The Silent Owl

Some guardians don’t need words. Writer's Cramp Winner!

Noah and Titus were cousins, and though they were only two years apart, Noah always felt a strong need to protect his younger cousin. Titus was kind and quiet, the kind of boy who made friends with squirrels and talked to dandelions before blowing them into the wind. But lately, Titus hadn’t been himself.

Noah noticed how Titus flinched when his phone buzzed. How he avoided looking people in the eye. And how he stopped laughing like he used to. It didn’t take long before Titus confessed; there were kids at school who made fun of him, pushed him around, and made his days feel crappy.

“You shouldn’t have to deal with that,” Noah said fiercely, his hands balling into fists. “I wish I could be there with you every day.”

One Friday night, during a sleepover at Noah’s house, Titus tried to pretend everything was fine. They built a blanket fort in Noah’s room, set up their favorite dinosaur figurines, and played a quiet game of Go Fish. But even through the soft laughter, Noah could tell the sadness hadn’t left.

As the night deepened and stars blinked awake outside the window, Titus wandered toward it. He stood there, staring out into the backyard where the trees rustled gently in the dark.

“Hey,” he said softly. “Noah…look.”

Noah padded over and squinted into the night. At first, all he saw was shadows. But then...there it was.

Perched high in the thick maple tree just beyond the window, sat a great owl. It was large, almost ghostlike in the moonlight, with feathers like smoke and silver, and eyes that gleamed like amber glass.

“That owl...” Titus whispered. “I’ve seen him before. When we play in your room. I think he watches us.”

Noah nodded slowly. He remembered catching glimpses of movement in the tree. A flutter of wings. The feeling that someone, or something; was looking out for them. But it never felt scary. It felt...safe.

They stayed at the window for a long time, watching the owl. It never moved, but its gaze never left them.

“We’ll call him Grey,” Noah said suddenly. “Since that's your favorite color..”

Titus smiled. It was a small one, but at least it reached his eyes.

The next morning, Noah walked with Titus halfway to his school. They hugged goodbye at the corner, and Noah promised to wait for a text after class.

But that afternoon, Noah’s phone buzzed with a message that made his heart race.

“You won’t believe what happened.”

“Grey followed me to school.”

Titus explained everything when they met at Grandma’s house later that day. As soon as he’d walked into the schoolyard, the owl had swooped from a tall rooftop and perched in the tree near the entrance. No one seemed to notice at first, except Titus.

But when the bullies approached him like they always did; grinning and jeering, the owl acted.

With a sudden screech that echoed through the air like thunder, the owl dove. His wings spread wide and silent like a shadow. The bullies screamed and scattered, one tripping over his own feet. No one was hurt, but no one dared come near Titus again either.

“And then...” Titus said, eyes wide, “he flew right back into the trees. Like nothing happened.”

Noah sat in stunned silence.

“He protected you,” he whispered.

Titus nodded. “Just like you do.”

That night, the cousins stood by the window again. Grey was there, perched in the maple tree. This time, he looked bigger; stronger somehow. Like he had a purpose.

“Let’s go to the tree,” whispered Titus.

“Race you there,” grinned Noah.

Outside, the world was quiet and still. The old maple tree in Grandma’s backyard stretched its branches high, like arms reaching for the moon. The boys climbed it with practiced ease, settling into their favorite spot; a thick branch that formed a kind of wooden bench, just big enough for two.

The boys didn’t speak. They just watched.

And Grey watched back.

From then on, the silent owl became more than just a quiet protector. He became a mystery, a story, a whisper in the trees. Sometimes they saw him in the distance on walks. Sometimes he appeared in dreams. Sometimes, they felt him nearby even when he wasn’t there.

Years passed, and the boys grew. But the memories of the silent owl never faded.

Even now, whenever Noah and Titus return to Grandma’s house, they take a quiet moment under the tree. And sometimes, when the wind hushes and the moon is full, they see a shadow gliding across the sky.

Because some guardians don’t need words.

Some just need wings.