Magic Within the Waves

Chapter Eight - Batterowl Attack

Chapter Eight

Batterowl Attack

***

Behind me, there was a loud thud followed by the ear-piercing rattle and ting of shattering glass. Someone screamed and everyone froze. Carmen, Ruth, and I peered over our shoulders to see the remains of the home economics classroom window, scattered in tiny glass fragments on the cement ground. Two girls stood arm-in-arm right beside the broken window. Their eyes were so wide with shock it reminded me of a kangaroo caught in oncoming headlights. The taller of the two, quivered, shaking fragments of glass from her rusty-brown hair. She had been right in the path of the falling glass.

A low drum of whispers filled the playground and followed Mr Appleton, the sports teacher, up the path, his round cheeks flushed and bouncing as he ran. He checked to his left then to his right, investigating the incident like he was crossing the road, then joined the poor two girls. They were from my science class – Cheryl and Minnie. They rarely spoke to me, but they never laughed when Hobby insulted me. At this point, I felt sorry for them, and hoped they weren’t injured.

My first thought was that a basketball or softball had gone through the window, but Mr Appleton gasped too intensely for it to be something like that. He shooed the two confused and frightened students away. The taller girl, Minnie, huddled into her friend’s arms, while a slight trickle of blood dribbled down her forehead.

‘Oh no…’ I gasped as the trickle grew thicker. ‘Minnie has been hurt…’

‘Take Miss Lacy to the office, Miss Hooperson,’ Mr Appleton demanded when he heard my gasp. He glanced up and winced at the sight of the blood, ‘don’t dillydally.’

‘Yes, Mr Appleton,’ Cheryl agreed, hurrying her friend towards the front office’s main doors.

He waited until they had left before kneeling on the ground to examine something that didn’t seem right.

‘Everyone, stand back and stay calm,’ he ordered, waving a gathering crowd away from the glass.

Curiosity got the better of me. I climbed on the seat and attempted to get a better look.

‘Careful, Mel…’ Carmen pleaded from behind me.

When I still couldn’t see, I scooted to the very edge. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Oh, my!’ Mr Appleton fell backwards. A large mass of grey and white feathers took flight above his head, fluttering his sports jacket over his face.

‘An owl!’ one of the students screamed.

‘Oh my god, is it hurt?’ asked another student. ‘Someone, catch it.’

‘Don’t touch it,’ shouted another student. ‘It might bite!’

Watching the bird closely, I knew it was not an ordinary owl. I noticed the square shape of its feathered head, with two large feathers spiking out from the top. I saw its grey crooked beak and misty-grey claw and I knew it was no ordinary owl. It was similar to a boobook owl, and I knew undoubtedly it was a batterowl, doing exactly what it loved to do – tormenting for fun.

‘They are twice the size of a common owl and slightly dangerous if you’re standing in the line of its food,’ Mum’s voice whispered, recalling a memory from deep within. ‘They play odd games where they pick up a large stick or whatever they can fit between their claws and use that object to batter through glass or plastic. They are as strong as a charging bull. At first appearance, they come across as normal boobook owls, which is normal to non-believers of magic. But we true believers know the truth…’

In complete amazement, I stood stock-still. There, flapping its grey-brown wings above me was finally one of Mum’s magical creatures. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The batterowl circled the sky for a moment, examining its surroundings and the world below. Its glistening yellow eyes fell upon me, and an instant uneasy sensation churned in the pit of my stomach. The magnificent creature smiled – it smiled at me.

‘Melinda, watch out!’ Ruth shouted as the batterowl swooped in my direction.

Screaming, I covered my arms over my face and ducked from the batterowl’s claws. My foot slipped from the bench and a whoosh of air passed my ears. I saw the grey ground growing closer. Then I stopped falling and someone had hold of me, their arms hooked under my back. I looked up to find myself in the safety of Thomas’s strong arms. His eyes darkened as they examined me, a hint of worry shadowed them. Speechless, I watched the batterowl flutter above his head, snigger at us then, fly higher and then vanish into the distance.

What just happened?

‘Well, umm ... that was a hell of a close one.’ He raised an eyebrow at me, the corner of his lips curing into a tiny smile. ‘Lucky I was here to save you, don’t you think?’

‘Umm ... yeah, lucky ...’ I half laughed.

In one swift motion, he had my feet back on the ground. My heart was racing so fast in my chest that I couldn’t breathe. Luckily Thomas’s hand was lingering on my lower back because if it wasn’t, I was sure I would faint. Though the last twenty minutes of my life nearly killed me a second time, I would have done it all over again if Thomas was going to save me again. The way his arms captured me, holding me against his chest was like something out of a movie ... me – the damsel in distress and him – the hero.

‘Are you alright, Melinda?’ he asked, removing his hand from me at the sight of Mr Appleton jogging towards us.

‘Miss Brown, that was a near fateful fall, it could have been a lot worse … I hope you feel alright?’ Mr Appleton asked, shaking his dirty-blonde head in confusion. He looked just as shocked as me about what had happened. ‘If you feel unwell at all, don’t be afraid to visit the school nurse. You do look a bit pale. Hey, after seeing that, I might just visit the nurse myself.’

‘I think I’m okay,’ I squeaked.

‘No worries then.’ He nodded and hurried towards the office doors, pausing to wave back at us. ‘Oh, nice catch there Mr Gavins ... you should consider joining the basketball team. They could use a guy with your agility and strength.’

‘Thanks, sir, I might look into it,’ Thomas called after him. Catching his breath, he turned back to me. ‘So, umm ... Melinda, or do you prefer Mel?’ He gestured towards another bench opposite the one where Carmen and Ruth sat, both of them gaping at me. ‘Mind if we have a quick chat?’

‘Sure, and you can call me Melinda or Mel, either one.’ I perched on the bench, twiddling my thumbs in my lap, trying to settle the butterflies taking over my insides. The heat from my cheeks scorched more fiercely than ever before. He was surely going to notice. ‘And thank you for you know – saving my life and everything.’

Thomas seated himself beside me and leaned back against the bench. He focused his green eyes on my face then followed a trail down to my feet and back up again. A wave of invisible static rose around us. ‘Hey, you are more than welcome. Besides, I was going to come and chat with you anyway. It just made it a tad bit more interesting ... Mel.’

‘You were?’ I met his eyes and a spark passed between us, leaving a tingle down my spine. ‘You were coming to talk to me? But why ...?’

With a sideways smile that showed one tiny dimple in his right cheek, he rubbed his hands over his face. If I didn’t know any better, I would have said he was blushing… and he was attempting to cover it.

‘Yeah,’ he inhaled through his nose, making his chest rise and fall then turned to me. ‘Yeah, I can’t lie to you, there is a motive behind it though.’

I rolled my eyes. I should have expected it.

‘So, what was your motive, may I ask?’ I leant my chin on the palm of my hand and pretended to find a blade of grass by my foot slightly more exciting than his company – more so to control the tingles now coursing through my veins. What was my heart doing to me?

Running his hands through the side of his hair, he leant forward, almost copying my posture. ‘Well, I was sort of – kind of wondering if ... if you were free Friday night. I mean, I was going to see if you would like to come out for dinner or something ... my shout. I know a nice restaurant in town I would like to take you to. Of course, that’s if it’s alright with you.’

His Friday night proposal hit me as hard as my body had hit the waves at the beach, leaving me just as winded. My palms began to sweat. I was confused and nervous and had no idea what to say next.

‘So, what do you say?’ he asked, jumping to his feet so quickly it was a blur. ‘Will you have dinner with me Friday night?’

‘A date?’ I stood up next to him, his strong leather and pine-scented deodorant almost knocking me back down. ‘I – I would need to ask permission from my dad first.’

After I realised what I had said, I half expected those words would make him change his mind and retreat on his heels, like I had seen him do every time I passed by. Again he surprised me and stayed at my side, staring at me, his charming smile still evident across his thin lips.

‘Well then, what day would you like me to come over and ask your dad, face to face? I’m free all week, after school hours of course.’

The school bell chimed and shook me out of the bewildered silence Thomas had created for me. I had never been asked on a date before, let alone taken a boy home to meet my parents. Ruth and Carmen lingered by the classroom door waiting for me, their mouths open wide enough to catch flies. Having them stare that way made me extremely nervous. My voice hitched in the back of my throat.

‘Is Wednesday night alright?’ I asked before I even had a proper chance to think it over.

Nodding, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. ‘Sounds perfect, I will see you at six-thirty Wednesday night.’

‘Okay then.’

‘I will be hanging on every minute ’till then.’ He winked at me then sprinted down the side of the building, in the direction of the gym.

The scent of pine and the ocean breeze he left behind made me weak, trembling in my knees. It took both Carmen and Ruth to help me into the classroom. I swore to myself that the second I got home I had to call Sarah and tell her. No doubt she would be head over heels about it all. She was always the one at my old school who had boyfriend after boyfriend. Not me. I was the opposite. I guess that’s why we got on so well, even now.

During the following classes, I couldn’t concentrate. All I could talk about and think about was Thomas and how, in just those few minutes of having his arms around me, made my heart tremble. This watery hero had nothing on Thomas. Carmen had to repeat everything, Miss Hatcher, our math teacher, said to me at least six times before it sunk into my head. Even then it didn’t register with my brain.

At the end of the day, Thomas met me at the school entrance. He handed me a honey-sweet purple flower. ‘’Till we meet again, beautiful, Mel. And I will be counting the minutes.’

He left me swooning, my knees knocking and my heart thumping in his wake as he ran to join his usual group of friends. Daniel Gilsmic waved at us, his light-brown hair falling in a schoolboy wave over his boyish face. Carmen’s eyes instantly brightened as she watched the way the sun fell over the dark skin on Daniel’s shoulders. Not that I could blame her. Though he wasn’t handsome like Thomas, he had a charm about him. It wasn’t hard to notice she had a huge crush on him. She would never admit it. Carmen never opened up about boys. It was just her way.

Thomas’s friend, Aaron Kirt, the rebel of the group, who just like Chris, always had a girl on each arm, glared at me, his blue almost silver eyes piercing straight through my subconsciousness. You could tell he was unhappy about what Thomas had done. It was plastered firmly in every aspect of his slender features.

When they were out of sight, I finally remembered where I was and turned back to the girls. ‘I guess I better go, or I will miss the bus.’

That night, after having a long two-hour chat with Sarah on the phone, I sat down with Dad during dinner and pondered how I was to tell him about everything – my day at school and being asked out on a date. These were things I would rather have discussed with Mum.

‘Your Dad is all you’ve got, Mel,’ Sarah reminded me when I voiced my concerns to her. ‘Be grateful he listens… My dad is never around…’

She was right, just like almost always. Dad was all I had so he had to be the one to talk to. As she suggested, I started with the batterowl incident and how Thomas had saved me. Then I slowly moved on to how I had been asked out on my first date, and how Thomas was coming around on Wednesday after school to ask his permission.

He stayed quiet until I had finished. He considered what I had said for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin.

‘Bright Eyes, it seems like you are a hot topic amongst the young men at the moment. If that’s the case, I think we need to put down a new set of rules.’ His friendly persona hardened instantly. He fiddled with his fork, shifted in his seat, looked up, and then back down to the table. ‘It’s time for the birds and the bees talk.’

Nervous, I laughed to hide it from him. ‘Dad, I had that talk with Mum already. You don’t need to worry, I understand about the birds and the bees ... as for the rules, why change it all now?’

He rubbed my arm, tears dampening the corner of his eyes. ‘I don’t want to change what we have … We are so close you and me, especially since your Mum passed away. But now that you are actually dating, I need your word you will act like a proper lady – just as your Mum raised you. So that means, no boys in your room, no staying out beyond ten-thirty with a boy and nothing beyond a peck on the cheek because kissing leads to–’

‘Yes! Okay … I get it,’ I interrupted with another nervous laugh. ‘I agree with you. Can we leave that conversation for now please, Dad?’

‘Okay, as long as you understand…’ leaning forward, he kissed my forehead. ‘Bright Eyes, just sing out anytime if you need to chat.’

‘Thanks, Dad, I appreciate it.’

Leaving him in the kitchen, I headed for my room. After closing the door, I fell on my bed, laughing hysterically into my hands. For the first time since Mum’s death, I was as giddy as a child in a candy store. I didn’t know what to do so I scooped up one of Mum’s books and lay back on my bed. It was Mythical Creatures of the Feathered Kind and I knew since I had seen the batterowl it was time to study it.

‘Batterowls are extremely rare. They come in grey, black, tan, and white and are always mistaken for a common boobook owl. It had been discovered that the feathers on the top of their head is sonar capable. If that is what they use it for, no one had been about to confirm this. Though they are beautiful creatures they can be mischievous and tend to cause havoc at the best of times.’

Beneath a picture of the very creature, I had seen today, was the statement: ‘They are only found in wooded areas local to South Australia and tend to roam when seeking a laugh.’

‘Laughing, that’s exactly what this one was doing. I can’t believe I’ve finally seen one Mum. You were right. They do exist. Wow, what else is out there?’