Barbs

A scream, a silent one, shifts through the tangled brush like a bullet fired from a machine gun without the sounds. Well, audible ones anyway. He’s a quiet killer, sneaking up on any unsuspecting rabbit that was unlucky enough that day. Why, the brisk snap of its neck would be the only thing one could hear. I watched him devour his prize nibble by nibble, so caught up in his hard-earned meal he barely had the time to acknowledge me. Blazing golden eyes built for the dark of night could pierce right through a person’s existence leaving only a hollowed out version of themselves. A striking blend of grey’s markup his form designed to be camouflaged to the underbrush as not to be seen. Well, eventually he did see me, taking off in the farthest direction south deeper off the trail. With a bout of total caution and safety I followed him. Now, he was difficult to track without even a wing flap or two, so I had to go by initiative alone. Lost and alone were two things I definitely were and looking back I wish the hiking tour guides directions to stay on the path stuck with me.

This forest was expansive, reaching miles upon miles of dense briars that will carve into you like a jackolantern. I had already used up every bandaid in my first aid kit so, so much for all those safety guidelines. Eventually I began to hear a familiar rumble that grew louder as it approached its maximum. Not only was I dehydrated, lost, and confused but I was hungry too. In a relatively inedible forest, save for a few plantain leaves here and there. Those will have to do for now I concluded with myself grabbing handfuls whenever I saw them as they’re actually a common edible. So once hunger was curbed off, and the night was beginning to awaken, I parked myself under a-hopefully- empty cavern entrance listening to the distant cries of coyotes and screech owls. This was to be a long night ahead with little sleep to be had. Would my group come find me? My thoughts wandered aimlessly through my mind as I slowly drifted off to sleep dreaming about a silver owl armed with barbs. Wet with the mornings dew, I awoke with a stiff neck and sore back. It occured to me I could’ve slept on the soft dirt behind me but who thinks rationally when they’re lost in a forest at night, that notions impossible. Home was the only thing crossing my mind as I stood to turn back. Following along the makeshift path I carved out with my wandering I figured, eventually anyway, I would make it back to the original trail.

About an hour into this relatively pointless hike I discovered that my makeshift path was no more as it merged with most every animal trail that could possibly be crafted. Backtracking, I turned back towards where I came from thinking that eventually the forest would end somewhere towards a road. Given that this is still a state park another route was bound to be here someplace along the way. Well the farther I went, the more I gave up on this dream of another walk. Gathering more flat plantain leaves I at least wasn’t hungry, if absolutely nothing else. With no sight of other humans, or even a plane, my breathing became heavier as sweat began to bead and fall like frozen raindrops. Suddenly my day was now night, knees buckling, into the grasses of the wilderness. Alone, in the middle of nowhere, my essence retreated back into itself. Distant eyes watching from afar the silent hunter, awaiting my return to the chase. He was patient because it was my desperation that gave him a form of, say, entertainment if you will. As a hunter, for once he could be the prey, even though he knew I would never reach him. Although I had no intentions of eating him it was the idea of the roles changing that intrigued him. He waited the whole time, watching with speckled golden eyes. As I began to stir he caught the wind disappearing like a shadow.

The fierce rumble of hunger was back, with such aggression it took several tries to truly get back upon my feet. How long was I passed out? From the looks of my surroundings, it could’ve been anywhere from hours to days. I guess plantain leaves only take one so far as the pain started to swell making even walking difficult. Sharpening the sturdiest stick I could find, I intended to snag a fish or two from the roaring river a few miles down. The river was clear, clean, and seemingly untouched by man as fish swam peacefully inside her waters. I made sure to fill the bottle I was carrying with its contents before I disrupted the balance of nature before me. I patiently waited for the largest schools to pass, making my first attempt. Crimson started to muddy the perfect clarity this inlet has built all destroyed with a single action. Still, every animal has to eat, it just happened that this animal also ate meat. Assembling a crude fire by the rivers bank it didn’t take long for my hunger to finally be satisfied; or at least for now. I was contented relaxing here for a bit, listening to the softened current as its balance returned as if life wasn’t taken. It moves on, it lives on, and there’s nothing anyone of us can do about it. Even the fish school who has already forgotten about their friend in the pursuit of survival. This time gave me a time to reflect on the journey I’ve been on this past week, almost a trip back to myself and to something new despite being so desperate to find the past. There’s just something intriguing about the forests call, that while I’m physically ready to return to normalcy I know that truly I would rather stay here on this journey.

All because of a fleeting dream I cannot reach, one silver brown owl, that I have hesitations about who I am. In fact, who am I? Then a flash of gray filled my eyes as the chase for him was finally over. He looked at me, piercing eyes, this silent hunter telling me to wake up now. Eyes open, back to an old reality. “We’ve been looking all over for you!” The tour guide exasperated, clearly out of breath. Snapped back and ready to return, I just looked over to him briefly flashing a grin. When I looked back he glided like a phantom into the canopy.

Comments