The Owls

Chapter 2: Searching For Answers

      Arriving at Smash Burger, I quickly noticed Jasper motioning me over to him at a table near the back. With a smile, I met up with him and sat down in a wooden chair across from him. 

"Hey, you wanted the number four, right?" He asked, placing his hand gently over mine as he spoke.

"Yep!" I responded, popping the "p".

Our food was soon delivered to our table and I ate quickly in order to have some time to talk about the mysterious owl I had discovered in my car earlier. I put my red plastic burger holder aside, along with the slightly greased paper the burger had been on before I ate it. Digging through the pockets of my shorts for a moment, I pulled the slip out and unfolded it on the table before me.

"Did you draw this for me?" I asked with a questioning look on my face as I pointed to the small owl symbol. 

Jasper finished his last bite before trying to answer. "Uh, no. I don't think I've ever drawn anything close to that for you. Why?" He returned with another question.

"Oh, it's not that big of a deal really. I had just found it stuck in my middle console before I left to meet you here and I wasn't sure where it was from or what it meant." I told him simply.

"Well, I have no idea either. After all, it could have easily caught the breeze and just founds its way to you." Jasper claimed, trying to provide some form of answer for me.

I tucked the paper back in my pocket, still puzzled as to what this was here, in my possession for. I felt my phone buzz in my left butt pocket and pulled it out to unlock it. Reading the message from one of the interns at the modeling place, my eyes widened at his message. 

Where Are you Christie? You have already been gone for an extra fifteen minutes!

Sure enough, I was going to be late getting back to the beach for the last hour of my scheduled shoot, even if I left right away. Standing quickly, I thanked Jasper for eating with me and gave him a quick peck on the lips before quickly explaining the situation. I texted back on my way out to the car.

Be there soon! SORRY :(

I was back at the beach in no time hurrying down to the shore to finish up the last few things we had left to do before the same routine would follow tomorrow at another site. If I was correct in remembering, they had wanted to try at my apartment.

Finally, at around 2:00 PM, I was packed up and driving home through the rough traffic of L.A afternoons. I entered my studio apartment and locked the door quietly behind me before turning the TV on and walking to the kitchen to make a snack. 

"Cheeto!"  I called, listening for that familiar little ring ting of the bell on his collar.

Sure enough, he soon bounded up onto the marbled counter top and plopped himself down near me, purring with affection as i gave him a quick scratch on his head. I opened a small cabinet near the sink and scooped out a little cup of cat food to pour in his bowl. Almost immediately, he jumped from his position on the counter and crouched near his bowl to enjoy his hearty meal.I smiled as he ate like he had never been fed before, even though he gets fed twice a day.

With a smoothie and a bowl of grapes in hand, I walked out to the living room and made myself comfortable as I sat my snacks on the coffee table. I took some time to surf through the channels before finding something i wanted to watch. I had just popped my fifth grape into my mouth when Cheeto came scrambling in to rest on his bed near the fireplace.

I watched him take a moment to lay down, finally deciding that his bed was just comfortable enough. I noticed something resting under his paw after he settled, pausing my show and moving to inspect it. At first, i thought it to probably be one of his toys he enjoyed hoarding, but it turned out to be a small piece of paper, about the size of the one in my car.

      Puzzled, I reached for it and carefully pulled it out from under Cheeto, who seemed fine with the sudden intrusion. I gave him a small pet on the head as I turned it over, my breathe hitching in my throat as i saw what lay on the other side.

      It was an owl, exactly like the one on the other slip of paper. I pulled that one from my back pocket and examined the two side by side, searching for some sort of clue as to why these were starting to show up everywhere I went. I found nothing, but set the papers in a small jar on the kitchen counter for later, not wanting to lose them if i discovered anymore.

      As I walked back into the living room and sat down once more, a million questions were racing through my mind. The ones that stuck out the most being:

      Who was placing these owls around for me? What did they mean? And how did this person get into my home?