The sound of my alarm clock took me from my dreams. It also caught me from falling off the side of my bed. I checked my watch; the time read 7:55 a.m. My first class was at 8:00 a.m. This had to be a mistake. My alarm wouldn’t turn off and the snow continued to come down. A quick reach underneath the bed expecting my textbooks, only to find my jar of peanut butter. I had everything I needed.

With no time to waste, I left my room, leaving my books behind, and raced down the hallway. As I pass by the trash room, I toss the now empty jar of peanut butter and make my way towards the stairwell. I make the jump down the stairwell effortlessly. The outdoors brought a crisp scent of winter as I walked out of Doyle. My honey brown hair was now covered in small patches of snow.

“It never surprises me how all my Mondays begin the same way. Where did all this snow come from?” I said to myself.

Two-minute warning. I am now what they call in football the Red Zone. Time was running out. I raised my fist in anger.

“There is no way I am losing my perfect streak of making it on time to class. Not today!” The snow continued to fall. I knew what I had to do. I have done it before, and I will do it again. The campus was dead silent. From my back pocket, I retrieve a small whistle. I gave it a call.

As if the snowstorm wasn’t enough, the next instant brought a terrible wind, almost knocking me off my feet. After the “storm” settled and I climbed out of a pile of snow, a welcoming figure stood before me. It was an Owl, the size of Knightro, but twice as mighty; his feathers were the color of a great oak.

“Oscar! You won’t believe how happy I am to see you!” I embraced him. There wasn’t a moment to lose. A quick fly through campus brought us to Marian Hall. Oscar didn’t hesitate to throw me off his back and onto the roof. The owl settled close to me, protecting me from the wind.

“Any advice, old friend?” I ask, while shivering in the cold.

The owl turned to face me. His rusted copper eyes comforted me; his presence gave me courage. Five seconds of intense staring was all he needed. After that, he disappeared into the storm.

“You never cease to amaze me.” I replied.

Making my way down the side of the building and through the window was the real challenge of my morning. At long last, I found myself at Marian Hall in room 420. Cold and wet, I stood before the threshold of the classroom, holding a small slip of paper in my hands. It was folded with the words on one side reading.

Dear Family and the rest of the paper blank.

“Another adventure begins.” Then I walk through the door along with the professor.

—-

Flynn had never experienced something so sweet. Or at least that is what he explained to me. His bright blue eyes expanded like tiny ripples. Even though the snow continued to fall, something about the sensation kept him warm inside. Almost as if by magic. I sat next to him outside the dining commons, listening to him go on about signs or of a winged giant.

“It all started last week. In the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a giant silhouette, perched on top of Doyle Hall,” he said.

In between bites, I would only respond with a gentle nod.

Flynn ignored my “ignorance”. He knew what he saw. There definitely was something going on.

“The funny thing is that I seem to be the only one able to see these things and I know I’m not going crazy… and… Listen, this is serious. I need to know… where did you find this?” asked Flynn, holding up the mysterious pastry. It looked like half fruit, half sponge cake, but bite-size.

“You meant to say, ‘Where can I find more?’ right?” I say, while taking a sip from my Starbucks. Snow continued to fall. The sun was already down by this time of day, and everyone was heading to Alumni Hall to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Us two friends sat alone. The bell tower struck six o’clock.

“Come on, I want to show you something,” I say, rising from my seat and offering him a hand.

A sudden burst of excitement brought Flynn to his feet.

“Are we going to find more?!” asked Flynn, his hands rubbing against each other, trying to keep himself warm. The pastry’s effect or magic had faded. Snow continued to fall. I gather all of my things and put on an extra jacket.

Leading Flynn through the unshoveled walkway, we made our way to the Ecolab. It was down there that we made memories and kept all of our secrets. Tonight, I was ready to reveal one of my own that I had been keeping from Flynn.

“Eugene, will you slow down, please?! Some of us are carrying unnecessary weight around!”

I laugh to myself. Flynn was obviously growing plumper with the holiday season ever approaching.

“Will this snow ever stop?” said Flynn, “Seriously, fall ended less than a week ago.”

I was ready to stop then. Flynn, not paying attention, tripped over the last step down the winding stairs.

“I’ve brought you here to tell you something. Actually, more like show you something.” I say quietly. I set down my backpack and reached into my back pocket.

“Why are you whispering? It’s not like anyone is listening,” replied Flynn.

“Someone is always listening.” And with that, I gave my whistle a call.

Oscar appeared almost immediately in between the two of us. To my surprise, Flynn didn’t react instinctively to a giant owl appearing from nowhere.

Silence. Oscar’s prime way of communicating. Flynn finally broke it.

“This… is… without a doubt, the best day of my life!” he exclaimed aesthetically, through tears that froze like ice.

“I am sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” I said, “I had to make sure that he was okay with it first.” I reached out and stroked Oscar’s neck.

“It’s so good to see you, Oscar! Now, what do you have for me today, Old Friend?” I asked.

Oscar turned to reveal a small pouch that he kept tied to his neck.

“Any more of those pastries from last week?”

“Wait, those came from HIM?!” asked Flynn, still shaking with excitement.

I didn’t respond immediately. I kept busy going through the continents within the pouch. Finally, I pulled out a small book that was decorated with blue and gold, with people smiling and hugging. It was the familiar brand of a Marian University student planner.

“Where did you find this?” I ask. Oscar gave no response. Or did he? Out of the three of us, you would think that the Giant Owl would have all the answers.

I still think to this day that whatever I find in Oscar’s pouch was put there for a reason. It was then always my job (no thanks to Oscar) to find out that reason.

On the cover was written someone’s name in perfect calligraphy.

“Flynn! Give me your flashlight.”

Flynn didn’t hesitate. He quickly pulled it out and flipped it on, pointing at my face. The snow became very light.

“I appreciate you blinding me…” I say as I swipe it from Flynn’s hands.

Shining it over the cover, I was able to make out only a name. No number, no address, nothing else. It only read: Harper.

“Harper. Why does that name sound familiar?” I said.

Flynn pushed me aside. Stuffing his hand into the pouch, he retrieved yet another pastry. Oscar gave a quiet bow, then launched himself into the night. Flynn was ready to begin snacking on his prize.

“Wait, you might want to save that one,” I said. I then took the planner and placed it gently into my backpack.

The snow ceased falling.

—-

Final thoughts…

Dear Family,

Flynn is overwhelming me with questions. It is possible that the pastry I found with Oscar’s pouch several weeks ago is the key to turning from looking to actually seeing the world the way I see it. Speaking of Oscar, I think he is becoming a lot quieter than usual. I think he is hiding something. What is there for a Giant Owl to hide? How much do I actually understand about his world, which is slowly becoming my world? Of course, these are the regular thoughts of any college freshman. My thoughts return to the planner. Why did Oscar find it for me?

I will write again soon!

Sincerely,

Eugene