Night Owl

All thoughts faded from my mind, I felt the hazy darkness of sleep begin to consume me. My bed was warm and soft, I snuggled up beneath the comforter. Pure bliss.

A loud shriek filled the air. I bolted upright in bed. It came from near the window. Then I heard it again. The sleepiness I felt moments ago turned to pure rage.

“Shut up!” I shouted.

“Jim, what the hell are you shouting about so late,” my wife asked, annoyed. It seems my shouting woke her.

“It’s that damn bird again!” 

As if on cue, the owl screeched again. Vee let out a big sigh and put the pillow over her head. I knew she was over the owl by this point. More specifically, she was over my issues with the owl. She could ignore it just fine.

“Jim, it’s an owl,” she said, trying to get comfortable again. “Go back to bed.”

“How can I?” I asked. The owl shrieked again. “It sounds just like a woman screaming or something. Every time I’m almost asleep it screeches again and freaks me out! It’s like it knows!”

“The owl doesn’t know when you're about to fall asleep,” she groaned, exasperated. “It’s night, it’s mating season, he’s just trying to get laid. Ignore him.”

“But I-”

“Jim, it’s nearly three in the morning. Either shut up or go outside with the owl to do your screeching.”

I sighed. She wasn’t going to listen anymore and I really didn’t want to fight over a stupid bird. The owl shrieked again. I shuddered. She was right, it was just some horny bird, but the sounds it made still gave me the chills. 

It made three sounds the most. I started to notice after being kept up for the fourth night in a row. One sounded like a horse's whinny, and that one wasn’t too bad, but I hated the other two. One sounded like a screaming woman, and the other sounded like a wet gurgle. Like someone was drowning.

Unfortunately, it made these sounds the most. The disturbing sounds and the images my half-asleep mind would associate them with, stopped me from getting any decent sleep. I was losing my mind.

I think I barely slept all night. I felt like I'd just gotten a few minutes when Vee suddenly opened the curtains, flooding the room with sunlight.

“Rise and shine!” She cried cheerfully.

I groaned loudly and covered my head with the blanket. I had to do something about that damn bird.

Work was torture that day. I could barely focus. I was lucky there wasn’t too much paperwork at my desk that day. Still, what little work I did have was done sloppily. Even my boss called me in to ask about it. I was angry. Work was supposed to be easier now.

Vee and I moved into the country to get away from the noise. We thought the country would be more peaceful, that we’d feel more relaxed. Wide, beautiful forests, crystal lakes, and the gentle chirping of birds. Gentle chirping, not howling like a horror movie victim. That stupid owl had been there every night since we moved. I couldn’t take it anymore.

I was exhausted by the time I finally made my way back home. I glanced around at the treetops as I got out of the car. The owl sounded loud, so its nest had to be nearby. I didn’t see anything. I’d make it a point to search for it on my next day off. I was like a zombie as I tossed my jacket by the door and made my way to the kitchen. Vee was finishing dinner.

“Welcome back, Honey,” she said cheerfully. “How was work?”

I muttered something vaguely, but I doubted it was anything recognizable in the English language. Vee frowned and came over to me. She leaned down to look at me and shook her head sadly.

“You look miserable,” she said.

“I feel miserable, Vee,” I sighed, pressing my hands to my eyes. “It’s the damn owl. I haven’t slept in days.”

“Why don’t we call somebody to get rid of it?” She asked gently.

“You don’t think I tried?!” I snapped at her. “It’s not actually ‘in the house’ so there’s nothing they can legally do!”

“Don’t talk to me like that, Jim!” She snapped back. “I’m just trying to help.”

“You want to help? Load up that old shotgun of mine, I’ll get rid of that thing for good.”

“Jim, what are you thinking?!” She shouted. “Can't we just catch it or something? That poor owl is just trying to find a mate, he doesn’t deserve to die for it.”

“Then you screw the bird, Vee! Maybe I can get both of you to finally shut up!”

She stared at me silently, but I felt the darkness in the air. I’d gone too far. I reached out to grab her hand but she pulled away quickly. She walked out the back door, slamming it behind her. I let out a frustrated sigh. This bird was ruining everything. My new home, my job, my health, even my relationship. I had to get rid of it. I knew Vee would probably be out late cooling off. If I was quick about it I could get rid of the thing before she got back. She’d never have to know.

My old shotgun hadn’t been fired in years, but I kept it in good condition. I loaded two shells into it but pocketed a few extra. Just in case. The sun was beginning to set. It’d be awake soon. I went out to my porch and waited. As the sun dipped lower and lower the darkness grew. I heard crickets off in the distance. The anticipation built up the longer I sat. Go figure. This would be the one night it didn’t show up.

As if to contradict me I heard the whinny sound of the owl in the distance. I stood up and rushed towards where the sound came from. It was getting dark now, the ground was getting hard to see and the trees were barely more than shadows. It would be fine. I left the lights on at the house. I’d find my way, then I’d get a good night's sleep.

I heard the sudden shrieking sound of the owl. It was just up ahead, I rushed forward. This would be the last night it made that horrible sound, the last fight Vee and I would have over it. The moon was covered by heavy clouds. It was pitch black, but I adjusted my ears to the sounds of the darkness. I heard a rustling near the bushes, then the whinny sound again. I took aim near the sound and fired.

It made a terrible shrieking sound, I heard a desperate rustling in the bushes. I got it! I took aim and fired again. This time it made the gurgling noise, but it was strange and faint. I reloaded the gun and went over. I wanted to make sure it was gone for good. As I approached I saw something strange next to the bush. An odd-shaped object, hard to make out in the dark. I reached forward cautiously and touched it. 

I forgot about the owl for a moment and picked it up. It was a tube of some kind. I held it close to see it better. A whistle? I didn’t make it a habit to put strange things in my mouth, but I was curious. I blew into it, from the other end exited a horrible whinny sound. I felt my heart sink at the sound, I felt cold all over. A bird whistle. I stood up and went over to the bush slowly.

I saw a crumpled heap behind it, much too big to be an owl. As the clouds shifted moonlight illuminated what it was. Vee. Her face was a pulverized mess of blood and bone, but her clothes were the same ones from earlier today. She clutched a canvas sack in her hand. It seems like we were both planning to get rid of the owl tonight. Only her idea was better. I dropped to my knees and started sobbing. Vee.

I heard another whinny above me. I glanced up to see the owl standing on a branch above us. Its yellow eyes were almost glowing in the moonlight as it looked down at us. It made the whinny sound again. Maybe it was my sleep-deprived brain, maybe it was my grief, but, for some reason, it almost sounded like a laugh.