Chapter 5

The Omen

"Private, wake up, please" Private heard a familiar voice. He realized that he was laying in his bunk with something cold and wet on his forehead. He didn't want to open his eyes. The only thing which he remembered was that he fell down and lost his consciousness. He tried to move his flipper but he felt a pain. Trying to sit down was pointless in that case. He heard voices around him, the voices of his friends, they were talking about someone… about him.

Private tried to open his eyes, he felt tears. Why tears? He realized that his face was warm, too warm and he felt cold on his body. He already knew what was that; he had a high fever. Something like that was really dangerous for penguins, especially young like him.

"Private, are you awakened?" Private heard Kowalski's voice. He tried to say something but he couldn't. He knew that his friends really worried about him but he couldn't do anything. Just laying there… Private felt the chills and he moaned.

"Kowalski, analysis?" Skipper said.

"Private has a really bad fever. He can't do anything but I think he's awakened now" Kowalski replied.

"Is he going to be alright?" Skipper asked.

"I hope so… but, yes, it'll be okay. Um, I can't help him more, he should sleep now. But we can take him to the vet…"

"No way! Not to that sadist with the needles. Now, have you got any suggestions why Private has a high fever?"

"Well, I think, um… it's probably because of the nerves. I think it's too much for a young penguin like him. I really think that you shouldn't go, not now" Kowalski said.

Private listened to them but he couldn't say anything. He tried to do something which could show them that he agreed with Kowalski. He tried to move again but he felt only more pain. But then he felt something soft, the solace… He slipped into a dream…

Now he was walking through a dark street. It was probably a night and the lanterns were on. Everywhere it was quiet and Private didn't see anybody, it was really worrying. The street looked like one in New York City or it was just in New York. But if it was in that big city why nobody was there? It's just a dream, just a dream Private thought. He walked between the buildings, they looked gloomy like everything there. Even though the lanterns were lit there was still dark and murky.

There were no other streets, so Private could walk only ahead. He didn't want to look at the empty windows of the black buildings. He had a thought in his mind; what was an aim of this dream? It didn't look like a normal dream, it looked so real. Private could feel even the cold wind which was flying around him and playing with the leaves which already fell down from the trees. It wasn't a normal dream.

The trees looked like the black ghosts with their scary branches without leaves. But it couldn't be New York. This city was different and it looked dirty. The night wasn't like the normal nights, it was like a day without the sun. The empty sky without the moon and stars, it was like a world without a hope. There wasn't warm or cold, it was weird. As if Private was in another world but not in a dream-world. Was there something supernatural?

He realized that he was walking for a long time. The scenery didn't change much. He was still it that strange city on the murky street. The buildings disappeared and on their place appeared tables, chairs and the big umbrellas. It reminded Private the restaurant near the Central Park Zoo. But it wasn't colorful, it was grey. The view was really depressing, Private stopped with a scary thought. What if it was real New York City, what if it's a kind of a vision? He looked at the benches under the leafless trees. He almost jumped when he saw a pair of the purple eyes between the leaves of a bush. They disappeared as fast as they appeared.

Private decided to check it. If it was the dream, he couldn't get injured. If it was real, he wanted to escape from that horror. He approached the bush but before he touched it, he stopped and stared with a shock on the wall in front of him. There was a wooden board: Central Park Zoo. He stepped back. Without the doubts, it was New York. But what happened there? Private took the deep breath and went ahead. He passed a zoo's gate and entered a gloomy place. The lanterns weren't on but Private could see the habitats. There weren't any animals or zookeepers, nobody… and only silence…

Private walked nervously towards the penguins' habitat. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see what was in there. He just wanted to wake up. He approached a fishbowl and pulled it away. Inside it was dark but he jumped there. He expected the darkness but he was wrong. The HQ was lit up by the bright, blue light. Private looked up, the moon suddenly appeared on the black sky between the grey clouds. Private smiled a little, he hasn't seen any moonlight or sunlight for the two weeks. He turned back and stared at the empty HQ. Nothing and silence.

He went to a lab, there weren't any of Kowalski's inventions. Everything's gone.

Feeling more and more restlessness he went back to the top. The loudest place in the zoo and even New York was the lemurs' habitat. With a hope Private slipped there. But there were only King Julian's music box and a throne. No sign of Julian, Maurice and Mort. Private looked around to see some mangos which Mort could leave there. None.

Private ran to Marlene's habitat, he wanted to hide away. Her cave was empty and murky. It couldn't be true, her habitat and the zoo never looked so… lifeless… Private lay down on habitat's stone floor and hid his face in his flippers. Suddenly, he heard some noise. He slowly stood up and looked at the zoo's gate. There was something and he knew it. Without any hesitation he slipped there.

"Are you lost?" Private heard a voice. He looked up. On the wall there was sitting an owl. The beautiful owl with the white feathers and purple eyes. It was strange, Private hasn't ever seen someone with the purple eyes. He stared at the owl "Are you lost, little penguin?" the owl repeated.

"Um, yes, I think. Please tell me, where am I? And who are you?" Private finally asked.

"Tell me, what do you want to see and know, Private?" The owl said.

"Y-you know my name?"

"It's not important now, penguin"

"O-okay. Then, where am I?" Private asked and glanced at the wise purple eyes.

"Little penguin, there are lots of questions in this world without the answers. Yes, I can't tell you now, but you'll find out in a good time" the owl replied.

"I-I don't understand it"

"Tell me, what do you see?" The owl said and stared at Private.

"Um, well, I see you owl… and I think it's New York City"

"You don't see me as an owl… "

"Um, don't I?"

"The omens. The ancient magical visions of the future in the animals forms which are evil. No, it's only the humans' explanations. I'm not an owl, I'm an omen. Everybody has an omen, but not everybody can see it. Omens don't show you the future or fate. It depends on you and your way, omen is only your guard"

"Wait, are you my omen?" Private asked. The owl looked at him puzzled with its penetrating purple eyes.

"I can't tell you it Private. There're always the answers but the omens don't know them. You're the only one who can answer your own deepest questions"

"Okay, so what are you doing here?" Private asked. He was confused, so he wanted to change a topic.

"I'm here to help you"

"Help me with what?" Private looked around, the truth was that he really needed a help.

"You see, something bad will happen soon and you'll have to keep your bravery like your friends. The oracle already has a prophecy, but the fate can be changed at all time"

"Something bad? If the omens aren't evil why do you tell me such a bad destiny?" Private stepped back but the owl shook its head.

"I don't see the future. I'm here to warn you. Someone found me, you see, not every omens can come to you. There's a connection between you and the magical owls like me. Everybody has the connections like that, including your friends. It's time for me and you to go, the oracle is waiting"

"What's the oracle, I mean, is it something material?"

"You'll find out everything… soon…" the owl closed its eyes.

"Please tell me what does it all mean? I-I want to wake up"

"Wake up, Private, can we call it 'wake up'?" the owl opened its eyes and looked down at Private. He didn't reply, so the owl continued "If someone sees the omen… it can happen only in a special situation"

"That means… something's happening with me" Private said and nervously looked around.

"What do you remember?"

"I um… fainted and then I woke up in my bunk with a high fever" Private said.

"Exactly. You have the penguin's fever"

"Penguin's fever? Wait if it… oh…" Private had it all clearly now.

"You're in a really bad condition" The owl said "Do you know now, why do you see me?"

"Not at all, why me? I didn't even know that omens exist…"

"No, no, little penguin, it's another topic. As I said earlier, the omens are the guards and I'm here to help you"

"I understand now" Private nodded.

"You haven't got a normal fever, you see, someone is afraid of you and your friends. So it wants to destroy you. You were wondering what's wrong with your world. This is it. The dark times are coming, Private"

"The weather is like that not without the reason, I knew it. But I don't know if I have to take it literally or not" Private said and looked down.

"It's something what you have to find out on your own"

"Why have I this dream? Why?"

"You all have to be ready. It's time for you to go, Private" The owl said and everything around began to disappear in the white light "Before I leave you I want to tell, don't be afraid to tell it your friends. The most important thing now is to be together"

"I'll remember" Private nodded.

"Private, whatever will happen, there's somebody who will always help you all. And about your questions; the answers are sometimes invisible for eyes" the owl smiled. Private opened his beak to ask who it is, who the guard is, but then everything penetrated into the white and Private felt that he was felling down. He landed on something hard and warm. His fever disappeared, so he tried to open his eyes. He saw his friends' worried faces and sat down in his bunk. Though he still had a headache, he was happy to be back.

"How are you feeling, Private?" Kowalski asked. Private touched his forehead.

"Better" he said.

"We tried to wake you up but you had a dream, I guess"

"I don't know, I don't remember anything" Private said. It wasn't the truth, but Private wasn't sure if he wanted to tell it. What would be Kowalski's reaction? It was something magical, so it was obvious that the scientist will not believe him.

"I see, your fever was severe. Interesting, why it's gone so fast…" Kowalski said and noted something on his clipboard. Rico brought a fish for Private.

"Oh, thank you, Rico" Private said and stared at his fish. He wasn't hungry "Where's Skippah?"

"At the top" Kowalski said. He was noting something with the concentration in his eyes.

"Um, okay" Private said and stood up. He felt a little dizzy, his headache hasn't gone. He climbed up by a ladder. He had so many thoughts and questions. Who is guarding them? If something wants to get rid of them, Private have to inform the rest as soon as he can. He sighed and tried to concentrate on his dream, it was something what he had to solve on his own… But he had to talk with Skipper.

The puffins came to a truck and grabbed Katherine. She felt a little dizzy. When she stood up she felt a strong pain where she had a wound. The leader puffin smiled and pushed her from the truck, she fell down onto a hard ground. It looked like a pavement, but Katherine had a bad feel of that place.

"Hey, it wasn't gentlemanly" Katherine said and stood up.

"The problem is that I'm not a gentleman" the leader puffin said and grinned at her. Katherine rolled her eyes. The puffins grabbed her flippers and led her ahead.

She realized that it was an island, very gloomy and dark. The sky wasn't different, still black and without any stars. She didn't even know if it was a day or a night. The leafless trees were making that place scarier.

Then Katherine saw the worst horror, it was something what she was afraid of. A lightening went through the sky making it like from a thriller scene. She looked at a view in front of her, it was…

Okay, sorry again! I know Private's dream could be really weird, especially that owl, but it was something what can help you understand the later chapters. The next chapter… will Skipper go to Denmark or not? I'll try to post it sooner that this chapter. I really love your reviews, so

Review please!