"One of these gave me the runs yesterday and I don't remember which it was," Number Two said, "I think it was the blue ones. You know, one of the things I took for granted being in that lab was being fed. I didn't really think about the fact that I'd have to fend for myself out here."
"It's still a better life, even with the added responsibility," Kevin said as they started picking off some red berries and putting them in the satchels, "It's nowhere near as stressful, despite having more to do on a daily basis." "How's Number Four feeling?" "A little better, but every day it's one way or the other. Better one day, worse the next. It fluctuates," Kevin said, "But we're working on it. I mean, they made her ill and took her to The Sick, so it only makes sense that she's still trying to work past that illness." "Kevin, what do you plan to do if she doesn't get better? You have to prepare for the worst possibilities," Number Two said, but Kevin didn't respond. He only furrowed his brow and kept picking berries. Number Two sighed and shook his head, adding, "I'm sorry, that seemed cruel of me, I just don't want-" *BAM!* It whizzed by in an instant, hitting the tree between them both. They glanced at the hole now firmly in the tree and then at one another, until another shot was fired. Kevin knew what this was. He looked at Number Two, his eyes wide with fright. "Run." he said. If there was one thing Kevin hadn't thought about when remembering his time outdoors, it was the hunters. He'd rarely had to run for his life but he'd come across one too many deer or ducks or, god forbid, other rabbits who'd just been shot or had been shot and left to die, all for sport. It was such a common occurance that it sickened him. Whole beings, with their own lives, friends, maybe even families, and shot down for what? It was one thing to kill an animal and put the corpse to use. Use it to feed your family. But to just kill something because you CAN? Disgusting. As Kevin and Number Two skidded behind a bush and caught their breath, they could hear footsteps somewhere in the distance. Number Two looked at Kevin and shook, possibly trying to get the terror off of his body. "What the hell is going on?" he whispered. "It's a hunter," Kevin mumbled, "Do not move, do not make a sound, don't even peer around the tree. Any sight of slight movement and they'll fire. Just follow my lead and do exactly as I say." "You've dealt with this before?" "I have known rabbits who've dealt with this before," Kevin replied. "So what do we do?" "We run on my signal," Kevin said, waiting until the crunching of leaves and gravel stopped and then he nodded. The two of them shot through the thicket like a couple of rockets, roaring past brush and tree and stone alike. Suddenly, they stopped as they came to a large river. It was here that Number Two suddenly realized they'd gone in the wrong direction, putting further distance between themselves and The Burrow. He turned to Kevin, who was starting to look nervous. "We're gonna have to cross it," Kevin said. "Your goddamned foot is made of METAL. It'll rust!" Number Two exclaimed. "Hey, I went down that giant disposal full of water and I'm fine, alright?" Kevin responded, as he started to look for a rock to start across on. Number Two sighed and looked at the berries in the satchel across his side. "This wouldn't be happening if we were still in the lab," Number Two said softly. Kevin slowly turned to face him, his brow furrowed, his voice low, "Don't you DARE say that." "This is the kind of thing I was talking about, Kevin. Whenever Gerry would bring up why it was necessary to leave, I was talking about THIS. Safety? There's as much safety out here as there was in there, man. Just because we're in control of our lives doesn't make our lives any better. At least there we were fed, we were cleaned, we were spared being prey-" "Yeah, to other animals," Kevin said, "And if you recall correctly, that wasn't exactly a promise," he added, shaking his metal foot. "...I guess," Number Two said flatly, "I'm just saying, there were some pros to it." "Let's save this for later," Kevin said, "Come on. Follow me." And with that, the two of them headed across the river, one stone at a time. *** It felt like hours they'd been traveling now, trying to find their way back towards The Burrow. Thankfully, the months they'd lived in these woods, they'd gotten pretty good at knowing their way around, so they weren't completely lost. They had, however, broken into the stashes of berries they were supposed to be bringing back, only so they would have more energy to keep on going. Kevin knew Number Two had a point. He just didn't want to admit it, and the silence only made things more tense. Yes, in some twisted way, Number Two was right, things were safer in the lab, but that safety came at its own risk. "Kevin," Number Two finally said, "I'm sorry. I don't judge what decisions you've made, you know that. You got so many of us out of there, we I know plenty of rabbits who're grateful for that. For the opportunity to live free. But for some of us..." "Yeah?" "I don't know. It's hard to explain. So many of The Special Seven were only ever in the lab. We never knew anything else. That WAS home. This isn't home, and that's hard to adjust to, that makes sense, right?" "It does," Kevin said, sighing, "But you know I wouldn't have gone through with it if I didn't think it was worth it, right? So many times I tried to tell Gerry it was a bad idea, or that I wasn't fit to lead anyone, and god knows what it got him. God knows how he is. IF he is." "Don't talk about him like that." "But we don't know, that's the thing," Kevin said, "And it's eating me up inside, man. He could be dead. He could've been dead since the day we left. But it just-" "Shhh," Number Two suddenly said, his ears straight up, his fur rising, "I hear it." Kevin went dead silent, and the two of them stood for a moment, unsure of where the hunter was coming from. They listened for anything they could hear, any sort of shuffling or rustling; anything that would give any indication that someone was near and drawing every nearer. Kevin turned and looked at Number Two, who didn't move a muscle, didn't even blink. After a second, Number Two started to walk towards Kevin, when a bang rang out and a bullet whizzed between them, scattering them both to opposite sides. Number Two leapt behind a fallen log and Kevin hid behind a large rock. Kevin was starting to think Number Two was actually right. *** Kevin could recall a conversation and Number Two had mere days after escaping the lab. They were seated outside, just enjoying the fresh air and the flowers around them, when Number Two cleared his throat, looked at his paws and asked very matter of factly, "Do you think we did the right thing?" He wasn't baiting Kevin into admitting a mistake, he wasn't trying to start a fight, he was simply asking a very straight forward question. Kevin thought about this for a few moments, and then sighed and looked out at the field ahead of them. "I think we did what was needed, not necessarily what was right," he said, "We needed to leave. Whether it was right or not remains to be seen, and who knows, we may not know if it was the right thing to do for a long time." This answer seemed to not only surprise but also satisfy Number Two, who was rather content with it. He didn't ask any follow up questions, he didn't push Kevin to explain in great detail what he meant by that. He took the answer at face value and accepted it. But, it was starting to show that Kevin might've been right, too. That it took a few months, but now they were seeing it might not have been the right thing to do. *** Kevin wanted to look out from behind the rock, he wanted to call out to Number Two and make sure he was okay, but he didn't want to risk making even the slightest peep. He knew that in doing so, he might just condemn himself and Number Two to being dinner that very night. He heard the sound of someone walking, a person, and speaking to themselves. He stayed perfectly still, silent, and waited. The person stopped in the middle of the space Kevin and Number Two had ran from, looked around for a moment, and then continued on their way. Once he was certain they were gone, Kevin let out a sigh of relief. Number Two, from behind his fallen log, did the same. He was petrified, but he felt certain they'd finally lost their hunter. They could continue home now. He sighed, shifted his weight and stood up firmly, only to suddenly feel a knife jammed into his back right thigh. He screamed, and within seconds, the knife withdrew and the hunter was screaming as well. Number Two limped out from behind the fallen log to see Kevin, chewing on the mans ankles. He didn't even wait for him to say it. Number Two simply turned and took off, fast as his damaged thigh could carry him. As he got further and further into the forest, he heard the sound of a few shots, and then silence. He slipped behind a bush and waited. God...had he just gotten their leader killed? Why didn't he go back for him? Number Two felt in that singular moment, that he was actually an enormous coward. He hadn't been a coward in the lab, but the lab was familiar. This was not. This was scary, and he was terrified. And then "Number Two?" Kevin asked, as he rounded the bush, startling him, "Let's go, come on, before he starts after us." And the two continued on their way. Certain they'd lost him this time, they took their time and went at a more relaxed pace. As they neared The Burrow by nightfall, Number Two felt a slight nagging at his heart, and he drooped his ears to his sides. "How's your thigh?" Kevin asked, and he merely shrugged. "Kevin...what if...what if he finds other rabbits?" "What?" "Remember when we were out recently and we saw that other rabbit on the hill? What if he finds them? We should warn them, right? That there's someone out there hunting us for sport?" "I'm sure they're aware if they've lived here long enough," Kevin said, "And honestly, kind as that sounds, it's best to let others be the prey if it allows you to live another day. I know it sounds cold, but..." "No, no...you're right. You're always right, apparently." "We'll fix your thigh when we get back okay? And maybe you sit the next few gathering trips out?" "No," Number Two said, "No, I...I like having this time with you. And I'm sorry for what I said about the lab. Things were just as bad there if not worse. I know this. I do. Thank you for helping us escape." This was the first time Number Two had ever shown Kevin any real sense of appreciation, and it felt nice. Kevin smiled and nodded at his friends sentiment. "No problem," he said, "It was no problem at all."
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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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