An Unexpected Calm

ALTERNATE ENDING

I felt so calm. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was, but that wasn’t worrying me for once. I heard twigs crunching underneath my feet, and rustling in the distance, but that wasn’t unnerving; it was more of a pleasant white noise.

The air was crisp and fresh. I inhaled deeply and instantly felt more alert, the clean air clearing my lungs and stimulating my mind. I looked up above me and marveled past the canopy of trees up at the night sky. Something struck me as odd though, not a single star was in the sky.

I walked forward, trying to clear this unsettling detail from my mind. Why wouldn’t there be stars on a perfect night like tonight? As I walked, I realized the path I was following was completely straight. A thick line of trees flanked me on either side, so that the only way I could go was forward. I looked up at the sky once again, but couldn’t see it now because the branches of the trees obstructed my view.

I continued to walk forward cautiously, but threw a glance back over my shoulder, just to see when the path became so enclosed. My eyes widened in shock as I saw branches molding together rapidly, closing off the way I came. I let out a squeal of terror and quickened my pace, running down the path because that was the only way I could go.

I kept throwing glances over my shoulder as I ran, frightened by the fact that the branches were still entwining together. My feet pounded against the ground as I ran, trying to escape this nightmare. I was greatly surprised to find that I wasn’t running out of breath and that keeping up this pace was fairly easy. This was another reason that something just wasn’t right.

As I ran, I managed to hear a noise over my breathing and the crunching of the branches behind me. It was becoming clearer and clearer as I sprinted forward. I even heard it past all of the blood roaring in my ears. It was an owl.

I continued to run, never tiring out. The branches still wove together behind me, and I’m pretty sure the pace at which they did so was quickening. Instead of focusing on my surroundings, all I focused on was the movement of my legs as I tried to propel myself forward even more quickly than I already was. I started to feel a cold sweat drip down my neck and pool in the collar of my shirt.

I must have been running for quite some time now. I threw my head over my shoulder one final time, and noticed that the branches had stopped advancing on me. There was a wall of branches and vines behind me now, but it wasn’t moving closer. I looked forward again, and I noticed more branches. I turned around and surveyed the whole area. All I could see was shrubbery, leaves, and branches. I glanced upwards and noticed the same there as well. I was boxed in.

That’s when I realized that the hooting of the owl was extremely loud. It was traveling into my ears and making my entire body feel as if it was vibrating. The intensity of the noise was astounding. I angled my head in many different directions to try to determine the source of the noise. Once I located the general spot of the hooting, I took tentative steps towards some of the branches on the edge of the enclosure.

I was within an arm’s length of the branches, and the hooting was as loud as ever. My arms were trembling, but nonetheless I reached out and parted the branches. As I started to move them, they snapped back, revealing an owl that had its eyes closed. I didn’t have to keep the branches open with my hands, they stayed open automatically.

The owl was still hooting, but less frequently now. This is so peculiar. It still hadn’t opened its eyes either. I stood there, glued to the ground as I watched the owl emit its sounds, until they slowed down to a complete stop. It was dead silent.

That’s when it happened. The owl’s eyelids sprung open and scared the shit out of me. My heart beat increased exponentially, and my hand flew to my chest as I let out a surprised shriek. That’s when I realized something: the owl eyes. They were a marvelous sparkling blue. They were almost like ice, but a little bluer, kind of like the ocean at sunrise or the sky on a very clear day. They were captivating, and I couldn’t look away.