It was a work holiday, and the lab was completely empty, so Salt took it upon herself to take The Collective back to the small garden where they'd buried Steve. The way she saw it, they needed a break from all the daunting psychological torture they'd been putting themselves through as of late. Leading the way with Gerry and Six at her side, Salt felt good about herself. This was a good thing.
"What is this garden for?" Gerry asked. "I think it's generally used to get the animals they plan on releasing back into the wild reintroduced to nature. It's faux nature, but it's still something. The birds they released? This is where they got them acclimated to the concept of the outdoors," Salt said, "I've been a ton of times, since I'm so small I can hide where they can't see me." "Being tiny has its advantages," Six said, "How come you didn't come and tell us not to trust Dodger beforehand?" "Because I didn't know what he was doing until he announced it that morning," Salt said, "He kept it so secret. By the time he did announce it, everyone was so used to the idea of escaping that nobody wanted to turn and stay simply because he used you for his own ends. I was the only one who refused." "You're a better mouse than he'll ever be," Six said, and Salt blushed. A few paces back, Kevin and Number Four were walking side by side, following the others. Kevin wasn't saying much, having been rather withdrawn since Steves funeral, or rather the funeral for Steves feet, and Number Four wasn't sure exactly how to draw anything out of him. She thought about simply telling him that he could always talk to her, or that she really cared about what he had to say, but in the end, nothing sounded sincere enough. It all sounded like she was just trying too hard. "My owner used to feed me celery," Number Four said, and Kevin glanced at her. "Yeah?" "It was my special treat. She'd give it to me maybe three times a week, just an single stalk, but it was so crunchy and delicious, and I miss it so much. All they ever give us here is that bland dry food or hay. They can't even be bothered to feed us right," Number Four said, "I think that's the first thing I'd do if I got out of here." "Find Celery?" "Yeah, I'd just try and find a farm, and find a Celery patch and just eat Celery all day long in the sun," Number Four said, starting to smile, her tail wiggling, "That'd be the best. No tests, no worries, just...enjoying being again." Kevin nodded, and kept quiet. As they entered the garden, Salt took Six over to a small fake patch of flowers, while Number Two sidled up besides Gerry, the both of them watching the mouse and the rabbit frolicking in the fake world. "You really trust her?" Number Two asked, and Gerry shrugged. "She's not asking for anything, and she helped us gather Steves feet, so she can't be all that bad," Gerry said, "Right now, Number Two, who I'm really trusting is myself." "What?" "I'm trusting myself to allow myself to trust others again," Gerry said, "Six has been telling me how I can't keep beating myself up over Dodger, and how it wasn't my fault, and that without trust...well, then I'm completely alone, and she's right. I need to be able to trust others. Just because one mouse hurt me doesn't mean they all will. So yeah, right now, I trust her." Number Two nodded, and they both laughed as they watched Six and Salt play hide and seek in the flowers. Number Four was talking to some of the other rabbits, while Kevin watched from afar, looking around the fake garden. When he was sure none of the other rabbits were watching, Kevin disappeared into some bushes and came to the small clearing where Steves grave was. He sat down and let his ears flop down. "Hey Steve," he said quietly, "...things seem to be a bit better around here lately. Wish you could be here to see it, everyone is in such a better mood lately it seems like. I don't know...I want to do something for Number Four, but being stuck in this lab, there isn't much I can do, and-" A smell struck his nose, and he lifted his ears back up. Kevin began following the smell to a vent, and then continued through it. Meanwhile, Salt had gotten cozy up by the fake tree, laying against Sixs fur, while Six slept in the fake sunlight. A few moments went by before Kevin stuck his head through the bush and hissed at Salt, who opened one eye. "Hey," he said, "Come with me. I...I need your help." Salt smiled and got up, "Sure thing," she said, following him through the bushes. Number Two and Gerry were seated by a fake stream, watching the little bunnies play and laugh and enjoy themselves. Number Two shook his head and sighed. "Gerry, this is probably the best it'll ever get for us. You ever think about that? You ever think about the fact that Dodger is out there, living in the wild, doing whatever he pleases, and here we are, stuck in a fake garden inside a place run by people who want to hurt us?" "I'm trying not to think about it anymore," Gerry said, "I mean, I won't deny the reality, but I try not to dwell on it anyway." "Gerry-" "Number Two, if this is as good as things will ever get for us, then why should we spend that time focusing on all we don't have? Why not focus on what we do have? Right here, right now, all of us and this fake garden. It's not that I don't think about getting out, living like Dodger is living, but it isn't the right time for that right now I think." "How can you be so-" "Because to be anything else is too sad," Gerry said, "I recognize it's probably not healthy to ignore how bad I feel, but hey, I don't want to feel bad all the damn time, alright?" "Fair enough," Number Two said. Number Four came hopping up to their sides and looked around. "Do you guys know where Kevin is?" she asked. "Haven't seen him, nope," Number Two said, "I'm going to go explore this place." As Number Two hopped off, Number Four sat besides Gerry and fidgeted her paws. "You and Kevin seem to like eachother," Gerry said, and Number Four blushed. "I don't know," she said softly, "I like him, but I think he's too afraid of getting too attached to someone, since, you know, he lost Steve and stuff. But, I'm one of the Special Seven, so it's not like anything could really happen to me." "Don't be so sure, you saw what they did to Six," Gerry said, and Number Four mumbled. "Well," she continued, "Either way, I care about him. I haven't felt that attached to someone since my owner, so I understand not wanting to get attached, because it hurts to lose someone you really care about, but if you don't get close to anyone, then you're just completely alone, you know?" "I know." "I don't want to be alone," Number Four said, "And I don't think anyone should have to be, least of all Kevin, given what he's gone through. Steve, losing his leg, and then The Incident of course. He needs someone to cheer him on, and I...I need someone to talk to. I don't know." "Number Four, you're smart, you don't need me telling you what you really need," Gerry said, "But know this much...any of us can be taken at any time and never come back, so whether you're scared to or not, you should spend this time with him if you care, because you may not have that much time left in general." "...you're right," she said, "I don't want to be alone." "None of us do." The Collective spent the day relaxing, talking and just enjoying not being subjected to tests. When the time came to head back, nobody could find Salt, but Gerry remembered how they got here, and so he led them all back to their lab. It wasn't until Number Four had fallen asleep about an hour after returning that she heard the door to her cage swing open, and Kevin came stumbling in. "Where did you go?" she asked, and he smiled, dragging in two stalks of celery in behind him. "In the garden, through an air vent, I could smell THEIR kitchen. Salt came with me, and helped me bring these back for you," Kevin said, "I can't get you out of here, I can't really protect you, so I figured this was the best I could do." "You...you brought me celery?" Number Four asked, her voice trembling, cracking, as she approached him. "I love you," Kevin said, "I...I want to make you happy, and if the only way I can do that right now is getting you celery, then, well I guess it's the best I could do." "I love you too," Number Four said, as she approached him and nuzzled his neck for a few moments. Afterwards, Kevin helped her drag the stalks further into the cage and sat down beside her as she started in one of them. "You don't want any?" she asked, biting into one. "Nah," Kevin said, "They're for you. You go ahead." Number Four wasn't sure how she'd gotten so lucky. *** She could remember the first time she'd been given celery by her owner. She'd opened the cage door and put a stalk down in the center. Number Four, being a little young at that time and easily frightened, sniffed it cautiously before hearing her owner tell her it was safe, and it was a treat specifically for her. That first bite, that first crunch, it was like having heaven on earth. She used to believe that only her owner would ever give her such a special treat, care for her that much, but it turned out she was wrong. Like Gerry, she too was learning to trust again, and goddamn was it worth it.
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The Rabbit Collective follows a group of lab rabbits struggling with their purpose, and hopeful eventual escape. Archives
October 2020
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