Kevin found himself sitting outside The Hollow, staring at a bird up in a tree and thinking "what a marvelous creature". Watching this bird twitter about and flit its wings, he sighed and looked down at his paws, covered in mud and blood and dirt and muck. The paws of a rabbit who'd orchestrated something terrible. Something horrid, but necessary. Suddenly he heard breathing beside him, and he shivered, surprised by Number Two's presence, who looked just as bad; his eyes bloodshot and his face scarred. They nodded, acknowledging one another, but not saying a word, choosing instead to both watch the bird. After a few moments, Number Two cleared his throat, his voice still hoarse from all the screaming, and he looked across the way, at Mipsy, who was asleep in a spot of sunlight.
"It hurts," he said softly, "Having to kill the ones you know. I never knew how deeply it could cut, but it cuts, and it cuts so deep that I doubt these scars will ever fade. None of us wanted that. But we did had to be done. He...couldn't be saved. I hope you know that." "I know," Kevin said, calmly but coldly, "I know that. Just like Number Four, just like everyone else before us, it's never been my fault. Hell, I think you were more associated with him than I was. But still, you're right, it hurts. I feel like there's...there's this void inside of me now that was once filled with goodness that's now just a pit of tar, and I'm drowning in it, and I'm wondering if I can ever be rescued." "We did the right thing, Kevin," Number Two said, "We have to move on. We have to move forward. We have dealt with him, and now we have to deal with THEM. We trusted him, and...it was always a lie. This was bound to happen eventually." Number Two rested his head on Kevins shoulder and shut his eyes, enjoying the bird song. Kevin knew that he was right. He knew that it had to happen, and that they'd done the right thing, but that didn't make him feel much better. Actually, seemed like everytime he did the right thing, he felt worse and worse. After a while of sitting together, Kevin excused himself to go and speak to Number Four's gravestone, and left Number Two sitting there alone. Number Two relaxed his ears and looked up at the sky, watching the clouds roll overhead. Kevin hadn't even been part of the planning, and yet he felt so ashamed of being associated with what they'd done to Dodger, and Number Two certainly understood why. He was a bad mouse. He'd hurt a lot of other creatures. But they'd had a shared history, they'd both come from a place that had wanted to hurt them, and that made them like minded in a sense. Number Two suddenly felt a shadow near him, glancing to see Minerva standing there. "Well," Minerva said, taking a seat, "You said you'd do it, and you did it. I guess I owe you some sort of thanks. If only I could've eaten some of the little bastard myself would it have been slightly more rewarding." "You don't owe me anything," Number Two said, slightly smirking, "We did what we had to do. Try not to rationalize it, I know I am. I think, in the entire time that I've been associated with this group, that we have never calculated a murder before. But...but the things he did, the things he would've continued to do, they would've been so awful and he'd already gotten away with so much, it wouldn't have been right to let him go free." "You are right, of course," Minerva said, clearing her throat and scratching behind her ear with a paw, "Dice and I will be leaving shortly. We'll be sticking in this neck of the woods, obviously, as going back to the old home would just be counter intuitive and painful. We need to swim, not tread water. I just figured I should tell you in case you woke up and we were gone." Minerva turned and started to head back inside the Hollow when she heard Number Two ask her a question. "Can I come with you?" She stopped and turned back around, but he wasn't facing her. "Wh-what?" she asked. "Can I come with you?" he asked again, still not turning to face her, "I think...I think it'd be beneficial to move from this situation and to something new. I'd like to help you and Dice get back on your feet, set up a new home, and be a part of it. I could help you with all sorts of-" "Paul," Minerva said, "You are more than welcome to come with us. You knew the answer to that before you even asked." He finally looked back at her and the two smiled at one another before she continued heading into the Hollow, shouting over her shoulder at him. "We're leaving tomorrow morning!" she said, "Be ready by noon!" *** Gerry was lying on his side, staring at the wall, when Stone came into the section of hollow he'd taken up residence in and looked at him. She sighed and shook her head, coming to stand next to him, Six walking in behind her. Stone pawed at Gerrys shoulder, but he just mumbled and continued staring. "This has to stop," Stone said, "We need you back on your feet. You're necessary around here for guidance. I know it hurts, and I certainly don't want to tell you to stop grieving, but don't let it consume you, alright?" She turned and headed out, leaving Six alone there with him. Six sat beside Gerry and looked at the wall. "You miss him," she said. "Of course I do," Gerry said, "And I'm not sure what's sicker; the fact that I miss him or the fact that I miss him despite all he did to me. Why are we so attached to those who hurt us? Why can't I let go?" "Because...he lied to you, and he made you think he was your friend, when-" "That's the thing though," Gerry said, "I don't think he ever did lie to ME. I think he lied to everyone else THROUGH me. When we were in the vents, he asked me if I wanted to go with him, leave you all behind, but I told him of course not. When he showed me THEY were bringing in new rabbits to the lab, he asked me once again. He'd come up with this whole new life where he and I rescue these rabbits and we take them into a totally different section of woods, wherever that was, and we started a new life. He...he genuinely liked me, because I think he thought I was the only one who could really see the reasons why he did what he did." "Seeing those reasons doesn't make you agree with them," Six said. "Of course not," Gerald replied, "But it still gave him something to grasp at. Someone else who understood him, even in the worst possible way. No, I don't agree with him, and no, we're not alike in that way, but I did understand him. He was right about that at least. I just wish he'd been more upfront with me about what he was planning instead of putting you all at risk within the process." "Wait, does that mean that you would've gone with him if he had?" Six asked, and Gerry shrugged. "I...I really don't know, Six. I feel like Kevin and Number Two have a much better grip on this group than I do at this point, and I don't feel like I'm really necessary, so-" "Gerry, god, if you hadn't worked as hard as you did back in the lab, if you hadn't pushed Kevin and Number Two down that hole, they never would've gotten out, and they never would've come back for us and none of this would've happened. YOU did that. YOU got us out, just as you always said you would. Don't undermine your accomplishments just because you think others are doing more than you are now, okay?" Gerry sighed and rolled over, looking at the other wall now, away from Six. "You don't get it," Gerry said, "Nobody will get it." Six stood up and flapped her ears, heading towards the opening of the area before glancing back at him, sighing, and then exiting. *** Kevin was sitting by Number Four's gravesite, one paw on the dirt mound that covered her body, but he was looking off into the distance. He sighed and then smiled, shaking his head. "You should've been there," he said, "God I wish you'd have been there. It was amazing. I'm...I'm not usually one to condone murder of another animal, but it was incredible. The feeling in the air, everything, it was just glorious. I'm so happy that he's gone. He's why I couldn't get back to you in time. You're not here because of him. I feel awful for being so giddy, but still." He looked down at the gravesite and his smiled faded, as he put his other front paw on the dirt mound, exhaling. "Ellen, I miss you so much," he said softly, "I hope that wherever you are, you know that, and that you know that who was partially responsible for you being gone has gotten what's coming to them." He knew he'd never hear her voice again, but Kevin had found coming here was rather therapeutic. It allowed him to get his feelings out in a way that was healthy, it allowed him to express his deepest emotions, without judgement or shame. In a way, Ellen would always be with him, because she would always be here. *** Number Two came into the area Gerry was lying, scuffing at the floor with his paws, unsure of how to broach the subject of his sudden departure so quickly after Dodger's death, but he knew it was necessary, considering how imminently he'd be leaving. "Gerald," he started, "Um, we need to talk." "I don't want to talk about him." "It's not about him," Number Two said, "I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon. I'm going with Minerva and Dice. We're going somewhere close by and I'm going to try and help them set up a new home. I owe it to them, for what we got them involved in. I just wanted to let you know before I left." Gerry didn't respond, and Number Two sighed, wondering what else he could say to elicit a response. "I did it for you, you know," Number Two said, "I mean, I did it for the foxes too, and Lorna and everyone else, and because he let me fall off a waterfall, but I...I did it for you. He hurt you, and he deserved what he got." "No question about that," Gerry said. "Everything I've done, I've recognized in hindsight, was done for you. I know I fought with you about leaving the lab, but at this point, can you blame me for it? I just wanted to keep you and everyone else safe. Gerald-" "I'm so sorry," Gerry said, finally sitting up and facing him, "I'm so sorry about everything I ever put you through. I hope you come back and visit often. We still need to do something about the new rabbits in the lab, and I'm going to need your help with that." "I know," Number Two said, smirking, "I'll always be there if you need me." "Thank you," Gerry said. A silence passed between them, as Number Two tried to understand why he was thanking him. "Thank you for doing it," Gerry said, "I never could've done it without you." "Believe me, it was my pleasure," Number Two said, "Now come on out and have something to eat. We can discuss more plans before I leave tomorrow." Gerry stood up and hopped up to Number Two, both of them facing one another but neither one wanting to say it, before they both finally turned and headed out of the area and down the hallway towards the main section of the Hollow. It felt nice, Gerry realized, however bad it might've felt to have done what they did to Dodger, it did feel nice to finally, after all this time, have eaked out some sort of a win. They'd only managed so many, and this was by far the best. This only bolstered in Gerry's mind that, if they could do what they did, then they could do anything, including dealing with THEM. So Gerry ate and sat with his friends, and spoke to his group, and for the first time in a long, long time, felt happy. *** A small brown rabbit nudged its mother, who was fast asleep, but did awaken at the feeling of its young nosing at her. The mothers eyes fluttered open, and she looked around, her eyes not yet adjusted. "What's going on?" she asked. "I heard something," the little rabbit said, visibly shaking, "I thought I heard someone talking." "I'm sure it was nothing," the mother said, "Come here. You can sleep with me." The little rabbit nestled up to her mother and together they tried to go back to sleep, but the mothers nose picked up a weird scent. Before she could say anything though, multiple large black plastic hoses broke through the dirt above them and into their burrow, spewing enormous amounts of gas out, smothering them. The mother tried to get up, but it made her woozy, and before she knew it, she couldn't think clearly, and fell to her side, dead. The daughter tried to run, hopping quickly down the burrow halls, trying to escape all the hoses that continued to burst into the ground around her, only to come to a dead end, unable to get out without the help of her mother. After the dust settled and the gas died down did an arm reach in to collect her body and hauled her out of the ground, looking at the man standing across from her, holding the mothers corpse. The woman removed her mask and shook her hair out. "I hate these fucking masks," she said, "I doubt this is even that poisonous to us." "I know, but it's better than not being prepared," the man replied, "Seems to do the trick though. Where's the next one?" The woman reached into her back pocket and pulled out a map, then put an X over the burrow they were standing by right now. She then turned a few times, and then finally pointed in a direction with her marker, shaking her arm. "Alright," the man said, "Put these ones in the bag, and we'll do that one and then we'll meet up with the others for lunch." "Are you...are you sure this is the right thing to be doing?" the woman asked as he passed her the mother rabbits corpse. "We made them what they are, we made them withstand whatever we could do to them, we made them more intelligent than they should be, and we need to deal with that. So yeah, it's the right thing to be doing, and even if it weren't, it's the only thing we can do anyway," he said, "Now hurry up. We've got a lot of other burrows to gas this afternoon." The woman nodded, tossing the two bodies into the bag before slinging it over her shoulder and following her partner towards their next destination. They'd already done this a few times, and they'd keep doing it until they found the ones who had escaped. The Collective didn't know it yet... ...but war was coming.
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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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