The Owl

A legend among the shadows

The world was a cruel place, and humans were even crueler. No matter who you are, you all strive and struggle to come off as an illusion, or as the good guy. There are the good, the bad and the ugly, majority of it is ugly. Hidden under kindness, hidden over every other emotion. And any other human being, is no exception, to monsters who may stand  to reason over  the world. The monsters inside,  the monsters we are constantly fighting, what's the point?
      
      I held on tight to my school books as I walked through the gate, making sure not to loose them in the wind. Bucknear academy, was a boarding school, in the middle of the forest. Surrounding us was a large forest, and beyond that, was a rounded fence, to where none of the students could escape, not even climb, because of the electrical current going through it. Most of the students here, like me, had been sent as a rehab as "bullies" each and every one of us has gone through some sort of predicament. Indirectly killing a kid, killing, or making someone come near death for some reason. Even though we were all the same, somehow we only stuck to our groups. Each teacher had a classroom of about twenty students, if not more. We got lunch after two hour classes, and then a break after lunch in a small  area of games, other activities available. Girls and boys alike, and yet, they acted like everything was okay, when in reality, we were all just living in an illusion of temporary happiness.
      
      I wasn't very popular, a teenage boy, around the age of sixteen. Wasn't exactly popular, but I was more or less friendly to everybody, minding my own, I didn't have any friends, or rather I wouldn't let myself have any on second thought. With light dusty brown hair that fell under my ears, the average blue uniform all us guys wore, no matter what grade we were in, it was an add on of a middle school and highschool. There was a boys dorm and a girls dorm, the forest was not a place that many people wandered into, rumors of strange creatures kept it to the older kids to deal with, but the faculty could care  less about if we got lost in the forest, besides we were all problem children in their eyes. Even the counselling members were all full of themselves, so, our grades didn't matter much, most of us, just wished we could stay here forever.
      
      As the first bell rang, we pulled ourselves to the first classroom. My first class was a class on myths and urban legends, and it was on the second floor. The class had around twenty five students, and my seat was right next to the window pointing towards the forest behind the school. This was one of the few classes I actually payed attention to though. I pulled out my notebook and looked  out the window, waiting for the class to settle. I hadn't thought about it much, but this place was a lot better then home. I didn't come from an exactly "nice" household, not that I did much about it though. I covered it up with art, most of it, strange  creatures of the night, demons, angels, birds, things that tended to have wings. For some reason, I liked the thought of wings, even if someone couldn't use them. As the teacher entered she told us to stick our butts in seats, and class started, drawing my attention to the board.
      
      "Okay class, today we are studying Chickcharney, anyone know what that is?" Nobody raised their hand. I looked over drowsily at the word printed on the chalkboard, spelt C H I C K C H A R N E Y. With a heaving sigh, I raised my hand. "Yes, Kevin." I stood up in front of the class, and flipped through my notes, coming to a page of a large owl, twisted wings behind it's back, twisted head, it's gleaming eyes starring out, seeming to be asking for help.
      
      "The Chickcharney is a urban legend Owl. Around three feet high, it's appearance is supposed to be disturbing, a flightless creature. It is said that if a traveler comes across it, and shows it kindness, they will gain good luck. But if cruel to the bird, they will receive the greatest bad luck in their life they could ever had." My voice range out into the classroom, kids took notes, others, threw wasted pieces of paper at each other.
      
      "Terance, Radley, stay after class, ten minutes. Thank you kevin, you are exactly right, but you know what else is strange about this bird" I sat back down as she began drawing on the bird. "The magical qualities of this bird aren't always used for good luck, but prophecies were also thought to be associated with this bird." An hour lecture on this bird, and class  was pretty much over. The magic bird wasn't exactly cruel, but it wasn't nice either. It was said that they lived in dense forests, and that it's appearance  was due to it's reality that it knew in it's heart that there was no peace in throwing a leader above another. It was true, nature.
      
      Lunch was well on it's way after my next class, geometry. I didn't have much money, my brother sent me some  money now and then, but usually I used it on food in my dorm. The school food wasn't really good, and it wasn't cheap either. Those with meal tickets would fight over their food, leaving me to sit under a tree in the court, drawing in my sketchbook a picture of this ChickCharney character. Stepping on the burning school, it's twisted wings showing an eerie gleam of light in them, as it's jaws opened revealing a row of  sharp teeth.
      
      "That's an interesting picture you got there" I shut the book in an instant, tensing up as I looked up at a girl leaning against the branches. Long blonde hair fell over her shoulders in a wavy way. Gleaming green  eyes she laughed at me, in a small skirted girl uniform she jumped down and inched towards me. "Awww come on, lemme see" I gave her a stern glare. As she smiled at  me shutting her eyes for a moment with a giggle she opened her mouth, "fine then, leave a lady waiting."
      
      "Why do you want to know what I'm drawing?" I asked sternly. She brought her index finger up to her lips.
      
      "Don't know, but I always find every quiet student....interesting" She looked at the sky for a moment, in a dreamy like fashion. I sighed and opened the page, where she jumped next to me, making me blush, she looked at it.
      
      "Is that a ChickCharney. Why do you draw it with such an appearance?" She grabbed the pencil straight from my hand, erasing the wings, she made them more straight, more beautiful. "There" I looked at the picture for a moment.
      
      "What gave you the thought that the bird looked like that?" 
      
      "Dunno, it's just, everyone gives it a bad reputation." She told me.
      
      "So, what do you think the ChickCharney really is like?" I asked  shutting the notebook, and shoving it aside. She thought for a moment.
      
      "I never really saw it as disturbing. Something mysterious, magical, and beautiful even. It's got to be a bird of divine power, one that isn't evil, isn't good either, but they don't come off as cruel hearted either. if anything, they are just....misunderstood." I listened for a moment, looking down at me lap. I had never thought of it that way. "So, do you have a meal ticket?" I looked up at her.
      
      "No, I don't get much money from my....Family" She gave another pestering smile, putting her  fingers over my lips, she looked me straight in the eye getting close to my face. Making me blush.
      
      "Be right back, I'll get you something to eat" She twirled and  started off to a different group of guys. I sighed, looking down for a few moments. That girl was crazy, she was probably just looking for some wild fun with a guy after all. They were all here because of they did something to a certain kid. Weather it be severely bad, or just mildly bad. I suddenly heard shouting, looking up about three  guys were all over the girl  from earlier. Fear striking me I watched as one of the kids dared to challenge her.
      
      "Let go of me or...or you'll regret it!" She yelled. One of the kids laughed.
      
      "Oh yeah, and what's a  girl like you gonna do?" She closed  her eyes, as I caught the punch of the other  student. 
      
      "Don't you know not to pick on innocent girls?" One of the men  made a grotesque noise. 
      
      "I don't think so buddy, we are all as innocent as Hitler in this place. Bet she's just a sympathy seeker because she killed someone." He threw her towards me, and I caught her. She turned  around and held onto my clothes, trembling, I thought about what kind of girl at this school would come off as such an innocent little  girl. The men grumbled  and went back to their lunches. I sighed and  looked at the girls face. 
      
      "What were you thinking, they could have torn you into pieces." She looked away for a moment.
      
      "I know but you looked hungry so I thought I could ask them for an apple" I scratched the back of my head. Leading her back to the spot under the tree. Setting her down to sit next to me, it was a few moments of silence, before I could pull up another conversation.
      
      "My name's Kevin, what's your name." She looked at me, smiling again.
      
      "I don't have a name but you can call me Canary." A girl without a name, that was kind of strange.
      
      We spent the entire lunch talking, we argued over a few things. About the  ChickCharney and other legends like it. When the bell rang, we had to go our separate ways. And as much as it bothered me Canary who had no name, didn't seem to fit in a place like this. A school where only children who had only done something wrong sat. I thought about how she had chosen to talk to a guy like me, and how I could be a lot more dangerous then any of the other guys, but she chose me in the end. The remainder of the day I couldn't find her again, and finally when school ended, and the sun was going down, I decided to hang out in the tree near my dorm. 
      
      The boys dorm was three separate buildings about a ten minute walk from the school. Each door was outside, and the scenery was just great. We were allowed to be out as much as we wanted, as long as we went to school in the morning, those who didn't would be punished, though a lot of us wondered how further we could be punished. There was a large tree right next to my dorm at the end of the second floor. It was close enough to climb onto, and I tended to draw, looking at the stars in the sky. It was relaxing, and a hobby that I used to get away from myself.
      
      "I thought you'd be in a place like this" I looked up, and Canary was there. She was on the higher branch, in a white night gown, almost looking to be a dress. She let her feet hang back and forth.
      
      "Where have you been all day?" I asked, but, she stayed silent for a few moments. It was clear the mood wasn't as happy as before.
      
      "Say...Kevin. If everyone here has done something bad to get in, then....what did  you do, to get in I mean. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I became slightly startled for a moment, closing my notebook and pushing my pencil inside of the rings. I sighed, I didn't mind, it wasn't like it was a secret after all.
      
      "I....I lived  in a not so normal household. My parents were always fighting, half the time my father would come home drunk, and well, to be honest it is pretty normal, a lot of families was like that. Me and my older brother had to look after each other, and school was a whole different kind of hell. With my parents fighting, I took my anger out on all kinds of kids, I didn't have any friends, not even followers. They were  all scared of me, though I refused to hit anyone, I only called them cruel names, but, I didn't realize how much words could effect someone. There was one boy, who tried to stand up to me, I trash talked his mother, and even though I had never met his mother, it seemed to upset him even the more. And with every cruel word I said, it seemed to stab at him more and more. Until finally......" I stopped for a moment, remembering the bloody wake the boy had left behind.  "He jumped, off the roof of the five floor school. He hit the ground head first. Though I hadn't pushed him, no kid had, I still had been ratted out by the school, so they sent me here. And no matter what, I keep thinking of how much of a low life I am for it. Even if his blood didn't reach my hands, I was still the one who made him jump." I sighed. When Canary crouched down, jumping onto the branch I was on. She got close to me and pulled her hands over the top of my shirt, grabbing on she splayed herself out beside me.
      
      "You aren't a cruel person Kevin, it wasn't your fault you directed your anger to anyone you could besides your parents. It's because you respected your parents, even though they were wrong for each other, you still did something else, so that you didn't insult them. And I'm sure if you really are sorry, that boy would have forgiven you, if he were alive. And even if he is dead, he's probably in a better place then here." I sighed looking up at the stars as I listened to the crickets.
      
      "You think?"
      
      The next day, it was  raining. School had been cancelled because apparently three students had  been found hung at  a tree. I couldn't say the rain didn't fit the mood. Not that many of us cared about the men who died, we all had to pay for our sins here, and those who were lucky enough to live, we envied more then anything else. We were on a day vacation, and if lucky, would probably get tomorrow off too. What was strange, was  it was  the same three kids that had picked on Canary that day. Though it had to be a coincidence, after all they were all "buddies"  it wouldn't  be surprising if they committed suicide together into whatever they believed was the  after life. I sighed, looking out my window against my rolly chair.  All I had for clothes really was my  school uniform, but when I saw Canary outside in the rain, I got up and opened the door, putting my key in my pocket I started down the steps towards her. But stopped at the bottom when I realized she was singing.
      
      "Sorrowful pain will follow you
      No matter where you are
      Even if you hide behind the truth
      The waves  still  follow you
      But may your soul be saved
      After death in turn
      To your cruelty "
      
      I watched her for a moment, her movements flowed. But she was soaked, and in that same white dress, the wetness made it  easy to see her bra and black underwear. I sighed, scratching behind my head before pulling off  my  uniform  jacket. I walked over to her and pulled it over her shoulders. She stopped looking up at me for a moment, grabbing the jacket and pulling it close to herself.
      
      "Your going to catch a cold if you hang out here like this, here why don't you come into my dorm?" I went to turn around, but she tugged onto my shirt. Her head hanging down, I turned towards her.
      
      "It's my fault those men are dead Kevin" I looked at her face, as she lifted her head. "Promise me, you'll never be cruel to me?" I stopped, grabbing onto her shoulders.
      
      "It's not your fault Canary, they killed themselves, and here, death is a normal part of life, I've been here a year and there has been more  deaths as more come in. Now come on, let's bring you inside, I'll let you borrow an extra dry uniform. I have a shower you can use too." Canary stopped. I finally grabbed hold of her hand. "I promise I'll never do you wrong Canary. We're friends after all." Her eyes  sparkled as she looked at me. I smiled  at her,  finally grabbing her by the bottom of the legs she let out a girly gasp, I laughed as I dragged her up the stairs into my dorm. I set her down on the bed, and got my extra uniform. Letting her use the bathroom to her desire.
      
      It took her almost an hour to ready herself. She had  taken a long shower by the sound of it, but I wasn't going to pry. Yet,  the question still hung over in my head why she was here in the first place, it wasn't like she could have done anyone harm. I sighed  dragging my  arms behind  my back, when  suddenly Canary's arms  dragged around my chest. I whipped around in fright and she recoiled, laughing. As I stood up from the chair.
      
      "Don't  scare me like that!" She just laughed more, I looked at the clothes she wore. They were a bit big on her, being my clothes, but at least it was better then before. "Man" I complimented sitting  back in my chair. "Your free to sit on my bed if you want, after we dry your clothes you can put them back on." Canary smiled climbing onto the bed, she sat like an utter lady. I looked at her for a moment.
      
      "Is something bothering you Kevin?" Canary asked me, tilting her head. I stopped for a moment, rolling my chair over to the window.
      
      "It's nothing, don't worry about it." I looked  at the rain clouds,  it didn't  look like it was going to be letting up soon. Canary came close to me again, wrapping her arms around my waist for a moment I blushed a bit surprised. 
      
      "You want to know how I came here, don't you?" I tensed, and she gave a not amused chuckle. Covering her face in my chest as I turned towards her. She sat on my lap and I was forced to hold her close because of it. 
      
      "You don't have to tell me, after all I've heard worse stories then mine." Canary pulled  my shirt closer, she was shivering again. 
      
      "It's alright, you told me your story didn't you. But....I think I'll save it for another time." Canary looked up at me, tears cornering her eyes. I sadly looked at her, and she stood up finally, moving to my bed, she pulled off my covers and wrapped herself in them. I went to tug on them, but thought otherwise, as I pulled back I looked back out the window.
      
      About a half an hour later, Canary had  fallen soundly asleep in my bed. She looked even cuter in her  sleep, though not that I ever considered a girl  cute in my lifetime, love wasn't exactly something I liked. I grabbed  my keys  and jacket and  started outside. It was dark, but I was thirsty, and I wanted to use my leftover change to get Canary something too. So I was going to walk to the  juice machine for a drink. The rain had  stopped, but the sun had set, so it was hard to tell  weather it was cloudy or not. The juice machine was a five minute walk from my dorm,  at the edge of a narrow pathway, right next to a snack machine. Which made me wonder wouldn't she be hungry when she woke up? By  the looks of it neither of us had eaten all day. When I got there, it was silent, besides for the crickets chirping in the night. The street light my only source at seeing the numbers to order what I wanted at the limit of the money I had on hand.
      
      "I wonder if she likes  grape, I'll get orange  to and let  her decide  when I get back." I thought out loud, picking the two choices, and as I hear the two of them cling down in the opening I picked them out. Turning around, I started walking back to my dorm. When I got back, Canary was sitting on the steps on the staircase. Her head hanging low, her arms at her chest, it came to my alarm something was wrong. I dropped the two soda's and rushed  towards  Canary, grabbing onto her shoulders. "Canary, is something wrong?" Stupid! Of course something was wrong. She was shivering like crazy and holding her  chest like it hurt.
      
      "Kevin... I....can't breath" Canary held onto me until her hands went limp. I looked at her and she had fainted. I shook  her a  few  times, calling out her name, but it became clear I was going to have to take her to the infirmary right away which was near the front office. I scooped  her up in my arms and rushed towards that direction, when I got to the front door, the staff looked at me before I yelled  them to their senses to come collect Canary. As soon as they did, I wasn't allowed in the emergency room.
      
      The next morning,  school was cancelled again, so I was allowed to stay in the waiting room. When the private school doctor finally left the room I stood up firmly to ask him  what was wrong.
      
      "We did some tests, but it doesn't seem to make any sense."
      
      "What doesn't make any sense?" I clenched my fists.
      
      "I'm afraid she was a  unknown sickness, We don't knot what it is, so we can't really do anything to help but let her rest.." I tensed up. "We can't treat her with antibiotics, I'm afraid we'll just have to wait it out" The doctor walked past me like I wasn't even there, dragging my head low, I walked into Canary's room, she was  still asleep in the bed,  with a breathing mask on and an iv attached to her. I sat in the seat next  to her, and put my head on her bedside, falling asleep in the process.
      
      "Kevin....Kevin wake up" I fluttered my eyes open at the sound of Canary's voice. I looked up at her drowsily. She smiled as me  and sat back on her bed. I smiled back this once and raised my head.
      
      "How are  you feeling?" I asked.
      
      "Better, could've been worse if you weren't there." Canary sighed stretching as she laughed at me. "Hey....Kevin can I  ask you a question?" I looked at her with a stern hmm.
      
      "If there was anything you could have....what would it be?" The question kind of took me back.
      
      "What kind of question is that!?"
      
      "It's my question, and your obliged to answer." She crossed her arms like a stubborn child. I sighed and leaned  back in the chair.
      
      "Oh I danno, a puppy or something." I waved my hand at her.
      
      "No, Kevin really, if you had all the  luck in the world, what would you do with it?" I looked at her. She seemed serious, but what was the entire point of this question. I raised an eyebrow.
      
      "What are you getting at Canary"
      
      "Well, for instance, take if one of your legends. What if, one of them was real?" Canary  ran her hand over her arm. I inched closer to her.
      
      "Depends, on which one" I asked. Wait a minute, why was I taking this seriously!
      
      "Say there was a girl, who actually wasn't a girl. She was a creature of some sort like a ChickCharney,  would you still be friends with her knowing what  she really was." She seemed kind of nervous about it. I thought about it for a moment.
      
      "It wouldn't really matter if I knew or not, whoever she was, would be who she was. I wouldn't just reject her because of some stupid thing like being a bird. Bird's are beautiful creatures. After all, we could learn a few things from a ChickCharney." I said thoughtfully. Canary turned to me and looked at the ceiling. 
      
      "I....I have to leave soon Kevin. I can't stay in one place for too long."
      
      "Why not?" I asked.
      
      "To tell you the truth, everyone seems to die  around me...if their mean, and a  human is only a ticking time bomb to being cruel, weather they have a kind heart or not."

      "That doesn't mean you have to leave."
    
      "Thank you for your kindness but..." I placed a finger on her lips.

      "I'm not being nice I'm being truthful, it isn't your fault they did it, it was theirs if anything. Come on, I'll take you back to my room" I stood up and wrapped my arms around her, though she placed her hands close to her chest and blushed as I picked her up. It was kind of cute. I carried her out into the hallway and outside, where the moon shined down on the office. I left a note for the doctors and headed off towards my room. Setting her down on my bed to sit in the chair.

      "Your very kind Kevin" Canary spoke in a weak voice, pulling the covers over her mouth.

      "You should rest, I'll save my lunch tomorrow for you" Canary looked over at  me before sinking down back into bed to sleep, falling into it rather quickly.

The next morning it was back to school, and the day went rather slow. With Canary asleep when I left, classes only left me wondering about how she was doing and if she was alright in the first place. It rained the entire day and when lunch came I sat inside of the classroom only watching the boys around me, until one came up to me. He was twice as large, with a tattoo running along his cheek of a snake. I sighed, leaning against the window as he glared at me.

     "So I hear you have a lady living in your room." He snitched.
  
     "Yes and what of it."

     "I don't get what a punk like you can get from a girl, are you trying to pull something boy." The boy pressed against my chest, pulling at my uniform. I pushed my hands forward and grabbed his arm.

     "No I just felt bad for her, she doesn't belong here." I simply replied, that was when it a flash he pushed me through the window frame, causing the glass to shatter as I fell to the ground. It took forever but before I hit the ground I heard someone calling my name as I could feel every bone in my body snap and darkness overtook my brain.

The next few minutes, which felt like hours, left me floating in a strange place. I couldn't move my body and I looked at nothing.

    "Kevin....KEVIN!" An image appeared in front of me, Canary was crying over my body, unmoving and frozen. So this was it? I was dead and there was nothing I could do about it was there? The rain pelted down on my skin, but I couldn't feel it as Canary pressed her head against mine her hair strands falling over her face. I could feel the heat from her fever though. I didn't want to leave her like this, she wouldn't survive, she wouldn't have anyone to look after her. I finally was able to pull my hands over my chest, as I shivered and things went dark again, I woke up with a gasp of air, like a whirlpool had pulled me in.

I looked to my side as Canary's face changed, happiness over took her as a smile expressed on her face. I blinked and looked at my hands, I was a live again? That was rather strange, if I was not thankful. Canary  was still crying as I pressed my hands against her face.

   "Don't cry, little Canary." I said, as she stopped, her eyes looking at me. Canary moved forward as her face got close to mine, and she pressed her lips against mine, drawing me back in surprise. But I didn't object, kissing her back the same. As I let go of her face. Canary moved back pulling her hand close to her mouth.

   "I....I'm sorry Kevin, I have to go." She got up and turned, and what seemed like forever it took her to run off. I didn't stop her, but I didn't feel like letting her go either. I looked at the ground as students muttered above, screaming, as I stood up. Wondering what had just happened, and too dazed to understand.


It was a few months until the memory of Canary blew over. I resumed my life, school was the same, and nobody came near me since I "came back to life" so I wasn't bullied. Yet, the rain was even more heavy on my heart not seeing the girl again. It was strange, but I could guess she had her own reasons for leaving. Every night that I went out, there was an Owl on that one branch that she sat on when I knew her. The Owl didn't seem to fly, nor did it move from it's  spot. I had a strange feeling about the creature, and even though I continued on that owl still stayed there. So that, was how things continued.

Author's Note

Reviews are very much welcome on this story. I wrote it back in August of 2012. Should I possibly do a revision. Though I am really proud of it.

Reviews

[s y e]

This was a great write, if you read it back and edit it some it will be amazing, just a few mistakes but like you said revision would be good :) Loved it.

[Terohime]

It was good, like you said it can use some Revision, but i liked it.
~Your friend Res

[Rivaxorus]

Definitely, I've always felt iffy about the ending, the last paragraph is perfect to me, but the way it ended.....xD