Black Noise

the hike

 "Is everyone ready?" called my mom from her car. I continued down the front stairs, watching songbirds flit around. Everyone was packed up sooner than expected. Then again, there was hardly any cargo to go around. The drive was uneventful, especially compared to the hike that would follow.

Three steps into the forest and the bug spray was already proving itself worthless. About a mile in, I was starting to regret my life choices. The path was beautiful, though. It made me forget about the tinyness of the world. For a while, the only thing I wanted to do was wander and take in the scenery. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last long. Such feelings aren't made to last, whether it's fate that ended it or a bunch of brambles.

The brambles, rosevines more specifically, were numerous and sharp. They gave off a vibe that they didn't want to be fucked with, significantly more than your everyday bramble cluster. So of course I just had to go fuck with them. Some other hikers passed by and stared as I struggled through the thorns. I yelled back at them "I don't have any idea what I'm doing either!". It didn't seem to help. My parents looked politely embarrassed while Celandine cheered me on. By now it had become clear that the brambles were covering something that didn't want me to find it. The rosevines had taken to wrapping themselves around my neck, wrists, and ankles. I told them, in the most polite voice I could muster, to kindly fuck off. They did not kindly fuck off. This cycle repeated for what felt like the hundredth time, before it and the thorns' wills finally broke.

I was in a hollow that was just slightly too small for me. There was a stone altar in the middle of it, and atop that, a life-sized wooden barn owl. The sculpture had its wings folded inwards, and its eyes were shut. I picked it up with some resistance. It was significantly easier to get out than in. My whole family turned to look at me as I emerged from the bloodied cocoon. "I found a thing!"

"Addy, sweety, are you bleeding?" Melissa's voice was overflowing with concern.

"I don't care, mom. Look what I found!" I shot back with defiance. The first aid could wait. . . probably. If any of my injuries got infected, I wouldn't blame her. My family kept ignoring The Owl, much to my dismay. Instead, they scolded me for doing something so reckless(to which I took great pleasure pointing out that none of them had stopped me), looking at the cuts, and just generally being no fun. I could definitely see where they were coming from, though. No. Stop. What are you doing? Here's your family, showing you genuine concern, and you just brush them off? You idiotic, ungrateful bitch! Does love mean nothing to you? The drive back was pretty much the same. I put The Owl on the mantle and went straight to bed. I struggled to fall asleep, as it was 2pm.