Number Two was standing atop a rock, his neck craned back as he peered up at a tree above him, through which little sunlight was breaking, splashing across his face, warming his fur; his eyes fixated upon a family of birds. Three little babies and a mother now feeding them, all happily chirping and flapping their wings. Number Two smiled and shut his eyes, listening closely to the sounds of baby birds singing and tried, even if just for a moment, to escape the reality he was in. When he opened his eyes, he noticed Minerva had taken a seat beside him and was also looking up at the birds.
"It's sweet, isn't it? To have a family to care for?" she asked, "There's nothing more in this world that I love than my family." "Yeah..." Number Two said, thinking about the Collective, wondering if they qualified as a 'family'. "Something about nurturing something, making them into a bright ray of hope in a desolate cold world...it makes you feel like you actually exist for a reason. Not that everyone wants a family, I get that, the stress involved can be horrendous, but for me...it really makes it all worth it." "I don't really have a family, I guess," Number Two said. "Nonsense, what about the other rabbits?" "What about them?" Number Two replied, annoyed, "If I was part of their 'family', they would've come looking for me, wouldn't they?" "They didn't even know where we ended up, Paul," Minerva said, "They likely think you are dead, and, if that is the case, likely grieving heavily over it. So please, do not think you are not part of a family, because if anyone has ever missed you, you are part of their family. People do not miss others that they don't care about." Minerva trotted off the rock and licked her paw, rubbing her ear with it, letting Number Two think about that for a moment. After a few seconds, he joined her on the dirt and they began walking again. He didn't say anything. He just thought about all the things that he and the Collective had been through together, and wondered if, perhaps, they really WERE a family? He had to admit...they had cared for him a lot more than the people he'd been with before. *** Number Two had lived in a cage his entire life. He'd been born in a cage, he was never taken out a cage to be played with, he just lived, forever, in a cage. The cage was in a big living room, but sometimes, for hours at a time, nobody was home, and he spent a lot of his time alone. He sat, in the darkness, the quiet stillness of the air unnerving him, just waiting...waiting for anyone to come home and notice him. But when someone finally came home, they still didn't notice him. They fed him, out of obligation, but they never looked at him, played with him, spoke to him, petted him. Number Two was a piece of furniture, and nothing more; just another knick knack to show off to guests. He could remember the day THEY came over. He was a tall man, short brown hair, with oval glasses. He was wearing a light blue button down collared shirt and tan slacks. He had his hands in his pockets, bent over, looking into the cage at Number Two, smiling. Finally, Number Twos owner, a blonde woman, came in from another room, holding some drinks, handing one to the man. "You really don't think you want him?" the man asked, taking the drink, turning to face the woman. "I don't have the time, honestly," she replied, "Please, take him, because it's not fair to make him sit here like this. It's cruel." The woman sat down on a couch, as the man turned and looked back at Number Two, shrugging. "Alright, if you insist," he said, taking a sip of his drink. This man...this well dressed, well groomed man...he'd come to save Number Two? Impossible! But that's what it sounded like! It sounded like Number Two was finally going to a good home, where he'd be cared for and spent time with, and oh, it sounded like a dream come true! But this man was not a savior. Not by a long shot. *** Minerva was trotting along at a fine pace, with Number Two hopping along side by her, as they headed towards her home, trying to keep a good time during the day on their travel. For a bit they stopped so she could hunt for lunch and he could scrounge up some berries and nuts. After they stopped to eat, with no talking as it'd been days since they'd last eaten, they continued on their way, trying to make up for the time they spent eating. "I'm sorry that Dodger pulled you into his web," Number Two finally said, "But, like I said, you're not alone. He's done it to everyone. He's charming. You just wanna believe him." "What bothers me is how he gets everyone else to do things for him. He told me about a crow he'd met in the lab named Lorna, and then myself, and using Gerry and Kevin to get out of the lab...he's so small that he needs others to put his plans into motion, bring them to fruition, and that's what bothers me most. He cannot keep getting away with it." "I'm sure your partner and pups are fine," Number Two said, "I'm sure they're just waiting for you." "Paul..." Minerva started, and then stopped herself. "What?" he asked. "...how are we going to go about this? Last time the rest of your group was faced with him, Dodger tried to subdue Gerry into joining him. Is that going to be a problem?" Minerva asked, "I mean...I guess what I'm asking is...do you trust Gerry?" "...yes, I do," Number Two finally said, "Gerry has enough to be angry at Dodger for that I don't think he'd ever join up with him. They used to be friends, it's true, but only because Gerry didn't know how sneaky and underhanded Dodger actually could be. Once that facade fell away, once he was revealed to be more rat than mouse, I think Gerry could never forgive him for that. Gerry takes his friendships seriously, so for someone to use him like that...that's not something he easily forgets." "So you see, you ARE in fact a family," Minerva said, winking at him, making him smirk a bit. Maybe Minerva was right...maybe the Collective was more a family than he'd ever allowed himself to believe. They had been there for one another, died for one another, fought for one another...god, the things they'd done together. They were much more than just a group of rabbits thrown together haphazardly. They really were a family of sorts, and Number Two was just going to have to finally accept that. "So how do we get rid of Dodger?" Number Two, "I'm hoping you've got some ideas." "I've got lots of ideas, some more cruel than others," Minerva said, "But...with that being said...it's much more your problem than mine. I will help you, but I don't want to be the one to have to actually kill him. I don't like to kill. That's why I hesitated killing any of you back at the lab. We're going to need someone who's going to actually be able to pull the trigger when that time comes." "Yeah..." Number Two thought about Gerry, but he knew that he too lacked the ability it would take to take another creatures life, and he started to wonder who, exactly, it would be that could manage to take Dodger out. "Let's not worry about it too much," Minerva said, "Let's focus on getting back to my home. We can rest there and discuss plans before heading to your group." "Sounds like a good plan," Number Two said, "...you know...before I came to the lab, I was owned by this woman who was never home. I was always alone. Being in the lab, not being alone, it was something I had to get used to. I wasn't used to it one bit, because I'd been on my own for so long, but...but now...I can't fathom being alone. Now I feel like I need the other rabbits." "Yeah," Minerva said, smiling, "Love will do that to you." Love? Yes. Love. He loved them. Whether they were a family was debatable, but what wasn't debatable was the fact that he did, deep down, love those rabbits. *** He was moved in the middle of the day. When he awoke, he found he was in a different cage, in a different place. He tried to stand, but he felt a little pain on his front left paw and looked down, spotting a small bandage covering a pinprick of blood. He felt confused...had he been drugged to come here? Was that why he hadn't awoken during the move? Why would someone drug him just to take him to a different home? Number Two forced himself to stand up and only then realized he was still out of it, stumbling in his cage as he crashed against the side of it. His eyes were blurry, but he managed to make out the face of a rabbit in a cage next to his. "Are you okay?" the other rabbit asked, and he nodded best he could as she continued, "That's good. It'll wear off in a bit. THEY do it to all of us when THEY first bring us in. It's to make us easier to work with." "Whe...where am...I?" Number Two finally asked. "You're in a laboratory," the rabbit said, "It's okay, you have been assigned a number, the number Two, meaning you're part of the Special Seven. You aren't a normal rabbit, you're going to be treated much better than the rest of them. I'm Number Six, it's nice to meet you." Number Two finally was able to stand without wobbling, his eyes finally clearing up more as well as he looked right at Number Six and cleared his throat. This wasn't a home. This wasn't a family. This was hell, and he'd been sent to it. Well, he thought, at least he'd have company. *** "You know," Number Two said, "you would think that a rabbit who's lived his entire life in cages would have gone willingly along with anyone who was trying to escape, but as it turns out, I was rather hesitant to the change. I figured, well, I'd lived outside the lab and ended up here, so the outside world can be just as bad as this lab can be." "You didn't want to leave the lab?" Minerva asked. "Not at first. I mean...I guess I shouldn't say I DIDN'T want to leave, and more that I was rather...timid...about the whole thing. It was much more that I had been on the outside, I had been treated poorly, and I knew that people could be rotten. I didn't want everyone else to get high hopes only to be dashed when faced with that reality." "But you're out now," Minerva said, "You're seeing birds and you're feeling sun, and you've been swimming-" as Number Two interrupted her with laughter, herself laughing as well before she continued, "-so doesn't that mean you were wrong? Or are you one of those rabbits who can't admit when they've been wrong?" "Please, I've got an ego, but it's not THAT big," Number Two said. "You sure about that buddy?" Minerva asked, the both of them starting to crack up. "I admit, in hindsight, I was wrong. It's nice outside. It's worse in there. But that doesn't mean I'm wrong about the outside still being cold and cruel." "Certainly," Minerva said, "But I like to think there's more good than bad." They stopped suddenly, looking up a small hill, spotting a big tree with a big hole in the front, and another fox sitting in front of it. Number Two looked up at Minerva and his one still full ear cocked up, he lowered his voice and asked, "Who is that?" "That's her, that's Dice, my partner!" Minerva said, "We must've been closer than I thought!" Minerva took off, sprinting up the hill towards Dice, who didn't appear to be moving. When she finally got to her, Dice was looking at the ground, and wouldn't look at her. Minerva pushed her head under Dice's chin, raising her face back up, but Dice quickly darted her eyes away from her, looking anywhere else but Minerva's face. "Is...are you...what's going on?" Minerva asked, "I'm back! I survived!" "I'm so sorry," Dice mumbled, on the verge of tears, as Minerva heard the sound of a loud creature coming from behind the tree. She looked and noticed a large black bear standing there, looking at her, also with a look of remorse on their face, before turning and heading off. Minerva looked back at Dice, and suddenly felt the pit of her stomach drop even further, as she rushed inside the tree. As Number Two got to the front of the tree, he heard the screams, the anguished, frantic wails, that Minerva was belting out. Number Two looked up at Dice, but she wouldn't look at him either, so he finally, cautiously, walked inside. Minerva was there, looking at the carnage in front of her; all of her pups, ripped to shreds, covered in blood. Number Two walked up to her and rested his head on her shoulder as she wept, realizing now how lucky he himself had been, to not lose his family. Yes, his family. And now Minerva was part of that. Number Two made one silent promise to himself in that moment, and that was no matter what it took, no matter how they did it, he was going to make sure that SOMEONE killed Dodger.
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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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