Everything is so frustrating. Whatever I do, I just can’t get to sleep. My mind’s all on that incident earlier and it gives me a lot of shivers. What time is it now? It’s ten already? Huh. So it’s been 3 hours lying awake in my bed then.
Maybe I’m just not used to sleeping early on my birthday? Or maybe I’m too excited? But excited for what? Why does that dream keep coming back to me? Oh! I don’t want to remember it anymore. It’s just too scary. It seems too real –

But it is real. It’s all real. I know it is. But why did mother say it wasn’t so? Mother would never tell me a lie. Mother would never say its a dream if its real. But if she did – why would she?

HOOT.HOOT.

There’s an owl on my windowsill. Oh it’s that same bloody owl.

“Shoo. Shoo. Go on,” I said as I try to make it go away. But I don’t leave my bed of course. I don’t want to. It’s so dark in here and scary. I don’t have a lamp with me and I might trip into something, so I’d rather not.

Well what a stubborn owl. It won’t bulge. Looks like I have to deal with this one. Where is that pillow? Oh wait, it flew away now. Thank God it did. It would be bad to hurt that pretty thing. It’s just so annoying. Then again, my pillow is very pretty too. I don’t want to use it just to smack an owl.

It’s so late in the night, but I just can’t sleep. But why am I not trying? Oh, great. It’s back again. Just as I was going to close my eyes and sleep. Looks like I just have to leave it alone.

“Really now? Fine. You can stay. Just don’t hoot around and let me sleep won’t you?”

But its pair of eyes were staring at me intently. I sat up straight on my bed this time.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Don’t you have any manners?” Why its still looking at me straight in the face! Haven’t I met this owl before? Oh yeah. The one in the grove earlier. But I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere else. It just looks so familiar.

“Don’t I know you, little owl?” I’m surprised I’m talking to this owl even if I’m so pissed.

HOOT.

Of course, what do I expect? I ask the owl a question and hope that it answers. Great Alexa. You are the most clever little girl I met in my whole life.

Now what does it think its doing? Just sitting there and staring at me? How am I supposed to sleep with that owl in my head because its standing right there STARING AT ME. It seemed just like human. Geez. What is wrong with the world? Or rather, what is wrong with this owl?

Oh wait. Now I remember. A wild idea just came into my head. But what about mom and dad? They’ll be cross if they found out I’m not asleep. I look around my room. It’s dark alright. But I have to check if mom and dad is awake before I can do my plan.

I know. I clasped my hands together and there it is! A little ball of fire is standing in th middle of my left hand. I mastered this since I was five, but I had to keep it hidden. So nobody else knew it besides my mom and dad. With the light in my hand, I tiptoed to the door and peeked out. Well, no mom and dad outside, so they’re probably asleep. It’s safe.

I put the flame out, shut the door and ran to the windowsill where the owl has been sitting. I’m surprised it didn’t fly away, but that’s just what I need. I figured out, since I can’t do anything, why not talk to this owl? It won’t understand and it won’t care but at least I can vent.
“Well then,” I began my speech. “Since you’ll be staying here you might as well listen to what I have to say. I have a lot of stories for you.”

“You know it’s my birthday today. And I had just a wonderful day. And weren’t you there earlier? I know it was you. I always see you during my birthday, and during Christmas, and during the new year. It’s weird though because here in Russia the new year comes first before the Christmas. But I know you know that? You are a friend owl aren’t you. You’ve been here since I was eight years old! And now I’m ten! Why you’ve watched how I grown during the years. And it’s been two years too.”

“ But that isn’t the only time we met is it? I think I remember you back when I was five or six. Oh yes, I do remember. You were always perched on that willow tree in the backyard of our old home. I wanted to play with you, but mom would always catch me and say ‘Come now, Alexa. You shouldn’t playing with that owl.’” Hey, I just realized, this owl probably knows a lot in my life, “What do you know?” I asked, with a lifted eyebrow, scrutinizing the creature up and down. And yes, I am crazy enough to ask an owl.

HOOT.

Now I don’t quite know why, but that hoot makes me mad. It’s either because I’m half expecting that it would talk back, or because I’m stupid enough to ask it a question. Either way, I am done with this owl.

“You are such an impertinent owl,” I scolded it. “I see now that it is of no use talking to you. Now good night and leave me in peace. I should expect that you fly off now to where you came from.”

‘Stupid bird,’ I thought.

“Why are you staring at me still,” I’m scowling this time. I would not have an owl disobey my orders. So I flung my pillow at it. ‘that should teach it a lesson’ Only, I think it was too much of a lesson. I expected to simply hit it so it will fly away, but it seems that it is hit, and it fell. I rushed to the window to see what happened.

Oops. I think it broke its wing. And its all because of me. Oh this is terrible. I was on the verge of climbing the window to get to it, if it weren't for the voice I heard.

“I think I better go to see if she’s asleep.”

Oh oh. That’s my mother. She’s coming this way to check on me. I can hear her steps tapping down the wooden floor; the lamp is shining through the hallways.I tried to be quiet as I could but I scrambled back to the bed as fast as I could, tripping even on a toy teapot and making some noise. But I got up on my feet quickly and raced for it. No, no, no. I can’t be found out now.

The door creaked open. I was just in time. I had laid down the covers and closed my eyes when the light has beamed down on me. It was so bright that I had to flinch. I thought I was found out. But the door shut and the light faded.

I laid still for 5 seconds. I sat up on my bed and saw that there was no one. Phew! That was close.