King of Owls

Song of the Forest

Your POV:

I release small grunts while trudging through the thick mud coating the forest floor and shoving aside any branches that got in my way. Every now and again my brown boots would sink into the earth, slowing my pace quite a bit, but that didn't bother me much. It's not like I'm in a hurry, and I'm positive this'll be the last place anyone would come looking for me. This dense, gloomy forest is shrouded in mystery and is so very strange. No one knows of it's existence but me, at least that's how it appears.

The place looks as though it's been left untouched by man, which is impossible, right? Especially with how big it is. Surely, one other person would've gotten curious about this place. This is my first time coming inside, though, and, honestly, I feel as though I stepped into another world. It kind of reminds me of my dad, who would always tell me stories when I was younger about enchanted forests and creatures one could only dream about.

It fills me with a sense of nostalgia that calms my dying rage, but I don't concern myself with the enigma that is this forest. It's not important right now. I just need a place where I can disappear from the outside world and not have to worry about anything that's been stressing me out lately. I breathe out a sigh while leaning against a tree for a break, wishing to take off my boots and massage my aching feet. I've been walking for so long, and my legs feel so sore.

While I take a moment to catch my breath, I have a look at my surroundings. Though the overall atmosphere is creepy as all heck, I find the place oddly relaxing. The air is so fresh, and it's peaceful and quiet, save for the twittering birds and buzzing insects. The only thing that really bugs me is the glowing eyes staring down at me from the bare branches twisting overhead. They belong to many different species of owls that have a variety of colors and sizes, but if that wasn't strange enough, their attention only resides on me, and if I walk further into the forest they seem to multiply.

It's like they know I don't belong here. I gulp down my saliva to soothe my dry throat while staring at one that cocks it's head in a quick manner that nearly causes me to flinch. Nervously, I venture deeper into the foggy towers of trees. The bare trees eventually come to an end as I pass more and more that are covered in vibrant green leaves. No new owls appear, though, the ones from before seem to be following close behind.

'What is their deal?' I stop in my tracks upon hearing a faint sound that comes from no natural source and look around. My spine tingles upon hearing the eerie whistle of, what I believe comes from, a flute, or perhaps a similar instrument. Unable to contain my curiosity, I follow after the sad, hypnotic music. The sound was so soft and alluring that I couldn't stop myself, even though I knew it was probably a bad idea. As I get closer to the source, I start to realize the sound is coming from above, so I look up ahead of me and nearly feel my heart stop. Only a few feet away, a peculiar figure dressed in a cloak of brown feathers sits upon the winding branches with their back, thankfully, towards me. I don't think they notice me, yet I can't help but feel a little on edge.

'Who is that, and why are they here? What's with the cloak?' Quickly and quietly, I hide behind the trunk of the nearest tree just to be safe before peeking out at the figure while making sure my form is not visible if they were to turn around. As suspected, a wooden flute is held in the stranger's hands, while they play the melancholy melody with delicate finger movements to block the holes, forming different sounds. I found myself entranced by the being's music and lean my head against the bark of the tree I hide behind.

The music comes to an abrupt stop, and the instrument is set down onto the person's lap. I gasp and cover my entire body behind the tree when I saw they were about to turn around. A few quick breaths escape my mouth, so I cover it in order to block the sound. I hear a crack, and nothing but silence follows. I stand still for awhile, heart racing in fear, before taking the risk of peering around the tree, regardless of the possibility that the person would appear right in front of me, to take another look at the sturdy branch the stranger was perched upon. Key word: was. They had mysteriously vanished into thin air. My brows knit together in confusion, while I look around, but I catch no sight of them.

'Where did they go?' The being's disappearance made me feel a bit uneasy, and it didn't help that the number of birds watching me nearly doubled. I shake my head, deciding to move forward and forget about the unknown flute player. With light steps, I continue my journey to the heart of the forest. I take a moment to appreciate the stillness of my surroundings.

This will be the perfect place to hide away from society. Though, it's still uncomfortable walking around while being stalked by owls. I've never seen so many in my life, well, in person that is. I've seen plenty of owls in the books I've read, and I even recall an urban legend I once heard of about a king of owls. It was one of my father's stories, actually.

It was an old, forgotten tale that's only a distant memory in my head. The only thing I seemed to remember is the king and nothing more, but, again, such things are not important right now. Eventually, I grow tired of traveling, and it's already starting to get dark out, which isn't good. I needed to find shelter and quick incase the thick clouds hanging above decide to send down rain. Besides, who knows what beasts roam this place at night? Luckily, it isn't long before I stumble upon a small cave hidden within the light fog that had blanketed the ground not long after the sun went down.

I take a seat on the dirt floor and tuck my knees to my chest. I don't regret my decision in the slightest. I've read enough about the outdoors and have enough basic survival skills to know what to do out here. The only thing I'm really upset about is that I stormed out without bothering to grab any necessary supplies. I have no food, no water, no extra clothes or even a blanket. I have nothing with me, but the clothes on my back.

I'm determined, though. I'm not going back until I'm ready to face the world again. Until that day, I want to live somewhere where I can be free. Hopefully, this forest is just what I'm looking for. I feel exhaustion overtake me as I lie on my back and stare up at the rocky ceiling with half-lidded eyes. Gradually, they shut, and my breathing slows as I listen to the sounds of the forest. The chirping of crickets and hooting of the owls in the trees lulls me to sleep. It was almost like the forest was singing a lullaby just for me.

However, I was left unaware of the bright, orange eyes that observed me from afar.