The Silver Owl

1

"When did he die?" Zac asks quietly. He is good with these kind of things. So I don't mind.

"April 13th, 2013. Today is the 5th." We are not dying to open 'It'. I'm dying to know what it is, but I'm afraid of it.

'It' was something my father, Elmer Scott, gave to me a long time ago. My dad told me if he ever died to wait two years before I could open it. It was so unreal at the time, I didn't think much of it. I was 13 when he was hit by the drunk driver, and 14 when he died from the injuries. I turned 14 while he was in the hospital.

Now I'm 16. I go to Tamvar High School. I get straight A's, and I'm not a geek or popular. I'm not pretty, but I'm not ugly either. I don't really stand out. People tell me I am one of those people who you could forget easily. I guess that's okay.

"Lizzie, I have to go, my brother is coming home from college ," Zac tells me. That means he has to go. I run my fingers of the leathery paper. It is strange. The It scares me.

"Which one?" I say. Zac has two older brothers. Both of them are in college. Samuel is the oldest. David is in the middle, and Zac is the youngest.

"Sam."

"Oh, okay." I say. I'm afraid of It. I don't want to be alone with It. I don't like it. The thought of my father leaving me something, something so important that he didn't want me to know about it unless he died, frightens me.

Zac leaves on his bike. He lives about a mile down the road. He's an athlete. Unlike me, I don't do anything. Although, I'm not weak.

His mom doesn't care what he does. So he comes over a lot. He is the only one who knows about the It. One day he ran into it as I was looking for an old picture of James. I knocked something over that hid It and it showed a little bit.

Zac saw it and gently took it into his hands. I screamed for him to put it down. I didn't want anything bad to happen to him. I know it may seem silly, but I feel like it could have some bad spirit or like bad luck or something. I didn't want him to have to deal with that.

I remember ripping it out of his hands. His green eyes were so confused. I can't ever forget that look. I'm not sure if it was worry or pain or shock. But after that he didn't ask.

That was one thing about Zac not a lot of people have. He won't ask for information. He doesn't expect it either. Not unless he needs it. Zac never told anyone, and he never brought it up until I mentioned it.

That was a fresh wound at the time. Dad had only died 6 months ago. I remember holding back the tears and he seemed to know, without a word.

My phone snaps me back to reality. It buzzes with the special buzz I assigned my best friend Zoe. I am hesitant to pick up the phone.

Reluctantly, I do. "Heeeeyyyyy girl~!" Zoe squeaks into the phone.

"This is Lizzie speaking. How may I help you?" I answer.

"Why do you always ask that?! It's not like you work or anything. Or like your answering the land line! You should really say something else. Maybe I just want to talk once in a while okay!?" Zoe's always been long winded.

"Like what?" I prompt.

"Uh-..." I snort. That's what I thought.

"Hey! Stop laughing at me! So I was wondering if you and Zac were a couple yet!?

"I'll stop answering the phone, if you keep asking me that."

"Hey! I just wanted to know! It's not like I'm telling you two that you should become a couple, which I think you should, but I'm not saying that out loud!"

I glare at the phone even though she can't see it. "You just did." I sigh. Zoe is great, but she's doesn't know how to let things go. I guess everyone has something they need to get better at. I should try to stand out more. Not be someone everyone can forget.

"Zoe, I am not really in the mood for this, I'm sorry."

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I was just asking!! Why do you get so mad?! What's going on Lizzie?! What are you not telling me?!" Zoe demands. She knows me too well.

"It's just my dad's two year death anniversary is coming up and I'm upset." I'm not lying, but that's not the whole truth either.

"I'm sorry, I should've known."

"No, no, it's not your fault."

"So uh-"

"I'm sorry, Zoe. I have to go do some... Extra work."

"Oh, okay," Zoe sort of talks into the phone, she's drifting into her own world. "Bye."

"Bye." I hang up the phone. I toss it across the room onto a bean bag chair I have in the corner. It's an old habit, I've gotten used to the bean bag chair sitting there. I never use it, but if it were gone, I would miss it.

My parents said I have the same problem as them. If it wasn't moved in 10 minutes, it's gone. So you really stop noticing it, but if it's gone- it bothers you for a long time.

After dinner, I take my shower, and finish up what was left of my English homework. I dread going to school tomorrow. I honestly don't want to. But then again, I don't think most high schoolers do...

I pack my bag for the morning and I return to my bathroom to brush my teeth. Mental note: Brush teeth after shower, it means less trips. Of course, then I'll want to eat after. I laugh at myself. I guess I just can't win.