“Anthony, you have to start listening to me!” Anthony’s mother shouts. “It’s important.”

Anthony looks up at his mother, feeling angry and unheard.

            “But Mom….I have to do this first,” He holds up a toy truck with a missing wheel. He doesn’t understand why his mom can’t see how important this is. Way more important than getting ready for school. If he doesn’t fix his truck, how is he supposed to play with it?

            “You’re so mean and bossy and I don’t like you!” he shouts. His mother looks down at him with a glaring stare, she’s angry and upset.  Anthony turns around and goes to his room, angry and bitter.

            As soon as he slams the door he becomes frightened.  His room is completely black and soundless.  He can’t even hear Rupert, the guinea pig rummaging around in his cage searching for extra treats. He knows that this is strange because it’s morning time, the time when his mom wants him to go to school EVERY SINGLE DAY whether his truck is broken or not and the time when the sun shines through his bedroom window bright and warm.

            But even stranger is that in the shroud of darkness and silence there is a bright green arrow directly in front of him and it seems the floor is missing.  He finds himself floating in mid-air. He tries to turn to find the door but its missing too.
            The only thing in the room, besides him, is the bright green arrow. So Anthony floats over to it assuming that if it is an arrow it must mean he is to go this way.  Straight ahead.         
 
 
He gently walks along the solid arrow trying to remain calm in the quiet. Each time he reaches the pointing part pointing ahead, another arrow appears and after a while he begins to wish he wasn’t alone.  Even mom with her angry glare would be better than being alone.

            After what seems like endless arrows he finally comes to rest at the foot of a large oak tree.  It seems funny to him since there is no ground in which this tree could have been planted. The tree was levitating in the darkness, the roots jutting down in the emptiness beneath it. Oddly he can smell fresh dirt coming up from the knarly roots.  He eyes the tree curiously following the rough trunk up toward a branch.  He sees a glimpse of….a bird, maybe?...no…it’s gone.

            Anthony gets upset because he’s scared and he kicks the tree with his sneaker.
            “Hellooooo,” someone says.
            Anthony jumps, startled and looks up.  This time he does see a bird, an owl, as a matter-of-fact.
            “What is your name, child?” the Owl croaks.  Anthony recognizes the voice immediately, but it can’t be…can it?
            “Anthony,” he says, more rudely than he intends.
            The Owl ruffles his feathers and surveys Anthony through thick glasses. “You look as though you’re upset about something.”
            “Yes, I am. I want to go home but I don’t know how, I’m lost.”
            “Oh no, you’re not lost. You simply need help. It’s ok to ask.”
           
Anthony looks at the Owl and sees something familiar about his wise old face. “Would you please help me get back to my bedroom?”
            “Absolutely! In order for you to get back to your room, you have to listen carefully. The way back is through your feelings. The feeling that led you here will not lead you back. You must walk through the forest.”  There is a loud pop and the Owl disappears in a ruffle of old, grey feathers.
            The tree also begins to disappear, but slowly. Roots and trunk first and then all the way up to the branch where the owl had been.
            The green arrows appear again and lead him on his journey forward once more.
            Until he stops quickly as the sound of distant drums beat. They get closer and louder and Anthony hears movement in the darkness ahead.  He freezes in fear, tottering precariously on the tip of one of the arrows.  Drums beat closer and closer.
            Rum-Drum…Bu Rum…Drum Barum…Drum…Drum..
            A long brownish tail appears out of the blackness and a very hairy head turns slowly around to look at him.
            A Lioness!
            Anthony quickly notices the angry glare in her eyes and hopes she’s not hungry.
            “You’re in my forest.” The Lioness growls and stares down at the boy sternly.
            “I’m sorry, I want to leave!” Anthony shouts bravely, despite his growing fear.
           
“To leave you must fight me; I am the Queen of this forest!”
            Anthony begins to feel the fear rising up in him and he begins to feel angry. It’s much safer to feel angry than scared.  He looks up at the Lioness and just above her shoulder is the Owl! He hovers in the air, adjusting his glasses and cries, “She thrives on your anger, my boy.”
            Anthony suddenly understands. ‘The feeling that led you here will not lead you back.’ So he takes a big, deep breath and closes his eyes and starts to count until he is completely calm. To his surprise when he opens his eyes, the Lioness is smiling at him.
            “I don’t want to fight with you!” he pleads desperately.
            The Lioness looks upon the child and takes pity in the innocence of his face.
            “I will help you any way I can,” she says and she picks him up gently with her great jaw by the scruff of his neck, as she would do with her own cub and takes a mighty leap upward into the black and soundless air.  Anthony can hear the wise old owl ruffle his feathers and cheerfully call, “goodbye, boy!” in his familiar voice.  He closes his eyes and feels the warm breath of the Lioness on his neck.
            When he opens his eyes he is back in his bedroom. His mother stands at the door and he runs to her.
            “Let’s talk about what we’re feeling,” she says and holds him tightly.
            As they talk, Anthony’s grandfather steps into the room, holding a single grey feather.
           
 
“Did I ever tell you the story about the Owl and the Lioness?” grandpa begins with a smile as he twirls the feather between his fingers and adjusts his glasses.
The End.