Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Petlife.
The Barn Owl
The sun had already set as the moon started to take control of the sky, As she lay there in her bed reading a book as she always does before bed, she hears a strange sound. A sound she has never heard before in her 10 years of living in the desert. It sounds like ‘ whooo, wwww’ almost sounds like a human voice getting caught in the wind. She puts her book down to listen more intently hoping the sound reappears. A few minutes go by and again she hears “whoo-whoo ww” . “It is an owl!” she says aloud as she thrusts her book down against the bed. So excited by the sound she accidentally closes her book without a bookmark, losing her place in the book. 10 years ago, Sarah moved out to the desert. I am talking way west. Where it’s just you and hundreds of miles of nothing. Cactuses and a few buzzards hunting for lizards, woodpeckers pecking cactuses for a drop of water. Sarah moved to the desert to get away from society. She needed a place to clear her mind and reset her soul. She decided to pick a place that would keep her 100 miles away from a human. She also loved chasing the weather and watching the weather so what better place to watch Lightening strike the ground over and over again. The even better part is that she did not have to share this magical view with anyone. It was as if the Gods had created this magical ongoing art exhibit just for her. She felt in tune with the universe and herself in the desert. As time went on, she grew to love the solitude and beauty so she decided to cut all ties with everyone she knew and stay out there in the middle of nowhere. Just the big sky and vast sand slash red dirt wonderland. She was set in her routines, even though she was freer than she had ever been before, she was still human and human nature always wins. She woke up at the same time every day, watched the sunrise, and ate breakfast looking out into the desert. Yoga, coffee, art, lunch, walk, meditate, eat, lay in bed, and read a book as the sun goes down. Nothing too out of the ordinary and certainly predictable. Sarah even knew what the buzzards and woodpeckers sounded like, what the crickets sounded like, and exactly what time they would chime in with their lovely “suns going down” melody. So to hear an owl after 10 years of never having heard an owl. She was surprised, to say the least and most excited to have something new introduced to her routine. She immediately went to her very extensive library to see if she had any books on owls. “Ah-ha!” She exclaims. She of course had 2 books on owls. After skimming both of them she was able to identify what kind of owl it was based on the “who’s” it made. A Barn Owl. “but how would a barn owl get all the way out here?” she thought to herself as she pushed her pointer finger into the bottom of her lip with her other hand on her hip. Deep in thought, she started thinking up all these possibilities. Sarah was always a very analytical person so she would often think through all possible scenarios when trying to find an answer for herself. “Maybe it was someone’s pet and it got out? Maybe I have a neighbor nearby that has a bird rescue or something where he keeps different kinds of birds.. Or maybe it was someone’s pet being transported by plane and it got dropped out of the plain, no that wouldn’t make sense bc the cage would be holding the bird in and would kill the bird on impact.. Hmmm. She thought to herself. I am getting pretty tired with all this new excitement. I should just go to bed and go out looking for it tomorrow. The next day comes and Sarah changes up her usual routine, eats breakfast, and then gets dressed to go exploring hoping to find the owl sleeping on a tall cactus somewhere. If I could just find him, I would get some answers she said aloud into an empty desert while throwing her hands up in the air and then letting them flop to her sides as she slumped her shoulders down and traveled onward. After a few hours of searching the desert, she still hasn’t seen an owl anywhere. Sarah starts to get hungry so she stops to take a break. She unpacks her bag and lays a blanket down on the ground so that she may meditate and then eat the small snack that she packed for herself. Sarah sits down with her legs crossed over, spine up straight and head pointed down with her eyes closed and hands resting on her knees. The typical meditation pose. Meditation was usually Sarah’s favorite part of the day. But not today. She could not focus so she quickly gave up and pulled out her snack, some water, and mixed nuts and seeds. She laid them out onto her blanket on top of the plastic bag she brought them in. She took a big drink of water out of her water bottle and then started picking at her seeds and nuts like a bird would do. Eating them one by one she hears a loud flapping noise and as she looks down at her nuts to grab the next bite she sees a very large shadow consume her entire blanket. Frightened by the alarming shadow she quickly tries to look up to see what or whom the large shadow belongs to. However, it all happens so fast that she cannot raise her head in time. Within a split second, there is a large owl sitting on her shoulder. With his large talons gripping her shoulder very tightly. Sarah feels fear and excitement at the same time. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh she says aloud in a very low voice to keep from scaring off the owl. She sits perfectly still trying to think of what she should do. The owl is very heavy so she knows she can’t sit perfectly still for much longer so she must think of something she can do that won’t scare off the beautiful mysterious bird. About that time, the owl hops off of her shoulder and onto Sarah’s blanket. He starts helping himself to Sarah’s trail mix. She smiles and says to the bird with a sigh of relief, “ you are hungry aren’t you? How did you get all the way out here? Don’t worry, help yourself. I’ve got plenty more trail mix at home. Here do you want some water?” Sarah then pours some water out of her water bottle into her hand and keeps her hand cupped like a bowl filled with water. The bird shows no interest in her hand full of water. He continues to pick at the trail mix. She pours out the water and continues to talk to the owl. “ I wonder if you have an owner somewhere worried sick about you? Or are you like me? Just a lost soul looking for some solitude somewhere new?”
By Jessica Silverthorn5 years ago in Petlife
Juniper: The Little Warrior
Just as she feared, her sister’s condition is worse… much worse than this morning. Juniper steps into the cave with the noon’s sunlight pouring in through the entrance. Juniper joins her two other siblings in the cave, who have been watching the youngest one. Juniper is still dressed from her morning hunt, and still armed with her wooden pike. Juniper enters the cave to tend to the youngest sister, Daffodil.
By Bradley Paul5 years ago in Petlife
Joe Lwomai
This was one of the nice days after two weeks of rain, first night dry, the air was so fresh. Joe Lwomai was writing his story about The Greek goddess Athena. His mind warmed up with Athena's care, great change of winds, and helpful people and situation in difficult moments. Living in the countryside, just 100 yards from an old and mighty forest. Joe often walking there after reading some of the great heroic scripts about Athenas and her wisdom that she uses to help her followers. He had read a pile of available related tales. That day after two weeks of reading and writing as the wheater eventually got better Joe decided to go for a walk. He dresses up, picks up his trail backpack. Inside laser torch, wireline of 10 meters, scissors, and cutters, glows, hat, thermal rug-bag, some bandages, extra power cell bank, and PowerBar snack, bottle with filter. He already in the past has had strange times where his unplanned trip turns up into a rescue mission. Knowing life can be challenging he learns to have with him a few handy stuff, particularly after such a rainy day that was. Ready and able to embark on his night journey he heard unusual sounds, some like faraway cry and just a moment later like soft sing somewhere near the bay. Those sounds puzzle the mind of young adventurers. Well equipped he moved out to see what it was this sound far away. Fields slowly turn in to the lesser forest, and bigger and older. With every step more and more in darkness and every time so often sad cry from far away and soft thrilling near the bay. Such trips were his favorite trips but this sound was something completely new to him, so Joe decided to check out what it is, or more like who it is as he was slowly remembering who could make such sound. After a long walk, the sound gets louder and louder, ups and downs, places were wet, trails were very slippy, but the same all feel so fresh, so great. Joe was really positively surprised and so very glad for this decision and so puzzled, he was suspecting who is behind sad cry, most likely it was dear bull but more than who he was disturbed with why is he crying like this. A soft bit like turkey bit like a magpie bird, there was something familiar in this sound but what exactly he was unsure, so he follows the cry in the forest contemplating soft sing. Joe was relatively new to the countryside, born in the city, growing up in books and tv shows, at the age of 33 changing his path to become writer painter, sales his lovely flat house, and buying a wooden but very modern cabin. Generally, the world he knows is the world from books, he has had an occurrence where on one of the trips he finds snares, wolf teeth. In the area lives quite a few valuable species and there are some rangers living somewhat 20 miles away. In all these lights this sad cry breaking the silence of the night. Step by step Joe knows he gets closer to the place. Wet and muddy, the darkness of the forest, coldness where each life like a shadow is and is not visible, visual, participating, or just is. Joe reached the hill at the opening of Valley of Dreads. In the middle of the Valley is a great lake that reflects the moonlight on to valley slopes. In the valley lives wolfs, bears, badgers, bears, moose, and many others. It is a relatively extensive landscape, all somewhat about 300 square miles of forest and grass, for wild horses, with rivers and yes, this beautiful lake where Joe discover eventually that a unique withe stag got trapped in a hole caused out of water washed out soft soil. The bull was more than half body in a batch of water. Joe knowing the case could begin to render assistance, checked his position with GPS, then sent information with location, picturing issue to rangers, and friendly veterinary service. Within one-hour rescue team show up with all the needed equipment, the action was preciseness and swift like a surgical incision, within thirty minutes bull walk away free. The place was covered with bio-insolation so none would be stuck in that hole. Everyone was congratulating each other on the well-completed job when and barn owl has sited on a tree near the cars and sing, and then Joe learned who was the second friend of that night after a rainy day.
By Alex Blake5 years ago in Petlife
Eressear
I sit on the floor with tears in my eyes. We moved house today. Mum says that it's a fresh start for us, but I don't want a fresh start. I want things to go back to how they were. I want to go back to our house in Stratford upon Avon with dad. I miss my friends with all my heart. I know that I can still keep in contact with them, but it's not the same. I feel so alone. I feel a void in my heart will never be filled or replaced. This isn't the first time mum made me move house and school. I doubt it'll be the last. I should be used to this feeling by now, but I'm not, and I don't think I ever will.
By Libby Andrews5 years ago in Petlife
Joann and Reginald Take a Walk
It was a beautiful morning and Joann, and Reginald were sunbathing on the back porch, watching the pond now and then or the small breeze through the trees beyond. It was a good day for relaxing in the sun. The phone rang, suddenly cutting the otherwise quiet morning, making Joan jump in her chair. She grabbed up her cellphone and pushed the accept call button.
By Tabitha White5 years ago in Petlife
Monkey See, Monkey Do
No literally. Some people have angels, which are much more convenient and conspicuous. Congratulations to you, by the way. Others have great-grandparents, who’ve earned every silver hair and the right to tell-you-like-is per all they experienced “back in their day,”
By JaMés Phillips5 years ago in Petlife
Horny Little Owl
Back in the 70’s when I was just a little girl, my sister and I would go stay the weekend with our paternal grandparents, my mother and father got a divorce when I was five. My grandparents had a small beautiful farm with an apple orchard to the left of the house. Right behind the house but built away from the house was a two car carport. In between the house and carport was a big big oak tree, with one big branch just high enough for a rope swing. The rope swing was very old, I think my grandpa had built the swing when my father and his sibling were very young. It also had to the right of the house, an old rustic red barn that I loved to play in. The old barn was a typical old barn, when you walked in the smell of fresh hay filled your nose. It has stalls for the horses and a couple for cows. At the back of the old rustic barn was my grandpa’s old John Deere tractor. It also had a loft that I would climb up to if I wanted to be alone. The loft had a bunch of hay in it and a couple of long tables full of tools.
By Susan Thacker5 years ago in Petlife
Hatch Day
21 Days 'Til Hatch Day As I thought about the chickens in my care while pet-sitting, I wondered how many of their eggs might be fertilized. This would be a cold Fall, so the eggs wouldn't hatch naturally. I decided to give the eggs an opportunity at life.
By Rayna Ibarra5 years ago in Petlife
