The river was calm, cool, as it washed easily over the rocks and small bushes near the shore. The fish were swimming happily, minding their own business, when the water was broken by a wild splashing of black paws. They paddled more until a red head came over the water, a white rabbit caught in its teeth. Minerva paddled her way to shore, and laid Number Two down on the dirt, catching her breath, before shaking the water off her fur and rolling in the dirt a bit. When she finished, she looked at Number Two and nudged him with her nose. He wasn't moving. She sat and looked at his body, and then pawed at him, putting both her front paws, and the weight of her body, on his side, squishing him until he coughed up water. Number Two rolled over and kicked wildly, hacking up water onto the dirt. He finally opened his eyes and looked up at her sitting over him.
"...are we alive?" he asked. "Well, I sure hope so, otherwise hell is beautiful," Minerva replied, making him smirk as he rolled onto his stomach and shook the water from his ears, she added, "Are you okay?" "...I....I think I'm alright," he mumbled, "I can't believe we're alive. I thought...how did we get onto the shore?" "I dragged you with my teeth," Minerva said, "It was only fair, considering you didn't leave me behind. Are you sure that you're okay?" "I'll be alright," Number Two said, rubbing his half ear, sighing and blinking a few times to get his full vision back, "Oh my god. Oh god the air feels good." He glanced at her as she looked at her paws on the dirt, and he sighed. "Thank you," he said, "Thanks for making sure I didn't drown." "Thanks for not letting me fall off a cliff alone," Minerva replied, smiling, "I have to get moving. I have to get back to my home. My partner and our pups will be waiting for me. I haven't been gone this long before, and I can't ensure that Dodger won't try something while I'm gone." As he watched her start trotting off into the nearby thicket, he shook once more and then started hopping off after her. As he came to her side, together walking briskly, Number Two wasn't really sure what to say. He barely knew this fox, and she had betrayed him, even if she had saved his life now. He cleared his throat and sighed. "I forgot you had pups," Number Two. "Well, it's not something I advertise, god forbid someone wants to do them harm," Minerva said, "But I think you aren't someone who's going to hurt innocent fox pups, so I feel fairly confident in telling you that." "...why did you do that?" Number Two asked, and Minerva sighed, rolling her eyes. "...because...we had a deal. I got to feed his mice and rats to my family, and I'd give him protection. I thought it was terrible of him to give over his own kind so easily for the safety of himself, but I had to make sure my family had food every day. I never thought he'd betray the one protecting him. He just...left me there, like I never mattered." "Because nobody matters to Dodger except Dodger," Number Two said coldly, "But it's a mistake a lot of us have made. Gerald made it too, a long time ago. He trusted Dodger, and it nearly got us all killed. So don't hold that against yourself, because you're not the first one to be taken in by his charm and you certainly won't be the last." "He needs to be dealt with," Minerva said, stopping Number Two cold in his tracks. "What?" he asked, as she stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder. "You heard me. I think it's time he's dealt with," she said. "...I...couldn't agree more," Number Two said, catching back up with her. *** Minerva had been with a male fox, the one who'd sired her pups, but after he'd been shot and killed, she really wasn't interested in finding another partner. She kept to herself, took care of her pups and together they had a relatively safe and happy life together, alone. And then, one rainy afternoon, Minerva was out looking for food, and she stumbled through some brush, onto a trail, only to find another fox, with her leg caught in a trap. The two stood and stared at one another for a bit, until Minerva approached her cautiously. "How can I help you?" she asked. "I...I don't know," the other fox said, her voice shaky, broken, "I think...I think my ankle is broken." "...I don't know how to open these," Minerva said, "I think you're going to have to lose your foot." "Anything, just...please don't leave me here," the other fox cried, and Minerva nodded, kneeling down and sinking her teeth into the other foxes ankle. She chewed for a solid 20 minutes, her sharp teeth crunching through the busted bone, until finally the other fox was free. Laying on the dirt path now, she looked up at Minerva standing over her. "You...should come with me," Minerva said, "I can let you heal at my place for a while, I can feed you." The other fox smiled and, though struggling to stand, did get up and nodded, following Minerva out of the clearing. She took the other fox, who told Minerva her name was Dice, back to her humble home, much to the excitement of her pups, who were thrilled to have someone else there with them. As the days passed on, Dice and the pups got on together wonderfully, and Minerva kept her word, bringing home food and helping Dice clean her wounds. Despite losing her foot, Dice felt like the luckiest fox in the world. *** Walking across a stream on a moss covered log, Number Two couldn't help but wonder what sort of plan Minerva might possibly have to take out Dodger. Whatever it was, it was going to have to be a good one, since he was crafty. "The way I see it," Number Two said, "Dodger likely assumes we're dead. It's amazing we aren't." "Certainly." "So, he won't know that we're coming after him. That's an element of surprise that we have never had before. He's always been two steps ahead, but now he doesn't know we're alive and coming for him, so there's only so much he can prepare for." "I'm thinking the same thing," Minerva said, "He doesn't know anything, and that's our best shot. We find my place, I make sure my pups and partner are okay and then all of us head to the Hollow, and we all group together and we figure out once and for all a plan to end this." "He won't be the end, you know," Number Two, "I mean, certainly, perhaps for you, but not for us. It won't be over until THEY are gone. I know Gerry will never let what THEY have done go, nor would Kevin, especially after what THEY did to Number Four." "What...what's with the numbering system?" Minerva asked, confused. "We're part of a select group called The Special Seven. We're the rabbits THEY test things on that THEY think can withstand the pain. We're the ones THEY really torture. Not all of us are left. Number Six, myself, maybe Number Four if Kevin got back in time. Then there's the leader of the Hollow, Stone. She was a Special too." "You rabbits have been through a lot," Minerva said. "Lady, you have NO idea," Number Two replied, making them both laugh. It felt good to laugh again, for the both of them. They continued walking, not speaking, for a bit. Number Two thought about Dodger. About Richardson. About Kevin...god, poor Kevin. Who knew if Number Four was okay, but even if she was, everyone probably thought Number Two was dead, and that likely wasn't raising their spirits. He sighed and looked at Minerva. "You know where all his hideouts are?" he asked. "I know everything about him," Minerva replied. "What makes you think Dodger won't just change everything?" Number Two asked. "Because he thinks we're dead, remember?" Minerva asked, licking her lips, "Why be afraid of someone with all the information on you that you think is crushed at the bottom of a waterfall?" "You make a strong point," Number Two said. "Trust me. We'll finally make him pay," Minerva said, "I guarantee that to you." *** Dice became a regular fixture in Minerva's den after a while, almost like she'd always been there. The pups became accustomed to her being there, and even Minerva loved having her around. She enjoyed the company of someone that wasn't just yet another child howling at her for more food. After the pups were asleep, Minerva and Dice usually sat outside and talked; talked about Minerva's partner who'd left, and about how Dice had gotten caught in the trap. One night, after even Minerva had fallen asleep, Dice woke her up gently and, smile dancing across her lips, she told Minerva to followed her. Minerva got up and followed Dice out of the tree, somewhere into the woods. After a while of walking, Minerva finally asked where Dice was taking her, and just as the question had left her mouth did they come through the brush and stop at a cliffside, overlooking a valley, and in the sky ahead of them was a meteor storm. Minerva sat, shocked at the beauty, as Dice sat beside her, smirking. "This is amazing," Minerva finally said, "Why...why did you wanna show me this?" "I thought you'd appreciate it," Dice said, "Uncontrolled beautiful chaos, something magical about that." Dice rested her head on Minerva's shoulder, and Minerva licked Dice's cheek. Together, the two foxes sat there and watched the 'uncontrolled beautiful chaos' playing out in front of them. That was the night Minerva finally decided she wanted to love someone again. *** "How far to your place do you think it is?" Number Two asked, but Minerva didn't respond. He glanced at her and asked again, "Minerva? How far-" "I don't know, just keep walking," Minerva said, "...my partner once used the phrase 'uncontrolled beautiful chaos' and I think that so rightly defines what's going on here. Dodger set everything in motion, didn't he? He told me it was his plan to escape the lab, that he used your group for his own benefit, that he was always planning to use you guys to help his group get out and then leaving you for dead?" "I think he had it planned from the moment he knew we were in the lab," Number Two said, sighing, "And Gerald, stupid, naive Gerald, he believed him every single step of the way. But...I can't be too harsh on him for believing it. After all, who wouldn't want to escape? Dodger arrived through an air vent and promised us something anyone in our situation would've dreamed of; a chance to be free. Turns out he was just as bad as THEM." "I will help you find him," Minerva said, "But it's up to you to kill him." "Oh, don't worry, that'll be easy," Number Two said, "The only problem with that plan is deciding which one of us gets to do it. God knows we've all got our reasons to want to carry it out." "Where will you all go once he's gone?" Minerva asked, "Will you move from the woods to somewhere else?" "I don't think we're going to go anywhere," Number Two said, sighing and shaking his head, "If anything, Gerald and Kevin won't let us leave these woods until THEY'RE dealt with too." "THEY?" Minerva asked. "THEM, the people who put us into that lab, the people who did all these tests on us, the people who made us into what we are today," Number Two said, "And trust me when I say that whatever you think it is we're going to do to Dodger, what we're going to do to THEM is going to be a thousand times worse." *** Minerva was sitting at the front of the den, looking at her pups playing while she waited for Dodger to show up. Dice trotted over from the pups and sat beside her, watching with her for a moment before looking at her, cocking her head. "I hope you know what you're doing," Dice said softly. "Don't worry, he's nothing without my protection," Minerva said, "He won't let anything happen to me. We'll be back in a day or so at most. I promise." Minerva licked Dice's nose and then rested her head against hers when she noticed Dodger finally sitting outside, waiting patiently. Minerva shut her eyes and whispered. "I'll see you in a few days." Minerva said, before turning and trotting out to meet with Dodger, on their way to ambush the rabbits at the lab. Minerva had promised she'd be back. She'd never break a promise.
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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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