps. She let out a sigh of relief. All of the sudden Belle tripped and collapsed on the dirt road. Her high heels weren't the ideal footwear for her current predicament. She kicked off her heels and began to attempt a barefoot run but as she began to move again a sharp pain ran up her shin all the way up to her left thigh. "AHHHHHH!" Belle shouted in agony. She had twisted her ankle. "You've got to be kidding me!" Belle groaned. The footsteps behind her which had grown faint do to her heartbeat had grown thunderously loud now. Heavy thuds hitting the gravel and dirt nearly right behind her rang out like drums being struck. "YOU'RE MINE NOWWWWWW!" Callahan screamed! He didn't even sound human anymore. Belle looked back and saw Callahan sprinting towards her at devilish speeds. His once fairly attractive face had distorted into a twisted and gruesome grin. He looked more like a goblin than a man. His once neat hair was now messy and covering parts of his face. The dim and eerie moonlight made his features look that much more demonic. There was only about 30 feet separating her and the monster behind her. Belle began a sort of running limp as she tried her best to push through the pain of her sprained ankle. It was no use. Callahan was closing in, and fast. A moment later she could feel his breath on her neck. Callahan lunged tackling Belle to the ground with the force of a grizzly bear. Belle elbowed Callahan in the face making him shout in pain but he never let go of her. "YOU....SHALL...NOT .....LEAVE! THE FOOD IS DONE ... AND YOU MY DEAR..ARE THE MAIN COURSE!" he shouted while laughing maniacally. Belle continued punching, scratching, and kicking Callahan until he finally let go of her. But she could barely move. Her ankle was worse now. It sent pulsing pain up the entire side of her body. She could feel warm blood trickling down her forehead. As Callahan stood up and readied for another attack, Belle feared it was over. "Belle!? Belle is that you?" a voice shouted from in front of her. It was a voice she recognized. "Gabe?" Belle replied. "Are you okay? I heard screaming and ran down here as fast as I could!" Gabe stated. Her neighbor Gabe Havilend had heard her screams and came to lend a hand. He rushed to Belle's side as Callahan darted towards her once again. "Be gone outsider! This doesn't concern you!" Callahan warned. Callahan moved in but Gabe was faster. He tackled Callahan while at the same time grabbing a pocket knife out of his jeans and with one swift thrust, Gabe stabbed Callahan directly in the chest. Callahan stumbled back in shock. "WHAT.....WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!" Callahan growled. Gabe ran back to Belles side, Helping her up off the ground. Callahan wasn't finished. He began walking slowly towards Belle and Gabe hell bent on ripping the two to shreds. Claws like hawk talons began to form on his hands and he began to grow even taller. But just as he was about to attack another voice in the darkness shrieked, "GET HIM JADE!" It was the old lady and the black owl. The owl leapt off of the old lady's arm and flew directly at Callahan with her talons out ready to kill. "A LITTLE BIRD IS NOTHING COMPARED TO ME!" Callahan boasted. But before anyone could register what happened, Jade ripped out Callahan's throat with nothing but her talons. Callahan instantly collapsed to the ground. Then, as if he was never there he disappeared, his body turning into something similar to smoke as it dissipated into the night sky. Jade the owl and the old lady also began to take on a smokey form as they too began to disappear. "THERE..." the old lady proclaimed. "THE CURSE HAS BEEN LIFTED...." And a moment later, she was gone, along with the Owl Jade who had just saved Belle and Gabe from certain demise. "What in the world just happened here!??" Gabe asked in complete shock. "I'm just as lost as you" Belle replied. And with Callahan finally defeated, Gabe and Belle leaning on one another, walked down the dirt trail and back into the quiet little town of Monowi Nebraska.

The End.