Warning: death and mild gore, along with some swearing. Reader discretion is advised.
My POV
I was dealing with some late night studying when I realized that the college library was about to close for the night. I hurriedly grabbed my books and scurried out of there. I knew that I had a week to learn how to identify how people died so that I could ace my anatomy class. I started to leave campus, knowing exactly where I was heading. I hope that the abandoned castle has some sort of textbooks kicking around. If not, I'm going to have some serious trouble. I noted, desperate to ace this fucking essay.
I heard that the abandoned castle had some sort of magic that allows you to conjure up whatever studying materials you needed, but I also heard ghost stories. Stories about people vanishing... Stupid. Do it for the grade. You were also heading to that castle for your creative writing homework, which was basically make a ghost story of your own. So I set off down the road. It was raining and it was freezing hell lashing on me.
~~~~~
It took me an hour to get to the castle. Here's hoping that I don't get caught. I thought. I open the door and enter the castle even though the hairs on my arms were standing on end. Better find the library to this place so that I can finish up my homework. I started jogging down the hall, unaware that I was being watched.
Barnaby's POV
Barnaby was watching the downpour, holding a glass of pinot noir and listening to the sound of rain spattering on the window. It's been quiet these few months. He noted, his swirling orange eyes reflecting back at him. "I never thought I would miss having uninvited guests come to my home, and yet... here I am. IT'S BORING!" Barnaby screeched the last part, his fruity voice breaking the wine glass in his taloned hand. I haven't had any uninvited guests stumble in here for a while, and I miss that. No sooner did he think this was when he heard the unmistakable sound of his front door opening.
"Oh, my! Oh-hoo-hoo-hoo! I spoke too soon! I better give that guest a proper welcome!" The ghost owl exclaimed, his midnight-black feathers puffing with joy. Barnaby felt like someone had brought him out into the sunlight even though it was dark and stormy out. He started rushing to the parlor, becoming violet mist as he flew.
He arrived, slowly opening the door as to not startle the visitor. His orange eyes darted around, searching for the visitor. "Playing hide and seek, are we?" Barnaby mused, stretching his neck and twisting it around so that he could see his visitor. "That is a favorite of mine~!" He hooted deep within his throat, sticking a tongue out. "Ready or not, here I come~!" Barnaby chuckled, fading into mist.
Your POV
It didn't take me long to find the anatomy book you needed. It also didn't take me long to find the library. So I take the book off of the shelf and found a very quiet nook to read. I started reading, taking notes and writing my essay as I wrote about the many ways a human can die. My emerald green eyes narrowed in suspicion every time the castle creaked. It's suspicious that a castle that has been abandoned for a hundred years would have the textbook that I need. I noted, narrowing my eyes. I kept writing my essay until I couldn't write another word. Then I closed my laptop, noting that I used half of the battery.
Then I glanced outside. The rain has stopped, but it was still dark outside. I glance at my watch, checking the time. "Oh shit. It's 04:35!" I exclaim, standing up. I turn around, right into some dark, feathery mass. "What the-!?" I was surprised. I was confident that those ghost stories are a load of bunk, but now I'm finding myself standing face to face with an owl that towered over me.
I was confident that he wasn't there before. I didn't hear him enter. "Trespassing, are we?" The owl finally spoke, his orange mouth scowling. His fruity voice sounded quite nice to listen to, to be honest.
"Sorry! I got caught in the rain! Didn't mean to!" I exclaimed, keeping my eyes trained on the goliath bird figure. "I'll leave and-!"
"Oh, where are my manners? You can stay here for the night. Hasn't nobody told you that it is unwise to travel alone?" The bird replied, his orange eyes glowing. Then he swept one wing over my study area. When he pulled his wing back, I noticed that there were two cups of tea on the table even though I swore there was nothing there earlier. He took a teacup and gestured for me to do the same thing. I obey, stunned. "Why did you come here, outside of the weather?" The owl finally asked. I drank my tea, avoiding the question. The owl hooted in his throat, smiling at me. "Oh? I'm a stranger to you, right? My dear, my name is Barnaby."
I finished my tea, placing it down. "My name is Thalia. Thalia Black."
Barnaby placed his tea down, sighing. Then he said, his smile growing a little wider, "I know someone else with that last name! Her name is Alison." I nearly spat out my tea. Alison Black is my mother, and she has spoken of a Barnaby.
"I need to leave! My mother would be worried about me!" I exclaim, running out of there before Barnaby could do anything. I ran as fast as my long legs would carry me, performing parkour when I found a window. I land in the grass, suddenly exhausted. "Fuck... he drugged me." My eyelids felt heavier, and I knew that I was fucked.
"Whoops! Sorry, dear! I accidentally gave you melatonin instead of tea!" I hear Barnaby exclaim before he landed in front of me. The last thing I saw was his taloned foot grabbing my waist. The last thing I felt was the ground leaving. The last thing I heard was the sound of wind rushing in my ears and the sound of Barnaby flapping his jet-black wings. The last thing I thought was, Fucking hell. Mom and my teachers are going to have a field day with this.
Barnaby's POV
After I ran out of there, Barnaby realized exactly why I was familiar to him. His feathers raised in alarm. That is Alison's daughter, Thalia. I better stop her or otherwise Alison is going to make sure that I'm dead... oh wait, I am dead. Is being double dead a thing? Barnaby realized, following behind me. He flew out of the mansion, glancing around frantically for a blue haired, green eyed human with pale skin and freckles. Then he glanced at his front lawn, which was overgrown. I was already unconscious as he grabbed me.
Then he glanced towards the forest and noticed a fat, familiar figure jogging out towards me. The figure had a knife, and Barnaby knew that this human meant to cause harm to me. He lifted me up, hooting, "Sorry, I gave you the wrong tea. Oh-hoo-hoo-hoo!" Then he flew to one of the bedrooms and placed me on the bed. "Gotta do something!" He hooted, flying out of there.
Then he swooped towards the figure, grabbing the figure with his talons. "You won't get tired of dying, will you?" He hooted, "Ali told me that your intelligence is dropping lower each time she talks about you, Emma Warren." He was at an incredible height by then, stretching and bending his neck to see the figure struggle.
"Put me down, you stupid bird! I got accepted into Oxford! I'll be attending classes in October, you foreign [redacted]!" The figure yelled, kicking. Barnaby grinned, deciding to do as she wanted. So, he let his talons slacken and open. Emma dropped to the ground; her scream silenced as she fell into a bear trap. Her head rolled away, leaving her dismembered.
He turned around at the sound of wings to see a green-eyed version of him flying above him. Her bowtie spun as she stuck her tongue out at Barnaby. "Before you asked, she died of natural causes." Barnaby assured her.
"You dropped her from Chaos knows how high!" The green-eyed Barnaby exclaimed, her blue tweed jacket glowing a pale color in the dawn.
"Alison, darling, gravity is a natural force. It's not magic; therefore, her death is natural." Barnaby replied, stretching his neck to see the green-eyed version of him flying above him. He added, hooting in his throat, "Now, let's go get your daughter back safely." I was studying abroad under STH Academy's new program that involves inter-universe travel.
Your POV
I woke up in a bed. I stretched, then glanced outside. The sun was rising, and I noticed that I was sleeping in a canopy bed. I stood up, hastily making my bed. Then I hear Mom calling, "Thalia, I'm here!" I was wide awake as I scrambled into my shoes and ran through the halls. I sidestep a ghost, the windows towering over me. I kept running until I was at the library again.
I panted, entering. I noticed that Mom was nowhere to be seen. Then I turned to see that Barnaby was right behind me. His wings made it look like he was wearing a black cape, but he wasn't alone. A green-eyed clone of him was standing with him, and I noticed that this copy of him had a Sonic-blue bowtie instead of a magenta one. I knew that it was not a relative of Barnaby's. "Hi, Mama." I said sheepishly.
"Hey, Thalia. Mind explaining to me why you thought it was a good idea to just enter Barnaby's home without warning?" Mom replied, her slight monotone recognizable the minute the Barnaby copy opened her beak. Then she turned to Barnaby and apologized, "Sorry, Grampy Barnaby. It won't happen again."
"Ali, my dear, it is perfectly fine. Thalia can come and go if she needs a place to study. Or a place where she feels safe if she finds herself caught travelling alone." Barnaby replied, nuzzling the green-eyed variant of himself. My family history is complicated, to put it mildly. To explain it in easy-to-understand terms: My mom lost her parents when she was only 16 and ended up adopted by Sonic the Hedgehog. But her story gets so confusing since she said that after becoming an elite at an academy she attended, she found out that every elite had an ability, and hers was to shapeshift. I honestly don't know where Barnaby fits into this story.
Holy crap, this came out a lot better than I thought. Anyways, thank you so much for the reads. But no thanks whatsoever go to @atheistbisexual for being inspiration for the Kenny McKormick figure of the universe I'm building.