The Owls Who Watch

Chapter 4 - The Runaway

Kevin's bag was packed, his clothes were changed, and his willpower soared higher than it had in a very long time. His phone was taking forever to charge, however. All that was left to do was wait. He sat at the foot of his bed staring into space and reminiscing at the memories he had with the shows, games and movies in the posters adorning his wall. In the end, all he could think of was a future away from this misery. When Kevin grew bored of his thoughts, the mirror he kept underneath his bed was the next thing to entertain himself. Keeping a mirror under his bed was a tradition maintained since early childhood. All he could remember that whatever he continued to see terrified him.

When all but one hour remained, Kevin donned his bag and pocketed his phone, then quietly left his room. As he passed his father and stepmothers room, he could hear the former snoring and the latter muttering in her sleep. The coast was clear. Kevin walked downstairs and left the house.

Walking outside for the last time felt liberating. As Kevin walked across the garden and out onto the pavement of the street, it was difficult to resist turning around to look at the house which had been his tormentor for far too long. The unwelcome sight of the grey bricks, the overgrown garden, and the steam from the heat which merged with black smog was, for the first time, a relief to gaze upon. He would never see it again. Before he turned away, he noticed Jules peeking out of her bedroom window. He gave a sarcastic wave to his former stepmother and a flash of his middle finger, and made his way down Eucalyptus Street forever.

Kevin trudged his way through various streets. Their houses were various stories and shapes, yet all of them were as grey and miserable as each other. Eventually, he came upon a street with trees and holly bushes to one side. Forests were something of a past time for the United Kingdom. Kevin always found it difficult to resist escaping into them whenever he discovered somewhere new.

Hoot, Hoot.

For half a heartbeat, Kevin thought the whispering woman from his dreams had returned to him, her whispers carried by the breeze sweeping through the rustling trees.

Hoooot-hoooooot.

The sound was haunting, almost inviting.

And then they appeared. Several groups of owls hovered along the frosty, morning treelines. Four of them, six of them, then ten of them. They flew in packs, yet the one who called was stationary and watched Kevin until it flew away to join its own. The mystery of the owls was his personal conspiracy theory. They are no ordinary birds. Kevin glanced at his watch. 37 minutes til the train arrives. Fuck it. What else have I got to do?

Deep down, Kevin wanted to investigate the owls for one last time. He felt almost associated with them, attached even. The sparse trees of the dismal street he found himself in began to thicken up near the centre of the street. After a short walk, Kevin found himself standing in front of a path leading into the woods. On each side of the path stood ruined stones that seemingly once composed walls alongside the path. Many owls were hooting from within, their eyes staring down at Kevin from branches far above. Kevin walked up the path, mesmerised by the sounds of the woods.

His journey was halted when he came across a bench in a slightly more open area. Moving closer, Kevin noticed an old man laying on it. The man seemed to have heard Kevin coming. His head darted around and noticed him, then he sat up. Should I run?

"Don't suppose you've got a fag on you pal?", his voice was hoarse and unwelcoming. Probably been smoking since the womb. There was a silence as Kevin was taken aback. "The name's Wee Rob", he blurted as if to ease the tension.

"No.. no, I don't.", Kevin's voice was shaky, unwilling to admit the apprehension within him.

"No problem", the scrawny, grey-haired man eyed him and then relaxed on the bench, yawning, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes with fingerless gloves. "You off on a walk then?".