Oliver's last day

Oliver was having a sleepover. It wasn't his first, but it had been awhile. so he might have gone a little overboard. It was his first birthday in years when he had enough friends to actually have a party. His mother was overjoyed that he was socializing again and was 100% on board with whatever he planned. So, like any kid given unlimited freedom, he went all out. Now, most of the guests had left, with only Oliver's five closest friends left to stay the night. They had just finished an epic movie marathon and were now having a six way monopoly tournament. He had just taken a devastating loss at the hands of Katie (destroyer of small tin tophats), and had stepped outside for a minute.

Yes, ok, he smoked, what ya gonna do about it. He couldn't pinpoint an exact reason why he started, especially when his mother would behead him if she found out. He took out the altoids tin he always kept in his pocket, you'd be surprised how much people look at it and never open it. Inside were four cigarettes and a cheap gas station lighter. The movements were muscle memory at this point, only half a minute or so between him and a lit smoke.

It was a little strange, that it was still light out. The sky hadent hit that deep blue almost black phase, still hovering at a thin worn denim. Hadn't they watched five movies? And the party before wasn't exactly short either. They had started just before dinner and then after dinner was cake, after cake was games. They had like, five different games if he remembered correctly. Wait, no they had six. Him and his mom had picked up pin the tail on the donkey last minute at the party supply store. After games was presents. There were a lot of presents, that had to take a while. Right? After presents, his dad had brought out this DJ setup and oh man he was so bad. Him and Katie had a little romantic moment in the back. Oliver didn't know what they were yet, but he didn't want to push it. After that was the mario kart tournament. That was when people started leaving. Then they started the movie marathon. And it was, it was movie seven when it was just him and the people staying overnight. How was it still light out? It should be midnight right now. He didn't care if it was still summer, it should be dark. Why wasn't it dark?

“I wanted you to have a nice last day”

The voice was incredibly quiet. Just the barest whisper, sounding out from just inches away from his left ear. He turned to look but there was nothing there. It was just his imagination. His imagination and an unusually quick party. He just lost track of time. Still though, there was no harm in responding to the voice. There was no one around to hear him being a little silly.

“Hey, what do you mean last day”? There was a pause, then “you know what I mean, your last day before the journey” it was louder this time, just barely louder. And still so, so close.

The journey, his journey. He did know. It scared him a bit, that he knew. But far more than he was scared, Oliver was relieved. He had been on this path for a long time. It was what had chased away all his friends in the first place. Friends were nice, but they didn't understand. He had been performing this delicate balancing act for far too long, he was exhausted. appearances with friends and family, performances at school, and then his path. His true work. Katie was nice, but unsustainable. In the rush of the party he had almost forgotten just last night, nursing aching teeth with the still warm meat of a rabbit. Deep in the sea of rolling grass, under the blue-black sky, filled with faint and singing stars. He looked around with new focus. There was an owl on the fence to his left. It was a barn owl. She was soft buttery gold, like pre dawn light, along the edges of her wings was a light gray, and her face was round and purest white like fresh snow, only broken by the clear, cool black pools of her eyes. A page of the moon, come to deliver him home.

Oliver dropped his cigarette by the wayside, hopped the fence she was sitting on, and made his way down the hill.