Original Writing
'Xenophon'
…Whoosh!
I glanced up, "What in the world was that?" I said to myself. I should have said, "What in the Underground," but I didn't know that. Not then.
…Whoosh!
My head shot up, "What is that thing?" I wondered out loud. I was lucky he didn't hear me call him a mere 'thing', but I knew nothing about that. Not then.
…Whoosh!
I threw down my paintbrush, "How am I supposed to concentrate with that stupid thing flying past every five seconds?!" I was almost shouting in annoyance now. My frustrated voice must have carried through to the kitchen, where my flatmate, and best friend, Kami, was cooking, or attempting to cook, tea. He appeared in the doorway wearing his 'Kiss the Cook' apron, knife in hand, and a concerned expression on his face.
"Having trouble, are we, Sarah?"
"Mmm... Yeah, I just need to take a break. Is your "gourmet meal" nearly ready?" I don't know why I didn't tell him about it, I mean, at the time I just thought of it as some random bird that had got high on too many berries.
"Yeah, it should be ready in about," he checked his watch, "now! Shit, the potatoes!"
I laughed as he ran back to the kitchen and started to put away my brushes and things, "Shit the potatoes? You've got problems, love."
Once I'd packed up I went into the kitchen and was greeted by a cloud of grey smoke. Coughing, I joked, "I told you, don't bother burning the bodies - just chuck them in the river!" That remark earned me a look from Kami that I could actually feel through the smoke.
Later that night, after we'd stuffed ourselves with Chinese take-away, and Kami had got over his sulk, we were relaxing on the squishy sofa in the Den.
Seeing something out of the corner of my eye, I glanced out the window, muttering "What--", before being startled into silence.
"What is it?"
"Nothing - just a barn owl." The most beautiful one I've ever seen. Absolutely magnificent.
"Right," He glanced at the clock, "Well, I'm going to bed." He looked at me meaningfully.
"Don't wait up for me, I've got stuff to--"
"Oh no you don't, missy, you're going to bed. You'll never get rid of those dark circles you so hate if you keep having late nights!"
I rolled my eyes, "Yes, mother."
Ignoring me, he stood and, hands on hips, glared at me until I sighed and went to get ready for bed.
"Good girl."
I rolled my eyes at myself in the bathroom mirror. He was so loving and protective, bless him.
I stood at my bedroom window, staring intently into the inky darkness outside. I was waiting for something, yet I had no clue as to what. Then, suddenly, a tiny white dot in the distance, growing bigger by the second. As it drew nearer, I saw that it was a barn owl. Not just any barn owl, however; it was the beautiful one I'd seen before. Gliding gracefully the last few metres, it landed silently on my windowsill, and pecked delicately on the glass; Once, twice, three times. I opened the window, staring at the creature. Now that I was close to it, I could see it was too big to be an ordinary barn owl, and it's feathers had a faint multicoloured shimmer to them in the dim moonlight. No, this creature was definitely something out of the ordinary. Something extraordinary.
"That is a very good way of putting it. However, I dislike how you refer to me as a mere 'thing', and 'it'. Please refrain from doing so in the future."
The voice was commanding and deep, yet respectful, a male voice. It seemed to come from the owl, but the creature hadn't moved. How had it known what I was thinking? And anyway, owls can't talk, right? But this is no ordinary owl, I reminded myself.
"I repeat, please refrain from referring to me as 'it'."
"Excuse me?"
"How many times, girl? Use your ears!"
"Sorry. How... how did you know what I was thinking?" I asked nervously.
"That was a thought? Dear me, girl, you'll have to learn to think quieter than that. I should think the whole Underground heard you!"
"Think quieter? What do you mean? And what is the Underground? Who... what are you, anyway?"
He tutted, "So many questions. But no matter. All will be explained later. Now, take firm hold of my legs. You must come with me."
Shrugging, I reached out to take his legs in my hands. I mean, there couldn't be any harm in it - this was only a dream, after all. Or was it? Well, too late now, I thought. I had tentatively taken hold of his legs, but when he suddenly took off into the night, I tightened my grip, sensing that I wouldn't be a hindrance to him at all, as I had first thought.
'He could at least have told me his name, if he wanted me to stop calling him 'it' so badly,' I thought bitterly to myself. My thought must have been loud enough for him to somehow hear, though, because he then spoke a single word - his name. It certainly held some power, because the leaves in the trees we were gliding silently over rustled as he said it, even though there was not a whisper of wind.
"Xenophon."