One October night, the small town of Derby was dark and almost completely silent. The crisp autumn air was blowing the fallen leaves and dragging them from one place to another.
Early that night I was at a birthday party for one of my good friends. We hung out there and we had a bonfire. After a few hours of spending time together went by my friend and I decided it was time for us to go home. We were both exhausted from a full day of school and work. My friend Sadey and I said bye to the birthday girl and to the rest of the people who were still celebrating. Then Sadey and I ran briskly to her car because we were cold and we wanted to warm up. We arrived at her pink Oldsmobile Corsica SL and we hopped in. I turned on the radio to 101.1 and we both started singing loud and obnoxiously to the first song that came on. Sadey started the car and cranked up the heat to the highest level. She skidded out of the driveway and she floored it all the way home. The car was going so fast and the leaves were flying up behind us as we sped by. Just minutes later, I arrived at my white-old house. I opened the door of Sadey’s car and I grabbed my purse as I got out. I waved goodbye to Sadey as she drove away. I looked down my very long and dark driveway. My house was unusually dark and still. Someone was always home with a large family like I have. On this night, no one was around and I slowly walked down my driveway toward the gate. As I approached the gate, I waited for the motion light to go on. The bright motion light over the side door didn’t go on as I had anticipated. The closer I got to the gate the more apprehensive I became. So I slowly and hesitantly opened the gate. I looked around as if I was very paranoid. I slowly looked to my left and then to my right. I heard a low swoosh sound and when I looked over to my right I saw a huge bird-like creature. The unknown creature flew from the peak of my old garage down to the maple tree. It landed only a few feet away from me. I was so shocked by this animal that I was shaking with fear. When I tried to run into the house, my feet and legs would not move. I just stood there staring anxiously at the mysterious creature in the maple tree for a few minutes. Suddenly, I snapped out of the shock that I was in and I sprinted towards the porch. As I reached the porch I tripped up the stairs and I fell in front of the side door. I got up as fast as I could and I ran in the house. I was so flustered by this animal that I was still shaking and I didn’t even think to take off my shoes that were loaded with mud. I was hastening around the house trying to find something I could use to show my family how close this creature of the night came towards me. I thought my camera would be the best item to use to provide the most accurate evidence of this animal. I found my camera but the rechargeable battery was not inside it. I searched and searched for the battery for several minutes but it was no where to be found.

While I was in the house, I finally took off my shoes and I started cleaning up the mud that I had tracked through just about the entire house. I cleaned up the mud in the kitchen, the back hallway, my bedroom, and into the living room. When I was in the living room, I let my little white Maltese poodle out of her army green cage. Lili barked loudly at me as she ran quickly to the side hallway. I fed Lili her Kibbles ‘N Bits, and I filled up her water dish with iced cold water. After she ate and drank she ran to the side door. I let her outside and she ran towards the maple tree where the unknown creature was sitting before I went in the house. I worriedly and bare-footedly ran to catch up to her. The creature was still sitting in the tree motionless. Lili was sitting at the base of the tree looking up and growling at the creature. Then,
out of no where the creature began flapping its extremely large wings. The bird-creature lifted off the tree and it began flying in circles around Lili and me. The bird
like creature I realized was an owl when it swooped down near me. The owl with its intimidating black and yellow glowing eyes kept swooping down near me. The last time the owl swooped down near me it swooped down near Lili and it picked her up. The owl with its large and sharp claws picked Lili up and it started flying toward the dark deep woods. The owl had Lili tightly in its grasp and it was not going to let go. Lili was yelping and crying in fear. I chased the owl through the yard and to the gate. I hopped the fence and I kept running into the dark woods. I was losing the sight of the owl and I could no longer hear Lili as it flew deeper and deeper in the woods. I kept running hoping that I would find the nest. I didn’t find the owl’s nest. I couldn’t hear the swoosh of the owl’s wings or Lili crying. I stopped running and I unhappily began to walk out of the woods and into my yard. I walked up to the house and I emotionlessly opened the side door. I went into the living room and sat down on the couch. I looked over at Lili’s cage and I began to cry myself to sleep.

The next day, I woke up bright and early. I got myself ready to go find Lili. I went in my basement and I found a camouflage suit. I put on the camouflage, an old pair of boots, and a hiking backpack that was full of food and a compass. I headed out to the garage. I grabbed my dad’s bow and arrow and a shotgun. I ran through the yard, I hopped the fence, and I walked into the deep woods. I looked and looked for Lili in the woods. I walked for hours and for what seemed like miles. Finally I noticed a red liquid on the ground and it continued in a path. I followed the trail. Just yards from where I saw the first drop of what looked like blood I saw Lili. I ran up to Lili and she was not breathing. I tried to resuscitate her but it did not help. She was horribly mangled and drenched in cold blood. I stepped away from Lili and angrily.
I began my quest for the owl that killed my dog. I looked up in the trees with my shotgun in hand. I checked every nest I saw for this vicious owl. I walked to the edge of the woods and I saw a huge nest high in a pine tree. I climbed up the very tall tree and I peeked in the nest. Inside the nest was the owl that killed my dog I was sure of it. I wanted to get my revenge so I shot the owl. I threw the owl to the ground from the top of the tree. I climbed down the tree and I walked over to Lili’s body. I wrapped Lili up and I carried her to the yard with tears streaming down my face. I buried her body in my yard in her cage as I said goodbye.