The Wolves & The Owl

Fool me once… Shame on you Fool me twice… shame on me.

This is what he kept repeating to himself as he scrubbed the worn paisley wallpaper with fresh grass clippings. Before long night fell and the neighborhood disappeared before his eyes.

Unfortunately he couldn’t see in the dark. He could, however, hear howling in the distance. He shuddered in fear as he tried to find his way home.

He stumbles, rights himself, and drives through the thorns and briars of the forest. In moonlight, he sees only the shimmer of his blood and the silhouettes of thickets. Howling - closer. Panic throws coils round his heart: his gasping now too shallow to give him real breath.

He scrambles up a thick oak tree, climbing as high as he can in the dark. He straddles a thick branch with his back against the trunk and tries to calm his breathing. Wolves can't climb trees, can they? And can he wait them out?

An ear-splitting screech sounds from above & the wolves run. Dread filling his heart, he looks up to see the largest owl he has ever seen. It is Φ, the Ur-owl, Grandfather of the Night's Children. The bird's eyes, large as windows, blink slowly, but its claws move like lightning.